Chapter 105 - The Surprise (1/2)
It's just a short drive, but it takes Gabriel an enormous amount of will just to reach the Residence. His focus keeps straying from the road; if he's not careful, he might end up smashed against some truck. He slaps himself in the face a few times; it's not the usual sleepiness, but the drugs still in his blood, and maybe the remnants of his illness. He would have spent a couple of nights more at the hospital, but he couldn't stand it. He must see Claire.
Dale is so surprised upon seeing him.
”Uhh, Gabriel sir, is it really you?” Dale says. He even lightly touches Gabriel on the face.
”Of course, it's me,” Gabriel says.
”But sir, what seems to be the hurry?” Dale points at Gabriel's clothes. ”You're still wearing hospital clothes, sir. And it's still a few hours before sunrise.” He hesitates, considering the intensity of Gabriel's facial expression as he saunters into the lobby. ”Are you sure you're okay?”
”I can't be more sure, Dale,” Gabriel says, heading straight to the elevator. ”I am totally fine.”
Dale stares at him as he walks away, noting, in mild shock, that his big boss is also bȧrėfoot.
Gabriel presses the elevator buŧŧon with the heel of his palm. He has yet to fully regain his fine motor skills. He feels he's moving underwater, his arms and feet heavy, his vision as though peering into a tunnel. But he must see Claire. If he sees her, everything will be fine. This stupid illness will shrink away and vanish like a bad dream.
He's about to knock on Claire's door when Lucille, Claire's personal maid, appears out of nowhere, waving a key.
”Sir, she's still asleep, sir,” Lucille says. ”You might interrupt her beauty rest.”
These people are so well-trained, he thinks. ”I just need to see her. I won't even wake her up.”
Lucille looks at him from head to toe, doubting what he just said. After all, a red-blooded man like him trying to enter a lady's room in the middle of the night ”just to see her”? In which planet is that even normal? ”But sir, you ȧssigned me to protect Miss Claire. Doesn't it also mean protecting her from you?”
Jesus, he thinks, Lucille didn't get the memo. How does he even break it to her? ”Lucille, believe me, I am not going to take advantage of her in any way. So if you have the key—if what you have in your hand is, in fact, this door's key—then please give it to me.”
Lucille hesitates. ”Are you sure, sir?”
”You're the tenth person who asked me tonight if I am sure about my actions. Of course, I'm sure. I couldn't be more sure. So please hand me that key or I will surely fire you first thing in the morning.”
Lucille grabs Gabriel's hand, placing the key in his palm. ”You should have told me two seconds ago, sir. Here's the key. Would you like me to open the door for you, sir? I can—”