Chapter 81

Chapter81 That's Your Advance For Ten Years' Salary

Gabriela jogged toward Wesley, her breath coming in quick bursts.

Wesley's gaze dropped to meet hers, his eyes harboring emotions that churned beneath a carefully controlled surface.

The urge to reach for her clawed at him, but he held himself rigid, afraid one wrong move might send her fleeing.

"Did you deal with the online buzz about you?" he asked, his voice steadier than his racing pulse.

Something unreadable flickered across his features.All she could discern was an unexpected gentleness that made her chest tighten with gratitude.

"Everything's handled! Thank you for caring, Mr.Moss," she replied, her voice warm with appreciation. Wesley studied her face-she had grown up in a suffocating, nightmarish household. Those painful past experiences were now being revisited, tearing open old wounds and exposing them for strangers to dissect and judge.

Yet her eyes remained untainted by the darkness she'd endured.

She was still the bright, captivating Gabriela.

Something shifted in Wesley's expression. Before he could stop himself, his hand moved to the crown of her head, fingers threading gently through her hair."Don't be afraid anymore. You have me now."

Gabriela's smile blazed across her face as she nodded vigorously. "I only found the courage to release those videos and evidence because you stood behind me, Mr. Moss."

Without his protection, she and the financially struggling Farley would have watched helplessly as Marie buried those posts before they could cause any damage. Given Marie's ruthless nature, she would have dispatched thugs to steal the will and driven Tyler's bar into bankruptcy within weeks if she hadn't feared offending Wesley.

Wesley's mouth curved upward before he asked,"Now that you've reclaimed your house, what dreams are you chasing?"

The question caught Gabriela off guard. She blinked,then answered with honest enthusiasm, "I want to stay close to you and earn mountains of money."

Wesley's smile turned to stone.

Was that truly the extent of her ambition?

Unease flickered across Gabriela's face when she noticed his disapproval. "Actually, dreams don't need to be grandiose affairs."

Wesley's response cut through the air like a blade."Craving vast wealth ranks among the most grandiose dreams imaginable."

His expression turned coolly superior, the kind that reminded her exactly how far her simple mind fell short of his razor-sharp intellect-an intellect that generated wealth at will.

Heat crept up Gabriela's neck. She scrambled for safer ground. "Then I'll aim smaller-maybe deciding what to purchase with my next paycheck, or choosing my next vacation destination."

"What would you buy?" Wesley pressed. "And for this vacation, who would accompany you, and where would you venture?"

Gabriela's temples throbbed. Conversations with Wesley felt like navigating a minefield. Did even imaginary dreams require such exhaustive detail?

She grumbled under her breath, "I haven't gotten my next paycheck yet. Why torture myself thinking about these things?"

A melodic chime interrupted her complaints-her phone's banking alert.

She yanked the device from her pocket with frantic urgency.

One glance at the screen, and the world tilted off its axis.

How many zeros stared back at her?

Gabriela counted the seven digits once. Twice. A wild thought seized her-had scammers grown this sophisticated?

Wesley easily glimpsed her screen. With calm, he announced, "That's your advance for ten years'salary."

Reality crashed over her. Gabriela's words tumbled out in a rush. "There's absolutely no need for advance payment, Mr. Moss. I've already resolved everything."

Thanks to the media storm Phyllis had created,Gabriela hadn't spent a penny of her own money.

Wesley's tone carried that familiar imperial chill. "I specifically ordered the finance department to work overtime calculating your compensation. Now that you've received it, you can'treturn it."

Gabriela's breath caught in her throat.

A decade's salary now sat in her account-a windfall that should have thrilled her. But Wesley's icy tone sent dread pooling in her stomach.

His silky voice continued without missing a beat, "I'm generous enough to waive interest on this ten-year advance. In exchange, during your annual leave periods, you'll provide cooking services at my residence. Unpaid, naturally."

Gabriela's thoughts ground to a complete halt.

Her mind raced through the calculations. Apex Group provided at least half a month of paid vacation annually. Using Loretta's previous offer as a baseline,she'd forfeit forty-five thousand dollars each year.

