Chapter 3

ELLE

"So, Gabe, Elle...when are you going to give us something like her?"

Mom carried my niece up on her arms as she gave us that look. My face felt like someone has set it on fire and I felt Gabriel's arms tensing around my waist as he cleared his throat.

We are currently at a party thrown by my mother for our first anniversary. Yes, it's been a year since our wedding; a year since all of these started. This is the first party after the conflict that has happened. It was also the first one which Gabriel has agreed to go with me.

I am startled when my dad suddenly piped in, "We're so old. We still wanted to play with our grandkids, see them grow...you know?" Dad muses as he snatched the baby from mom, "Oh, you little pumpkin. Don't you look a lot like your grandmother?" He laughed making my niece cry. I sigh, scratching my forehead as I pull away from Gabriel, surprising him.

"Dad, let me take her back to Cassandra. I'm sure little Cece here wanted to be with her mom now." I smiled at them, taking the infant in my arms and chancing a look at my husband.

Gabriel is frowning down at his shoes like he's trying to solve a very complicated problem. He appears to be in some kind of pain. my heart aches for him but I shake my head. I have tried a couple of times before to offer him my help but he refused, ignoring me. If only he would tell me what to do or how I could help him.

It has been six months now since that nightmare happened, destroying everything I've worked for. I am not blaming Enrico, Gabriel's father, I am blaming myself, for I am not able to secure something that has blossomed. Since then, I find it hard to reach out to Gabriel. He has built a wall in between us; he started refusing to come home and leave me to myself every time we are asked to go to some conventions. He will take weeks overseas, spending more time in his company than with me he deemed me worthless, an accessory he doesn't even bother to display in public.

I do not know how I can show him how I feel. I do not know how to tell him how much I love him. We are back to how we have started a year ago, living like total strangers.

I smiled bitterly, tucking a hair on my ear. I remember the first time we met at the company, The West Holdings. It is where our love/hate relationship was born.

* Flashback *

"I don't want to marry her! How can you do this to me, Papa? Of entire New York, you chose her, for me?" There is some pause followed by a bang on the table. "Her family is our enemy. You of all people should know not to pair me up with some spoiled rotten brat! Look at the picture of her - so skinny and naive, she's not even my type..." The door opened as I struggle not to look at the tall man who went out of the room.

"You," I look at him and tried not to drool. He's Adonis in real life, not to mention that ocean blue eyes luring me. "Hey! Are you even listening?" I am surprised when he grabs my shoulders, and shake me vigorously, making me quiver under his gaze.

Oh, this man! He should be thankful that he looks so beautiful or else...

"Hey! I'm talking to you." I turned my gaze back at those ocean orbs, trying so hard not to melt. Am I dreaming? Surely, he is the reincarnation of Lucifer himself.

"You--"

"No. You!" He pointed back at me with his finger as his frown deepened, a 'v' forming in between his brows "Are you happy now that our parents agreed to marry us both, huh? I bet you're fucking ecstatic because you've been dreaming about all this shit!"

I didn't answer him. I watch as he leans down on my shivering form, my heart thudding harshly in my ribcage. I closed my eyes, almost hearing my conscious mind screaming..."Danger"

*end of flashback*