“Why are you so quiet? Are you impressed by my skill at keeping an eye on you?” the mastermind asked in a teasing tone.
Gabriella’s lips trembled forcing her tongue to move. However, after a few seconds, her brain still hadn’t sent a word.
“No need to be surprised, Gaby. My eyes and ears are everywhere, including the flower garden where you and Max burnt the air.”
The woman’s breath was getting heavier. Through the constricted corner of eyes, she examined the surroundings. However, until the mastermind’s voice was heard again, Gabriella hadn’t found a suspicious figure.
“Tsk, you managed to make me jealous of him, Gaby. What if at our next meeting, you give me that sweet kiss too? Or do you want to serve me in bed? I’d be happier.”
Unable to deal with the anxiety, the woman’s eyes began to close tightly. “I’ve never been mean to you. But why are you bothering me?”
“That’s the reason I chose you. You’re too kind and gentle, a perfect weapon to against that greedy arrogant CEO. Just wait. Soon, I will snatch you from him. Everything that Max Evans owns will be mine in the end.”
Gabriella’s hand suddenly began to tremble violently, same as the vocal cords that no longer heard stability.
“I don’t belong to Max. So, stop bothering me. He won’t be disturbed even if you hurt me.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to hurt, but have you. I’m not a rude guy like Max, so you will be my queen, especially at night.”
Suddenly, someone slipped fingers into Gabriella’s fist. As soon as the woman opened her eyes, Max immediately greeted with a warm smile. With a nod, he gestured for Gabriella to hand over her cell phone.
However, as soon as Max checked the screen, the call had ended. He couldn’t help but sigh in resignation and put the phone in his pocket.
“I really don’t know why he contacts me. Please don’t get me wrong,” Gabriella said in a trembling voice. Worry had run down her pale face.
“I know,” the man said, wiping his wife’s cheek with thumb.
“He’s been spying on us, Max. He knows everything we do, including what happens on the table, in your office room,” the woman reported before bursting into tears.
Once again, the man exhaled heavily. After pondering for a moment, he moved to his wife’s side.
“What did he say?” Max asked in a soft voice. His hands refused to let go of the grip of the shaking fingers.
“He knows we’ve done it in your car and your bedroom. He also knows where we are now, including what we did earlier.”
The CEO’s eyes spontaneously rounded. “He knows? Is the paparazzi that mastermind?”
Without wasting time, Max rolled his eyes across the garden area. However, the man with camera was no longer visible.
“No wonder he never took the camera off his face,” Max thought before turning his attention back to the woman.
“No need to worry. He’s not around anymore,” the man said trying to calm Gabriella.
“We don’t know, Max. That guy must be good at hiding. He can lurk from anywhere.”
Seeing his wife’s anxious face, Max finally pulled her into his arms. Gently, he rubbed the shivering back.
“You don’t have to be afraid. I am here. The man won’t dare do anything. Now, stop crying. The mastermind will be pleased to see his threat succeed in influencing you.”
Gabriella finally nodded and took a deep breath. While drying face, she pushed her eyeballs upwards.
“Could it be that guy installed a surveillance camera in your room? It’s impossible for someone to know without seeing,” the woman said in a low voice as she was still overshadowed by the terror’s voice.
“Do you forget that someone saw us doing it?”
Gabriella stopped blinking in a moment. “Amber?” she sighed doubtfully. “But, the person who called me was a man.”
“It’s not Amber, but, someone who most likely got the information from her,” the CEO explained, raising an eyebrow for a while.
“Then, how about in the car? Only your driver and Sebastian know we did it,” Gabriella continued with furrowed brows.
Suddenly, Max froze. The name his wife just mentioned had aroused suspicion in his mind. “Sebastian? Could it be that he secretly stabbed me?”
After a moment of silence, the man shook his head to get rid of the rash accusation.
“I think our plan is starting to pay off. The mastermind threatens again because he feels uneasy,” he told Gabriella.
“So, what do we do now?”
Once again, Max raised his eyebrows, giving understanding. “Stick to the plan and be careful with everyone. Understand?”
Gabriella spontaneously sighed. “I don’t want to fall into his hands, Max. Please, don’t let him take me from you.”
“I will not let you go. You are my favorite doll, remember? You won’t put Snowy into bad hands, will you?” the man said with the corners of his lips forced up.
“I promise, I won’t complain anymore for being a doll. That’s why, please, don’t give me to that guy,” Gabriella said with a pitiful look.
