Chapter 147 Stealing My Child While I'm Away?
What they didn't expect was that just as they approached the security gate, a familiar luxury sedan came driving toward them.
Arabella's attention was entirely focused on Isabella and didn't notice anything unusual, but Mary felt guilty inside. The moment she spotted that car, her face turned pale with guilt.
"Mrs. Sterling..." Mary called out, but before she could warn her, the black Bentley had already slowed down and stopped.
Arabella looked up to see the car blocking their path. Through the tinted window, she caught sight of the man in the driver's seat, and her mind went blank, her face turning deathly pale.
Wasn't he supposed to be on a business trip? How could he suddenly be back?
The day was sunny and bright, but there was still unmelted snow everywhere, creating a glaring reflection.
Gabriel was wearing sunglasses while driving.
The window rolled down, revealing his coldly handsome face. The sunglasses made him appear even more forbiddingly aloof, giving him an air of untouchable superiority.
Looking at the woman before him, already having orchestrated everything, he opened with an accusation, "What's this? Taking advantage of my business trip to kidnap my children?"
Mary had been feeling guilty as hell, thinking Gabriel had betrayed her and that Arabella would never trust her again.
But Gabriel actually remembered to help maintain her cover story, and her heart immediately relaxed. She hurried to adjust her emotions and play along, "Mrs. Sterling... I thought you said you wouldn't be back until next week."
Gabriel let out a cold snort. "What, is it wrong for me to come home early?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant—"
The moment Arabella saw Gabriel, she had indeed suspected Mary briefly. But seeing this display, she immediately understood she'd been wrong.
Not wanting Mary to get in trouble because of her, she quickly explained, "I wasn't trying to secretly take the children away behind your back. I just came to see them. Isabella was fussing and wanted to nurse, and it's windy out here... I was planning to find somewhere to feed her..."
She told the truth, with a clear conscience.
Of course Gabriel knew she wasn't there to kidnap the children, but having gone through all this trouble to arrange this meeting, he wasn't about to let her leave easily.
Putting on an air of not wanting to hear her excuses, Gabriel coldly jerked his head. "Why make it so complicated? Get in the car. It's warm inside."
Arabella froze, her face full of hesitation.
"What? Don't want to? You're holding my child, and as her legal guardian, shouldn't I be present to supervise?" Gabriel spoke with righteous authority.
Arabella was still torn, but Isabella in her arms couldn't wait any longer.
The baby had been tugging at her mother's clothes for a while now, and losing patience, she began squirming and whimpering.
Arabella looked at her daughter's pitiful little face, then at his arrogant expression, her heart racing with anxiety.
"The baby's getting impatient... Do I need to get out and personally open the door for you? Or are you worried that once you get in the car, I won't let you leave?" Gabriel continued his cold mockery, seeing her indecision. "Don't worry, I'm not cheap enough to keep pestering an ungrateful woman."
Having already filed for divorce in court, he had his pride—even if his heart was unwilling, his mouth wouldn't beg her to stay.
Hearing him say this, Arabella was swayed.
Mary, always good at reading the room, immediately stepped forward to open the rear door, "Mrs. Sterling, please get in. It's warm inside the car."
Arabella had no choice left. Steeling herself, she climbed into the backseat holding her daughter.
Seeing this, Henry seemed to understand something and immediately opened his little mouth and started wailing.
"Mrs. Sterling..." Mary was about to ask what to do when Gabriel simply pulled the car to the curb, unfastened his seatbelt, and pushed open his door. "Give him to me."
Mary's expression relaxed, and she immediately picked up the boy and handed him into the driver's seat.
In the backseat, Arabella tried to huddle behind the driver's seat as much as possible—this position would help her avoid the person in front.
The long down coat was troublesome. She struggled to unzip and arrange it properly before gathering the impatient Isabella, who kept smacking her lips, into her arms.
Having not nursed directly for several days, she was a bit out of practice. The little girl latched on with loud sucking sounds that made her wince and gasp quietly through gritted teeth.
Even more embarrassing, as Isabella nursed, the stimulation triggered a response on the other side—she clearly felt a warm, wet sensation spreading, and she had neither nursing pads nor tissues at hand.
How mortifying...
Gabriel was holding his son in the front seat. The little boy was also impatient, wailing loudly while his strong little arms and legs thrashed about, trying to crawl up and find his mother.
Gabriel's sunglasses got knocked off by the baby's grabbing.
"What's the rush! You'll get your turn soon enough!" Gabriel, overwhelmed by the struggle, deliberately put on a stern face to scold his son.
The nearly six-month-old baby seemed to vaguely understand adult expressions and immediately made indignant sounds to show his displeasure.
"What? You're not happy about it?"
The boy babbled incomprehensibly, looking like he was actually having a conversation with the adult.
Gabriel was annoyed, but remembering the words he'd just spoken, he couldn't make any more snide remarks now or it would seem like he couldn't let go.
How humiliating.
The little one in his arms continued to babble and wail, so he simply lifted his son up and turned him to face backward so the baby could protest directly to Arabella.
Arabella felt too embarrassed to respond to Gabriel's words.
Seeing her son's face suddenly appear, she immediately looked up and smiled at him, gently coaxing, "Sweetie, wait just a little longer. Your turn is coming very soon."
"Ah... oh!" Henry responded, his dark grape-like eyes seeming to speak.
Arabella's heart melted completely while guilt washed over her.
The boy continued wailing, so hungry that he couldn't control his drool, which dripped down in a long silver strand.
"The baby's drooling!" Arabella quickly alerted him.
Gabriel was being stubborn and hadn't looked back, only turning when he heard her speak. "What?"
"He's drooling. Quick, wipe it for him," she urged again.
Only then did Gabriel see his son's long string of drool from hunger, and he immediately frowned in disgust, quickly pulling out tissues to clean it up.
Arabella seized the opportunity to speak, "Give me a few tissues."
"What?" He didn't understand, looking back at her.
Her face flushed red, but she tried to maintain composure, "I need tissues."
Gabriel's gaze deepened as he looked at her slightly unnatural expression, seeming to understand something.
He pulled out tissues and handed them over. Arabella accepted them and quickly tucked them into her clothing.
Watching this scene, Gabriel's expression suddenly tightened, as if his very soul had been captivated.
Arabella looked up and accidentally met his gaze. Neither spoke, but an incredibly awkward and intimate atmosphere instantly enveloped them.
The car fell quiet except for Isabella's nursing sounds and Henry's impatient protests.
In the past, when their relationship wasn't so strained, Gabriel would have shamelessly brought the boy directly to the backseat and had her tandem nurse both babies.
But now, with divorce papers already filed in court...
The atmosphere remained frozen in this stalemate until Isabella finished eating and naturally released her grip.
Fortunately, having been out all morning without pumping, she had stored up enough milk for both children to have a full meal.
"Isabella's finished. You can hold her and burp her," Arabella said, adjusting her clothing slightly as she prepared to switch to Henry.
Gabriel, sitting in the driver's seat and being tall, couldn't maneuver properly from there. He had to get out of the car with his son and open the rear door.