Chapter Nine

Antonia's POV.

As I stood in the kitchen, preparing lunch for myself and my cousin Kendra, her voice broke through my concentration. "I still can't believe you're dating THE Gabriel Wilson, Tonia," she exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment. "You must have been a saint in your past life; maybe you saved an entire country to be this lucky.”

I rolled my eyes, finding her exaggeration slightly irritating.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Kendra," I replied. "Let's not forget that this relationship is fake. I'm getting paid to be a pretend girlfriend, nothing more. I'm not actually dating Gabriel, so when we're alone, try to keep that in mind."

Kendra let out a scoff, her expression filled with disbelief. "Antonia, how many people in the world would be lucky enough to have a billionaire offer them millions just to be their pretend girlfriend?" she retorted. "You're not only getting paid a significant amount of money, but this arrangement is going to benefit your career as well. You'll be a millionaire by the time you and Gabriel end this fake relationship."

I sighed, realizing that arguing further with Kendra would be futile. She had a point, and I couldn't deny the perks that came with being in this arrangement. "Okay, fine," I conceded. "I suppose I am a little lucky. But let's not jump to conclusions or get carried away with grand ideas. I definitely didn't save a country in my past life, and we both know someone like me couldn't possibly have been a saint."

Kendra raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at her lips. "Well, who knows?" she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maybe you did something amazing in a past life, and this is your reward."

I chuckled, shaking my head at her playful commentary. "I highly doubt it, Kendra," I replied, returning to the task of preparing our lunch. "Let's not forget that my life hasn't exactly been a walk in the park, and this is just the first stroke of good luck I've had in a long time.”

Kendra's expression softened, with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "I know things haven't been easy for you," she conceded, reaching out to squeeze my hand reassuringly. "But on the bright side, maybe this is the universe's way of balancing the scales. Who knows? Maybe this fake relationship will lead to something real for you, and you might end up becoming the future Mrs. Wilson.”

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her proclamation. "Kendra, didn't I just tell you not to get ahead of yourself?" I replied, my tone laced with exasperation. "You and I know that the chances of someone like Gabriel Wilson and me being in a real relationship are next to none."

Kendra scoffed, a look of disbelief crossing her face. "Why would you think that, Antonia?" she retorted. "If Gabriel was willing to hire you to be his pretend girlfriend, it means he finds you physically worthy enough to be his girlfriend. And if he finds you physically attractive, then there's a chance that your fake relationship could turn into a real one."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again, realizing that arguing with Kendra about this would be fruitless. Deep down, I knew she had a tendency to let her imagination run wild, but this time her delusions were too much for me to handle.

"Kendra, you're overthinking things," I replied. "Gabriel and I might have to act like a couple in public, but that doesn't mean we're actually compatible or that a real relationship could ever happen. Besides, I highly doubt I would want to date someone like Gabriel anyway. He's great and all, and a real relationship with him would be life-changing, but someone like him comes with too much drama, and I already have enough to last me a lifetime."

With that said, I turned my attention back to the final preparations of our meal. As I stirred the sauce and seasoned the dish, my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the absurd notion that I could end up in a genuine relationship with Gabriel.

Just as I was nearing the end of my cooking, the doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts. I wiped my hands on a towel and walked to the door, hoping it wasn't some unexpected visitor. To my surprise, a delivery guy stood there, holding out a bouquet of roses.

"Delivery for Ms. Antonia Flynn," he said with a polite smile, handing me the bunch of flowers.

Curiosity piqued, and I couldn't help but ask, "Who sent these?"

The delivery guy shrugged. "I'm not sure, ma'am. The sender's name wasn't disclosed. But there's a card if you'd like to check."

I thanked him, watching as he turned and walked away. Closing the door behind me, I held the bouquet of roses in my hands, a mix of confusion and intrigue swirling in me. Who could have sent me flowers? And why was their identity a secret?

With cautious anticipation, I unclasped the card attached to the flowers. My eyes scanned the words, and my heart skipped a beat as I read the simple message scribbled on the card.

'Thinking of you. - G.'

Gabriel. It had to be him. The mysterious gesture caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but feel a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. At the same time, I also couldn't help but wonder about Gabriel's intentions behind sending the flowers. Was it a genuine gesture or simply another part of the charade we were playing?

It was most likely to be the latter, but what I didn't understand was why he had to send me flowers when it wasn't like the media would care that he did.

As I walked back into the kitchen, clutching the bouquet of flowers in my hands, Kendra's excitement was palpable. She couldn't contain her curiosity and immediately bombarded me with questions.

"Who sent you flowers, Antonia?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

I furrowed my brow, still slightly confused. "I'm not entirely sure, but the card seems to indicate that they're from Gabriel," I replied, gesturing towards the small note attached to the bouquet.

The moment those words left my mouth, Kendra's smile grew wider, almost unsettlingly so. I knew exactly what she was thinking, and I didn't want her to jump to conclusions.

"Kendra, don't have any weird thoughts," I warned, trying to quell her enthusiasm. "We don't even know for certain if they're from Gabriel."

She shrugged, her smile undeterred. "Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't saying nonsense when I mentioned that you and Gabriel could go from faking a relationship to being in a real one," she suggested with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

I rolled my eyes, finding Kendra's persistence amusing yet irritating. "Kendra, you're letting your imagination run wild again," I said. "I'm not even sure if these flowers are from Gabriel. And even if they are, it doesn't mean anything beyond a fleeting gesture."

But Kendra wasn't ready to let go of her fantasy. Her next suggestion made me pause, however reluctantly.

"If you're not sure, why don't you call Gabriel to confirm?" she proposed. "For safety reasons and to prove me right, you should call him and ask if he sent you the flowers."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. As much as I wanted to dismiss Kendra's suggestion, a small part of me was curious about Gabriel's intentions.

"You know what, Kendra? Perhaps you have a point," I said, reluctantly giving in to her persuasions.

As I reached for my phone, my heart fluttered with a strange mix of anticipation and apprehension. I pressed Gabriel's contact, and waited, trying to calm the nerves that were starting to take hold in me.

After a few rings, Gabriel's voice finally filled my ear. "Hello," he said.

I took a deep breath, mustering my courage. "Hi, Gabriel. It's Antonia. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Gabriel chuckled lightly. "Not interrupting at all, Antonia. How can I help you?"

I hesitated for a moment before proceeding. "I received a bouquet of roses today, and the card seemed to indicate that they're from you," I explained, my voice betraying just a hint of nervousness. "I just wanted to confirm if it was you who sent them."

As I waited for Gabriel's response on the other end of the line, my anticipation mingled with a twinge of nervousness. I hoped for some clarity, a confirmation that the roses were indeed from him. However, reality didn't align with my hopes.

To my disappointment and confusion, Gabriel's voice came through, denying any involvement in the flowers. "Antonia, I never sent you flowers," he stated firmly. "If I had, I would have let you know to expect something."

I blinked, taken aback by his response. Embarrassment flushed my cheeks as the realization sank in. I had jumped to conclusions and made a fool of myself.

In an attempt to recover, I quickly manufactured an explanation.

"Oh, it must be from my agency or one of the brands I'm working with," I blurted out. "I apologize for bothering you."

Without waiting for Gabriel's response, I quickly ended the call, cutting off the lingering awkwardness. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face Kendra, a disappointed look etched on my face.

Kendra watched me with curious eyes, sensing the deflation that filled the air. "Why the long face, Antonia?"

I couldn't stop a scoff from escaping my lips. "This is what I get for listening to you!" I hissed, shaking my head in annoyance.