Chapter 15
In the blink of an eye, the night of the gala arrived. I slipped into the fiery red gown I had fallen in love with, and a team of dozens of makeup artists busied themselves around me, perfecting every detail of my look.
Then–right on cue–the phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered, and Drake’s irritated voice came through, sharp and annoyed:
“Eloise, what the hell are you doing? You blocked me on both Facebook and my
phone, there’s no one at Emerald Crest either -where the hell are you?”
I let out a cold laugh.
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“Mr. Sullivan, I’m no longer Mrs. Sullivan, and I’m certainly not your ‘Ms. Thomas‘ from the Sullivan Group. I have no obligation to waste my time on you anymore.”
Drake growled through gritted teeth:
“Eloise, this isn’t the time for your tantrums. Tonight’s gala is important—”
I hung up before he could finish, then blocked his number too.
Drake stared at the call screen in disbelief, veins bulging as he slammed his phone down on the table in rage.
Back then, even if I was headstrong outside, I’d always yield to him in the end.
But lately, I’d defied him again and again-
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lighting a fire inside him he didn’t know how to put out, mixed with a trace of panic from losing control.
The frustration boiled over. He yanked off his tie roughly.
The call from my father came through immediately.
“Eloise, are you bringing a date tonight?”
I figured, I’m the center of the gala–why would I need a date? So I casually replied no.
Dad’s tone immediately lit up:
“Perfect! I recently met a promising young man. I asked him to be your date tonight. Oh, and he should be downstairs by now waiting for you!”
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Before I could respond, the call ended.
So much for asking me first.
I lifted my gown and walked over to the window, only to spot Gabriel, dressed to the nines in a sharp black tux, leaning casually against a Rolls–Royce. The moment he sensed me looking, he glanced up and smiled, giving a small wave.
For a second, I was stunned. And then I couldn’t help but smile back.
I took my clutch from the makeup artist and headed downstairs.
When Gabriel saw me, he crossed the distance in just a few strides and took my bag from my hands.
“Mr. Wilder. What a coincidence–fancy
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seeing you again.”
Gabriel smiled knowingly.
“It’s no coincidence. Took a lot of effort cozying up to your father to get this opportunity.”
I frowned slightly.
“You knew all along I was from the Thomas family?”
That didn’t make sense. Ever since I chose to be with Drake, the Thomas family had made sure I disappeared from public view. How could he have known?
Gabriel’s gaze dimmed slightly..
“Seems like Miss Thomas really doesn’t remember me.”
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Turns out, our first meeting wasn’t five years ago–but fifteen.
Back when I was a kid tagging along with Dad for a charity visit to an orphanage. I spotted a boy doing math problems in the corner–crying as he worked, before tearing the workbook in half in frustration.
That little boy was Gabriel.
I walked over and picked up the torn pages. I was stunned–all the answers were right.
“You’re so smart, you got everything right. Shouldn’t you be happy? Why are you mad?”
Young Gabriel pouted, then finally mumbled:
“Ms. Brown is leaving the orphanage. No one else will teach us anymore. And the director
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can’t afford to send us to school. So what’s the point in being smart, if I can’t study anymore?”
Back then, it was the first time I realized -having never lacked anything myself- that for some people, getting an education isn’t as simple or guaranteed as eating or drinking.
So I ran to my dad and told him I wanted to use my allowance to fund education for those kids.
Dad patted my head proudly.
“You’ve grown up, Eloise. Dad supports you.”
That very day, the director gathered the kids and announced the news. The whole place exploded with joy. The children folded paper cranes and stars and stuffed them into my
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hands.
But I didn’t see Gabriel among them.
Then I noticed him, tucked away in a quiet corner, holding a single paper crane, clearly hesitant.
I walked up to him with a smile, pulled out the workbook I’d already taped back together, and handed it to him.
“Here. Your workbook. From now on, study hard and grow into someone amazing, okay?”
Little Gabriel stared at me and slowly took it.
