“Look! We’ve arrived,” Max said as he let go of his wife’s hand to turn the wheel.
With arched brows, Gabriella looked around. As soon as she looked at the beautifully designed building in front of her, the woman’s mouth opened wide.
“Max, are you taking me to a high class orchestra?” Gabriella sighed in disbelief.
The man glanced over. Seeing his wife in awe, the corners of his lips lifted lightly. “Yes.”
In just an instant, the woman could no longer contain the turmoil in her chest. With teary eyes, she widened a smile. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long time, Max,” she said in a thin voice.
However, as soon as the husband stopped the car, the woman’s happiness faded.
“But, what if someone recognizes you? You can be accused of not caring about Quebracha’s business and having fun instead.”
Casually, Max unbuckled his seatbelt and shook his head. “No need to worry. I’ve prepared everything.”
“But, the visitors must be from the upper class. There could be a board member in there.”
Once again, the man shook his head. “You’ll find out soon,” he winked before getting out of the car.
Once inside the building, Gabriella immediately sighed in disbelief. There was no one sitting in the audience seats. As far as the eye could see, there was only an orchestra team, ready to present a performance.
“You booked all the tickets!” the woman sighed with round eyes.
A second later, Max shrugged while curling up the corners of his lips.
“Isn’t this too much?” Gabriella whispered, shaking her head faintly.
“Nothing too much to impress you, Gaby,” the man said before stretching an arm toward the chair. “Come on, they’re waiting for you.”
Putting a fist in front of her chest, the woman stepped forward. The look on her face was hard to describe.
On the one hand, her heart soared because of the special treatment from Max. However, on the other hand, her feeling was weighed down by the fact that the happiness was coming to an end.
“Thanks, Max,” Gabriella whispered after her husband sat down beside her.
“I’d do anything for you, Gaby,” Max replied before kissing his wife on the head. “Are you happy?”
A second later, the woman turned around with eyes filled with compassion. “Yes.”
“Then enjoy it. After this, there are still many surprises waiting for you,” the man explained while patting the back of the hand in his grip.
Seeing her husband’s bright expression, Gabriella nodded.
“I am the one who want to make him smile. But, why is he the one who carves out my happiness?” the woman thought before leaning on the shoulder she was about to leave.
“I will miss this moment so much,” Gabriella regretted before closing her eyes that started to feel hot.
***
Gabriella’s eyes widened when Max stopped the car at the top of the hill. While looking around, she looked for the light around them.
“We have arrived,” the man said as he smiled at his wife’s behavior.
“Arrived? Here?” Gabriella sighed with round eyes. Once again, she checked the situation around their car. Only the darkness of the night greeted her. “Why did you bring me here?”
Silently, Max turned off the engine and pointed his index finger up. Without thinking twice, the woman followed the direction with a questioning look.
In an instant, a gasp of admiration was released from Gabriella’s mouth. A sprinkling of stars behind the twinkling glass roof made her surprised.
“This is our final destination,” Max whispered, shaking the woman’s heart. “You haven’t been enjoying the beauty of the night sky for a long time, have you? In the past, you used to do it with your parents, right?”
A heavy breath immediately pressed against Gabriella’s chest. She never knew that something could be both beautiful and painful, like how Max Evans made her fall in love for the umpteenth time.
“Max, why are you doing this? I know, you are facing a big problem at the company. You should be busy in the workroom, instead of spending time with me here,” Gabriella said in an unstable voice. Guilt had squeezed her throat.
“Of course to make you happy. Your happiness is mine too, Gaby.”
“But you can do it anytime, Max. Not at a critical time like this. You haven’t even found a solution to save your position yet,” the woman shook her head with deep furrowed brows.
Knowing that there was a big burden on his wife’s mind, Max took Gabriella’s hand and gave her a warm kiss.
“Can we forget all the trouble tonight?” he asked.
“Last night, we already did it. I don’t want your time to be wasted because of me.”
In a flash, the man shook his head to break Gabriella’s words. “No. My life would be in vain if I don’t make tonight a special moment for you.”
After glancing at the clock showing four zeros, Max immediately turned on the light and grabbed a box from the back seat.
