Chapter 42

Wesley took a sandwich from Gabriela. Its mouthwatering aroma instantly softened his expression.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, his gaze lingering on her.

Gabriela hesitated-first shaking her head, then giving a small nod.

She had prepared enough for both of them, secretly hoping they could share breakfast at the office. But the storm cloud he'd carried in this morning had kept her from daring to suggest it.

"Sit," Wesley said in a low, even voice, motioning to the chair opposite hím. "Eat with me."

Gabriela faltered, her eyes flicking to Wesley's face, searching for a hint of sincerity.

Wesley arched a brow. "Did you poison it or something?"

Her mouth opened, then closed again.

Was that seriously his first thought? She'd gotten up before dawn to make him breakfast, pouring care into every detail, and instead of a simple thank-you, he accused her of poisoning his food.

Her wounded look surely had struck a chord, because Wesley suddenly recalled the chubby orange tabby cat Tessa had brought to the office-a greedy little thing with a stomachache from being overfed, yet always prowling for its next bite.

Tessa had smuggled the cat into the office, intending to sneak it to the vet at lunch for some digestive medicine. But the cat hadn't been the least bit intimidated by the unfamiliar surroundings-it had waddled straight into Wesley's office, brazenly raidinghis snacks, only to be caught in the act by Billy.

Afterward, Tessa had given it an earful, threatening to put it on a three-meal fast.

In the end, the cat had endured hunger, a scolding, and even a jab from the vet, leaving it sulking in a corner, shivering with wounded pride.

Wesley thought of that disgruntled, chubby cat, then glanced at Gabriela's forlorn expression. The resemblance was so uncanny, it almost made him laugh.

Noticing the odd look on his face, Gabriela tilted her head slightly. "Mr. Moss, aren't you going to eat? Is it not to your liking?"

Wesley's lips curved faintly. "No, I just remembered a chubby little cat."

Gabriela blinked,caught between confusion and offense.

Of all things, he thought of a cat while looking at her-and did he really have to stress the word chubby?

Her silent glare only seemed to amuse him more, and whatever shadow had been clouding his mood vanished entirely.

"Come on, sit. Have breakfast with me. That cat never got this kind of treatment," he said with a hint of teasing.

He recalled how the cat had once tried to sneak into his office for snacks, only to be unceremoniously chased out.

Gabriela finally gave a nod. Right now, nothing in the world mattered more than getting some food in her stomach.

She took a seat and joined Wesley for breakfast.

When she bit into the last muffin, Billy stepped in, ushering the finance director along. Wesley had reminded her not to leave even a crumb to waste.

Billy barely batted an eye at the sight, smoothly reciting the day's schedule as though finding Gabriela at Wesley's desk was perfectly routine.

The finance director, however, faltered mid-step, his expression betraying his surprise. His gaze flicked between them while he read off the figures, stealing quick glances at Gabriela as though trying to decipher what he was seeing.

When she was done, Gabriela quietly gathered the empty boxes. She disappeared into the kitchen, the faint sound of running water following her.

The finance director's thoughts drifted to the whispers he'd heard lately-rumors he'd half dismissed. But now, witnessing this scene firsthand, he couldn't help thinking there might be more truth to them than he'd believed.

Gabriela, despite being just an intern, truly seemed to hold a special place in Wesley's good graces.

Even though Gabriela had managed to lift Wesley's mood, she still didn't dare bring up Brenden's name.

Meanwhile, Rhys-his hand still wrapped in thick bandages-had been resting at home for several days.

One afternoon, however, his boss personally called, instructing him to return to the office.

When Rhys's mother, Haley, heard the news, she frowned in indignation. "Your boss really has no heart.You're injured this badly, and he still drags you back to work?"

Rhys,however, looked rather smug. "I'm the director of the planning department. Some matters can only be handled by me," he said with quiet pride.

Convinced the company would fall apart without him, he strode back into work with a spring in his step. The moment the boss's secretary spotted him, she wasted no time ushering Rhys straight toward the office.

It wasn't until he stepped inside that an uneasy prickle ran down his spine.

