"Oh?" Gabriel’s brows arched in surprise. "What kind of help are we talking about here?"
"I..." Marienne began cautiously, carefully sifting through her options to craft the most convincing reply. She was well aware that Gabriel was one of Chloe’s close friends, which ant there was always a chance he’d refuse to help her—purely out of loyalty.
"I need a ride back to the city," she finally said, her wide, doe-like eyes locking with his. "My phone suddenly died, so I can’t request a taxi, and I’d really rather not bother Chloe. She’s so busy these days..."
Gabriel smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "I see. Don’t take it personally," he added with a light chuckle, tapping her gently on the back. "She really is insanely busy—even I can barely get a mont with her these days."
His laughter felt a little forced, but he motioned for her to walk with him as he led the way toward the estate’s garage. In truth, he couldn’t have cared less if she had to crawl her way back to the city. But running into her like this? It felt like a golden opportunity to see what Marienne did when she wasn’t busy stirring up trouble elsewhere.
"I’ll give you a lift—no problem," he reassured with a casual nod. "But why head back to the city? Weren’t you staying with your future in-laws?"
Marienne visibly flinched at the question, clearly caught off guard. For a split second, she had no answer. Then, a curious thought flashed through her mind, and her lips curled into a sly smile, her heart fluttering with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
"Well," Marienne began carefully as she slid into Gabriel’s car, smoothing down the hem of her skirt. "My fiancé is abroad on business at the mont, and my future mother-in-law is entertaining a few guests, so the mansion feels a little... crowded. I don’t really want to go back to my family ho either—it’s so empty now. So, I’m staying at the Diamond Hotel until Robert returns."
Ha. Gabriel smirked to himself as he started the engine. The mansion is too full, the family ho too empty... Convenient. But I’ve heard about those guests from Spain—there’s no way those uptight won would stay at the Hyde residence. Is she lying? Or did they actually kick her out just because her fiancé left? What a charming little family dynamic.
"So," he said aloud with a pleasant smile as they rolled through the estate gates, "Diamond Hotel, then?"
Marienne nodded, then subtly reached into her purse, parting it just enough to peek at the screen of her phone. She had told Gabriel it was dead, so she couldn’t risk taking it out openly—but she needed to send a ssage, and quickly.
I’m going to the Diamond Hotel, she typed discreetly, her thumb tense over the screen. Book a room for and pay for it with your card. I swear I’m working on sothing big—just help out this once.
She swallowed hard before pressing send, her heart hamring in anticipation. The reply ca quickly.
This better be worth it, or I’m ripping out that mop of blonde hair on your head, Mary.
Marienne cringed, barely stopping herself from swearing aloud. Asshole, she thought bitterly.
Beside her, Gabriel cast her a quick glance, his tone light but observant. "Everything alright?"
The woman nodded without hesitation, a practiced, reassuring smile curling across her lips."Yes—yes, I was just... checking to make sure I didn’t leave my room key back at the hotel," she said smoothly, the lie slipping from her mouth without the slightest twitch of guilt or hesitation.
Gabriel smirked faintly, his gaze drifting back to the road ahead."And?"
"Looks like I did," Marienne replied with a light, slightly awkward giggle, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. But Gabriel only nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing with subtle suspicion.
Aha, he thought, another lie. Her phone isn’t dead, and now this story about forgetting the room key... What exactly is she scheming this ti? He leaned back against the seat, thoughtful. Fine. I’ll play along—for now. But I better stay sharp. This woman wouldn’t even blink before pulling the trigger.
When they arrived at the hotel, the valet approached and slid into Gabriel’s car to park it. Marienne stepped out gracefully, her heels clicking softly against the pavent. She turned to him with a warm smile, gesturing toward the entrance.
"Would you like to co up to my room for a drink?" she asked sweetly. "You did a big favor today—this is the least I can offer in return."
Gabriel returned her smile with one of his own, a careful imitation of charm."I’d love to," he said smoothly. "But... are you sure it won’t cause any trouble? You are, after all, a soon-to-be bride. Inviting an unattached man to your hotel room—won’t your fiancé be a little... displeased?"
Marienne’s smile faltered for just a mont, a flicker of discomfort passing through her eyes before she regained her composure with impressive speed.
"He’ll understand," she replied with confidence. "I’ll make sure he knows your intentions were nothing but gentlemanly."
How believable, Gabriel thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. This woman is a real psycho.
"Very well then," he said, taking his first step forward. "A drink does sound like a tempting idea."
As Marienne walked ahead of him, her heels clicking confidently against the marble floor, Gabriel followed at a asured pace, his gaze sharp and calculating.
While she led the way toward the reception desk, he subtly slipped his phone from the pocket of his tailored pants and scrolled through his contacts until he found Daniel’s na.
Glancing up briefly to ensure Marienne wasn’t looking over her shoulder, he typed a quick ssage:At the Diamond Hotel. Heading to Marienne Rochester’s room. She might be up to sothing—send hotel security up in about 20 minutes.
Satisfied, he hit send and imdiately launched the discreet recording app hidden behind a fake ho screen—a custom piece of code designed by William, who had always been a genius when it ca to security software and digital camouflage.
Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Gabriel exhaled quietly, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
Alright, he thought. Let’s see how this little ga ends today.
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