Chapter 40 A Gentle Touch
As Gabriel spoke, his outstretched hand reached for the seatbelt beside the passenger door, slowly pulling it out.
Only then did Arabella realize she'd misunderstood him completely. Her face flushed bright red, making her feel even more awkward.
The seatbelt fastened, and Arabella quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She thought he would pull away immediately, but instead he remained at that intimate distance, staring at her intently.
Arabella didn't dare move a muscle, her momentarily relaxed nerves growing even more taut.
In their two years of marriage, even after having children together, Gabriel had rarely looked at his wife with such serious, focused attention.
Recently, as their relationship had begun to shift, he found himself inexplicably drawn to studying her face. The more he looked, the more her features seemed to etch themselves into his memory.
Before, he could go away on business trips for half a month, and her face would never once appear in his thoughts—as if she simply didn't exist in his world.
But now, even after just half a day at the office, whenever he had a spare moment, her image would float before his eyes—sometimes gentle, sometimes defiant, sometimes hurt...
Whatever expression she wore, it stirred something deep inside him, making his mind wander and leaving him with an almost urgent desire to see her again, to touch her somehow.
Just like now, gazing at those delicate, beautiful features before him, watching her captivating eyes flicker with startled confusion like a deer caught in a hunter's sights, she effortlessly stirred his emotions once more. Almost involuntarily, he reached out and caressed her soft cheek.
The unexpected gesture made Arabella flinch as if she'd been burned, her slender body trembling slightly. "Gabriel... what are you...?"
She couldn't understand what had gotten into Gabriel. Those deep, dark eyes seemed filled with tenderness and longing.
But how could that be possible?
All his gentleness and affection were reserved solely for Emily.
Unless he was thinking of Emily right now, using her as a substitute again.
The thought that Emily might be carrying his child made Arabella recoil even more. Without waiting for his response, she swatted his hand away, her voice cold, "Just drive. Let's get this over with so we can get home before the children start crying."
Gabriel felt his jumbled emotions crash down under her icy rejection. His eyes blinked, instantly clearing.
A surge of inexplicable anger rose in his chest—he wanted to demand answers, but remembering his own recent wrongdoings, he pressed his lips together and swallowed his words. Instead, he turned to grip the steering wheel and drove in tense silence.
Arabella turned her face toward the window, breathing lightly as she tried to calm herself.
Though she'd already decided on divorce, for a moment there, her heart had foolishly hoped he might explain himself.
But of course he hadn't.
Her chest felt tight and constricted, making it hard to breathe. She blinked back the burning sensation behind her eyes, cursing herself silently, 'After everything that's happened, what were you still hoping for?'
Even if he refused the divorce, it would probably be for the children's sake, wanting a free nanny and housekeeper.
Oh, right, maybe it was also about fulfilling his promise to Grandpa Sterling, or having another person to help manage the inheritance.
Whatever the reason, it certainly wasn't love.
The person he loved would never be her.
They drove the entire way in silence.
It wasn't that Gabriel wanted to give her the cold shoulder, but he was afraid that speaking would only lead to another fight, making the atmosphere even more tense.
He figured once they reached Sterling Manor, once they found the real culprit, and he could prove his innocence, then she would understand everything and abandon any thoughts of divorce.