His boss sat behind the desk-but he wasn't alone. Beside him stood Nicholas Hart, the supplier who'd provided materials for the Eastmeuse Industrial Park project Rhys had managed over a year ago, and Konner Price, the project's chief engineer.

Neither man met Rhys's gaze; both looked tense, their eyes darting anywhere but at him.

The Eastmeuse Industrial Park project had wrapped up three months ago, and all payments had been cleared. So why had the boss suddenly summoned them?

Rhys greeted his boss with a respectful nod, ready to ask why Nicholas and Konner were present.

Before he could speak, the boss's gaze hardened. "Rhnys, there's a serious issue with the Eastmeuse Industrial Park. Two-thirds of the materials don't meet quality standards. You'd better have a damn good explanation."

The boss's voice cracked like a whip, and Rhys felt his knees weaken. A bead of cold sweat slid down his temple.

He knew exactly why this was happening-he'd used his position to conspire with Konner, approving Nicholas's substandard supplies in exchange for hefty kickbacks. He'd assumed the defects would take years to surface, giving him plenty of time to shift the blame and walk away unscathed.

Rhys had not expected that just a few short months after the project wrapped up, the boss would uncover such a bombshell.

"Sir, I can explain..." Rhys began, his voice tight.

The boss's eyes were like steel. "Save it for the police."

In massive projects like this, cutting corners wasn't exactly unheard of; most executives pretended not to notice so long as the flaws weren't catastrophic.

But this time, the evidence against Rhys wasironclad-records of the kickbacks sat right on the boss's desk. It was worse than anyone had guessed. Furious, he ordered his secretary to call the police.

Minutes later, uniformed police officers strode in, their presence heavy and unyielding. Without a word,they escorted Rhys and the other two men out, the sharp click of handcuffs echoing through the office.

When Haley got wind of the news, a chill of dread shot through her. Without wasting a second, she grabbed her phone and called her husband, Draven Fox. "Rhys has given that company years of his life. So what if he took a little kickback? How could his boss go straight to the police over something so small? You'd better figure out a way to get him out of this."

Though Draven was just a universitý professor, he had deep ties and a long list of influential acquaintances.

Haley, convinced it was nothing serious, felt certain that with her husband stepping in, the problem would vanish. At first, Draven shared her confidence.

Within the school, his word carried weight that few dared to challenge, and he moved through its halls with the arrogance of a man who believed himself untouchable. Even the pretty students he set his sights on knew better than to defy him.

But the illusion of control shattered in an instant-he had barely ended a phone call when a pair of uniformed police officers stepped forward, snapping cold steel around his wrists. Without ceremony,they marched him out and hauled him to the station, where he found himself locked up beside his son.

The fallout was swift. The school released an official notice stripping Draven of every position he held,then pinned a blunt, damning statement to the bulletin board: his misconduct was beyond forgiveness,and he would never again be employed there.

The very students he had preyed upon whispered in the corridors, some unable to hide their satisfaction.

The scandal spread quickly, spilling beyond campus walls until it made the evening news, each headline sealing the fate of the once untouchable professor.

Gabriela didn't learn the news until she stepped through the door after work and saw Josh glued to the television. The evening report had just cut to footage of Draven being led away in handcuffs, the school's expulsion notice flashing across the screen.

"This professor looks familiar," Josh said, narrowing his eyes at the image. "Oh! Isn't he Rhys's father?"

At his question, Phyllis's voice shook as she replied, "I think you are mistaken."

"No, that man is definitely Rhys's father," Gabriela said, her tone icy after hanging up from a string of calls."He's been preying on students for years, and now every filthy thing he's done has finally come to light. By the way, Rhys's shoddy project work had nearly cost lives, and now he was sitting in a jail cell. Looks like they finally got what was coming to them."

Phyllis's stomach dropped. She shot Gabriela a venomous glare, her tone frosty. "Rhys used to be your friend. How can you talk like that?"

"Friend? Don't make me laugh. He attempted to kidnap me in public!" Gabriela replied, her words cutting clean. "I've always stayed on the right side of the law. I'd never get involved with a criminal like him. And you, be careful. Stay too close to Rhys, and you might just find yourself dragged down with him."