Chapter 94

Chapter94 Her Wishes For Him

Gabriela stood on the brink of losing her temper.

Her voice rose with sharp insistence. "Mr. Moss, I'm a full-time employee of Apex Group!" Her eyes flicked toward Brenden, her frustration boiling over. "Even Mr.Saunders received a gift!"

Why was she the only one being excluded?

Brenden, pulled unwillingly into the quarrel while merely sitting there, straightened at once and replied with practiced calm, "Oh please, Gabriela-he's my cousin.Why would it be strange for him to give me a gift?"

As he spoke, he gave her a deliberate blink, a silent warning not to press further.

In Brenden's view, Gabriela truly did not know her place.How dare she show such disrespect to Wesley?

He resolved that he would have a serious talk with her later.

Wesley,however,found the scene oddly entertaining.

The night before, she had been meek as a frightened kitten, yet now she suddenly felt bold enough to outright demand a gift from him.

Deciding to toy with her, Wesley leaned back,his lips curving. "Gabriela, say something nice and I might consider giving you a gift too."

Gabriela hesitated.

Her gaze dropped to the floor, then drifted back to Wesley-the elegant, wealthy man burdened with heart troubles.

A flicker of sympathy stirred in her chest.

After a thoughtful pause, she spoke with plain sincerity. "Mr. Moss, I hope that in the year ahead,and in every year to come, only good things find their way to you, and that misfortune stays far away. May everything unfold exactly as you wish."

Wesley's fingers froze mid-motion.

Gabriela's eyes held such unguarded honesty that he could not doubt she meant every word.

He retrieved a gift box and handed it to her.

"The same wishes for you," he murmured softly.

Gabriela accepted her gift with unguarded delight, her expression almost childlike.

It had been rare for her to receive a gift since she was eight years old.

Even when Josh bothered to buy presents, Phyllis always found a way to snatch them away.

But ever since joining Apex Group, everything had changed-she received thoughtful gifts, and, most importantly, she now had a seven-figure bank account to her name.

To her, Wesley was more than just a boss. He was the miracle who had turned her life around.

She vowed to stay by his side for as long as she could.

The thought of going home had completely vanished the moment she received a gift from Wesley.

One by one, the servants slowly drifted out of the grand manor.

Gabriela's phone suddenly rang-it was Josh,calling her back home for the family's New Year's Eve dinner.

He murmured, "Gabriela, Marie and Phyllis have realized their mistakes. I will have them apologize to you."

Gabriela had no desire to return. No matter how hard Josh tried, she refused outright.

Phyllis's name still burned across every trending list.Fearing that anyone might recognize her if she stepped outside, she barricaded herself indoors.

Gabriela sneered. Now they wanted her to come back home-who knew what kind of trap they might be setting for her?

When her husband's persuasion failed,Marie abruptly seized the phone. A forced smile stretched across her lips as she cooed with syrupy sweetness, "Gabriela,Phyllis was wrong before. Young people can be impulsive at times, can't they? She has been reflecting these past few days and wishes to apologize to you in person."

"And then?" Gabriela's reply was blunt, her tone sharp."Secretly take a video and post it online to create the illusion of reconciliation? Aunt Marie, that won't do Phyllis any good. At most, it will only make me appear generous and forgiving."

Marie's expression froze, the smile faltering before her voice turned cold. "You think that with Mr. Moss backing you, you can throw your weight around? I'm your family. When I tell you to return, you must do as I say! Because of your actions, Phyllis is living in fear behind locked doors. What more do you want from us?" Gabriela's words cut like glass. "I refuse to recognize a shameless thief as family. You stole what was mine and squandered it on your gambling addiction."

Marie's face darkened at the jab. Fury flared, and she spat, "You little bastard. Don't think you are untouchable.Since you refuse to settle this peacefully,then be prepared for what's coming."

With a sharp snap, Gabriela hung up. She had no intention of enduring Marie's senseless scolding.

Marie, blinded by rage, seemed to lose all reason.Right in front of Josh, she hurled the word "bastard"at Gabriela.

Josh froze in shock before snapping, "Marie, how could you say that to Gabriela?"

Marie sneered with disdain. "Calling her a bastard was generous. If not for her, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Gabriela's revelation of their scandals had left scars.Because of her, not only was Phyllis dragged through the mud online, but even the company's business had taken a hit.

Several clients canceled projects right before the holiday,leaving Marie with painful losses.

All of it, she believed, was the fault of that wretched girl, Gabriela.

By now, Marie had completely lost her composure,unbothered to hide her disdain for Gabriela in front of her husband.

Josh was struck by a surge of anger. He stammered "you" repeatedly, unable to form a complete sentence.

When he remembered the trusting gaze of his sister before her death, guilt twisted through him-and he raised his hand and struck Marie across the face.

"Don't you dare insult Gabriela like that. She is my niece! Everything we enjoy now was left behind by my sister."

The slap landed with such force that blood appeared at the corner of Marie's mouth.

Phyllis stood frozen in shock.

Her father,who had always bent to her mother's will and obeyed without protest, had just hit her mother -for Gabriela's sake!

"Dad, you've gone too far!" Furious, Phyllis glared at Josh before rushing to help Marie back to her room.

Mother and daughter locked themselves away and did not emerge again for the rest of the day,leaving Josh alone in the vast hall, hollow and lost.

He felt the weight of guilt pressing down on him-toward his sister, toward Gabriela. Yet he also knew violence against his wife was inexcusable. A man should never raise his hand against his wife.

The villa fell into a heavy silence, the cold of resentment hanging in the air.

But over at Moss Manor, warmth and joy thrived.Gabriela joined Loretta and Miriam in the kitchen,rolling out pastry dough for savory hand pies and simmering spiced cider.

She noticed Loretta preparing an unusual version-chicken pot pies filled with celery.

Meanwhile, Miriam entered with a plump pumpkin in her arms, announcing she was making a hearty pumpkin stew.

When Gabriela glanced at the ingredients, she spotted artichokes, chanterelle mushrooms, and smoked ham.

She asked curiously, "Mrs. Larson, who are the celery pies for?"

She knew well that Wesley never touched celery.

"We have a guest arriving later. She loves these."Loretta's tone softened, her eyes warm with tenderness. "After dinner, I'll pack all the celery pies for her totake home and enjoy."

Gabriela's interest was piqued.

She had been living at the estate for some time but had never met anyone from the Moss family apart from Brenden.

Who could this guest possibly be?

Around five in the evening, a quiet, young woman arrived.

She looked to be no more than twenty, delicate and sweet in appearance.

She was blind and used a white cane to guide her way.