"Fiona, dear, why don't you stay at the old house for a couple of days and keep this old lady company?" Mrs. Howard said to Fiona .
Fiona knew she had already offended Gabriel and didn't want to lower herself to the Burke Family for the sake of her adoptive parents. So, she had no choice but to rely on Mrs. Howard. After all, Mrs. Howard didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards her.
"I don't understand, why do you want me to stay with you?" Fiona asked.
"Gabriel 'bullied' you, so he should take responsibility. Having you stay at the old house for a few days will also give me a chance to get to know you better," Mrs. Howard explained.
Considering Fiona's concern, she added,
"I've already arranged for the best specialists from abroad to treat your parents. They should be well soon."
Fiona felt deeply grateful, almost to the point of being overwhelmed. She could only comfort herself by remembering that she had saved Gabriel, and now Mrs. Howard was helping her adoptive parents. It balanced out.
"Thank you, Grandma," she said sincerely.
Over the next three days, Fiona accompanied Mrs. Howard in practicing in the mornings, tending to the flower garden in the late mornings, and making pastries or playing chess in the afternoons.
The fulfilling days passed quickly.
On the fourth morning, after having breakfast with Mrs. Howard, Fiona packed her things and carried her luggage downstairs. She nodded slightly to Mrs. Howard, who was sitting on the sofa. "Grandma, I'm leaving now. Thank you for your hospitality."
Mrs. Howard stood up and walked over to her, smiling kindly. "You have such a cheerful personality, my dear. Being around you makes me feel much younger."
In front of Fiona, Mrs.Howard didn't have a trace of the stern matriarch demeanor; instead, she exuded the warmth of a grandmother.
"Grandma, you must always keep a young heart. I'm leaving now, bye-bye."
"Alright, remember to come visit this old lady whenever you have time."
"Uh... heh heh... sure, Grandma."
Fiona responded awkwardly. Whether she could come back to the old mansion wasn't up to her.
After leaving the old mansion, Mrs. Howard arranged for a driver to take her to downtown Azure City.
Passing by a pharmacy, she told the driver, "Stop here. I'll get off."
The car came to a halt, and she got out, saying to the driver, "Thank you. And please thank Grandma Howard for me as well."
"Of course, Miss Griffin," the driver replied before turning the car around to head back.
Fiona, with her cross-body bag, jogged into the pharmacy. The pharmacist immediately approached her and asked, "Hello, what kind of medicine do you need?"
"Please give me the best emergency contraceptive you have," Fiona said urgently to the pharmacist.
Fiona had been stuck at the Howard Family's old mansion for the past few days, with no chance to leave. Naturally, she hadn't been able to buy any emergency contraception.
Now that she was out, she knew she had to get the pills as soon as possible. If she got pregnant, it would be a disaster.
The pharmacist handed her a box of pills. "This is the best emergency contraception within 72 hours."
Fiona took the box and was about to pay when she paused. "What did you say? 72 hours?"
"Yes, the sooner the better. If you take it after three days, it won't work."
"Only three days?"
"That's right."
Fiona's mind went blank, and she stood there, stunned. She looked down at the box and read the instructions. Sure enough, it was emergency contraception effective within 72 hours. After that, it wouldn't work.
She had never used this before and naively thought emergency contraception could be used within a week. No wonder Mrs. Howard had kept her at the Howard Family mansion for three days. It was all part of her plan.
Fiona handed the box back to the pharmacist, her eyes red as she walked out of the pharmacy. She wandered the streets alone, trying to comfort herself. "What's there to be afraid of? If I get pregnant, I can always have an abortion!" She tried to reassure herself, "I'll deal with whatever comes my way. There's nothing to be scared of!"
Just then, a car screeched to a halt right in front of her. Before Fiona could react, she was shoved into the car.
"Hey, who... who are you people? Kidnapping in broad daylight is illegal!" She struggled a bit and warned, "Stop the car right now and let me go, or I'll call the police."
"Miss Griffin, you'd better behave and not cause trouble for yourself."
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the driver's seat.
Fiona craned her neck to look over and was shocked to see that the driver was Sutton. So, it was Gabriel who had arranged for her to be kidnapped?
Indeed, acting tough felt good for a moment, but the aftermath was a disaster.
She had barely left the Howard Family estate when Gabriel had her captured. He acted way too fast. "Sutton, stop the car right now, or I'll call Grandma."
"I advise Miss Griffin to be more self-aware."
Fiona Griffin: "..."
Self-aware enough to accept her fate?
Thinking about her parents still in the Howard Family hospital, she didn't dare to struggle any further.
About ten minutes later, she was taken to the 38th floor of the Twilight Club, into Gabriel's private room.
"Boss, Miss Griffin has been brought to you."
Sutton brought Fiona before Gabriel. "I'll take my leave now," he said,turning and exiting the room.
Fiona clutched the strap of her bag tightly, her eyes fixed on Gabriel, who was engrossed in his work with a laptop on his lap. His long, elegant fingers danced across the keyboard, and his focused gaze exuded an aura of authority, as if he were a god passing judgment from the heavens.
His face, especially, was striking, an exquisite masterpiece with perfect features, as if sculpted by the hands of God himself. Even Fiona, usually immune to handsome men, couldn't help but steal few extra glances.
"Have you seen enough?" Gabriel suddenly closed his laptop and placed it on the table, catching her off guard.
"Who—who was looking at you?" Fiona retorted, her lips curling slightly. "Don't flatter yourself."
Gabriel, dressed in a black shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, stood up and fixed her with a piercing gaze. "Do you think just because Grandma supports you, you can act recklessly in front of me?"
Feeling the intense pressure emanating from him, Fiona nervously swallowed. "No... no, absolutely not."
"Already scared? Weren't you the one who boldly declared at the old house that you wanted to have my child and marry me?" Gabriel's eyes narrowed. This audacious woman dared to provoke him. She had no idea what she was getting into.
"Hehe hehe hehe..." Fiona let out a nervous laugh.
Fiona's face turned slightly pale as she forced a bitter, self-mocking smile. She couldn't help but take a few steps back. "Mr. Howard, don't be angry. I was just joking that day." She forced a nervous laugh, "Just joking."
She kept retreating, but Gabriel grabbed her by the collar. "I, Gabriel, hate being threatened the most. Congratulations, you've done it."
Though he said "congratulations," Fiona saw Gabriel's icy expression, it was as if he was staring at a corpse.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat in fear. "Mr. Howard, it was all just a joke."
Oh my god, this is terrifying.
"Whether it was a joke or not isn't something you can prove with just your words."
"Then... then... how can I prove it?" Fiona stammered, scared out of her wits.
Gabriel raised his ink-black eyebrows. "Do you really want to prove that everything you said in the Howard Family old house was just a joke?"