I adjusted my posture and began to play with the grass between my fingers, feigning indifference as I asked him in a calm tone,
"I don't know them... I've seen the big guy before, but not the other one. It seemed like you were enemies, right?"
I was lying. Of course, I know Harry Bloor. I saw him in their photo album when I was searching, but nothing more. I don't have any real information about him, so technically, I don't know him.
Gabriel looked up at the rising sun and said in a low voice, "He's a Bloor, of the Bloordish family. It won't. It'll do you any good to know him."
I didn't like his vague response, so I continued, "So what's your relationship to him?"
He smiled, but it was a cold smile, and said, "A relationship of connection and harmony."
I paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself. What an answer! It was like every student's answer to the question, "What's their relationship?" Even though it might not be any connection or harmony.
He turned to me, his gaze deep, a slight side smile forming on his lips, as if he enjoyed my laughter. Contrary to the coldness he had shown a moment earlier, he now seemed amused.
He asked me slyly, raising his eyebrow, "Did you like it?"
As I laughed, I shook my head. "A lot... hahaha!"
I laughed, raising my eyebrows in defiance.
"So, you're not going to tell me what your relationship is with that guy, are you? Hmm?"
He didn't answer, but he smiled that thoughtful smile that had become so familiar to me. A calm look, but one that held enough to make my chest tighten with a strange warmth. We both knew what that look meant, and that was the important thing.
I sighed in resignation and turned my face towards the grass, fiddling with it with my fingers, then muttered,
"You know what? My parents left me with you as a trust… for fear that I would miss school. And the funny thing is, my first day of school after they left, I missed it because of you… what a responsible neighbor you are."
He laughed, holding his forehead, his deep laughter filling the air around me, and every giggle that came out of him made my heart beat faster for no apparent reason.
"Sorry, I was in a bad mood… I'll go with you tomorrow and explain your absence from school," he said, in a tone that was both joking and sincere at the same time.
I raised my head towards him, hesitating a little before saying:
"They will ask for the guardian..."
His laughter gradually faded, to be replaced by a look of playful surprise:
"What about me? Didn't we agree that I..."
I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence, I just rolled my eyes with a smile and said in a resigned tone:
"Daddy..."
He smiled with satisfaction, then muttered while looking at me slyly:
"Goodgirl..."
About an hour passed, and we sat there, talking about trivial, unimportant things, throwing pebbles into the water, watching the pigeons come to drink from the river, and enjoying the strange calm that kept us away from all our problems. For a moment, it seemed as if nothing else mattered… as if I wasn't a girl sitting with a married man.
Amidst this serenity, his phone suddenly rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at me for a moment, as if wondering if he should answer in front of me. Then he put it to his ear:
"Darling? Is everything okay?... What? Today?... For dinner? Isn't it a little early? Okay, okay, don't worry, I'll be there."
He hung up, and the call seemed to have completely changed his mood. It was clear it was his wife, and I didn't need to ask to be sure.
"Dinner?" I mumbled, without taking my eyes off the water.
"She says we should be here for dinner today because you have guests."
Well, I wasn't expecting this...
"Her friends, maybe?" I asked, wondering. "Or family?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. That's her habit. She surprises people she doesn't expect or barely knows. She calls it a 'shock table.'"
I smiled sarcastically. "A shock table? What an exciting name... What kind of table is that?"
He sighed deeply, as if the mere thought of it was overwhelming him.
"There's no precise definition, but most of what happens around it is that we receive unexpected shocks from each other, and I'm afraid..."
He paused suddenly, as if what he was about to say was weighing heavily on him.
"Afraid of what?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, as if to himself, "That the person on my mind for dinner today might be..."
My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Who?"
As soon as I asked the question, it was as if I'd awakened him from his reverie. He stood up suddenly, nervous, and hastily straightened his clothes. He extended his hand toward me, saying firmly.
"I'll take you home to get ready with them, and I'll go to your school to explain your absence... Come on, give me your hand."
.
.
.
He drove me home, and as soon as I got out of the car, he drove off. I entered through the large garden gate, to find a scene I hadn't expected—workers busy setting up tables and covering them with elegant fabrics, others hanging lights, while some meticulously cleaned the pool. Was this just a dinner? It looked more like a formal party.
As I contemplated the organized chaos before me, I spotted Umm Ramsay standing to the side, speaking seriously to one of the workers, as if dispensing instructions. I waited until she finished, then approached her cautiously so as not to interrupt her.
"Hello..." I said hesitantly, feeling a little nervous.
Joy appeared on her face as soon as she saw me. She opened her arms to embrace me, saying affectionately, "Here you are... Prepare yourself for today. I want you to look your best in front of our guests."
I looked at her in surprise, my eyebrows slightly raised. "Are they that important?"
She was confused, as if my question had embarrassed her a little, but she responded in a lighthearted tone, "What happens at dinner is what matters... Tell me, would you rather go to the movies dressed up or dressed down?"
I smiled as I replied with gentle sarcasm, "Depending on the type of movie."
She laughed and said, raising her eyebrow playfully, "Oh, then dress up... because tonight's movie is action and drama."
"Let me think... is John Cena coming to dinner?" I said jokingly, putting my hand to my chin in mock-thoughtful thought.
She laughed and lightly patted my shoulder. "Harry's worse than John Cena!"
My eyes widened in unconcealed shock, and my body shuddered for a moment. I hadn't been prepared to hear that particular name. Ever since this family came into my life, I've been living with one surprise after another.
"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing my nervousness.
I quickly adjusted my features, forced a smile, and said in a normal tone, "Nothing..."
