Chapter 61

Billy's hands shook with unease. Could he have gotten it all wrong?

Was it possible that Wesley didn't harbor any romantic feelings for Gabriela?

If that were true, then what explained his relentless push in Athea these last few days?

For a long beat, Billy hovered in doubt, uncertain whether to pass the boutique over to Wesley.

By this point, any trace of tension had long drained from Wesley's face.

As the CEO of Apex Group, he wasn't the kind of man to crack under embarrassment over something as insignificant as a failed love confession.

Composure was second nature to him, and now was to steer things toward a calmer, more sustainable footing between them.

Burying every flicker of emotion behind a cool gaze,he addressed Gabriela evenly. "I think you've got the wrong idea. Women like you don't interest me in the least. The only reason I brought you here..."

Gabriela held her breath, mortified by her blunder, as Wesley continued in a flat and mechanical tone,"Was to ask if you wanted to hang around and watch Billy propose to his girlfriend."

Billy, who had been single for years, went rigid,caught completely off guard.

Most of his adult life had been swallowed by the relentless grind of working for Wesley-through crises, tight deadlines, and endless business trips-leaving little time to even think about dating.

And now, how on earth was he supposed to conjure up a girlfriend out of nowhere?

Gabriela's shoulders loosened as a faint sigh of relief slipped out. But her surprise quickly shifted to incredulous amusement.

Seriously? Wesley cared about something like this?

Apparently, even the most imposing man had a taste for juicy gossip.

The moment she turned, her gaze caught Billy with an enormous bouquet of red roses.

Honestly, watching a live proposal was far more entertaining than scrolling through some over-the-top drama series.

Billy, looking like a man headed for the gallows,darted a glance at Wesley-only to be met with an icy stare that all but said, "Want me to assign you to a nightmare project with Brenden?"

The implied threat made his knees wobble, but Billy swallowed hard and forced himself to address Gabriela. "Well, what a pleasant surprise to see you here, Miss Haynes. So...do you think I have any shot at pulling this proposal off?" Gabriela knew him as a relentless workaholic, a man who married deadlines instead of romance. Yet today, he was suddenly playing the part of a lovestruck man.

She flashed him a quick, encouraging fist bump."You've got this. Go knock her off her feet."

"Appreciate it."

Squaring his shoulders, Billy turned toward the distance with exaggerated drama, as if his girlfriend might appear at any moment, stepping right into his carefully staged scene.

Half an hour later, drizzle clung to his hair and soaked through his jacket, leaving him shivering.

Gabriela's playful curiosity faded, replaced by quiet sympathy.

Poor guy-after all that careful preparation, his girlfriend hadn't even shown. Had she actually stood him up?

Billy risked a sideways glance toward them, no doubt checking if Wesley's anger had simmered down.

Catching his disheartened expression, Gabriela felt a twinge of sympathy and offered gently, "Don't let it get to you, Mr. Clarke. Maybe the rain's what kept her away. You're good-looking and have a solid paycheck. A lot of the women at work think you're a catch."

Wesley's expression, however, only grew a shade darker.

Billy stiffened under Wesley's cold, cutting stare.

Her attempt at cheer only deepened the slump in his shoulders.

Picking up on it, Gabriela pressed on, her voice light but teasing. "Sure, fireworks and roses are sweet,but they're also a total cliché. You'd make a bigger impression by sliding her an unlimited credit card and telling her to use it however she wants."

The absurdity hit her a beat later, and she waved her hands in quick retreat. "Alright, maybe that would just blow the whole thing up and make her angrier.Honestly, the real problem is you don't even have a ring. Show up with one next time, and she won't be able to turn you down."

Her words instantly soured Wesley's mood, as those things she mentioned should have been prepared,yet he hadn't arranged any of them at all.

His expression tightened, and with a sharp tug at his tie,he pivoted and strode away.

Gabriela leaned toward Billy, murmuring a quick word of encouragement, then quickened her pace to catch up with Wesley.

