Chapter 91

Chapter 91
Isabella POV

The party is extravagant! Katherine Dale and her fiancé, Derek Adams, just got into the hall. They make a handsome couple. Katherine is wearing a special fabric. She looks like a queen, with her platinum hair in a messy bun adorned with a tiara. Her fiancé is a handsome man. His hair is dark brown. He looks a bit like Chris Hemsworth. Perfect in his tux and big smile. They look deliriously happy. I noticed both of them come from prominent families. But I'm still amazed they can pull this kind of party in such a short time.
Gabriel's hand rests on my waist all the time. Like it belongs there. "What is in your head, Sweetness?" He whispers in my ear. "Are you planning our party?"
I laugh and jab at him. "They are super happy," I gesture at Katherine and Derek.
"Well, Derek was a playboy until he met Kate 2 years ago. He changed to a new person. Everyone was shocked. Even Derek's parents," he chuckles.
"Love can change everything," I say.
"Yes, it is." Somehow, the way he says it makes me glance at him. He looks at me with his hazel eyes. There was a lot of emotion in there. "It's changed me, too. You've changed me, Sweetness." He caresses my cheek. I smile at him.
Suddenly... "Gabriel, please! You can do this later!"
Gabriel rolls his eyes and turns around. It's Katherine Dale. She looks even prettier in close up.
"Sweetness, this is Katherine Dale soon to be Katherine Adams. Kate, my girlfriend Isabella Montenegro."
"Soon to be Isabella Remington?" She teases Gabriel and laughs with her jokes. She comes forward to me and hugs me. "Finally, I can meet you in person, Izzy!" The way she said it is like she has known me for a very long time.
"It's my pleasure to meet you, Kate. Congrats on your engagement," I smile.
"Thank you so much, Sweetness." She laughs. She keeps laughing all the time. Her happiness is obvious. I can't help but laugh with her.
"Jesus, Kate! Behave! She is Isabella to you!" Gabriel hisses.
"I love to hear a couple calling some cute nicknames, you know!"
"Ah... I got it. Princess isn't too cute. What about if you asked Derek to call you 'unicorn'?" Gabriel says dryly.
In his speech, Derek kept calling Kate Princess. He tried to call her Kate to make it more formal, but he often slipped and made all the guests laugh.
Katherine blushes and jabs Gabriel's. "Shut up, you Gabriel Remington!" She looks at me and beams. "You look even prettier in person!" Okay, I'm confused. She said it like she knows me very well.
"Kate, did you know Isabella before?" Gabriel asks her. I'm sure Gabriel is confused, too.
"I was a Mads-liner," she says happily.
"What?" My eyes widened. At the same time, Gabriel asks, "What's that?"
Kate shakes her head. "Don't trust him when he says you are the love of his life. He didn't know you that well, Izzy. I'm better than him." Kate pulls me from Gabriel and we laugh while Gabriel is still frowning.
Gabriel pulls me back to him and puts his arm on my shoulders. "What is Mads-liner, Sweetness?"
I blush. "It's... um... nothing." Suddenly I'm shy. Is it okay for me to say it was my fan base? Since I'm no one.
"It's not nothing!" Kate complains. "You should be proud of yourself, Izzy. My friends and I still talk about you from time to time."
"Okay, Sweetness you have to tell me. What is Kate talking about?"
"It was my fanbase name," I whisper.
Gabriel stares at me. "Do you have a fanbase?"
"I had. Not anymore." I shake my head and glance at Gabriel. He is grinning like an idiot now.
"My girlfriend is super!" He says proudly, kissing my cheek. Kate smiles at us. She looks so happy for us. I didn't realise there was a knot in my stomach until it loosened. Katherine Dale is an amiable woman. She wants Gabriel to be happy. There is nothing more between them except the friendship.
"Katherine!" The woman's sound in high tones gets into our ears. The 3 of us turn to the voice's source. Geneva.
Geneva comes closer and hugs Katherine. She keeps telling how happy she is for Kate and Derek. Are they best friends?
I focus on my breath. If I want to have a future with Gabriel. I have to handle this gracefully. I studied the two women's interactions. No, They aren't best friends. At least not as best friends as Ruby and I.
Gabriel caresses my shoulder. He knows...
"Hi Gabriel, Isabella" Geneva (finally) looks at me. I give her a small smile. While Gabriel just looked at her. Kate takes a glance at Gabriel and me, back to Geneva.
Geneva leans forward to hug or maybe kiss Gabriel, but Gabriel just thrusts his hand to shake Geneva's hand. Geneva looks at it and finally shakes it awkwardly. Her eyebrow twitches. "Is this a new gesture to your ex?" Geneva smirks.
"You're not my ex, Gen," Gabriel says coldly.
Geneva laughs and looks at Kate. "He changed Kate. He doesn't want to admit us as his ex anymore."
Kate looks at Geneva. "Well Gen, Gabriel didn't have any girlfriend until Isabella. We all know this. So I don't think it's right to say that you are his ex. Me, I'm not his ex. Crossed path doesn't always mean as an ex, Gen." Gone the jolly voice from Kate. She read the situation well.
"Oh, well..." Geneva shrugs, but the smirks in her face are stiff now.
"Gabriel!" Someone calls, and he comes to hug Gabriel. "Son! How are you?"
Gabriel smiles at him. "I'm great Uncle Joe. Have you ever met my girlfriend, Isabella?"
Joe or Johannes Dale, Kate's father. He looks at me and beams, "Such a lovely woman!" He kisses my hand. "Good one, son! I can't wait to see you put the ring on this woman's finger," he laughs.