Rebirth of Billionaire's Wife - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: An apology

Gabriel felt like someone had just squeezed his heart.

Eveline’s words were so harsh that he felt the weight of the words he used for her the day he confronted her.

‘I thought you were still naive, but you turned out to be like those girls who would jump on any guy to get their attention. I thought we were friends, but you took that friendship in the wrong way. You have put us both in trouble with this stupid stunt. How are we going to face those disgusting stares from students?’

Gabriel closed his eyes, wishing he had not lost his composure that day, but he was too shaken to discover that Eveline had made up her crush on him just to get his attention.

Gabriel kept thinking back on his actions to this point and wondered, ‘How did I even think Eveline would do such a thing?’

Gabriel paused, cleared his mind, and opened his eyes to see Eveline grinning back at him.

With that vacant expression in his eyes, Eveline was devastated and said, “I know you do not have to repeat it.”

All those years when Eveline loved him, for once she wanted to see a glint of love and admiration in Gabriel’s eyes, but all she saw was vacancy. She wondered for a while whether Gabriel ever felt anything at all, but she threw away her suspicions after learning of his extramarital affair.

Conversely, Gabriel was perplexed by the response she offered him. He wanted to apologize to her for what he had said to her that day, but she refused to listen to him and went on making fun of herself.

Eveline looked away, staring at the passing view before her eyes. She didn’t realize when mist formed in her eyes but she blinked them away.

Having already witnessed the worst, she had no desire to ponder over any of those hopes.

Soon, their drive to Miller’s Mansion came to an end and Eveline stepped out.

Just when Eveline thought Gabriel would leave, she heard the sound of the car’s door getting closed from behind, causing her to stop and look to her side.

“Eve,” Gabriel called out to her but halted when he noticed that she was turning to face him.

That shocking look in her blue orbs made his heart flutter. If only he had realized this girl’s beauty, perhaps he would not have struggled with- feelings.

Eveline breath hitched when he suddenly closed the distance between them to the point that she felt the warmth his tall body emitted.

Gabriel had never been this desperate, not even when he sensed the change in Eveline’s feelings for him.

He had only ever thought of her as a childhood friend, but as they grew older, Eveline started to change her mind and gradually started to feel something for him, finally realizing what he meant to her.

Gabriel should have known better than to ignore all of her cues, but he felt compelled to apologize to her after realizing how her ignorance was stirring up feelings in him.

“I am sorry for whatever I said that day.” He apologized profusely for anything he had said that day, shocking Eveline to her very bones.

Her eyes grew as big as a blooming flower, and her whole body froze in place.

“I know I should not have said those words when I knew you would not do something ridiculous that would affect both of our lives,” Gabriel said, noticing the look of shock on her face.

This was the first time that Gabriel did not want his ideas to get mixed up and make him regret not telling her the truth.

Yes, he was wrong to not have trusted Eveline in the first place and to hold her accountable for something she was forced into, but his judgment was distorted by his anger upon hearing those students.

Taking a deep breath, Gabriel eventually worked up the bravery to grasp her hand and say, “I know I made a mistake and it hurts me. Please forgive me and do not mock yourself.”

“…”

Gabriel’s words were swirling around her head like that delusional cloud that would soon burst, slapping her back with reality. But as she kept staring into his eyes, she eventually noticed the sincerity there, which confused her and made her wonder if she had lost some of her vision.

Eveline needed some time to process Gabriel’s words, but her heart was not prepared to melt. She was reminded of why she was here and why she did not want to interact with him.

Eveline withdrew her hand from his grasp and stepped backward, feeling uneasy but forcing herself to look past the hurtful look in his eyes as she parted.

“Whatever it is, at least I learned what you think about me. So it is better we do not bother much about it because I no longer see you more than a friend,” Eveline said as she turned to leave, breaking Gabriel’s heart in the process.

Gabriel stood frozen on the spot. His eyes moistened as he remembered her hurtful words, and he felt something break inside his heart.

Though he was unable to comprehend why her words hurt him so deeply, he did realize that he was unable to simply process them.

Eveline, however, hurried inside the house and up the stairs to her room. Shutting the door, she glanced around anxiously before kicking her legs out onto the balcony, where she saw Gabriel remain frozen in place.

She was feeling uneasy and wondered why Gabriel was not leaving, but then she noticed that he had turned to face her and their eyes had locked.

Eveline felt a hazy emotion swirl in those grey eyes as she held her breath and clenched her palm tightly. It brings back memories of the day she accidentally fell asleep with him.

The anguish she perceived in his gaze caused her stomach to turn queasy, but before she could process it, Gabriel turned away, got back in his car, and drove off.