Chapter 96: Possession And Pride
Chapter 96: Possession and Pride
Everything felt more suffocating than it was before.
Diane stared out the window, her jaw clenched as the city lights blurred past.
She couldn’t understand Gabriel’s weird reaction, just why? She thought everything was finally good with them.
But apparently, she was wrong...very wrong...
Gabriel drove with one hand gripping the wheel tightly, his knuckles obviously turned white from the force.
She knew that look.
The strict, dangerous expression.
The heaviness in his shoulders.
He was angry. And when Gabriel was angry, he beca possessive.
And right now, she wasn’t in the mood for it.
"Are you going to say sothing," she finally muttered, "or just keep radiating hostility?"
Gabriel’s fingers flexed against the leather steering wheel.
"You want
to say sothing?" His voice was deceptively calm.
"Fine. Let’s start with why the hell you let Micha anywhere near you."
Diane sighed, leaning back in her seat. "We’ve been over this."
"No, you gave
an excuse," Gabriel snapped. "That’s not the sa as an answer."
Diane turned to him, her patience was also wearing thin.
"I don’t owe you an explanation."
His grip on the wheel tightened. "Like hell you don’t."
She scoffed. "Since when do you control who I work with?"
Gabriel’s eyes flashed like a star, but with sothing dark, there was sothing possessive in his tone.
"Since it beca clear that Micha isn’t just ’helping.’"
Diane’s brow furrowed. "What the hell does that an?"
Gabriel exhaled two tis, making a dramatic effect, his frustration looked barely restrained.
"You think I don’t see the way he looks at you? The way he’s always around when you don’t need him to be?"
Diane let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, this is rich. You’re jealous."
His jaw twitched. "I don’t get jealous."
She arched a brow. "No? Then what’s this?"
Gabriel slamd his hand against the dashboard, making her jump slightly.
"This is
protecting what’s mine."
Silence filled the car.
Diane’s breath caught in her throat.
’What’s mine.’
Her heart pounded hardly, painfully from all the anger and sothing dangerously close to longing coursed through her veins.
She turned to him fully now, eyes looked like it was going to lit on fire any ti now.
"I am not yours, Gabriel."
He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. "No? Then why are you still here?"
Diane opened her mouth, but nothing ca out.
Because the truth was—she didn’t know.
Gabriel glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his voice lower now, more controlled.
"You don’t trust Micha. You know he’s dangerous. So why do you keep him close?"
Diane clenched her fists.
"Because unlike you, he doesn’t treat
like I need to be locked away for my own safety."
Gabriel’s grip on the wheel tightened again.
"I treat you like soone who doesn’t know when to stop tempting fate."
Diane’s patience snapped.
"I am handling this, Gabriel! Just because you don’t approve of my choices doesn’t an I need your permission!"
Gabriel suddenly swerved the car to the side of the road, slamming on the brakes.
Diane was thrown forward slightly, catching herself with one hand against the dashboard.
"What the hell—"
Gabriel turned to her, his eyes burned like a sun during day ti.
"You think this is just about permission?" His voice was quieter now. "You think I don’t trust you to handle things?"
Diane t his eyes head-on. "That’s exactly what I think."
His nostrils flared as he exhaled once again.
"Diane, I trust you. But I don’t trust the people circling you like vultures, waiting for the mont you slip."
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way his words made her chest tighten.
"I don’t need you to fight my battles, Gabriel."
His fingers curled into fists. "Then why am I always the one cleaning up the ss?"
Her breath hitched. "That’s not fair."
Gabriel leaned in slightly, his presence was overwheld even in the dim interior of the car.
"Isn’t it?"
Diane’s pulse pounded.
"You think you’re the only one who does the protecting? Who makes sacrifices?" She shook her head, not being able to believe his audacity.
"I have fought for everything I have. Alone. Without you."
Gabriel’s jaw clenched. "And I’ve fought for you. Because of you."
Diane’s heart twisted painfully.
His voice softened, but his intensity never vanished.
"You think I don’t feel it? Every damn ti you throw yourself into the fire?"
Her lips parted, but he wasn’t done.
"You scare the hell out of , Diane." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "And I don’t scare easily."
The confession hit her like a punch to the gut.
Gabriel had always been unreadable, untouchable.
But now, in the quiet of the car, he was vulnerable. Open.
And it terrified her.
Diane let out a long sigh, shakily, breaking the silence.
"I can’t be what you want
to be."
Gabriel’s eyes darkened. "And what is that?"
"Soone who bends to you," she said, sounding more hoarse. "Soone who waits for you to save her."
Gabriel stared at her for a long mont. Then, slowly, he leaned in.
Diane’s breath caught.
His hand lifted, tracing the line of her jaw, his touch felt both possessive and impossibly gentle.
"You think I want you to be weak?"
Her heart slamd against her ribs.
"I want you to be safe," he murmured.
She swallowed hard. "I can’t promise that."
Gabriel’s thumb brushed against her cheek, his eyes burning into hers.
"Then I’ll just have to make sure of it myself."
Diane closed her eyes for half a second, letting herself feel his every single word. The intensity of him, his look...
Then she pulled away.
She turned, facing forward again. "We need to go," she whispered.
A beat of silence.
Then Gabriel let out a slow, asured breath and started the car again.
But the energy between them hadn’t lessened.
If anything, it had only grown stronger.
They didn’t speak for the rest of the drive.
’If only you could understand , husband...’
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