Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Find A Way To Decrease My Problem
Gabriel’s POV
“Authentic Authentics got a partnership with Valentines Conglomerate?” My eyes widened as I watched the vice president of the Valentines Conglomerate shake hands with Diana.
“Is Rebecca getting back at me?” I muttered, recalling the moment I saw her leaving Chris Bruno’s VIP room that night, her smirk lingering in my memory.
“This can’t be a coincidence,” I said, pacing around the room.
Problems piled up around me like a landslide, and I didn’t know which to tackle first. As I thought about Rebecca, another thought about Emmanuella stabbed through my mind.
I sank into the chair. My head felt as if it were filled with lead. If I claimed to have control over my life, I’d be lying. I was lost, desperate for someone to lead me to clarity. But who could be that guide?
This was Madena, a place where nobody had time for anyone else’s problems. There was no sense of community. If you were lucky enough to marry a decent partner, you might have companionship. But if you were foolish, like me, and lost that partner chasing a mirage, you’d spend the rest of your life drowning in regret.
“Hey!” Emmanuella’s voice broke my thoughts as she stormed into the room. Her pink gown was wrinkled and dull compared to when she left the house.
“Where are you coming from?” I asked sharply.
“And why are you asking?” she retorted, her voice firm and dripping with authority.
I straightened up in the chair, anger simmering beneath my calm exterior.
I was tired of this dictatorship in my own house. A husband was supposed to lead, and a wife should follow. If Emmanuella thought she could act like this because she held something over me, she could go ahead and do her worst.
“Tell me where you’re coming from. Now!” I demanded, rising to my feet, my voice loud and sharp like a warning bell. Maybe this would change how she treated me. Let her see that I wasn’t afraid anymore of the secret she thought gave her power.
“Or what, Gabriel? What are you going to do if I don’t tell you?” she challenged, stepping closer. We were face to face, her fiery eyes locked on mine. She didn’t flinch.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. But instead of standing my ground, I walked away—like a wrestler backing down from a smaller, unthreatening opponent.
I thought I wasn’t afraid of her, but I was wrong. The fear of being locked up, of losing everything, rang loudly in my mind. If she reported me, it would be over.
“I thought as much!” she sneered behind me.
“Now come back here!” she ordered.
Like an obedient slave, I returned, sitting where she pointed.
“You’re going to do as I tell you, okay?” she said, her voice unyielding.
“Okay,” I murmured, my tone subdued.
“Never, in your fking life, question where I’ve been again. Understood?” she growled.
“Okay,” I replied, even quieter than before.
With a smug push of her finger against my head, she turned and disappeared into the bedroom, leaving me in the living room, seething in silence.
As the door shut behind her, I exhaled heavily, a new resolve forming within me.
“I can’t keep living like this,” I muttered. “I need to get myself together and deal with my business problems head-on.”
I wracked my brain for a solution to everything falling apart around me.
“How do I fix this?” I whispered repeatedly, but no answer came.
Then, suddenly, a dark thought crept into my mind.
“I’m going to kill her,” I thought. The idea was chilling, yet it felt like the only escape. But how could I do it without getting my hands dirty? Emmanuella already knew too much, and someone else out there knew as well.
“Luke!” I exclaimed, the name breaking through my turmoil.
Luke was my old college friend, an ex-convict. If anyone could help with a plan like this, it was him.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts. There it was, Luke’s number, staring back at me like a lifeline.
I hovered over Luke’s number, my thumb trembling slightly. With one last deep breath, I pressed the call button. The line rang twice before a gravelly voice answered.
“Gabriel?” Luke’s voice was calm, almost amused, as though he’d been expecting my call.
“I need your help,” I said, my voice low and steady, despite the chaos in my chest.
There was a pause, then a chuckle. “Still getting into trouble, huh? What do you need this time? And remember, everything has a price.”
I swallowed hard, gripping the phone tightly. “Something… permanent.”
Silence followed, heavier than before. When Luke finally spoke, his tone was sharper. “Permanent? You better not be dragging me into something stupid, Gabe. What the hell’s going on?”
“I can’t explain over the phone,” I replied quickly. “Can we meet?”
Luke let out a long sigh. “You’re always good for drama, aren’t you? Fine. Midnight. Same spot as before. You’d better have your head straight, though. I’m not risking my neck for free.”
Before I could respond, the line went dead.
I stared at the phone, my heart pounding. Emmanuella’s laughter echoed from the bedroom, sharp and mocking. My hand clenched around the device.
“Tomorrow,” I whispered to myself, a mixture of dread and determination tightening in my chest.
If this worked, I’d be free. But if it didn’t…