The realization crushed her spirit.

Wesley had lived up to his ruthless reputation. No matter how gentle or approachable he appeared,beneath that disarming exterior lurked the same calculating businessman-just wearing a more attractive mask.

She should never have mentioned advance payment.

Wesley observed Gabriela's thunderstruck expression with barely contained amusement.

Fighting back laughter, he delivered the final blow."Additionally, since you've accepted this ten-year advance, you're forbidden from leaving my supervision during business hours. Any leave requests require my personal authorization."

Gabriela stood frozen.

For the next decade, not only would she receive no additional compensation, but she'd essentially become Wesley's indentured servant?

Life truly wielded a double-edged sword. Joy and misery danced together as eternal partners.

She'd just orchestrated Phyllis's downfall, only to deliver herself completely into Wesley's clutches. With this crushing realization weighing on her shoulders, Gabriela lost all desire to admire the surrounding flowers. Even if those blooms were worth fifteen million dollars, they held no meaning for someone trapped in golden chains.

Listless and defeated, she dragged herself back into the living room, steeling her resolve to assist in the kitchen despite everything weighing on her spirit.

Loretta's heart twisted at the sight of Gabriela's dejected posture. She yearned to confront every soul who had ever tormented this girl, forcing them to crawl back with groveling apologies.

Dinner hour arrived with merciless punctuality.Gabriela had crafted a dish, presenting it before Wesley like an offering.

Everyone settled into their seats as the evening meal commenced.

"Mr. Moss, I prepared this barbecue pork belly specifically for you," Gabriela announced, her voice bright with forced enthusiasm. "No artificial seasonings. It's wholesome and captures the pork's pure, rich essence. Please, taste it."

Wesley found her earnest pride thoroughly entertaining.

With elegant precision, he selected a generous piece and deposited it onto her plate.

"Thank you for your kitchen efforts. You should sample it first," he declared.

Gabriela stared at the glistening, ivory chunk of fat-marbled meat now occupying her plate, and her stomach revolted.

Loretta, thrilled to see Wesley showing concern for Gabriela, chimed in enthusiastically, "Gabriela, please eat up. You're far too slender."

Gabriela longed to protest, but under Loretta's nurturing gaze, she could only force down the fatty pork. The moment she swallowed the last morsel, she craved nothing more than to flee to the opposite end of the continent from Wesley.

As Gabriela discreetly shifted her chair away,her attention snagged on Brenden, who sat across from her, methodically devouring his fish with singular focus.

The longer she observed him, the more confusion prickled at her consciousness.

During their WhatsApp exchanges about meal preferences, Brenden had explicitly rejected numerous dishes. His dietary restrictions had mirrored Wesley's with uncanny precision.

Yet the Brenden before her possessed an adventurous palate that defied all logic. Not only did he consume bland fish daily, but he devoured onions,celery, and even cilantro with apparent relish.

At that precise moment, Brenden lifted a crisp celery stalk and bit down, his expression radiating pure satisfaction. Gabriela's brow furrowed with growing suspicion.

A preposterous theory invaded her thoughts.Could the man sitting before her be an entirely different person from "NotASaunders" on WhatsApp?

While Gabriela wrestled with this absurd possibility,Wesley's voice materialized beside her ear, low and honeyed. "What captivates your attention so completely? Focus on your meal."

Reality crashed back. She glanced down and nearly choked on her dismay.

An even larger, more grotesquely fatty piece of pork now dominated her plate.

She regretted making this dish for Wesley.

Never again would she dare attempt such "revenge"against Wesley.

Look on the bright side-that ten-year advance had catapulted her bank balance into seven glorious figures. Surely that would sweeten even the chore of cooking for Wesley during her precious leave. She gnawed through the greasy meat while silently swearing this cursed dish would never contaminate Wesley's table again.

Wesley observed her tortured expression and felt an unexpected pang of sympathy.

But when his gaze drifted to Brenden, his features hardened with renewed irritation.

His displeasure ran bone-deep.