Chapter 180 Mr. Sterling Goes Wild with Jealousy!
Gabriel stepped into the elevator, and he immediately pulled up the social media platform, clicking on the post Evelyn had shown him.
It was a sponsored content piece.
The article started with workplace commentary before seamlessly transitioning into product promotion, complete with professional photos.
And the model in those photos was indeed that damned woman!
Arabella looked stunning—flawless makeup, striking features, her hair styled in loose waves that cascaded carelessly over her shoulders. With each subtle tilt of her head and downward glance, she exuded an intellectual elegance tinged with allure, professional sophistication mixed with captivating grace.
She walked through busy city streets, sometimes throwing back her head in laughter, sometimes striking a cool, aloof pose, leaning against walls or gazing into the distance—every angle was breathtakingly beautiful.
Gabriel had always known she was attractive.
Part of his reason for agreeing to his grandfather's arranged marriage had been her looks—she was pretty enough to be easy on the eyes, so he wasn't getting a bad deal.
But he'd rarely seen her so radiant and confident.
If it had just been photos of coats and outerwear, that would have been one thing. She looked stunning and fierce, beautiful yet cool with an untouchable, distant quality that kept things respectable.
But she'd also posed in form-fitting dresses!
In this freezing weather, she was really going all out to make money! Wasn't she afraid of getting sick again?
To complement the dress styles, her makeup was different too—crimson lips paired with sultry eye makeup. Standing sideways with the camera angled upward, her tiny waist and curved hips created perfect proportions. She looked like a complete vixen!
Gabriel stared at the photos in disbelief!
His burning gaze traced the woman's alluring curves, and he could almost imagine how intoxicating it would feel to hold that body in his arms...
In the final shot, Arabella wore dark sunglasses, her delicate fingers grasping the frame as she tilted her head down and looked up, sliding the glasses halfway down. Her deliberately seductive gaze seemed to pierce straight into the viewer's soul.
Gabriel stared into those eyes, mesmerized, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. He didn't even notice when the elevator reached his floor, and the doors opened.
It wasn't until the doors began closing again that he snapped back to reality and frantically pressed the button.
Ralph waited by the car, assuming his boss was handling urgent business on his phone as he walked over, distracted.
But when Gabriel bent down to get in the car, Ralph caught a glimpse of his screen and was shocked—the boss was looking at glamour shots of a woman!
Ralph's mind raced. Had his boss already moved on? Was he looking for someone new before the divorce was even finalized?
Throughout the ride, Gabriel continued scrolling through the photos, saving each one as a screenshot.
It was ironic, really. After all their time as husband and wife, he didn't have a single photo of her on his phone.
And now, with divorce looming, he'd developed this obsessive habit of collecting his wife's modeling photos.
Staring at the images, the man's thoughts began to drift amid his anger.
Perhaps it had been too long since he'd seen her—these visual impacts were making him lose control.
Even when he forced himself to put the phone down and close his eyes, it was as if an invisible brush continued painting every curve, every inch of her sensuality in his mind.
His Adam's apple bobbed as memories surfaced of their intimate moments, the soul-searing passion they'd once shared, making his body surge with heat like being caught in a raging storm!
Arabella...
Arabella!
That damned woman!
Every inch of her belonged to him, Gabriel! Who gave her permission to display herself so brazenly for everyone to see!
He stared obsessively the entire ride home, his emotions in constant turmoil, finally putting away his phone with a slow exhale only when they reached the estate.
Picking up his two hungry infants, Gabriel made his way to the family mansion with his little entourage.
Joanna's face lit up with joy at seeing her grandchildren.
James, though his health had been poor, perked up considerably upon seeing the younger generation.
Gabriel, in contrast, looked thoroughly dejected. After handing over the children, he retreated alone to the study.
He pulled up the photos again, frowning as he wrestled with indecision.
He wanted to call her, but couldn't figure out what to say.
Clearly, she was desperate for money.
But being that desperate and still refusing to come back, refusing the luxurious lifestyle of a wealthy family, was her rejection of him really that severe?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt an overwhelming urge to have it out with her, so with a sharp intake of breath, he dialed her number.
Arabella was curled up in the studio, having just finished pumping milk and storing the bags in the freezer.
When her phone rang and she saw the caller ID, her face immediately darkened.
With the court hearing just two days away, why was he calling now after days of silence?
Conflicted, hesitant, curious, anxious...
"Whose call is that? Why aren't you answering?" Ella asked, looking up from her computer screen with confusion.
Arabella pressed her lips together, swallowed hard, then stepped outside the apartment to take the call.
"Hello..."
She silently prayed he was calling to change his mind and agree to an amicable divorce—that would be a win for everyone.
But the man on the other end opened with sarcasm, "So you've sunk to parading around as a model now? Are you that broke?"
Arabella's cheeks burned as her mind went blank for a moment.
During that photo shoot, she'd been incredibly self-conscious in front of everyone, blushing furiously and barely able to look directly at the camera.
At the time, she'd felt mortified and embarrassed.
Later, Ella had given her a stern talking-to, reminding her this was work—WORK! And work demanded professionalism, commitment, and complete focus!
Combined with Mark's excellent guidance as a photographer, she'd eventually found her groove and completed the shoot successfully.
After the article was published, the response had been fantastic. Ella had just been excitedly discussing future collaboration opportunities and how this would secure their income.
She hadn't expected this cold splash of reality so soon!
Fortunately, she wasn't one to back down easily. After a brief moment of confusion, she regained her composure and fired back with characteristic venom, "How is my financial situation any of your business? All honest work has dignity. You one-percenters only know how to exploit the working class—what do you understand about real work?"
Gabriel shot back mercilessly, his anger making him even more cruel, "Do you actually think you looked good? Striking poses for the camera, being so artificial. You're a mother, for God's sake—have you no shame?"
"Let whoever wants to laugh go ahead and laugh! I didn't steal anything or hurt anyone. Why should I be ashamed?"
Gabriel was speechless with rage.
Arabella was furious too. Seeing him fall silent, she had no desire to continue the argument and snapped, "Make sure you show up to court in two days! You've seen for yourself how I'm making a spectacle of myself now, posing so shamelessly. If more people recognize me and realize the Sterling Group CEO's wife is doing this kind of work, won't that be embarrassing for you? So let's get divorced quickly and have nothing more to do with each other!"
Arabella didn't personally look down on modeling work.
But given the Sterling family's reputation and social standing, they cared about appearances. If high society discovered she was doing work they considered beneath their status, they'd be scandalized!