He threw her a sidelong glance as he pressed."What's this-planning to come home with me?"

She gave a small shake of her head.

Something in his clipped tone told her he was in a foul mood.

Was it possible the deal in Athea had fallen through? Trying to be a thoughtful subordinate, Gabriela held back from trailing after him, not wanting to push his temper any further.

Wesley had gone only a few strides when the absence of footsteps made him glance over his shoulder.

She lingered in place, eyes wide and uncertain, like a stray kitten left out in the rain.

Something in him eased at the sight.

His unmet desire wasn't her burden to bear. What sense was there in taking out his frustration on her for that?

Suppressing a sigh, he said, "I'll take you home fist."

In a hesitant whisper, Gabriela inquired, "What about Mr. Clarke? Shouldn't webring him along?"

The cold bit through the air, and the rain was falling harder by the minute. She doubted Billy's girlfriend would ever appear. Wesley let out a dry snort. "He's still waiting on his girlfriend. Planning to stick around and wait with him?"

Billy quickly cut in, "Miss Haynes, you should go ahead with Mr. Moss. I'll wait here a little longer."

Though he knew his so-called girlfriend would never show up because she didn't exist at all, he had to maintain the facade.

The drive back to Rosemont Gardens passed in heavy, unbroken silence.

When they arrived, Gabriela found the door locked,and repeated calls to Josh went unanswered.

The wedding was probably still underway, and Josh was no doubt occupied.

Wesley's brows drew together as he watched her make call after call with no answer. "You don't have a key?" She actually lived here without one?

Did she often end up stranded like this?

"It's usually Ken who lets me in, but he's helping at the hotel right now," Gabriela murmured.

Turning away, she felt a small wave of gloom settle over her. It looked like she'd be paying for another hotel room.

She pivoted too quickly, frustration tugging at her focus, and her heel slipped.

Wesley caught her before she fell, but the left heel of her shoe snapped, sending a sharp twist through her ankle.

A soft cry escaped before she could stifle it.

Though a flicker of concern crossed his mind,he masked it, keeping his voice even. "What happened?"

Gabriela tilted her face up, forcing a faint smile. "It's nothing." She'd already made a fool of herself earlier-no way was she letting him think she was so hopeless she could injure herself just walking.

All of a sudden, Wesley bent down and scooped her into his arms in one smooth motion.

Her feet left the ground so suddenly that instinct had her looping her arms around his neck.

"I can walk by myself, Mr. Moss," she protested, her voice quick and flustered.

Wesley's expression stayed impassive as he remarked, "Don't read into it. I don't have feelings for you. I'm just making sure you won't aggravate your sprain to the point where you'll have to hobble into work and force the company to assign someone to babysit you."

The bluntness left her momentarily speechless.

Clearly, whatever she'd imagined back at the beach -that fleeting, ridiculous thought he might actually like her-had been nothing but afoolish fantasy.

Wesley slid Gabriela into the passenger seat and pulled onto the road without missing a beat.

"Could you just drop me at the nearest hotel, Mr.Moss?" she blurted out hastily.

Keeping up his facade as the attentive boss, he replied, "Let me see if any hotels still have vacancies tonight."

Pulling out his phone, he made a quick call. Ten minutes later, he said evenly, "I had Billy check.Every nearby hotel is already full."

Gabriela's brows drew together. That didn't make sense.

It was the holiday season-shouldn't most people be at home with their families? How could the hotels be overflowing?

Then she blinked in surprise. "Hold on-Mr. Clarke's still at the beach, isn't he? Waiting for his girlfriend?"

For the briefest moment, Wesley's composure slipped, but he quickly smoothed it over. "She turned him down-said fireworks and roses were tacky."

So Billy had not only pulled holiday overtime but also endured a doomed proposal.

"Poor Billy," Gabriela murmured, a faint note of sympathy threading her voice. "All that charm and money,yet he's unlucky in love."

Beside her, Wesley-wealthy, magnetic, and fresh from his own failed love confession-kept silent,though his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.