“What’s that?” Gabriella investigated, initially thinking that the box contained the CEO’s work documents.
“Something I’ve kept for you for a long time.”
A second later, Max took out a glass which immediately widened Gabriella’s eyes.
“Isn’t that my favorite glass?” the woman stammered.
“Sorry, Gabby. Your glass is not safe. This is just an imitation that I ordered based on what I remembered. Is there anything you want to change?”
Carefully, Gabriella accepted her husband’s gift. The tears that had been held back suddenly rolled down her cheeks.
“Thank you, Max. This is perfect,” the woman said, holding the glass that felt very warm in her hand.
“Why are you crying? Do I make you sad?” the man asked, wiping the sad face in front of him.
Without thinking, Gabriella shook her head. “No. I’m actually very happy.”
“Happy birthday, Gaby.”
The woman’s blinks spontaneously froze. With an unexpected look, she observed the look in the eyes that warmed her heart.
“Forgive me if all this time, I often make you cry,” the man continued, sounding very sincere.
Instead of replying, Gabriella asked, “How do you know my birthday?”
After a few seconds, Max took out a shabby diary. “This box contains the items that were salvaged from the ruins of your house. I think now is a good time to return it to you.”
When Gabriella checked the contents of the box, warm air wafted from her mouth. Without warning, the tears flowed harder.
“Sorry if I kept it too long. I don’t want you accusing me of being a thief,” Max said before giving a crooked smile.
Knowing that her husband was half-joking, Gabriella chuckled. “There are no thieves who return things that have been taken,” she said while drying her tears.
“Then you’re a real thief, Gaby,” Max said, narrowing his eyes.
“Why?”
“You have taken my heart and will never be able to return it.”
Gabriella’s laughter sounded even more sad. “Stop seducing me! You won’t get anything.”
“Is that so? But, I feel like I got a lot from you.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed in doubt. “I never gave you anything, Max. Don’t make it up.”
“Don’t you realize that you have given me immeasurable happiness? Just by looking at you, my heart feels so light,” the man said while tucking a strand of Gabriella’s hair behind her ear.
Knowing she had flown too high, the woman bit her lip. Her chin started to twitch as her consciousness rose. “Stop saying such sweet things. You’re starting to make me feel sad.”
Hearing the statement that seemed honest, Max’s expression suddenly turned serious. “Why are you sad? Did I say something wrong?”
Realizing that her tongue had just gotten out of control, Gabriella stuttered. After a few blinks, she moved the box to the back seat.
“Max, can I ask you something?” the woman asked as she looked down briefly.
A second later, the husband nodded with brows raised high. He couldn’t guess what was going through his wife’s mind at all.
“What is the biggest dream of your life?”
A spontaneous sigh escaped the man’s mouth. Hunch that he would listen to bad things turned out to be unfounded.
“Why do you ask about it, Gaby? You already know the answer. Quebracha’s success is my dream,” he replied casually.
Gabriella’s heart was suddenly twisted by reality. However, she still maintained a fake expression.
“Why do you want it so much?” she continued, trying to gather reasons to solidify her decision.
“Because I want to prove to Dad that his youngest son can also be relied on. All this time, the only one to be proud of is Julian. Dad even preferred to talk about Sebastian in front of other people. There’s no place for me. If I succeed in advancing the company, won’t he finally be able to see me?”
Seeing hope beautifully painted in her husband’s eyes, Gabriella’s chest suddenly tightened. She couldn’t imagine how Max would feel if he found out the truth.
“I’m sure, one day, your father will regret for neglecting his wonderful son. Therefore, promise me that you will keep moving forward. No matter what gets in your way, just keep going.”
Getting support from his wife, Max nodded confidently. “Yes, I promise.”
With a sweet curve of lips, the man began to take a sip of Gabriella’s tenderness. He did not know that behind his closed eyes, sadness had formed on the woman’s face.
“Thank you, Max. You manage to make me happy on our last night,” the woman thought before joining the hug and reciprocating her husband’s warmth.
“Thank you for loving me, and sorry that I love you too much.”