Chapter 46

Now that the Fletcher family was thriving while the Gibson family continued its downward spiral, Bianca felt more certain than ever that they needed to secure this engagement as soon as possible.

“Don’t worry, Dani,” she said gently. “Once your father gets home, I’ll ask him to set up a meeting with the Fletcher family. If possible, you and Ralph should get engaged. Wouldn’t that be ideal?” Bianca could see exactly what Daniella was hoping for.

Daniella blushed but couldn’t hide the joy in her eyes. She leaned into Bianca and said playfully, “Mom, you’re the best.”

As twilight fell, a black car pulled up to the villa. Spotting it from the window, Daniella sprang up in delight.

“Mom, Stevie, Dad’s back!” With that, she ran outside.

Bianca chuckled and followed her out, with Stephen right behind. But as soon as they stepped outside, they heard Daniella’s sharp voice. “Abby? What are you doing in Dad’s car?”

Bianca looked over in surprise and saw Abigail standing just behind Gabriel.

From her expression, Abigail could tell Daniella was trying hard to keep up appearances. A flash of mockery flickered in her eyes as she replied coolly, “Coincidence.”

Daniella clearly didn’t buy it. “Abby, you work in two different directions. How could it be a coincidence? You must’ve asked Dad to pick you up, didn’t you?”

As if concerned, she turned to Gabriel. “Dad’s already working so hard every day. If you don’t mind, maybe next time you could ride back with Stevie and me instead? It’s better not to trouble Dad again.”

She waited, expecting Gabriel to be moved by her thoughtfulness, but she completely missed the awkward flicker that crossed his face.

Bianca noticed that and said, “Let’s not stand around outside. We can talk inside.”

Abigail let out a short, sharp laugh and gave Daniella a pointed look before striding into the house without hesitation.

Daniella was seething inside, though she kept up her innocent facade. When she glanced up and caught Gabriel’s uncomfortable expression, a pang of unease hit her.

Sensing that things didn’t go as she wished, Daniella chose to keep silent.

Once inside, Abigail went directly upstairs, and the sound of her door shutting echoed through the house.

Stephen frowned at the second floor and snapped, “Dad, why’d you go pick Abigail up? If you had time, you should’ve picked up Dani instead.”

Gabriel shot Stephen a sharp look, clearly embarrassed. He wondered, ‘What was I supposed to say? Should I say running into Abigail was just a coincidence?’

Even in front of his own family, Gabriel found it hard to admit. He snapped, “Do I need your permission to decide who I pick up?”

Stephen fell silent. Daniella, however, felt a jolt of alarm, thinking, ‘Why? Dad’s never liked Abigail, but why did he pick her up?’

“Alright, enough of that,” Bianca said, stepping in before things got worse. “Your father probably hasn’t even had dinner yet.”

Bianca knew Gabriel and believed that it was just a coincidence. She also knew Gabriel cared about his authority, so she didn’t expose him.

Gabriel glanced at Bianca and replied, “I already ate at the office.”

Bianca nodded and had the housekeeper bring some fruit. She personally peeled an apple while speaking, “You came home just in time. Dani was about to call you.”

Gabriel looked puzzled. “Oh? What’s wrong?”

Daniella’s cheeks turned pink. Bianca, knowing her daughter’s shy nature, stepped in to explain, “I was thinking since everything’s more or less decided, why not let Dani and Ralph get engaged first? That way, they can start building their relationship more openly without any gossip.”

Gabriel fell into thoughtful silence and then nodded. He also saw the value in securing this marriage alliance—it could greatly help the Gibson family.

He replied, “Alright. Let’s plan a visit to the Fletcher family soon.”

“Dad, how about tomorrow?” Daniella chimed in. “Stevie and I aren’t working tomorrow. We can visit Ralph’s parents and grandfather together.”

She lowered her gaze bashfully. Gabriel, of course, saw right through her eagerness. After a brief pause, he agreed.

Having gotten her way, Daniella was all smiles again, lavishing affection on both her parents.

Upstairs, Abigail knew nothing of the cheerful chatter below. She was logging into an alternate account. The moment she signed in, her inbox chimed with dozens of unread messages.

She skimmed them briefly and clicked on the one with the most notifications. The ID was named “Tipsy In The Teahouse“. At the top were a few simple sentences, followed by three design drafts. It timestamped three years ago, just two days before she was imprisoned.

She scrolled past the old messages and typed a new one: [I’m here.]

Less than thirty seconds later, a reply came through: [Iris, you finally replied! Where have you been these past three years? Did you forget your password or something?]

Abigail ignored the latter questions and went straight to the point: [Did you need something from me?]

Tipsy In The Teahouse: [Do you remember the three design drafts you sent me three years ago?]

Abigail replied: [Of course. You still haven’t paid me.]

Tipsy In The Teahouse: [Hey, I tried! You vanished into thin air after that.] The message was followed by a pleading emoji.

Abigail remained unmoved. [It’s not too late now.] Then she sent over a bank account number.

If she hadn’t seen that brand name on her phone today, she might have forgotten all about those designs.

A few minutes passed, then came a payment confirmation screenshot, followed by a message: [Iris, any chance you’re open to doing a few more designs?]