Chapter 66 - The Visitor from Hell (1/2)

”Really?” Claire says incredulously. ”Is this really for me?”

She's pointing at a trenta-sized coffee that Gabriel is handing her. They're in his office at nine in the morning.

”Yes, of course,” he says cheerfully. ”I bought two, see? So the other one's for you.”

”I'm sorry, Gabriel,” she sighs. ”I'm just not used to this. It's usually me who gets you your caffeinated beverage.”

Gabriel smiles as he throws his body on his big boss chair. He seems to be in good spirits. Today seems to be one of those days when he'd woken up on the right side of the bed. ”I feel good today, Claire. One of my problems got mysteriously solved.”

That sends a jolt to Claire's heart. She immediately has an inkling of what Gabriel is talking about.

”Imagine that,” Gabriel continues. ”One day your shoulders are heavy with untold burden of so many untold complexities. Then another day, everything seems to have vanished.”

”What are you speaking of?” Claire has to ask, although she somehow knew what is coming.

”Got a phone call from Jake Magno's lawyer this morning,” Gabriel says. ”He's withdrawing all the charges. Everything. Even says sorry. Unbelievable.”

He gazes at her, as though waiting for her to say something. The truth is, Gabriel really knows what happened. The commander of the secret bodyguards he had ȧssigned to protect Claire had called him up as soon as Claire ordered her chauffeur to drive to that bar. They sensed something was up, and the bodyguard, acting on long-standing instructions, felt it proper to let him know. ”Don't ever let her out of your sight,” he had told him. ”Anticipate the surprises, if you can. Read the environment. Act two steps ahead of whoever Claire's meeting.”

Later, that night, the bodyguard called him up again to report, in detail, what happened. The bodyguard's account dropped Gabriel's jaw—he'd never expect Claire, the ”Virgin Princess,” would be capable of acting like that. It was like a scene lifted from a comic book. And here he was, all the while thinking he'd been trying to save this damsel in distress, when as it turned out, she could very well defend herself—you just give her a fighting chance.

And what really touched him deeply was the bodyguard's account of what Claire told Jake, as the man lay on his back, his face bloodied: ”Get out of our lives.”