Chapter 192 Wait for My Call
Arabella couldn't be bothered with Gabriel and turned her gaze away with a huff.
Gabriel didn’t let go. He kept control of her movements, his fingers gripping her delicate chin unable to resist brushing across her soft lips, his dark gaze fixed and unwavering. "We've already come to this point—does it really matter whether we divorce or not?"
"Of course it matters. I want my freedom."
"You're already free."
"No. As long as I carry the title of Mrs. Sterling, you can use that status to force me whenever you want, to make me do things I don't want to do."
Gabriel smiled faintly. "At the family gathering the other day, I didn't force you to go with me."
Arabella fell silent.
"I told you yesterday—other than divorce, I can agree to any request."
He had said that outside the courthouse yesterday, but Arabella hadn’t taken it that way.
She refused to be led around by his words and asked again, "So you still won't sign the papers? You want to wait for me to file again?"
"If that's what you enjoy, then go ahead," he replied indifferently.
Arabella was so angry at his shamelessness that she was left speechless, glaring at him in frustration.
Gabriel found even her angry adorable. Unable to resist any longer, he bent down and leaned in to kiss her.
But she coldly turned her head away, and his kiss only landed on the side of her face.
It didn’t matter.
He still lingered against her cheek for a few seconds, deeply inhaling her scent, murmuring in an intimate, low voice, "Smells so good... Remember what you promised me. Wait for my call."
Her body trembled involuntarily, her heartbeat racing in sudden panic.
Gabriel straightened up, watching her shocked and flustered reaction with a gentle smile. He pinched her cheek affectionately before turning to leave.
---
Gabriel worked quickly. The very next morning, Samuel called Arabella.
"Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling has asked me to take you house hunting, to see which property you prefer."
Arabella was still having breakfast and was secretly startled. "Right now?"
"If you're available, I can pick you up immediately."
Arabella hesitated, she hadn't told Ella about this yet.
"Um, give me a moment. I’ll get back to you."
Just as she hung up, she heard the apartment door unlock. Thinking it was Ella, she looked up, only to see Mark.
"Arabella, morning!" The young man, dressed in punk style with headphones on, greeted her as he walked in.
Arabella smiled politely. "Morning."
After a brief pause, she asked, "Have you had breakfast? There's still some oatmeal in the kitchen."
"No need, I drink this in the mornings." Mark lifted his iced coffee.
Arabella smiled.
Young people had their own lifestyle. She didn't understand it, but she respected it.
Actually, she wasn't much older than him, yet the gap between them in every aspect made them feel like people from different generations.
Sometimes, Arabella felt her life experiences had aged her too quickly, leaving her without the vitality someone her age should have.
The studio had recently landed a batch of daily consumer goods advertisements, and Mark had just finished shooting the promotional images.
Seeing that Arabella finish breakfast, he brought over his tablet, swiped through the photos images one by one for her to review.
Arabella sat while Mark stood beside her. She wasn't comfortable with such close contact with men, but since they were discussing work, she felt pulling away might seem overly sensitive.
Just as they were discussing the photos, Ella arrived.
"Hey, Mark, you're here early?" Ella seemed surprised to see the male assistant.
After all, Mark had initially applied for this job because of the flexible hours, yet now he seemed quite eager about coming to work.
As the thought crossed her mind, she noticed how close he stood to Arabella and suddenly understood something.
Could Mark also be interested in Arabella?
Ella was suspicious but didn't show it.
Seeing her enter, Mark subtly straightened and put some distance between himself and Arabella as he explained, "I have plans with friends for street photography this afternoon, so I came in early to hand over the work."
Ella set down her bag and nodded approvingly. "Alright, finish what you need to do, and go handle your own stuff."
Ella wasn't the exploitative type of boss. She valued efficiency more—as long as work wasn't delayed, flexible hours were fine.
Arabella handed the tablet to Ella, showing her the promotional images. "Ella, I also need to go out for a while later."
"What's up?" Ella took the tablet, asking casually.
"Remember what I mentioned looking at apartments? A friend happens to be free this morning." She didn't mention Gabriel had arranged for someone to pick her up, subconsciously unwilling to let others know about her arrangement with him.
Ella said, "I was planning to accompany you apartment hunting when I had time. It's good you have a friend to go with."
Ella assumed she'd also noticed Mark's intentions, so wanted to move out quickly.
"Okay, I'll head out soon then. You confirm the promotional images first—I've already proofread the copy, so we just need to insert the photos and publish."
"Great efficiency!" Ella praised. After a brief discussion, they quickly selected the final images.
Arabella replied to Samuel's message. Just as she finished her tasks, Samuel called—the car was downstairs.
She packed her bag and left. As soon as she was gone, Mark curiously asked, "Ella, is Arabella moving out?"
"Yeah. What, going to miss her?" Ella teased.
Mark didn't take the bait, deflecting with a grin. "Working with two beautiful ladies is my honor."
Ella also smiled but didn’t respond directly, but suddenly asked, "Isn't dating younger guys really popular these days?"
Mark's expression stiffened slightly before he said frankly, "True love has nothing to do with age, right? As long as both people like each other, that's pretty good."
"Oh, if both people could like each other, that would certainly be best..." Ella gave Mark a meaningful nudge.
---
Arabella went downstairs and immediately spotted the familiar Maybach. Her steps faltering as she instinctively recoiled.
Samuel got out and opened the rear door, waiting.
Seeing her suddenly slow down, Samuel understood and explained, "Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling isn't in the car. I dropped him at the office this morning and just happened to be driving this one."
Hearing this, Arabella visibly relaxed and walked over to get in.
But even without him in the car, the cabin was filled with his scent—crisp, quiet, and rich, just like the impression he gave people.
Thinking of his shameless request from yesterday, Arabella couldn't help blushing, feeling embarrassed even just sitting in his car.
Following his boss's instructions, Samuel took Arabella to see four properties.
A large penthouse, a townhouse, a sky villa, and a high-rise apartment.
The first three felt far too luxurious for her, and she shook her head at each one. Only when they reached the last—a three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit—did her expression brighten.
"I'll take this one. It's spacious enough, and it’s close to work."