Chapter 23

The gentle buzz of his phone caught Wesley's attention. He glanced at the screen and replied,"Where are you?"

Gabriela's eyelid gave an involuntary twitch. Was Brenden messing with her again?

She swiftly responded, "I'm at the office. You told me to cook dinner for you, didn't you?"

Wesley's brows shot up. He fired off another message."Didn't you say you wouldn't do it?"

Gabriela had braced herself for this. Grinding her teeth,she answered, "It's just pasta and borscht. Making it doesn't take much effort."

A subtle smile flickered across Wesley's lips as he typed, "Wait there. I'll be over soon."

Gabriela stiffened at hiswords,her temper simmering

She couldn't help but remember that night after the team-building event,when he'd told her to wait-then left her hanging till midnight. This time, she wasn't willing to put up with it any longer. Fuming, she shot off a message. "What the hell is your problem, you jerk? I've put up with enough of your crap! If you're going to act arrogant, go ahead -pull whatever stunts you want. I'm tired of always going out of my way for you!"

Wesley broke into quiet laughter, picturing the fire blazing in her eyes as shetyped.

Across the room, Fiona had been lurking in silence,feeling invisible. The second she caught the amused glint in Wesley's eyes, jealousy burned through her.

Who on earth was flirting with Wesley?

Determined to get his attention, she plastered on a concerned smile. "Wesley, I'll see if Loretta needs anything," she murmured sweetly, pushing herself to her feet. She put on a show, purposely twisting her ankle as she staggered toward him.

Wesley, sensing her plan, stepped aside without a second thought.

Fiona's little performance backfired-she collided straight into the edge of the sofa, her chin throbbing where it struck the armrest.

Despite the ache, Fiona's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of Wesley's phone. The WhatsApp name "Liar" flashing on Wesley's screen didn't escape her notice.

But the real shock wasn't the name-it was the content. Whoever it was, the person wasn't sending Wesley flirtatious messages, but outright mocking him.

The person actually called him a jerk, right to his face.

To her astonishment, Wesley only smiled, looking almost pleased, as if he relished the insult.

Fiona was utterly bewildered.

Without giving Fiona's stunned expression a second glance, Wesley coolly directed Billy to bring the car around.

Afterward, he strode off to find Loretta, offering a polite farewell. "Grandma, something urgent just came up at the company. I have to head out."

Loretta's gaze darted toward Fiona, her eyes alight with quiet approval.

In her mind, Fiona checked every box-poised,elegant, and armed with a doctorate. She couldn't have asked for a better candidate for Wesley, not just in background but in temperament too.

What truly won Loretta over was that Fiona had just returned from overseas and eagerly come to her place to celebrate Wesley's birthday, even rolling up her sleeves to help out in the kitchen. Fiona was genuinely sweet, untouched by even a trace of spoiling.

Convinced she'd found the perfect match for Wesley,Loretta had already started planning their future together. But Wesley, ever the workaholic, was clearly ready to escape.

Loretta had no intention of letting that happen.

Sensing her true motives, Wesley pivoted at once and instructed, "Billy, drive Ms. Dewitt home."

Billy didn't hesitate as he replied, "Right away, Mr.Moss."

Without missing a beat, Wesley added, "Once she's back, come straight to the office. That project can't wait."

Bitly, sharp as ever, played along and nodded. "Got it."

At those words, Loretta knew she'd lost the round. She understood the pressure Wesley faced running his own business, so she could only offer a gentle reminder."Come visit me more often."

Still, she was determined to keep Fiona in the picture.She silently resolved to invite Fiona over as much as possible, hoping the two of them would eventually warm up to each other.

Wesley answered with respectful warmth,"Of course,Grandma. I'll come by often."

Feigning concern, Fiona tried to stall. "Wesley, if |take Billy's car, what will you do for a ride? Maybe I should just call a cab..."

Wesley didn't even look at her. "I'll ride with Brenden."

She was left with no choice but to go along, though her annoyance simmered beneath the surface.

Brenden ended up driving Wesley back to the office.

As the car rolled through the city, curiosity finally got the better of him. "Wesley, are things really that demanding? Why are you heading back to work so late?"

Wesley leaned back, eyes shut, radiating total disinterest.He ignored Brenden's question entirely

Brenden pressed his lips together, remembering his own sudden transfer out of headquarters. With Wesley in this mood, he knew better than to push any further

Brenden barely let the silence settle before seizing on a new topic. "Hey, Wesley, Fiona seems into you.She's got a doctorate, she's gorgeous, and the Dewitt Group's practically a major player on the global stage Honestly, she's a great match for you."

