Chapter 13 Mr. Sterling Sends Flowers
Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise.
After a pause, she asked, "Who did you upset? Mrs. Kingsley or our Mrs. Sterling?"
Gabriel's handsome face darkened as he snapped irritably, "What do I care if Emily's angry or not?"
Evelyn smiled knowingly and suddenly adopted a more formal tone, "Mr. Sterling, your relationship with Mrs. Kingsley is common knowledge around here. How could it not concern you?"
Gabriel, being the boss after all, had some dignity to maintain. He shot her a warning look, reminding her not to push her luck.
Understanding the hint, Evelyn nodded with a smile, "Since it's about making up with your own wife, that's easy enough. Buy her flowers, get her a gift, apologize, and say a few sweet words. Women are actually quite easy to please—it's all about showing the right attitude."
Gabriel looked skeptical, "You think that'll work?"
Evelyn shrugged, "How will you know unless you try? And if all else fails, well... Mr. Sterling, you can put in some extra effort tonight. A good roll in the hay can forgive most mistakes."
Gabriel was speechless.
Did all middle-aged women talk this bluntly? Right here in the office, to her direct supervisor, no less.
His face flushed red with embarrassment, and he couldn't be bothered to respond.
Evelyn chuckled teasingly, "Why are you blushing? You already have kids together..."
Gabriel nearly jumped out of his chair, waving his hand dismissively, "Enough! Get out!"
Evelyn smiled and turned to leave, but paused at the door to ask helpfully, "Should I order the flowers for you?"
"No!" he replied, clearly flustered.
Evelyn started to close the door, but heard an awkward voice from behind, "Order the flowers."
She smiled triumphantly and left.
————
At Parkside Estate.
After her afternoon nap, Arabella continued browsing job listings online.
Sophia called her, "Arabella, we're moving this weekend! So excited!"
Hearing this good news, Arabella perked up too. "Do you need help?"
"No need, you've got the twins to take care of."
"It's fine, there are plenty of people here. I can get away for a bit during the day."
"In that case, come on over! After we're done, I'll treat you to dinner to celebrate the housewarming."
"Sounds perfect!"
After hanging up, Arabella browsed shopping websites, picking out a housewarming gift for Sophia's new place.
As evening approached, the sound of a car echoed from the courtyard.
She knew Gabriel had returned and felt her nerves flutter, choosing not to go downstairs.
But soon enough, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Mary appeared with an excited smile, "Mrs. Sterling, come downstairs quickly! Mr. Sterling has prepared a surprise for you!"
Arabella was completely puzzled, "A surprise? What do you mean?"
How could Gabriel possibly have prepared a surprise for her?
Seeing her disbelief, Mary stepped forward and took her arm, "Just come down and see for yourself!"
Though Arabella's face showed confusion and her words expressed reluctance, her heart was already stirring with anticipation.
Downstairs, she immediately spotted that tall, elegant figure in the living room.
Gabriel had his sleeves rolled up and was bent over the baby carriage, playing with the two children.
Thinking about the supposed surprise, Arabella's gaze unconsciously swept around the living room.
Actually, she only made it halfway around before her eyes were captured by a splash of vibrant color.
On the coffee table in the sitting area stood a magnificent bouquet of tulips, the blooms elegant and striking, wrapped in luxurious yet fresh packaging.
Was this for her?
She'd never received flowers before.
Never imagined her first bouquet would come from Gabriel.
Seeing her standing frozen, Mary gave her a gentle push, "Go on over and talk to Mr. Sterling. You have children together—you should work things out."
At her age, Mary clearly understood these things.
Recently, Arabella had been seeking a divorce, and their relationship had grown unprecedentedly cold.
Today, Gabriel had brought home flowers—wasn't this him extending an olive branch?
Sure, he'd been out of line in the past, but men, especially powerful, wealthy men—which of them didn't have their flaws?
As long as he was willing to make amends and humble himself, the marriage could still work.
After all, with two babies so young, how could they be without their mother?
The commotion reached Gabriel, who straightened up and looked over.
Arabella couldn't withdraw her gaze in time, and their eyes met across the room. Her cheeks immediately burned with warmth.
Seeing his wife, Gabriel felt nervous, too.
He'd brought the bouquet home, but his pride prevented him from personally presenting it to her.
They stared at each other across the space, sharing several seconds of awkward silence before the man asked quietly, "Is dinner ready?"
The staff immediately responded, "Yes, yes! We'll serve right away."
Gabriel moved toward the stairs, "I'll... go change my clothes."
As he passed by, Arabella's heartbeat quickened slightly.
Mary nudged her encouragingly, "Mr. Sterling isn't experienced with this sort of thing, so don't mind his awkwardness. The flowers are definitely for you—go accept them."
Arabella wasn't thick-skinned enough for that. Blushing, she turned to check on the babies instead.
During dinner, Gabriel's manner was considerably warmer than usual.
Noticing seafood on the table, he instructed the staff, "Arabella can't eat seafood. Don't prepare it anymore. Ask her what she'd like and make that instead."
The staff looked surprised and stammered an explanation, "Mrs. Sterling can't eat it, but you..."
"I don't need it either."
"Understood, Mr. Sterling."
He enjoyed seafood, so it was a constant presence at their table.
Gabriel had never paid attention to what the woman dining with him preferred to eat. After the incident at lunch, his conscience finally stirred, and he thought to consider Arabella's tastes.
Arabella clearly understood his intent and said quietly, "It's not necessary. With so many dishes, I have plenty to eat. Have the kitchen prepare whatever you want."
"I'm not particular about food."
She didn't respond further.
Their interaction pattern had changed dramatically over the past few days, and Arabella couldn't understand his true intentions.
She could sense he didn't want the divorce, but why?
Was it because the children were too young and couldn't be separated from her? Or because, with William's critical condition and the family facing property reorganization, he needed her to secure additional interests?
She'd been so resolute in her decision, but now his sudden change in attitude left her heart unsettled, unsure how to proceed.
These past days, they'd been sleeping in separate rooms.
But tonight, the staff suddenly stripped all the linens from the guest room bed, claiming they needed washing.
When she went looking for new sheets, the staff claimed there weren't any.
Wasn't this basically forcing her back to the master bedroom?
Arabella stood in the guest room, staring at the bare mattress, caught in a dilemma.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her back to attention.
Gabriel: [The baby's crying. Are you still busy?]
Actually, he knew exactly where Arabella was and what she was doing. He was only asking to give her a way out and to remind her to come feed the children once she was done.
Arabella stared at her phone for two seconds, then suddenly wondered—wait, why was he the one comforting two babies?
Usually, Mary would bring the children to find her.
It seemed the perfect trap had been set, and she had no escape.
In the quiet night, the twins' crying echoed throughout the house. Arabella could hear it even from the guest room. Finally, gritting her teeth, she had to give in.
Pushing open the master bedroom door, she found Gabriel holding one baby while another lay in the carriage.
She frowned and quickly stepped forward to pick up Henry from the carriage, complaining to the man, "If you can't handle it, why didn't you give them to Mary?"