Chapter 56 Drag Her To His Bed
Finished
Gabrielle took the glass of water from Jonathan and sipped it slowly, looking at him with a hint of surprise. She hadn’t expected someone as powerful and wealthy as Jonathan to be so forthright.
“When the Seavers family sent you here, they never planned for you to come back alive. They figured if I died, you’d die with me. Even during that variety show, it was obvious those two members of the Seavers family were out to get you,” Jonathan revealed.
“That big insurance policy felt more like part of a setup. I don’t know if
feel some loyalty to the Seavers, then out of respect for you, I’ll throwu’ve wrapped your head around it yet. If you still
Zechman family’s got your back, Jonathan said in a low tone.
Gabrielle’s eyes lit up, her amusement deepening.
them a lifeline. But if you cut them off, then the
From the moment she was forced into the arranged marriage and first saw Jonathan, it was like lightning striking out of nowhere she hadn’t been able to believe what she was seeing. She couldn’t figure him out.
Most people’s faces told her a story–of hardship, of happiness–but with him, she couldn’t read a thing. He had this powerful, impenetrable presence that made him impossible to analyze. And even with her skills in face reading and fortune- telling, she saw nothing.
But when she got close enough, she caught the sharp scent of poison coming off him. That was when she knew he was barely clinging to life. Beyond that, though, he was a complete mystery.
“Then forget it! If the Seavers family wants me dead, they’ll have to see if I let that happen. Once this contract is up, I’m done with them. Before I was sent in to replace the bride, we’d already signed papers cutting all ties. Now that their world’s falling apart, them begging for my help is just emotional blackmail. Too bad I’ve never been good at playing the moral game–they were never going to guilt me into anything, Gabrielle said as she got to her feet and stretched with lazy ease.
After a good meal and some water, she felt much more energized.
“Cot it.” Jonathan said, watching her with a bit of surprise.
He realized she wasn’t just open–minded–she was completely unrestrained. Unlike the people around him who tiptoed through life, she made decisions fast and with absolute clarity. That confidence set her apart.
She walked over to the floor–to–ceiling windows and looked out at the night. When she turned back, she saw Jonathan at the coffee table, sleeves rolled up, quietly cleaning the dishes and clearing the table.
Her lips parted slightly in surprise–he’d already taken care of everything.
Jonathan didn’t stick around long. He picked up the trash and quietly stepped out, even closing the door softly behind him.
Gabrielle watched him leave, her eyes following his tall, composed figure. Only after a moment did she turn back to wash her hands. She had to finish preparing the medicine that night. Without it, Jonathan wouldn’t survive the night.
He looked full of life, but no one could tell he was teetering on the edge of death.
That poison was lethal. It gave one just enough time to feel normal before it struck with deadly force. When death crept in, the unwillingness to go surged up inside one, but it would already be too late.
Right then, her phone started buzzing. She paused in the middle of sorting the medicinal herbs, stood up, and walked over to unplug the charger. The screen lit up with a familiar number.
She and the others had exchanged numbers after leaving the island and even added each other on WhatsApp over barbecue.
“Hey, Nadia. What’s up?” Gabrielle answered quickly.
Nadia’s anxious voice came through the speaker. I’ve been watching the variety show all day. I just realized there were hidden cameras on the island! Chloe was stirring the pot, getting people to go after you. What’s her deal? How much does she hate you? Even though Caleb didn’t actually do anything, the cameras caught the way he looked at you–it wasn’t good.”
“I figured I should give you a heads–up, Nadia said, dropping her voice. “Caleb’s a sneaky guy. I’m worried he’s planning
something.
11:12 PM
Chapter 56 Drag Her To His Bed
Finished
interested.”
She continued. “Both Caleb and I were tricked into believing I was chasing after him. Classic Chloe–trying to solidify her place as the daughter of the Seavers family. I always figured she’d come after me eventually, I was never scared of her. I only tolerated her because I cared what the Seavers thought. But that’s over now
Hearing her relaxed tone, Nadia finally let out a breath. “Okay. As long as you’re not letting it get to you. The Seavers family’s a mess right now. Word is, someone’s been hitting them hard; none of their artists are getting jobs.”
“On top of that, every project they negotiated got canceled. Nobody wants to do business with the Seavers anymore. They’re getting squeezed hard. I’m actually impressed–someone crushed the Seavers in just two days but left them just alive enough to suffer. We tried to figure out who’s behind it, but we couldn’t find anything.” Nadia said, her voice lowering.
She leaned on her desk, her curiosity growing. “And it kind of seems like someone stepped in to clear your name after the show aired. Gabrielle, who are you really? You’ve got some serious backup. Who’s protecting you?”
Gabrielle moved toward the bay window while continuing to mix her medicinal herbs. She switched the phone to speaker mode and kept her voice light. “No big story. The Seavers just ran out of luck.”
Speaking of bad luck. I heard Marilyn broke her leg when something fell on her. With all this bad luck piling up, the family’s trying to hire a geomancy master,” Nadia whispered. “Tve got a bad feeling they’re trying to use that master to deal with you. Even just watching from the sidelines, 1 get the feeling they’re out for blood.”
“Maybe, Gabrielle said with a small chuckle.
She didn’t care.
When she went back to the Seavers family before, she could still shoulder their misfortune. But now that she was gone, who was going to carry that bad luck for them? If they managed to scrape by, that’d be sheer luck.
“Gabby, let me ask you again–what about my brother? He’s tall, super handsome, smart, and capable. The guy’s a dream- six–foot–three, long legs, great build, broad shoulders, slim waist. I mean, come on.” Nadia gushed.
Gabrielle didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. Back on the island, Nadia had brought this up over and over again.
“Your brother can’t get a girlfriend?” Cabrielle asked with a raised brow.
Nadia instantly deflated. “That’s the thing–he’s not making a move! It’s driving me nuts. It’s rare for me to find someone I actually like but you’re just not into him at all. I swear, sometimes I just wanna knock you out and drag you to his bed,” she muttered.
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