Wesley's eyes drifted open just enough to shoot Brenden a frosty glare. His tone was sharp and flat."She sounds perfect for you."

That single,glacial line made Brenden's skin prickle.

He'd dated his share of women, but his mother,Marissa Saunders, had never nagged him about marriage. None of his past girlfriends ever passed muster.

If Marissa even got wind he might be interested in Fiona, she'd have the whole city in an uproar.

The thought of his mother's theatrics clamped his mouth shut. Brenden decided he valued his peace more than gossip, so he kept quiet the rest of the drive.

When they finally pulled up to the office, Brenden did a double take-Gabriela was perched on the front steps, her arms wrapped around her knees, waiting in the chilly evening air.

He nudged Wesley with an elbow and remarked, "You drag Gabriela in for overtime too? She's sharp, I'll give her that, but she's still just an intern-hasn't even graduated. Try not to scare her off, yeah?"

Wesley fixed him with a steely gaze. "So you're worried about her now?"

Brenden's shoulders tensed under his scrutiny. The instant Wesley's tone turned icy, Brenden's bravado vanished.

He waved his hands defensively. "No way! She's just an intern-honestly,she should feel lucky to learn from you."

Wesley's glare lingered, making Brenden wilt. He fumbled to open the car door, eager to put space between them.

Wesley stepped out and walked straight toward Gabriela.

Bundled up in a thick coat, Gabriela perched on the steps, absently counting the lines between bricks to pass the time.

Lifting her head, she startled at the sight of Wesley striding toward her.

Waiting for Brenden, she was caught off guard by Wesley's appearance.

Wesley came to a stop in front of her, his usual sternness giving way to a flicker of concern. "Are you cold?" he asked, voice gentler than she'd anticipated Gabriela struggled to come up with a reason for lingering outside the company so late, but Wesley's unexpected concern caught her by surprise. She muttered,"No."

A faint, rare smile tugged at Wesley's lips as he glanced at the two thermal containers she clutched."Those for me?"

It dawned on Gabriela with a jolt-the meal she'd prepared was meant for Wesley.

Realizing she'd been roped into Brenden's little scheme to score points with Wesley, she thought bitterly that calling him a jerk was far too kind.

Wesley reached out, waiting expectantly. "Hand them over. I haven't eaten dinner yet."

Gabriela hesitated, hands tightening around the containers. Just as she was about to surrender them,she jerked them back, heart pounding.

She'd dumped an ungodly amount of spices into the borscht purely to get back at Brenden. If Wesley actually ate it, there'd be hell to pay

Wesley arched a brow, his gaze sharp. "Aren't these for me?"

Gabriela, not daring to say no to her boss,hesitated for a beat before surrendering the containers

Without another word, Wesley led her into a cozy café down the street.

The moment he stepped inside-immaculately dressed,every line of his suit crisp-heads turned. Waiters scrambled to greet him, tripping over each other in their eagerness.

"Sir, what can I get you to drink?" one asked, eyes only on Wesley.

Gabriela nearly flipped her eyes upward in disbelief.

Was she just background scenery? Did she really not exist to these people?

Frustrated, she sat down and slumped in her chair.

Wesley ordered two coffees, his tone so casual it was clear he was used to this treatment. When the waiter scurried away, he popped open the container of borscht.

The spicy, tangy aroma filled the air. A handful of chilis and cilantro sprigs drifted on the surface.

Wesley's lips twitched in amusement. He recognized a little payback when he saw it.

Gabriela kept her eyes fixed on Wesley, scrambling to cover for herself. "Mr. Moss, actually, the soup was all Mr. Saunders's idea. I think he has some, uh, very particular preferences."

She felt zero remorse about tossing Brenden under the bus-after all, he'd set her up first.

Wesley just gave a bland, disinterested nod,making no move to call out her obvious lie.

Gabriela, spotting his calm acceptance, hurriedly flipped open the second container. "Mr. Moss, would you like to try this instead? I made a classic pasta-just a simple, straightforward recipe. But I promise it turned out delicious."

As she looked at him hopefully, the anticipation flickered in her bright eyes. Wesley, unexpectedly affected by her enthusiasm, felt his voice turn rougher than usuaL. "Do you have any idea what today is?"

Gabriela's mind went blank. Her gaze darted away as she desperately tried to recall if the date meant anything important.

After a few silent beats, she still came up empty,vaguely wondering if she'd missed some company milestone or forgotten an anniversary.