Chapter 24

Wesley's smile faded as he caught the puzzled look on Gabriela's face.

"Never mind. It's nothing important," he said, his tone losing some of its warmth.

A subtle heaviness seemed to settle over him.Gabriela sensed the shift in his mood but, not knowing him well, decided not to press further. "You should eat, Mr. Moss, before it gets cold," she urged,her voice gentle but cautious.

For a moment, Wesley looked lost in thought,but then something shifted behind his eyes. The earlier chill in his expression softened. He picked up his fork and started eating.

Gabriela,who'd been anxiously waiting for his reaction,found herself entranced by the elegance of his movements.

Here was the man she usually admired from a distance,now seated directly across from her, quietly enjoying her meal.

His subtle satisfaction was unmistakable. For once, Gabriela didn't feel like a mere employee grinding through overtime. The dynamic between them felt different-more intimate,somehow.

In that quiet moment, Wesley seemed less like her untouchable boss and more like a familiar friend.

Gabriela's enchantment lasted all of five heartbeats before common sense jolted her back to earth.

She knew better-Wesley might have c npped the arrogance tonight, but every inch of hin still broadcast untouchable wealth. Even the watch on his wrist was a level of luxury she'd never reach, not in three decades of honest work.

Watching a man like him-an undisputed tycoon-perched in a tiny café on a drafty night, savoring her homemade pasta, felt so absurdly out of place that it sparked a wave of reckless, foolish fantasies she tried to smother.

Desperate to regain her composure, Gabriela mentally chanted passages from the employee handbook, word for word, determined to keep her guard up the next time she faced Wesley.

Meanwhile, Fiona sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Billy's car, her mood soured.

The Moss family had three eligible heirs all circling the prize,and no one knew who would eventually land the throne.

Truth be told, if Wesley weren't the most captivating of the lot, Fiona never would've endured his indifference.

Still, every time she pictured his striking features, she found herself unable to let go.

Haunted by the memory of Wesley's perpetual indifference-how his rare warmth was saved for that mysterious person who dared insult him-Fior found herself prying for answers from Billy.

She sidled up beside Billy and asked, "Billy, is Wesley always drowning in work? Has he ever actually dated anyone?"

Billy managed a bland, practiced smile. "I'm afraid I wouldn't know, Miss Dewitt. As just an assistant, I'd never meddle in Mr. Moss' personal life."

Fiona refused to be shut down. She leaned in, her voice coaxing. "Then what about his tastes? Does Wesley have any favorites? Any hobbies?"

Billy remained impenetrable, his tone unwaveringly polite. "My interactions with Mr. Moss are always purely professional. I couldn't say."

Watching Billy avoid any mention of Wesley's personal affairs only stoked the fire of Fiona's frustration.

She silently vowed that if she ever did become Mrs.Moss, her first act would be to fire Billy.

Whenever Fiona thought about Wesley's commanding elegance, she resisted backing down.

The urge to win him over gnawed at her, spurring her on.

Softening her voice, she probed, "Billy, I spent the whole night with Wesley and picked up on some thing odd. Does he... actually enjoy being insulted?"

Billy's grip on the wheel tightened for a split second.

Oh no! Could she have stumbled onto Wesley's biggest secret? How had things slipped so badly?

But he smoothed his features in record time,answering with a light chuckle, "Of course not, Miss Dewitt. You're imaging things."

Billy's denial didn't fool Fiona for a second-she caught the flicker of discomfort in his eyes and felt more convinced than ever.

Back when she'd been overseas, Fiona had breezed through a few psychology books, so she knew full well that some people harbored unusual preferences -there were even those who got a thrill from being scorned or humiliated.

Such a revelation about Wesley comnpletely stunned her.

She simply couldn't picture the immaculate,dignified Wesley possessing any sort of strange desire, let alone something so peculiar.

Yet throughout the evening, Wesley hadn't said a single word to her. Instead, he sat absorbed in his phone, lips curled in a rare, gentle smile,even as the messages he read were downright rude.

Fiona's chest tightened with envy. She longed to be the one who could make Wesley smile like that.

Back at her apartment, Fiona replayed the memory of Wesley's soft smile until it slipped into longing.Unable to hold back, she pulled out her phone and typed,"Wesley, I made it home safe. Thanks for asking Billy to drive me."

She waited for his reply, but the screen stayed dark.After her shower, she tried again, her damp hair leaving a faint chill on her shoulders as she sent. "I'm heading to bed now. You should rest too, Wesley.Goodnight."

Wesley's phone buzzed twice on the coffee table beside him,each message lighting up the screen in the quiet room. Gabriela, seated nearby, happened to glance at the glowing notifications.

The brief glimpse told her enough-both messages from a girl. She quickly looked away, suppressing a smirk.

Ever since spending more time with Aubrey, Gabriela's own curiosity about office gossip had grown. She pictured some sweet, earnest girl out there nursing a crush on the famously cold Wesley, bravely texting him goodnight while he left her on read.

Wesley cut the moment short, pushing his chair bork."I'm done. Let's head out."

The way Gabriela's eyes lingered on his phone made his mood nosedive and appetite disappear.

He rose from the table with a cool finality. "I'll have someone drive you home."

Gabriela, startled by his sudden chill, scrambled to gather her things. "That's really not necessary.I can just grab a taxi-please, don't trouble yourself."

Yet Wesley wouldn't let it go. He quickly called for a car,walking Gabriela out to the curb himself.

When he caught the flicker of uncertainty on her face,he drawled, "What's wrong? You want to haggle with me for overtime?" Gabriela shook her head so fast her hair nearly brushed his shoulder. "No, of course not. I'm just glad I could cook for you today."

His lips pressed into a frown, and she instinctively swallowed any mention of overtime.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Wesley dropped the conversation. When the car pulled up, he opened the door and gestured for her to climb in.

Three uneventful days drifted by, and then the weekend rolled around.

Aubrey was practically glowing as she checked her reflection in the office window for the fifth time before clocking out.

When Gabriela asked what had her so excited, Aubrey beamed.Her boyfriend-who lived halfway across the country-was finally coming to town.

Aubrey grinned and nudged Gabriela's arm. "Hey, why don't you hang around tonight? My boyfriend and I can take you out for dinner."

Gabriela shook her head with a gentle laugh. "You two deserve your time together. I'd only be a third wheel."

Aubrey grinned, tossing her hair with satisfaction."That's my girl." Watching Aubrey glow with anticipation, a pang of envy flickered through Gabriela's chest.

She pulled out her phone, hoping for a distraction,but her WhatsApp list looked painfully empty. No one to message,no one waiting for her reply.

Her thumb hovered mid-scroll as she realized-these days, her most frequent contact was Brenden.

The memory of their one-night stand made he-heart flutter despite herself.

Unable to resist, she typed out a message.Saunders, are you free tomorrow?"

If he was available, maybe she could bring him home tomorrow-just to shut down Phyllis's nonstop jabs and pay Josh a quick visit.

Meanwhile, Wesley sat stiffly at Loretta's house,forced to sit through her never-ending chatter.

Today, she was relentless, circling back to the same topic-why he needed to get to know Fiona. His patience wore thinner with every word.

Just then,Gabriela's message popped up, souring his mood further. With a trace of irritation, he shot back,"What is this? Are you trying to reel me in? Are you aiming to be my thirty-ninth girlfriend?"