The husband’s heart suddenly sliced to see his wife’s despair. After exploring the strange feeling, he turned to the two cups of half-melted ice cream beside him. Gabriella must not restrain by anxiety.
“Let’s forget about the mastermind. Now, look at what I bought for you.” Max handed the white cup to his wife.
In just an instant, the woman’s brow furrows unraveled. “Ice cream? You went to buy this?”
“Yes. You like vanilla ice cream, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Gabriella nodded in disbelief. “But how do you know that I like vanilla?”
The man who had just devoured the green ice cream, froze. After a blink, he arched a small smile. “I just guess because it has same color as Snowy.”
Unexpectedly, the woman nodded. She was completely unaware that her small response had relieved her husband’s heart.
“Gabriella will definitely get mad if she finds out I keep her diary,” Max thought, glancing carefully.
Suddenly, Gabriella handed a mouthful of ice cream to Max. The man immediately rolled his eyes the other way.
“Would you like to try mine?” Gabriella asked innocently.
“Why did you offer it to me? I bought myself ice cream too,” Max replied sounding like a child.
The woman’s eyebrows furrowed faintly. “I used to exchange ice cream with my parents. Mama always ordered chocolate flavor, while Papa ordered moca,” Gabriella explained before lowering her head.
“It seems, you are very lucky to have kind parents,” Max said with sadness in his tone, making Gabriella blink flatly.
“Actually, what happened in your family? Why do you seem so distant from them?” Gabriella asked carefully.
A second later, Max answered with a smile. “How about we finish our ice cream? There are many places for us to visit after this.”
The woman’s eyes immediately lit up. “Is it a beautiful place again?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes.”
Gabriella’s lips automatically curved into a sweet smile. While moving her head to left and right, she devoured the ice cream in big mouthful. “Despite the disturbance of the mastermind, today is a good day,” she muttered.
Hearing the small voice, Max secretly let out a sigh of relief. “It’s true. Today is very fun,” the man thought before looking at Gabriella’s cheerful face out of the corner of his eyes. He just realized that the woman’s smile had become an addiction to his soul.
***
“So we go home by train?” Gabriella exclaimed when she arrived at the station. Her wide open mouth clearly expressed happiness.
“Do you like it?”
The woman nodded firmly. “I want to take the train since a long time ago. I’ve always wondered how the scenery passed so quickly through the window.”
Witnessing his wife’s enthusiasm, Max almost laughed proudly. However, to maintain his prestige, he just curled his lips and nodded in understanding.
A second later, the woman asked a question that stifled happiness. “Do you choose the train to avoid the plane?”
The man’s expression suddenly turned wry. “Do you think I’m still afraid of planes? I’m not a kid anymore,” Max protested, making Gabriella laugh.
“Just confess it. I remember how tightly you held my hand when the plane was about to take off,” the woman teased with a finger pointed in front of her nose.
Feeling annoyed, the man finally walked to a long bench. In an instant, Gabriella’s joy replaced by surprise.
“Why are you sitting here? Shouldn’t we book tickets inside?”
“I already booked it,” Max said flatly.
“Then why haven’t we entered yet? I can’t wait to see it,” Gabriella muttered with pursed lips.
“Our departure time is still two hours away”
The woman’s mouth suddenly rounded. Nodding, she surveyed her surroundings.
After a while, Gabriella’s eyes were finally hypnotized by the merry-go-round full of beautiful lights across the street. While sighing in admiration, the woman imagined what the scene would look like from up there.
“Max, how about we go to the night market over there? It will be fun, especially if we ride a merry-go-round,” Gabriella suggested without taking her eyes off the lights that kept moving.
Hearing the sudden request, the man was wide-eyed. “We have visited many places today. Aren’t you tired?”
“I don’t get tired of doing fun things,” Gabriella said before turning around with a bright expression. “Are you tired already?”
Max automatically shook his head. “Of course no. I just … don’t like the night market,” he explained before looking away.
Unexpectedly, Gabriella leaned forward, observing her husband’s mixed expression.
“Do you have any bad memories of merry-go-round?” A second later, the woman gasped and covered her mouth. “Or maybe you’re afraid of heights? That’s why you’re afraid to get on planes?”
One side of Max’s lips twitched in annoyance. “Don’t make it up. Do you know what floor my room is on?”
“Then, why don’t you like it? I think everyone likes the night market.”
After closing his eyes for a moment, the man finally stood up and sighed. “Okay. Let’s go there.”
Not expecting that Max could change his mind so quickly, Gabriella’s smile returned to cheerfulness. “It’s true. It’s really a fun day,” she thought.