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The afternoon sun filtered weakly through the trees in the Brighton Wisdom garden area. Gabriella was walking, her mind already drifting to her next task, when the low murmur of students' voices pulled her back.
"Do you know… Erica came back to our school?" one voice whispered excitedly.
"No way! Not only her… Anitta, Harrie too," another student replied.
"And their parents and they apologized to the Principal," a third added. "I think he'll admit them again. Can you believe it?"
Gabriella stopped dead, her composure momentarily slipping. Erica.
Another student rushed over to the group. "Erica entered. She's coming!" he hissed, his voice dropping in shock. "And her face…"
"What?" the others urged.
Gabriella didn't need to hear more. She looked up. Ten steps away, Erica was standing.
Erica's face told a story of brutal consequences. One side of her once-perfect profile was a mass of pale, puckered tissue, held together by visible stitches wound that ran from her cheekbone down toward her jaw. The other side remained pristine.
Erica walked straight to Gabriella, who stood motionless, refusing to flinch. As they stood almost toe-to-toe, a sudden bell rang out, scattering the other students, who rushed toward their classrooms. They were alone.
Erica leaned in, her voice low enough that even the rushing echoes couldn't mask it. "Did you think I wouldn't come back?" Erica smiled—a chilling, lopsided gesture. The smile vanished. "I will come to this school for you." She leaned closer, whispering right into Gabriella's ear, "To revenge you."
Gabriella calmly looked down at her nails, then raised one eyebrow, her gaze ice-cold. "Aren't you already satisfied? Do you want more?"
Erica's good eye flashed with rage. "I am here to return what you gave me. You destroyed my face. I didn't face surgery because… I let this scar remain to remember me—to revenge you back."
Gabriella's lips curled into a smirk. "You lost your…" Gabriella reached out, her finger tracing the boundary of the raw, stitched skin. "…beauty because of what you did earlier to me." Her tone dropped dangerously cold. "If you dare to mess with me again, the more you try, the more you will lose, Erica."
Erica exploded, shouting, "I dare! I already destroyed your face Andria!" She laughed, the sound turning ragged and full of rage. "I will do that same to you again!"
Gabriella's own temper flared. She stared, challenging her enemy.
"Are you staring at me?" Erica growled.
"But you can't this time," Gabriella challenged back, her voice firm. "You can't even lay a finger on me."
Furious, Erica raised her hand, intending to slap Gabriella. Gabriella tensed, about to move back, but before the blow could land, a hand shot out and grabbed Erica's wrist in mid-air.
Erica gasped in shock. Gabriella was stunned. It was Jake.
He stood between them, his face hard and unreadable, an expression she had never seen on the habitually playful and cunning young man. He shoved Erica's hand away.
Erica stumbled back. "You don't know her! She is—"
"I don't want to listen to anything," Jake interrupted, his voice cutting and cold. His eyes, usually dancing with mischief, were narrow and filled with rage. He warned, "Don't do that again. If you do…" His forehead muscles visibly strained.
Gabriella stared at him, confused, unable to reconcile this angry man with the boy she knew.
Jake abruptly grabbed Gabriella's hand and pulled her away, striding toward the main pathway. Erica stood in the garden, screaming in impotent fury.
They stopped at a bend in the path. Jake released her hand, his expression softening slightly as he turned to leave.
"Why are you standing up for me?" Gabriella asked, the question escaping before she could stop it.
Jake turned back and gave her a slow, playful smirk—the familiar mask instantly back in place. "Aren't you glad I did?"
Gabriella blinked. What kind of man was he? She rolled her eyes. "Nothing." She headed toward her classroom.
Jake stood near a pillar, leaning slightly, one hand in his pocket. He watched Gabriella go, his smirk deepening with an unsettling satisfaction.
The Sunset Ride
A sleek sports bike roared to a stop in front of Gabriella's luxurious home. Gabriella, sitting on the back, removed her helmet, climbed off, and handed it to the driver. She turned to go inside, but the person on the bike spoke.
"Wait."
He removed his own helmet. His silver hair dazzled momentarily in the evening sunlight as he shook his head, flipping the locks back. It was Jake.
He smirked. "Don't you want to say thanks for the ride?"
Gabriella simply stared.
"At least say… bye," he said, his smile playful.
Gabriella walked closer to him. "You actually blackmailed me into coming with you on your bike," she stated, then, with a mischievous smirk, she delivered a deliberate kick to his bike's side stand.
"No! What are you doing, you crazy girl!" Jake exclaimed, clutching at the bike.
"Am I crazy? You are!"
Jake shoved his phone into his pocket, then rolled it in his hand, a teasing glint in his eye. "You have to obey me for this," he said, referencing the blackmail video.
