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The parking garage was a graveyard of concrete and shadows, smelling of burnt rubber and old secrets. Felix's car sat like a dark beast under the flickering overhead lights.
A Moment of Vulnerability
Felix opened the passenger door of Gabriella's car and gently helped her inside. She looked like a broken doll in her emerald silk dress, the vibrant green now wrinkled and stained with the dust of the night's battle. As he leaned over her to pull the seatbelt across, the scent of his expensive cologne—cool and spicy—filled the small space.
Gabriella's fingers, cold and trembling, suddenly locked around his wrist. Her eyes were hazy from the drug, but her voice was raw with emotion.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why are you still rescuing me... even after I rejected you?"
Felix stopped. He leaned in closer, his face just inches from hers. The intensity in his dark eyes was enough to make her heart skip a beat.
"I'm not a man who leaves a girl in danger," he said, his voice dropping to a deep, vibrating velvet. He leaned even further, his lips brushing the shell of her ear as he whispered, "Even if she rejects me, I'll never let her fall."
Gabriella's face softened, her grip on his hand loosening as a strange warmth spread through her chest—a feeling she hadn't felt since the betrayal. Felix gently clicked the seatbelt into place, his touch lingering for a split second longer than necessary.
"We need to get you to a hospital," he said, his voice turning serious. "Before that drug takes over completely."
Gabriella could only nod, her head spinning as the heavy sedation began to cloud her mind like a thick, black fog.
The Discovery
Moments after Felix's car roared out of the garage, the heavy service doors swung open. Raina stepped out, her blood-red dress looking like a wound in the dim light. Her eyes scanned the floor, landing on the two bodyguards lying fainted and bruised on the cold pavement.
"Useless idiots!" she hissed, her face contorting with fury.
She marched toward her own luxury car, her heels clicking like gunshots. She reached for the back door and pulled it open, expecting it to be empty. Instead, her eyes widened in horror.
Tucked neatly onto the back seat was the heavy plastic bag of drugs—the exact same bag she had ordered to be planted in Gabriella's car.
"Who did this?" she screamed, kicking the side of her car. "Who placed this here?!"
One of the fallen men groaned, clutching his broken jaw as he looked up with a dazed expression. "A man..." he wheezed, his voice barely audible. "The one who fought us... he took the bag from the girl's car... and moved it to yours."
Raina's hands shook with a murderous rage. She knew exactly who had the guts and the humor to pull a stunt like that.
"Ajax..." she groaned, the name sounding like a curse.
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The Mask Falls
The interior of the car was a private world, moving through the rain-slicked streets. The dashboard lights cast a soft blue glow over Gabriella's emerald silk dress, the fabric rumpled as she shifted restlessly in the passenger seat.
The Chaos of the Heart
The drug had stripped away Gabriella's icy armor. She began blabbering, singing snippets of songs at the top of her lungs. Suddenly, she lunged sideways, grabbing Felix's hand on the steering wheel.
"Gabriella! Let go!" Felix yelled, the car swerving. He rolled his eyes in sheer frustration; he was a tactical mastermind, but he had no idea how to handle a drugged, singing teenager.
He slammed on the brakes, stopping the car by the side of the road. "Gabriella, stay silent! Please! Let me drive!"
Gabriella didn't snap back. Instead, she pouted like a baby, her lower lip trembling as she looked ready to burst into tears. Felix flipped his hair back, exhaling a long, stressed breath. He looked into her eyes, and his face instantly softened.
"Don't..." he whispered.
"Felix!" she cried out.
He placed his hand over her lips to quiet her, but she leaned forward and bit his hand.
"You!" Felix blinked, stunned. The cold, revenge-driven Gabriella was gone, replaced by this unpredictable child. She grabbed his collar, pulling him so close he could smell the sweet scent of the drink she'd had at the club. Her finger slowly traced his lips, then moved down to his Adam's apple.
Felix swallowed hard, feeling a rush of heat. "Your ears are red," she whispered curiously.
