Chapter 84

Chapter84 No One Should Expect An Easy Night

Gabriela rolled her eyes when she read the message.Brenden thought her singing was awful.

Well, fine-she didn't feel like singing anymore anyway.

She quickly fired off a reply. "I think my singing's terrible too. It's late, and I need to sleep. Goodnight,Mr.Saunders!"

Wesley, who had felt his irritation subside earlier,experienced a fresh surge of annoyance.

He typed back with barely contained frustration, "No sleeping.Keep singing."

Something strange stirred in Gabriela tonight-an unusual patience that surprised even her. "What would you like to hear this time?"

Wesley rarely indulged in pop music, but after scrolling through various options, he typed back with deliberate slowness, "'We Will Rock You'."

Gabriela stared at her screen in disbelief.

The urge to reach through the digital barrier and throttle this man nearly overwhelmed her.

She fired back without hesitation, "I don't know how to sing that song."

"Then learn it. If you can't master it in one attempt,try ten times. You'll eventually succeed."

Gabriela's eyes rolled skyward as she replied, "This song is incredibly challenging. I wouldn't master it no matter how long I practiced."

"Oh? Should I broadcast our one-night stand to the world?"

Gabriela inhaled deeply, forcing down the rage that threatened to consume her.

Another message from "NotASaunders" appeared on her screen. "Take your time learning. I'm in no hurry."

He wasn't in a hurry, but sleepiness overtook Gabriela!

During her university years, Gabriela had absorbed countless pop songs, so learning this one wouldn't prove impossible.

After summoning her courage and steeling her nerves, Gabriela delivered a few ragged lines into her device.

Wesley struggled to define the emotions coursing through him.0

Gabriela's pristine, melodic voice clashed terribly with this particular song.

He typed mercilessly, "You call that singing? You're shrieking. It's kind of sonic assault, and my ears are bleeding."

Gabriela's throat burnedfrom the vocal assault, and she could no longer endure Brenden's relentless criticism. She launched herself from her bed, grabbed a coat,flung open her door, and marched to Brenden's room with fierce determination.

Her movements possessed swift, deadly purpose.

But when Brenden answered his door, Gabriela's fury evaporated like morning mist.

What was she doing here?

Would she argue with Brenden or challenge him to a confrontation?

If she pursued either course, not only Wesley, but Loretta and Miriam would discover what happened between them.

Losing her job paled in comparison to facing the shock in Loretta's and Miriam's eyes.

She genuinely adored Loretta and Miriam and treasured their affection like precious gems.

She dreamed of spending the coming year celebrating New Year's with them. Brenden was furious about being awakened after barely falling asleep. But when he opened the door and discovered Gabriela standing there with a sorrowful expression, unexpected unease pierced through his irritation.

"Gabriela, why aren't you sleeping yet?" he inquired.

Gabriela studied his face, impressed by his act.

He played dumb so convincingly that one could almost believe him.

Gabriela pierced him with an icy glare, spun on her heel, and stalked away.

She slammed her door with finality and snatched up her phone with renewed determination.

Didn't Brenden think her singing was atrocious? Well,she would continue her vocal assault until he begged for mercy.

Gabriela channeled every ounce of her fury and unleashed her full power, roaring through the entire song. Wesley could taste Gabriela's resentment, enduring the genuine risk of permanent hearing damage to listen to her complete performance.

He finally delivered his verdict. "You make my forty-third girlfriend sound like a Grammy winner."

Gabriela had anticipated this exact response.

Brenden always imposed impossible demands, and when she finally met them, he would begin his surgical dissection of her efforts.

Damn! He clearly had no intention of showing her mercy!

Fine. No one should expect an easy night!

Gabriela typed with calculated sweetness, "Mr.Saunders, have you heard 'I Will Always Love You'?It's another challenging high-pitched song. How about granting me another opportunityto attempt it?"

Wesley, lounging against his bed, chose not to expose her transparent strategy, responding with a single word, "Sure."

