128

128
After Eloise left, Gabriel immediately lost interest in finishing his drink. Lazily, he walked out of the bar. A few people tried to stop him, but he brushed them off.

Once outside, Gabriel headed straight to the Dominguez residence and went to the small building where his parents lived. His father wasn’t home yet, while his mother was in the music room, playing a somber piece on the piano.

He didn’t interrupt her. Only when she finished and her mood seemed to settle did she notice him.

“Gabriel, when did you get here?” Sofia asked, startled at first, but her surprise quickly softened into a smile.

“Just now,” Gabriel replied as he walked closer. He glanced at the piano in front of her. “Mom, why are you practicing at this hour?”

“It’s still early. If there’s nothing else to do, it’s better to practice. Your hands might get rusty if you don’t play for too long,” Sofia answered.

Everyone who knew her understood how much she valued that piano, a piece she had worked hard to acquire at an auction.

Gabriel looked at it quietly, almost studying it.

“Why did you suddenly come home? Did something happen?” Sofia asked.

Gabriel rarely came back unannounced, so she could immediately tell something was different.

He raised his eyes to her. “I saw someone earlier. He looked familiar, but I can’t remember where I saw him. I thought maybe you could help me.”

“Who are you talking about?” Sofia asked, puzzled.

“A man. He has a red birthmark on his left cheek,” Gabriel said slowly, each word carrying weight.

Sofia’s chest tightened. Gabriel caught the flicker of shock in her eyes before she quickly masked it.

“That description is too vague. How would I know who that is?” she deflected, nervously pressing her fingers together.

“The birthmark was hard to miss,” Gabriel replied with a cold smile. “Mom, you’re good at remembering faces. Maybe you’ve seen him before.”

Sofia frowned. “Gabriel, if you want to ask me something, then ask directly. Don’t dance around it.”

Gabriel let out a soft laugh. “Don’t get upset, Mom. I just want to be sure.” Then he asked, “Were you the one who ordered him to go after Cosmo and Eloise?”

Sofia laughed, as if the accusation were absurd. “That’s ridiculous. Why would I ever do that?”

“Maybe because of your piano,” Gabriel said sarcastically. “Or rather, the person who gave you that piano.”

Sofia’s eyes widened. “What do you know?”

Gabriel stared at her, his gaze cold and sharp. “What you don’t want me to know… I almost know already.”

Sofia shook her head, clearly in disbelief. “Impossible. You’re lying to me.”

Meanwhile, Eloise hadn’t heard anything more about the payment for the damage to Lander’s car. She assumed he wasn’t going to charge her anymore.

To keep herself from feeling indebted, she bought him a gift, treated him to dinner, and personally handed over the present.

“Thank you. Thank you for helping me last time,” Eloise said with a smile as she gave it to him.

“So formal,” Lander replied with a laugh, clearly pleased but never expecting such a gesture from her.

If Eloise preferred clear, professional boundaries, Lander, on the other hand, wished they could be closer.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Eloise said, pretending to be clueless, though her tone remained polite.

“Since it’s a thank-you gift, I’ll accept it,” Lander said, then asked, “By the way, did they catch the guy who attacked you last time?”

“They did,” Eloise answered simply.

“Who was it? Why did they go after you?” Lander pressed, curious.

“It’s still under investigation,” she replied shortly, making it clear she didn’t want to discuss it further.

“At least they caught him. That’s what matters,” Lander said with a smile, and he didn’t ask again.

Their conversation shifted, mostly about Sasha and work. There was so much they could have talked about from the past, but both of them knew better than to bring it up.

“I heard Sasha got a new assistant. What are your plans now?” Lander asked casually.

“I’ve been with her on a lot of projects already. But lately, I’ve been thinking of taking a different path. I don’t want to be away from Cosmo for too long,” Eloise admitted, her voice tinged with hesitation.

Lander didn’t answer right away. It seemed like their conversation could have gone deeper, but it stopped short. “Are you planning to just be a full-time housewife?” he asked with a frown. “That would be such a waste of your skills and education.”

Eloise answered calmly but firmly, “Lander, that’s not something you should be concerned about. That’s between me and Cosmo.”

Lander quickly recovered and apologized. “Sorry, I crossed the line.”

They both knew they had become nothing more than familiar strangers. The love that lasted ten years had long been buried in the past.

Eloise’s life already belonged to another man.
Silence fell between them, cold, rigid, and awkward.

Someone suddenly approached. Lander frowned. “Why are you here?” he asked.

The woman smiled. “If I said it was just a coincidence, would you believe me?” She then looked at Eloise and politely introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Michelle Aragon.”

Eloise recognized the name faintly, so she responded with the same courtesy. “Hello, I’m Eloise.”

Michelle smiled, but there was a challenge in her eyes. “I know who you are. You’re Lander’s ex-fiancée, right? But now, you’re married to Cosmo. Isn’t it a little inappropriate to still be meeting your ex-fiancé in secret?”

Her tone was gentle, but every word carried a blade.

Eloise remained calm. “We only had a meal in a public place. We didn’t do anything improper. I don’t see any problem with that.”

Michelle gave another smile, this time filled with mockery. “A lot of married men and women use the excuse of being ‘friends’ just to meet up, but the truth is, they’re already betraying their spouse, even if it’s only in their thoughts.”

Behind her innocent face, Eloise sensed she was not someone easy to deal with.

“Michelle!” Lander snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. “What are you talking about?!”

Michelle turned to him without fear and shot back, “Why? Feeling guilty? Can you really say you don’t feel anything for her anymore?”

She laid bare Lander’s true emotions, leaving him embarrassed.

Eloise, on the other hand, only felt a stronger urge to leave. With the chaos Michelle stirred, she was certain this would be the last time she ever saw Lander.

“Eloise, wait for me,” Lander said as he pulled Michelle away.

Eloise watched their backs as they walked off, then let out a quiet sigh. She took a sip of water from her glass, only to notice Caroline coming toward her.

“You’re here too?” Eloise asked in surprise. She looked at her carefully, then something clicked in her mind. “Did you come with Michelle?”

Caroline smirked. “While my cousin’s out of the country, you’re the one making trouble behind his back. You’re really something.”

“Even when your cousin was still here, I met with Lander a few times, and my conscience is clear. I’m not doing anything you’re accusing me of.” Eloise didn’t back down. She looked straight at Caroline and asked, “What about you? What’s your purpose? Why did you bring Michelle here? To stir up a fight between her and Lander so you can take her place?”

Caroline flinched at Eloise’s words and glared at her. “Don’t act like you know everything! I’m not doing anything!” she snapped.

Eloise smirked with open sarcasm. “Really? How generous of you, helping Michelle out with nothing in return. Sorry, but I can’t buy that. Imagine, your engagement with Lander never happened, yet you’re helping another woman? Are you really that threatened by me, even if I was never truly your rival for Lander?”

She knew Caroline well, a woman who had long harbored feelings for Lander, yet no matter how hard she tried, he never chose her. How could Eloise believe that Caroline suddenly turned selfless?

“Think whatever you want!” Caroline shouted. “But remember this, when my cousin finds out what you’ve been doing, he’ll take care of you himself!”

With that, Caroline stormed off in a rage.

Eloise could only shake her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “You really are childish sometimes, Caroline,” she muttered under her breath. “But… why don’t you and Gabriel even look alike?”