Chapter 36 Why Are You Avoiding Me?
"Be careful!" Gabriel's face went ashen as he rushed forward to catch her, quickly reaching out to hit the emergency stop button.
Arabella had been terrified, thinking she was about to be thrown off the treadmill, but Gabriel appeared just in time!
Being pulled back into his embrace from behind, she turned around with her heart still pounding, her eyes showing surprise mixed with deep alienation.
"Thank... thank you..." she panted her thanks, then pushed Gabriel away without disguising her intentions, wiping sweat as she walked off.
Gabriel felt her coldness, his eyes darkening.
Understanding the reason for her unusual behavior today, Gabriel didn't take offense. He simply turned to watch her drinking water and asked with concern, "Did you twist your ankle?"
"No, just got scared," Arabella replied after finishing her water, still breathing heavily, her ears still ringing.
The emotional turmoil she had barely managed to calm through intense exercise was now stirring again like ripples on water.
She didn't know when Gabriel had returned home, or how long he had been standing behind her.
With rumors flying everywhere outside, he had still managed to come home this early—had he already dealt with everything?
And how would he explain this to her?
Behind Arabella's seemingly calm exterior, emotional storms were already raging.
But no matter what, her resolve wouldn't change again.
Gabriel looked at her, noticing how her eyes and cheeks were flushed red—whether from crying or exercise, he couldn't tell. The moisture covering her face could equally be sweat or tears.
She was obviously avoiding him, her words and body language both radiating rejection.
Gabriel's heart began to panic.
As expected, her daytime tolerance and composure had all been forced pretense.
Now that the rumors had escalated and public opinion intensified, she couldn't even maintain her surface calm anymore.
After a brief silence between them, the man stepped closer, his low, magnetic voice carrying gentle submission, "About those things online..."
"You don't need to explain. I know they're all rumors," Arabella cut him off without giving him a chance to speak.
She feared her heart was too soft, that she might be easily swayed by a few sweet words from him, causing her resolve to waver and leaving her torn and uncertain again.
She didn't want to be indecisive and wavering anymore—she just wanted to cut through the confusion quickly and bring everything to a swift conclusion!
Being interrupted as soon as he began, the man's brow furrowed deeper.
"If you know they're rumors, why are you avoiding me?"
"Am... am I? Between us, hasn't it always been like this..." She spoke evasively, increasing the distance between them, returning to the normal state of their past two years.
Only this way could she maintain what little dignity she had left.
Gabriel heard her drawing boundaries, his handsome, gentle features immediately tightening, his tone growing heavier, "What do you mean?"
Arabella swallowed quietly, gathered her courage, and then turned to meet his gaze, "Whether those online stories are rumors or not, the fact that you love Emily can't be changed. I know what my position is, and I have no right to interfere in your private affairs, so you don't need to explain anything to me."
With that, she didn't dare look at the man's dark, serious expression. She grabbed her water bottle and towel and quickly walked past him with her head down.
Gabriel stood frozen in place, his eyes fixed intently on her retreating figure. For a moment, he wanted to rush forward, grab her by the neck, drag her back, and make her explain exactly what her position was supposed to be!
Evelyn had said that to win her back, to maintain this family, he needed to show sincerity.
But the reality was that he had swallowed his pride, actively showing kindness, weakness, even pleading for reconciliation, only to receive her disdain, cold mockery, and sarcasm in return.
Gabriel pressed a hand to his forehead, his profile showing sharp, tense lines, dizzy with anger.
Why were all women so unreasonable!
When he ignored and neglected her, she had quietly stayed by his side, gentle as a cat seeking affection.
Finally, when he came to his senses and began paying attention to her, caring for her, she showed resistance!
That night, Arabella once again silently went to sleep in the guest room.
Having his warm face meet a cold shoulder, Gabriel couldn't swallow his pride and didn't try to coax her again. He claimed the master bed alone, too angry to sleep for half the night.
————
The next day.
The rumors continued to ferment.
Although public relations efforts had removed the trending topics online, the story had already spread throughout high society circles.
Everyone was gossiping about it, and they seemed to believe every word.
Gabriel received several phone calls early in the morning—some offering concern, others fishing for information. Later, Emily's father, Billy Davis, also called.
"Gabriel, come to my house this morning. Dominic will be there too. There are some things I want to discuss with both of you face-to-face."
Billy's tone was very serious, showing how angry he was.
Things had reached this point, and Gabriel knew he had to provide some explanation. He responded in a low voice, "I'll be right over."
After hanging up, he didn't even eat breakfast.
Before getting in the car to leave, he looked back at the second floor from the courtyard.
Whether it was his imagination or not, the guest room curtains seemed to have moved slightly. His gaze was deep and boundless, filled with an indescribable, intense darkness, before he lowered his head, got in the car, and shut the door.
On the second floor, in the guest room, Arabella stood behind the curtains, her heart beating anxiously.
Hearing the sound of a car, she couldn't help but part the curtains to look down, wanting to know if Gabriel was leaving.
Who knew he would suddenly look back at the second floor while standing by the car door, startling her into quickly hiding.
Although she had been very tired after last night's exercise, she still hadn't slept well.
After more than two years of knowing and living with this man, she had long been completely enchanted by him, all her emotions invested in him.
During the recent period when their relationship had warmed, especially those few intimate moments, she had fallen even deeper, even fantasizing about a happy future together.
But now everything had returned to square one.
After tasting the sweetness of honey, losing it again was far more painful and cruel than never having tasted it at all.
Now, just thinking about their impending divorce, about leaving Gabriel and the children, felt like knives piercing her heart, as if all her strength was being drained away.
Leaning weakly against the curtains, tears slowly gathered in the woman's eyes and stubbornly slid down.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
She startled, quickly pulled herself together, wiped away her tears, and went to open the door.
Mary stood there holding her son, rocking him gently, "Mrs. Sterling, Henny is probably hungry again after his bath. Could you feed him a little more?"
"Of course." Arabella took the poor little boy who was pursing his lips pitifully and sat down on the sofa.
Mary followed her a few steps, seeming to want to say something but hesitating.
Arabella noticed this too. After Henny latched onto nurse, she looked back at Mary and asked gently, "Is there something else?"
Mary wrung her hands together, stammering, "About those things online... I heard about them too. Mrs. Sterling, I don't think Mr. Sterling is that kind of person. I've watched him grow up."
Arabella remained very calm, saying, "Since you watched him grow up, you naturally also know how much he loves Emily."