Chapter 199 Overbearing Gentleness
After hanging up on Gabriel, Arabella expected him to keep calling persistently.
Surprisingly, he seemed to have some sense today—after being rejected, he didn't call again.
She felt too unwell to waste energy wondering what that bastard wanted from her now.
Suffering through the pain, Manuel slowed the car as they reached her apartment complex.
"Is this it?"
"Yes, that's it."
Manuel confirmed the location and got out to look around, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Seeing the passenger door open, he immediately walked around the front of the car to help the woman out.
"Manuel, I'm fine. I can walk by myself," Arabella said politely.
But he still kept his hand on her arm.
"Let me walk you up," Manuel said, unwilling to leave her alone. Of course, he was also curious to see where she lived.
Arabella wanted to refuse, but the moment she stood up after getting out of the car, the dragging pain in her abdomen intensified, making both her legs tremble slightly.
She hadn't experienced such severe menstrual cramps in years.
She remembered having similar episodes in high school—a few times the pain was so severe, and once she actually fainted and had to be carried to the nurse's office by classmates.
She could still recall what the school nurse had said—there wasn't much treatment for menstrual cramps, you could either take painkillers or wait until after marriage and childbirth, when it might improve.
Indeed, after giving birth to the twins, Arabella's cramps had lessened considerably. She hadn't expected them to return with such vengeance.
Leaning on Manuel as they entered the elevator, her mind raced through possible causes.
Was it because she'd been overworked and exhausted lately? Or because the cold weather had affected her? Was it damage from the recent chemical pregnancy, or from the emergency contraceptive she'd taken a few days ago?
She knew the morning-after pill was harsh on women's bodies, but compared to the trauma of an abortion after an unwanted pregnancy, it seemed like the lesser evil.
After helping Arabella through her front door, Manuel looked at the spacious interior with growing amazement, finally unable to contain his curiosity. "Arabella, you're renting such a large place?"
Just from seeing the building and neighborhood downstairs, he'd known it wasn't cheap. He'd assumed she might have rented a partitioned single room—but this was a complete, spacious apartment.
Arabella understood his implication and smiled weakly. "This is an inheritance from Gabriel's grandfather from when he passed away. I never accepted it before... but now, thinking that the children will occasionally stay with me, I realized I needed a larger space, so..."
She spoke breathlessly, and before finishing her sentence, she sank weakly onto the sofa.
"Manuel, you should go. I can manage on my own." She grabbed a throw pillow, pressed it against her abdomen, and looked up at him with exhausted eyes.
Manuel was still processing the revelation about the apartment. He knew Gabriel must have contacted her recently—she'd refused this inheritance before, but now suddenly accepted it. Gabriel must have used some kind of pressure.
Hearing her dismissal, he snapped back to attention and said gently, "You can't be alone when you're this unwell. I don't have anything urgent today anyway..."
Before he could finish, Arabella interrupted, "During lunch, you said you had work this afternoon."
Manuel suddenly found himself speechless.
Yes, he did have work scheduled, but he couldn't bear to leave her in this condition.
"Manuel, I'm really fine. This is an old problem—I'll take a painkiller and sleep it off." Arabella looked at him, dismissing him once again.
Seeing her determination, Manuel didn't want to push. After all, caring for a woman during her period was somewhat awkward, and since they were just friends, it would be even more uncomfortable.
"Alright, I'll go handle my business then. Call me if you need anything—don't suffer through this alone."
"Okay."
After repeated reminders , Manuel reluctantly left.
Arabella hugged the pillow and lay sideways on the sofa. No longer needing to pretend, she immediately curled up in agony, her small face scrunched in pain.
She didn't have any painkillers at home.
After enduring the pain for a while, afraid she might faint again and die alone without anyone discovering her, she forced herself to get her phone and order painkillers and heating pads online for immediate delivery.
After completing this task, she dropped her phone and curled up again, one hand pressed tightly against her abdomen.
This pain was almost as bad as childbirth...
In her mind, she cursed Gabriel viciously, regretting that she hadn't grabbed a knife that morning and thrown him out!
Gabriel, who had been speeding to get here, sneezed several times as soon as he got out of his car.
His eyes caught sight of a Porsche that had just rounded the corner. Glancing at the license plate, his eyes narrowed—if he remembered correctly, that was Manuel's car.
He hadn't called during the drive and wasn't sure if Arabella had actually come home, but now it seemed she had.
And Manuel had already left, meaning he hadn't lingered long—just dropped her off and left.
Feeling inexplicably satisfied, he sneezed again, cursed under his breath for no apparent reason, and hurried toward the building entrance, pulling his coat tighter around himself .
But when he reached Arabella's front door, he realized he no longer had the keys.
Without much hesitation, he knocked.
Inside, on the sofa, Arabella's eyes fluttered open at the sound.
Thinking it was the delivery driver with her medication, she didn't think twice and forced herself up, hunched over, and walked to open the door.
"Thank you, it's the..." she said politely as she opened the door, but stopped mid-sentence when she realized it wasn't a delivery driver but that bastard. Her expression froze as she immediately tried to close the door.
But Gabriel wouldn't allow it.
He stuck his long leg out to block the door frame and pushed it open with his arm, forcing her aside.
But because he didn't control his strength well, and Arabella was extremely weak at the moment, his push sent her stumbling backward against the wall, nearly falling.
"Careful!" He quickly stepped forward to steady her.
The moment Arabella regained her footing, she looked up and slapped him across the face without warning.
"What are you doing here? Get out!" The words were fierce, but delivered without any real force.
Gabriel didn't want to argue with her. He came inside, closed the door, scooped her up in his arms, and headed straight for the bedroom.
Arabella frowned deeply, her face completely drained of color, lying in his arms without even the strength to struggle.
He placed her on the bed, pulled up the covers, then straightened and took out his phone to call Dr. Wood.
Dr. Wood must have asked something, because Gabriel sat down beside the bed and reached out to feel her forehead. "No fever... her forehead is actually cold, and she's pale..."
He answered Dr. Wood's questions while asking Arabella, "Where exactly does it hurt?"
Arabella kept her eyes closed, either not wanting to look at him or too weak from pain to open them. She answered weakly, "Menstrual cramps... don't need... a doctor..."
Gabriel paused for a second, understanding, then immediately told the phone, "It's menstrual cramps, but you should still come take a look."
He was genuinely worried—pain this severe couldn't be normal.
After hanging up, Gabriel sent his location to Dr. Wood. Just as he set down his phone, there was another knock at the door.