She looked into my eyes intently. "Nothing? Hmm… Aren't you a fan of Harry's on Instagram?"
Where were her thoughts going now? I sighed sarcastically and said, "Oh, hell no… I don't even know him!"
She smiled and said, "Well, Harry is Gabriel's cousin, my husband… and he's so lovely and sweet. You'll love him, I promise."
Yes, I will… It's clear from his behavior earlier how "nice" he is, that is, if he doesn't decide to pull a gun on us in the middle of dinner.
"I hope so… Now I'm going to Ramsay," I said, turning around, but her hand suddenly grabbed my arm.
"But you didn't tell me… How did you know we had guests this evening? I only told Gabriel… and you were at school, weren't you?" I asked incredulously.
Oh my God, what do I tell her? That I was with her husband? That I met the guest before her?
She stuttered a little, then tried to speak normally:
"Mr. Gabriel drove me home... and told me on the way."
She raised an eyebrow.
"He told you his cousin was the guest?"
"No... he just said there were guests."
She sighed in relief and said,
"Thank God... if he knew who the guest was, he would have ripped my head off. You can go, my love..."
On my way to Ramsay's room, things slowly began to fall into place.
When I was next to Gabriel, he said he was afraid the guest he had in mind was the one coming... he must have known Harry was the guest.
But if it was his cousin... why all the hostility? And why would Iliana even want him there?
Ah... !a very complicated family.
There was nothing left until dinner. I spent the day with Ramsay. I wouldn't say it was boring, but at least it was a bit of activity. With her, I always found something to do, unlike the stifling isolation I experience when I shut myself away in my room, writing my novels and conversing with my thoughts.
Ramsay never stopped talking—about her teenage boyfriend, her family, trivial details like her taste in food and clothing. None of that mattered much to me... For me, there was only one thing that concerned me: tonight. My first night here, how would it go? What would dinner be like? Would I see him? Would I talk to Blore?
And most importantly... I missed Gabriel. No, not a love longing, but a conversation longing. Those quiet, deep conversations that don't really happen, but loom large whenever I look at him or he talks to me.
I remember when I played the piano, he listened. Interested.
His answers were measured. His deep voice...
His faint smile...
His distinctive perfume...
How lucky Elena is to have him.
After our conversation, Ramsay lent me some clothes. My closet didn't contain anything suitable for such an occasion, especially after she learned the number of guests would not be small.
Whenever she brought me a dress, it was more daring than the last, and I would politely reply, "That's okay, I'll wear my own formal clothes."
But she would insist, with childish insistence, that I wear something from her closet.
I rejected one dress after another, until my eyes fell on this one...
A sky-blue, sleeveless gown that touched the eye with Victorian delicacy, as if it had come straight from the age of myth. Next to it lay the short apron worn over it. I didn't know its name, but its shape was like a "password" to subtle elegance.
I rushed over, amazed:
"Oh my... how beautiful!"
Ramsay turned around with a disgusted look when she saw what I liked.
"Yuck... That's a dress my father gave me. He insisted I wear it, but I hate it."
I was lost in my thoughts... At first, I liked it because it was pretty, but now it's because it's pretty and Gabrielle chose it.
What a coincidence... We have the same taste.
"I'll wear it..." I said, getting up from the floor with the dress in my hands.
I laughed sarcastically.
"No way! You'll be embarrassed when you see the women there in dresses that show off their soft breasts!"
I smiled confidently.
"I'll wear it... I mean, I'll wear it."
I was madly in love with the dress. Its feminine, enchanting shape made me imagine myself as a little princess preparing for a royal ceremony, confidently descending the palace stairs, all eyes on her.
The dress was light, flowing over my body like a spring breeze, unweighted... and unlike anything else.
We sat in front of the mirror, getting ready. We both wore makeup, but there was a clear difference between us.
Ramsay looked like she'd stepped out of a Mexican show—heavy makeup, a white powder like a handful of flour sprinkled on her face, but... I can't deny it, she looked captivating in her own way.
As for me, I made do with light touches, as if I were decorating a wildflower without extinguishing its spontaneity. I arranged my hair, put on my blue dress, and we stood together, ready to descend.
We waited... until we heard the sound of a luxury car stopping outside.
We tried to see it from Ramsay's window, but the angle was opposite, and we couldn't make out anything. Five minutes passed before we realized Elena had come down to greet them.
"Oh my God, he's not answering me..." Ramsay muttered anxiously, looking at her phone.
He turned to her. "Who? Your boyfriend?"
She shook her head. "No... Dad. He hasn't arrived yet."
Oh, Gabriel... I just hope he's not at a bar dancing with some woman...
"It's okay... let's go downstairs and help set the table. You shouldn't leave your mom embarrassed in front of the guests."
She replied stubbornly, "I'm not going down until Dad arrives."
I wanted to stay with her, but I needed to be there... before them. I don't like entering places after they're full, I don't like the sudden eyes turning around... and the whispers that precede me.
"Okay, I'll go down."
I opened the door, sighed lightly, and began heading downstairs.
I walked slowly toward the small garden by the pool, where flowers shone in color under the dim lights, and the soft sound of water accompanied the spring still lingering in the air.
But I hadn't arrived...
I hadn't opened the door leading outside yet...
Suddenly...
I felt a strong hand pulling me violently, pushing me quickly toward the other corridor, the narrow side corridor... where there was no light, no sound, nothing but darkness.
I screamed... I tried to escape...
but he was stronger.
I tried to see his face... but it was too dark.
I tried to smell... the scent I knew instantly.
It was him...
Gabriel.
He placed his hand firmly over my mouth, whispering in a low, deep, dangerous voice:
"Shhh... you look beautiful..."
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