Chapter 100

Chapter100 Your Endurance Is Absolutely...

Wesley, despite his fragile heart, possessed unexpected endurance and jogged for nearly thirty minutes.

Though they had moved at a leisurely jog, by the time Gabriela finally stopped, fire scorched her throat, her legs quaked with violent tremors that threatened to buckle beneath her, and perspiration drenched every inch of her body.

She typically shunned physical exertion, and only in this moment did she grasp why Brenden's workout complaints always carried such genuine anguish.

Even Wesley showed signs of exertion, his dampened bangs lending him an unexpectedly rugged magnetism.

Yet he maintained that natural grace and distant composure that seemed carved from marble.

He delivered his verdict with unmistakable disdain."Your endurance is absolutely pathetic."

Gabriela nodded with desperate enthusiasm.Precisely her point-surely this meant future runs were off the table. But Wesley pressed forward, "Starting tomorrow,you'll dedicate thirty minutes daily to exercise alongside me."

Gabriela's mind reeled in disbelief.

She studied Wesley, whose commanding presence dominated the space around them.

She traced the lines of his towering, perfectly balanced frame and the defined, sinewy forearms exposed by his rolled sleeves.

Then her gaze lingered on his breathtakingly sculpted face.

For crying out loud! His body was already toned enough! Why bother exercising?

Suspicion crept through her thoughts-Wesley was orchestrating this elaborate charade purely for his own entertainment.

"Mr. Moss, work begins tomorrow morning. Between commuting and office hours, when exactly would I manage these sessions?" Gabriela retorted.

Rather than responding, Wesley turned the question back on her. "What exactly is my role in your life?"

Gabriela answered without pause, "You're my employer, naturally."

"Precisely. You joined my company to resolve challenges, not to seek answers from me," he stated.

Gabriela found herself cornered without escape. What alternative existed-brazenly continue occupying Wesley's residence? Absolutely impossible.

The arrangement might have passed scrutiny during the New Year holiday while she worked part-time,but extended cohabitation would inevitably increase the risk of someone finding out.

Such revelations would devastate the company's reputation.

Gabriela retreated to her quarters on unsteady legs and encountered Brenden ascending the staircase.

Observing her hollow expression, Brenden experienced a wave of compassion.

She would soon depart the estate. Once separated from his presence, how could her heart not shatter completely?

True, he maintained careful distance and feigned indifference, but here she could still glimpse him occasionally, particularly during meals when they faced each other across the dining table. However,departure meant eternal separation. Brenden could already envision her weeping through endless nights.

The more vividly he imagined her suffering, the deeper his self-loathing grew

After retreating to her room, Gabriela went to the bathroom and soon emerged feeling refreshed, the strain from jogging eased.

After gathering her scattered thoughts, she felt that Wesley's order was hardly worth her concern. She even harbored hope that he might abandon the scheme by morning.

She slept peacefully and awakened revitalized the following day, though her muscles protested with stiffness.

Noticing her labored movements, Brenden couldn't resist offering, "Gabriela, after breakfast, perhaps I could drive you to the office."

Gabriela's body went rigid with alarm.

Brenden had clearly lost his mind. She would never,under any circumstances, accept his transportation.

Wesley fixed Brenden with an icy stare and observed,"You don't even report to headquarters." Brenden let out a helpless sigh.

Poor Gabriela. She faced double punishment-banishment from the estate and separation from his workplace presence.

Following breakfast,Gabriela departed for the office with Wesley.

Despite their wariness, several colleagues witnessed their arrival together.

Within hours, news had circulated throughout the entire company that Gabriela had emerged from Wesley's vehicle on her first day back.

Even Tessa's attitude toward Gabriela changed. Her manner and speech carried newfound warmth and familiarity.

During lunch break, Aubrey flooded Gabriela's phone with messages demanding to know what was going on between her and Wesley.

The moment Gabriela joined the cafeteria queue,Aubrey approached her. "Gabriela, are you dating Mr.Moss? How could you conceal something this monumental from me?"

Gabriela let out a sigh. Finding herself thrust into the spotlight felt absolutely mortifying.She gestured toward Aubrey's features, deflecting "Did you indulge excessively during the holidays?Your face appears noticeably fuller."

For any woman, such observations struck at the core of deepest insecurities. Aubrey immediately clutched her cheeks. "Is the change that pronounced?"

Gabriela confirmed with a solemn nod. "Plus there's a pimple forming right here. Too much sugary food,maybe?"

Aubrey frantically retrieved a compact mirror to locate the offending spot, completely abandoning her previous interrogation.

Having successfully diverted Aubrey's focus, Gabriela exhaled quietly with relief.

Meanwhile, Cali and her two companions had monitored every word, their anxiety mounting steadily.

Gabriela's razor-sharp restroom confrontation remained vivid in their memories. They had been navigating their work with extreme caution, terrified that even the smallest workplace transgression might trigger their dismissal.

Now it appeared Gabriela hadn't merely shared Wesley's bed; she had established residence within his personal domain. Who could predict whether Wesley's future bride might indeed be Gabriela herself?

Waves of bitter regret crashed over Cali and her friends.

Cali summoned enough courage to approach Gabriela and whispered, "Ms. Haynes, those heels must be torturous. Wouldn't you prefer to rest for a moment?I'd be delighted to fetch your lunch."

Unaware of their complicated history, Aubrey bristled with protective indignation. "What's your game here?Gabriela belongs to my circle. Are you attempting to poach my closest friend?"

Cali would never presume to claim Gabriela as a friend.Merely escaping punishment felt like divine mercy.

Gabriela observed Cali and her companions,realization dawning on her.

During that restroom confrontation, when she had directed a threat at them, she believed her fate was sealed after crossing Wesley so brutally.

She could never have imagined that events would take such a different turn.

She responded with measured composure, "Bear this in mind-disasters bloom from reckless tongues. You'd better think twice before you say anything in the future."

Cali recognized this warning as her final reprieve. She bobbed her head frantically, showering Gabriela with breathless gratitude.

Aubrey was surprised.

Cali,typically so insufferably proud, now cowered before Gabriela like a scolded child.

Yet while some colleagues, like Cali,adopted cautious humility and swift contrition, countless others burned with seething jealousy and bitter resentment.

"I suspected something when Gabriela, barely out of university, climbed the ranks so impossibly fast. Turns out she simply fucked her way to the top."

"Still, you have to admire her strategy. Mr. Moss is absolutely gorgeous. I'd be more than willing to share his bed, no strings attached."

"Me,too!"

"Oh please, get realistic. With Mr. Moss's status, do you honestly believe he'd select a bride from peasants like us? His wife must emerge from aristocratic circles, at minimum some refined socialite."

"Gabriela merely struck gold because her beauty captured his attention."

"Yeah, she's nothing but a fleeting distraction for him.Mark my words-soon enough, he'll discard her like yesterday's trash."

Such venomous observations circulated exclusively beyond Gabriela's hearing, never spoken boldly enough to reach her awareness.

Following lunch with Aubrey, Gabriela ascended to the twelfth floor.

Fiona stood positioned outside the executive office.

The instant she spotted Gabriela, memories flooded back-that previous visit when Gabriela had maliciously disabled the heating, leaving her wracked with a brutal cold.

Even Loretta had maintained careful distance since that incident.

Then Fiona discovered that Gabriela had actually resided at Moss Manor during the New Year holiday.

With accumulated grievances surging through her consciousness,Fiona fixed Gabriela with glacial hatred and intercepted her path as she emerged from the elevator.

"Did you step from Wesley's vehicle this morning?" Fiona inquired, her voice sharp as winter glass.