Chapter 59 - The Drive Home (2/2)
”But what if that reporter talks to Karen?”
”Then there's the rub,” Gabriel says. ”The shit hits the fan.”
”Are you really doing all of this just to hurt Michelle?”
”Yes and no,” Gabriel says. ”Yes, I really want to hurt her. And no, I just don't want to hurt her. I want to destroy her, Claire.”
”But she's only a woman.”
”What?”
”She's only a woman who made a mistake. Why dedicate all your energies just to destroy a person who, after all, had been with you for many years? Isn't it much easier to just forgive her and forget and move on?”
Gabriel says nothing for a while. Truly, he knows all the right words to say to this. They say when you're working to get revenge, you should dig two graves—one for your target and one for you. Because revenge is never one-sided. It also destroys the one who seeks it. But despite everything, what Gabriel feels in his heart is this bottomless outrage. He's not yet ready. Not now. And he's not explaining himself to Claire Monteverde, the girl he hired to help him tilt the scales of justice.
Claire sighs; he's not justifying his behavior, and maybe it's not really her place to do this. Maybe she should really just shut up. Sometimes you can't stop your freaking mouth, Claire, she thinks. Sometimes you should know when to just zip it.
So zip it, she does.
Gabriel insists in walking her all the way to her penthouse suite at the Residence. ”You don't have to,” Claire says, and in her mind: Do you do this for all your employees?
As they reach the door to the suite, she stops and faces him. ”Well, it has been an interesting night.”
”Yeah,” he says.
”Tomorrow, I'll go 'work' at your office as 'Bella', right?”
”That's right, as part of your contract.”
”Well, goodnight, Gabriel.”
”Goodnight, Claire.”
”I 'enjoyed' not being able to eat anything,” she says.
He makes a small laugh. ”Sorry, will have the house chef bring up some food.”
”That's okay, I'd just want to hit the bed.”
”Alright,” he says.
”Alright. Goodnight.”
”Goodnight.”
Then as Claire turns to open the door, Gabriel holds her arm.
”Won't you give me a goodnight kiss, just to cap everything off?”
”Give you a what—” Claire begins, but she never finishes as Gabriel kisses her. On the lips. Longer than what's probably intended.
”Sweet dreams,” Gabriel says after the kiss.
Claire watches him walk away, wondering if this is part of her work contract, wondering if Gabriel treats all his employees this way.