Gabriella didn't reply but thought, I have to get his phone and erase my video.
Jake waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Are you there?"
Gabriella smiled faintly. "Then, bye and thanks for the ride, Mr. Jake." She bit her lip.
Jake leaned in. "Tell me, Boyfriend."
Gabriella's face turned cold as she stared him down. He met her gaze with a teasing expression.
Suddenly, a voice cut the tense atmosphere. "Boyfriend? For who?"
Gabriella and Jake both turned, stunned. Gabriella's Aunt Fiona was standing by the house entrance. She approached, her eyes narrowed and suspicious. "What's going on?"
Jake merely smiled. "Ask her."
Gabriella widened her eyes at his betrayal, then quickly reverted to a normal expression. "Auntie, we're talking about an idiot in our school. He badly wants a girlfriend." She looked pointedly at Jake. "But how can an idiot get a girlfriend?" She smirked.
Jake's eyes widened in annoyance as he stared back at her.
"Oh," Fiona said, then came back to reality. "Did you come with him?" Her face hardened. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from the men from the Emilda Group?" Her gaze turned to Jake, and she ordered with cold finality, "Stay away from her."
Jake simply smiled and gave a small nod. He started his engine. Before leaving, he couldn't resist one last taunt. "Mr. Xander is still missing you… badly."
Fiona's eyes widened in shock. "You… You!"
But Jake was already gone, roaring away. Fiona, enraged, threw a slipper after him, missing by a mile.
Gabriella turned to Fiona. "Who is that?"
"Another idiot," Fiona muttered, still shaking with anger.
Visit to the Old Relatives
The next day, a luxurious car pulled up to a magnificent white palace. Gabriella stepped out of the passenger seat, followed by her mother, Roselette, and her father, Frederick.
"Why are we here? Who are we going to meet?" Gabriella asked, looking up at the imposing structure.
Roselette smiled. "A relative."
Frederick added, "A close relative."
"I didn't know we had a close relative like this," Gabriella murmured, confused.
They entered the grand hall. Two figures were standing there. As they came closer, Gabriella whispered, "I've seen them before… who are they?"
Roselette's face was alight with excitement. A man, who looked around Frederick's age and carried the air of a business tycoon, rushed forward and hugged Roselette with deep emotion. Roselette became emotional, something Gabriella had rarely witnessed. Frederick smiled and hugged the man next.
The woman standing near him, who looked like his wife, was a similarly bossy lady. She also hugged Roselette, crying slightly. "How are you? It's so long since I met you."
The man—her husband—wiped his eyes. "Yes, I last saw my sister when she was in her third year of college." He looked at Gabriella. "Now look, she has a daughter that age."
Gabriella was genuinely shocked. "What? He is my mother's brother?"
Frederick smiled warmly. "Yes. Time flies fast, Richardson."
Richardson called out, "Janette, bring Mother here. She will be happy when she sees them."
Gabriella's family sat on a royal sofa while Richardson made conversation. Gabriella, meanwhile, kept thinking, I saw them before… After a few moments of quiet thought, her eyes widened. Yes, they are…
Suddenly, Janette led an old lady down the staircase. She wore an extremely royal dress. Beside her, coming down the stairs, was Han.
Gabriella gasped inwardly. Han's family! She couldn't believe it. Is Han my mother's brother's son? One of the members of Silver Storm? I wanted to revenge them!
As they reached the living room, Roselette couldn't remain seated. Seeing her mother after so long, she rushed forward, but the old lady stopped her abruptly. Her voice was cold.
"I called you here only because I wanted to see my Granddaughter. I am still angry with you, Roselette."
Tears welled in Roselette's eyes. "Mom…"
The old lady smiled softly when she saw Gabriella. Frederick looked upset that his wife had been chastised. Gabriella, meanwhile, was mentally reeling.
Richardson nervously interjected, "Mom, didn't you say you wanted to see them?" The old lady gave him a sharp look, and Richardson stopped, offering an awkward smile. "Roselette, you know our mother, right?"
Janette quickly tried to change the subject. "Aren't you going to introduce your daughter to us?"
Roselette smiled, though Frederick did not. She took Gabriella's hand and brought her near the old lady, preparing to introduce her.
"She is my daughter, Aa—" Roselette began.
"Gabriella," Han finished for her.
Gabriella stared at Han, shocked. Does he know me? That I am his auntie's daughter? Why is his expression so cool? Does he know everything?
Roselette was stunned, then smiled. "Yes, Gabriella. How did you know her?"
Han stared back at Gabriella, a cool, knowing expression settling on his face. "She studies at our school. And… she's one of the members of Silver Storm, too." He smiled, never breaking the gaze he held with Gabriella.
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