Chapter 198 What Exactly Happened to Her!
"I'm getting divorced," Arabella said quietly, but without any hesitation.
Manuel had been waiting for exactly that.
"Since he won't cooperate, we'll need a mediator." He paused. "Someone close to him."
Arabella looked up, thinking for a moment before she understood. "You mean Chase? Gabriel's cousin?"
Manuel had brought this up before, but—
"Wouldn't that be overstepping? Chase is in politics, a senior position. He's busy. Pulling him into my personal mess would be..."
She trailed off. She'd always hated asking people for things.
Manuel laid it out for her plainly. "They're family. One person's problems become everyone's problems. Chase is up for reelection after New Year's — it's a sensitive time. Any scandal attached to the Sterling name could follow him too."
Arabella nodded slowly. "Right, you mentioned that."
"So if you go to him now, get this resolved cleanly, and remove the risk before it becomes one, he'll probably thank you for it. But if you and Gabriel keep dragging this out and someone eventually gets hold of the story and runs with it—the rumors alone could do real damage."
Arabella didn't move in political circles, but she understood enough.
That world was intolerant of ambiguity. One careless slip could unravel everything.
If her marriage troubles ended up hurting Chase's career, she'd never forgive herself.
"Alright, I'll talk to Chase."
Manuel heard the lack of confidence in her voice and knew she'd talk herself out of it before she even picked up the phone. "If it's easier, I can pass the message along. I have an investment conference at the state capital in a few days—he'll be there."
"No, no." Arabella shook her head quickly. "I should go myself."
She wasn't even divorced yet. Having another man step in to sort out her marriage—what would Chase think of her?
Manuel understood. He didn't push.
They were nearly done with the meal when Arabella excused herself to use the restroom.
She was not prepared for what she found.
The bright red stain on her underwear made her close her eyes briefly and sigh.
Her cycle had been all over the place since the chemical pregnancy.
After what Gabriel had put her through a few days ago, plus the morning-after pill on top of it, her body had clearly had enough.
Her period had arrived without a single warning sign.
She stood there frowning at the situation for a moment, then noticed a small sign on the tissue box.
"If needed, please call 37XXXX."
She pulled out her phone immediately. After a brief explanation, someone knocked on the stall door with sanitary pads within minutes.
She thanked them more times than was probably necessary, dealt with the situation, and headed back out.
She'd always had bad cramps. Sometimes manageable, sometimes not.
This time, even before she reached the table, she already knew it was going to be the second kind.
Manuel had afternoon appointments and was on his feet the moment she sat down. "Ready? I'll drive you back to the studio."
"Let me get the check first," Arabella said, reaching for her bag.
"Already taken care of."
"What?" She stared at him. "We said this was our treat—you can't just—"
"It's just a meal." Manuel genuinely didn't care about the cost. He was quietly glad Ella had left early and given him the time alone with her, though he kept that to himself.
They walked toward the exit together, Arabella putting everything she had into looking normal.
She managed the posture. She couldn't manage her face.
The cramps came in waves, and each one pulled her expression with it.
By the time they reached the elevator, the color had drained from her face entirely.
Manuel turned to say something and stopped. "What's wrong? You don't look well."
"It's nothing." She tried a smile. "Just a small thing. I'll be fine once I get home and rest."
He didn't believe her for a second. He stepped closer and took her arm. "You're clearly in pain. We should go to the hospital."
"That's really not necessary. I'll be fine after resting."
They went back and forth until the elevator arrived.
Manuel helped her in carefully.
Worried he was still mentally calculating the fastest route to the nearest emergency room, Arabella gave in. "Manuel, it's just my period. Hot water and a heating pad and I'll be fine. No hospital."
He looked at her for a moment, and the penny dropped. His expression shifted into something slightly embarrassed. "Oh. Right. Home or the studio? Ella mentioned you'd moved out."
"Home, please."
Ella was probably picking up her daughter from school anyway. And if she went back to the studio and Mark was still there, that was a whole other problem she didn't have the energy for.
Manuel kept a steady hand on her arm all the way to the car, guiding her carefully through the parking garage.
Neither of them was paying attention to anything else, so neither of them noticed the person who had shared their elevator and was now following them out.
The moment they got into the car, the man trailing them hit send on a shaky video.
Gabriel was still at the office, lunch just finished, half his attention already back on his afternoon work. His personal phone buzzed with a notification. He picked it up without thinking.
The easy, unhurried look on his face disappeared the instant he saw it.
He made a call.
Dominic had barely gotten into his own car when his phone rang. He answered with the amused calm of someone who'd been expecting it. "That was quick. Coming to see for yourself?"
"Where did you run into them?" Gabriel's voice was tight.
"I found them at the mall elevator."
Gabriel took a deep breath and said nothing for a moment.
Dominic, apparently feeling the situation wasn't dramatic enough on its own, decided to help it along. "Your wife looked like she wasn't feeling well. Did you catch how carefully he was holding onto her? Very attentive. Very gentle."
Gabriel had closed the video before it finished. He opened it again now and watched it through, jaw set.
With Dominic's words still in his ear, he reopened the app and watched the video again, this time all the way through, his fury building with every second.
The woman looked like she could barely stand, leaning heavily on the man beside her, letting him take most of her weight.
And that man had one hand at her waist and the other gripping her arm like he had every right to be there.
She was a married woman. Did he not know that? Did he not care?
"Where did they go?" Gabriel asked.
"How would I know?" Dominic said. "What am I, their shadow?"
Gabriel hung up without another word.
He sat with the phone in his hand for a few seconds, the jealousy coiling tighter until he couldn't ignore it anymore. He called Arabella.
Three seconds in, the line cut off.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable—"
He hung up before the recording finished.
What was wrong with her?
If she was feeling unwell, why hadn't she called him? Why was she out there leaning on some other man?
He'd been keeping his distance since that morning weeks ago when he'd pushed things too far.
The guilt had made it hard to face her. Work had given him a convenient excuse to stay away.
But this—he couldn't sit still for this.
He grabbed his coat and walked out.