"What?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"You are so handsome," she giggled.
Felix froze, his eyes locked onto hers. For a moment, his heart hammered against his ribs. What am I doing? I can't fall for her, he thought. He forced himself to sit up straight, breaking the tension.
Gabriella's mood swung instantly into sadness. "Why did Jake kiss Elisabeth?" she sobbed. "How could he?"
"You said you moved on," Felix said, looking at the road.
"How can I?" she wailed. "He was my first love. I can't forget him."
Felix's jaw tightened. "But you said it yourself—you don't want to love a betrayer."
"You don't understand anything!" she pouted. "Do you even love anyone?"
Felix's face hardened into a mask of serious pain. "Yes," he said, his voice low.
Gabriella froze. "Who?"
"She wasn't like your Jake," he whispered, staring straight ahead. "She loved me unconditionally." He didn't say another word. He shifted the car into gear and drove fast toward the hospital.
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The Sweet Distraction
At the hospital, the sterile white halls smelled of antiseptic. Gabriella, still under the drug's influence, tried to run like a child, nearly tripping over her long dress. Felix rushed to her, catching her before she hit the floor.
"What drug did they give her?" he hissed under his breath.
"Hurt!" Gabriella smiled innocently. "It's fun!"
Felix sighed and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head on his shoulder as he followed the nurse to a private room.
When the nurse approached with a needle, Gabriella's eyes widened in terror. She hugged Felix tightly, burying her face in his chest. "No! I can't!"Felix can feel her heart beat. He inhaled...
"Do you want candy?" Felix asked desperately. Gabriella looked up, eyes sparkling. "Mm!"
He took a lollipop from his pocket and placed it in her mouth. As she distracted herself with the sweet, he signaled the nurse. Gabriella let out a muffled shout of "Aha...Liar!" as the needle went in, but she swallowed her candy and began to cry childishly.
"Hurt?" Felix asked gently. She nodded, pouting. He took her hand and blew softly on the injection site. Gabriella melted, watching him with wide, dazed eyes. She took the lollipop out of her mouth and held it to his lips. "Do you want candy?"
Felix's eyes widened, but before he could deny her, she pressed it against his mouth. He looked at her, a strange emotion crossing his face.
"So sleepy," she murmured, rubbing her eyes. Felix helped her lie down. "I'm so happy....."
He asked." Why? Because annoyed me like this." She continued...." No...I haven't been this happy since I went to Brighton Wisdom."
Felix's eyes turned sad. He stayed by her side, his hand resting gently on her head until she drifted off to sleep.
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Hours later, Fiona, Gabriella's aunt, rushed into the room. She found Felix leaning back in a chair, his eyes closed. He opened them slightly as she approached.
"Is she alright?" Fiona asked, her voice tight with worry.
"She's fine now," Felix said, standing up.
"Why did she go there?" Fiona sighed, then looked at Felix. "Thank you. But... why were you there?"
"I had unfinished business," Felix said smoothly.
Fiona smiled mockingly. "Your sister Nancy is right. You are full of mystery."
Felix smiled knowingly then his face turned serious " how did you handle Robert?"
Fiona smirked. "Everything went as planned. Now, I'm going to tear Robert's image to pieces."
"No one can escape your plans, Fiona," Felix chuckled.
Fiona tapped his shoulder. "You should have been born as my brother, not Nancy's. I'm jealous—you know me too well. Thank you for informing me about Robert's plan. Otherwise, I couldn't have saved Gabriella Enterprises and Gabriella."
Felix flashed back to being in Robert's office, spotting the share transfer certificates on the desk. He smirked. "Where has the cold Lady Fiona gone? You're getting soft."
Fiona laughed awkwardly. "Wait... when she was drugged... she didn't overreact, did she?"
Felix closed his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "Who says that? I saw a different Gabriella. A totally different girl than the one I know."His soft gaze locked on sleeping Gabriella.
Fiona looked at her sleeping niece and sighed.
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To be Continued....
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