Gabriela's eyes gleamed with newfound purpose.This time, she initiated a voice chat instead of sending a recording.

She was determined to discover if the voice on the other end truly belonged to Brenden!

But after connecting, silence stretched between them. Even when Gabriela greeted him, no response came.

Gabriela cleared her throat with theatrical precision."Alright, I'll begin singing."

The opening section of "I Will Always Love You"flowed gently, and combined with Gabriela's naturally sweet voice, it created an unexpectedly pleasant sound.

Wesley's lips curved upward in the faintest smile.

But the next moment, his phone erupted with piercing high notes, her voice cracking under the strain. Gabriela possessed no proper technique, relying purely on raw volume for the high notes, creating a truly ear-shattering performance.

Wesley nearly hurled his phone across the room.

Gabriela sang with increasing intensity. Wesley considered lowering the volume, but something inexplicable held him back.

After enduring the complete song, neither of them felt victorious.

Gabriela, her voice now completely hoarse, asked,"Mr. Saunders, was it good?"

When silence greeted her question, she pressed on,"I have another song prepared, and I wonder if you..."

Before she could complete her sentence, the voice call ended abruptly.

"NotASaunders" sent a message. "This performance was marginally better than your previous attempt.Practice more."

Gabriela's throat felt like it was on fire, and seeing this message made her head throb with mounting frustration.

But Brenden's unpredictable nature proved too formidable to challenge. Gabriela recognized she was outmatched.

Forget it. Exhaustion had claimed her. No more battles tonight.

She surrendered!

Gabriela sipped warm water, burrowed under her covers, and soon surrendered to sleep.

In her dreams, she kept singing song after song.When she woke up in the morning and reflected on those dreams, she felt awful.

She dressed and descended the stairs, colliding directly with Brenden's path.

The dreams blazed through her mind, and Gabriela fixed Brenden with a murderous stare. Brenden recoiled under Gabriela's venomous glare,then noticed the dark shadows beneath her eyes,guilt twisting deeper into his chest.

What had possessed such a wonderful woman to develop feelings for him?

After delivering her withering look, Gabriela turned to discover Wesley seated on the sofa, absorbed in his newspaper.

Today he wore a black turtleneck sweater that transformed him into something both devastating and untouchable-handsome yet shrouded in mystery.

When he noticed her presence, Wesley offered the slightest nod of acknowledgment.

Gabriela's heart performed an unexpected somersault.

Last night, suspicion had crept through her thoughts like poison-could "NotASaunders" actually be Wesley? Now she found that possibility absurd. How could such a magnificent CEO stoop to impersonating Brenden? The very idea contradicted everything about his character!

Besides, Wesley had no interest in women-definitely not the man who had slept with her!

Gabriela exchanged polite greetings with Wesley before escaping to the kitchen's sanctuary.

Loretta and Miriam had already risen, their voices filled with maternal concern as they urged Gabriela toward rest.

"Let me handle breakfast. Your foot is still recovering -go sit outside," Loretta cooed.

"Yes, spend time with Mr. Moss. It will strengthen your working relationship," Miriam chimed in.

But Gabriela stood her ground with stubborn determination. "My foot healed ages ago. Please,let me take care of this."

Faced with Gabriela's unwavering resolve, they reluctantly abandoned the kitchen. The moment solitude embraced her, Gabriela swiftly prepared honey lemon water.

After her night of vocal torture, her throat felt like sandpaper, and even the soothing mixture provided minimal relief.

Righteous anger burning in her veins, she began crafting something special for Brenden.

Her hands moved with vengeful efficiency,completing the mea preparations with remarkable speed.

Finally, she positioned her carefully orchestrated breakfast before Brenden, her smile radiating deceptive sweetness. "Mr. Saunders, I noticed you had a restless night, so I prepared something special to energize your morning."

Brenden's expression clouded with confusion.

He had been sleeping peacefully yesterday when Gabriela's unexpected visit shattered his dreams.

Wesley, drawn by their conversation, folded his newspaper with precise movements and approached them.