Chapter 41 Catching the Traitor
The Sterling Manor.
Evening found Gabriel's relatives gathered in the main house living room.
Helen and Lydia were also there with their respective daughters, joining the drama.
The younger generation clustered together, watching winter fashion shows on the LCD screen, discussing which haute couture pieces looked good enough to pre-order in Emberfall City.
Meanwhile, the older relatives huddled together, whispering in hushed tones.
"Joanna, what's Gabriel up to? He specifically asked me to bring Mabel back, but he's nowhere to be seen." Isolde complained with obvious irritation.
Joanna smiled diplomatically. "Maybe he missed you and Mabel. Why are you so anxious? He just got off work."
"Oh! Is Gabriel finally coming to his senses about reinstating Harold?" Lydia suddenly perked up, remembering how Gabriel had recently demoted and publicly reprimanded Isolde's son, Harold.
Isolde's face lit up with hope. "That would be wonderful! We're all family—there's no need for infighting and giving outsiders something to gossip about!"
"Exactly! Gabriel's scandal has already damaged the company's reputation enough. We haven't blamed him for that, so why is he being so harsh on his own family?"
Joanna had been dreading this topic, but it seemed unavoidable.
Once the conversation turned to gossip, the younger crowd chimed in, "Is the thing between Gabriel and Emily actually true?"
"I heard Dominic refused to accept the baby, but Emily's determined to keep it. They've been fighting constantly!" High society circles were small enough that secrets spread like wildfire at the smallest gathering.
"What is Gabriel thinking? Sure, Arabella isn't exactly Sterling family material, but she gave him two children. If Gabriel really did have an affair with Emily and got her pregnant, that's just despicable."
Joanna found herself under attack from seven or eight voices, unable to defend Gabriel properly. She could only snap back, "Nonsense! Those are all rumors! Some random influencers made it all up for clout! Didn't you see the police statement debunking it?"
"Whether they debunk it or not is just Gabriel pulling strings..."
The implication was clear—Gabriel had used his power to cover up the truth.
Everyone continued their animated discussion, their tones dripping with sarcasm.
Only Isolde's daughter, Mabel, sat silently to the side, nervously keeping her head down.
Gabriel specifically summoning her and her mother to Sterling Manor gave her an ominous feeling. She feared her role had been discovered, and Gabriel was coming for her.
Gabriel was the patriarch of the Sterling family's younger generation, with complete control over the Sterling Group. Not only did she work at one of the company's subsidiary malls, but her parents and brother all held positions in various subsidiary companies.
If this incident implicated them, the losses for her family would be catastrophic.
Everyone present had the attitude of drama-hungry onlookers until the sound of a car echoed from the courtyard, and the butler announced, "Mr. Gabriel Sterling and Mrs. Arabella Sterling have returned."
The snide remarks immediately ceased, and the group of women exchanged glances, their anticipation for drama growing even stronger.
Joanna quickly rose to greet Gabriel.
Seeing Gabriel and Arabella step out of the car together, she approached with a smile, "You didn't bring Henry and Isabella? I haven't seen them in days—I miss them terribly."
Gabriel walked to Arabella's side and, without explanation, grasped her wrist, leading her toward the main house while responding, "It's late evening—all that traveling back and forth would be too exhausting for them. You can visit them at home another day."
With that, they both ascended the steps.
Arabella felt inexplicably nervous and uncomfortable seeing the crowd in the living room.
It wasn't that she was timid, but she had absolutely no idea what Gabriel was planning. This sense of uncertainty and vulnerability left her feeling lost.
The people in the room watched the couple enter, most of the peers showing respectful deference.
Gabriel, typically aloof and reserved, didn't bother with small talk with the elders, simply acknowledging each person as a form of greeting.
Arabella followed his lead, politely nodding to each person in turn.
After making the rounds, the spacious living room suddenly fell silent.
Joanna stood beside Gabriel, sensing the strange awkwardness in the air, and quickly spoke up to break the tension, "Gabriel, you specifically asked Isolde to bring Mabel back—what's this about?"
At these words, everyone's eyes immediately turned toward Isolde and her daughter Mabel.
Being singled out, Isolde forced a smile, "Yes, Gabriel, what's this about? Did Harold cause trouble again?"
Arabella remained confused, standing quietly beside her husband.
Gabriel released her wrist and gave her shoulder a gentle push, nodding slightly with a warm tone, "Go sit down."
She didn't understand, but complied anyway, walking over to sit on the sofa.
Though she disliked Sterling Manor's atmosphere, having Gabriel present gave her some confidence and peace of mind.
Everyone waited for Gabriel to reveal his purpose, wanting to know what all this elaborate setup was for, but he remained unhurried, merely glancing at Mabel before taking out his phone.
He had copied the surveillance footage that afternoon and already edited it.
As the video began playing on his phone, he noticed the LCD screen was already on and casually mirrored it to the large display.
Everyone's eyes naturally locked onto the screen.
"Oh... that's the living room surveillance, right?"
"Mabel, is that you behind the door in the side parlor?"
"Mabel, what are you doing? Being so sneaky..."
The previously silent Mabel was recognized by her cousins, and her already tense, rigid face flushed red with even greater panic.
Isolde looked at Mabel, nudging her and whispering, "What's this about? What did you overhear that day?"
Mabel's ears turned completely red, her voice barely audible, "I... I didn't hear anything."
"You didn't hear anything? Then how does your influencer friend know to say that Emily's baby is mine?" Gabriel's slow but deeply pressuring voice floated over everyone's heads, his single sentence making Mabel wish she could disappear into the ground.
Isolde paused for a moment before reacting, immediately defending her daughter, "Gabriel, there must be some mistake! Mabel would never spread rumors to frame you! She wouldn't dare!"
Gabriel maintained his unhurried yet unquestionable tone, "Isolde, you don't know your own daughter at all. You probably don't even know who she's dating now."
"Dating?" Isolde was stunned and turned to ask her daughter, "Mabel, you have a boyfriend? Why haven't you mentioned this?"
The moment Gabriel finished speaking, Mabel looked up in panic, her face full of pleading.
When Isolde questioned her, she became even more flustered and instinctively shook her head, "No, no... I'm single."
Gabriel let out a soft scoff.
That afternoon, he had Ralph investigate Mabel and discovered she was currently entangled with a married man. She'd been caught by the man's wife in a hotel room and nearly dragged out for public humiliation.
Later, the scumbag had paid off his wife with enough hush money to keep the scandal from exploding.
Though Mabel denied it verbally, her guilty and ashamed demeanor made it obvious she was lying.
The other young women began whispering among themselves, deliberately asking, "Mabel, who's your boyfriend? Do we know him?"
"Right! You're 22—you should be dating. What's there to be ashamed of? Unless..."