Gabriella's POV

I lost track of how long I cried. When I was done, I was exhausted physically and mentally.

With shaking hands, I reached out for my phone on the table beside me, and scrolled through my contacts until I found the one name I never thought I would call in a long time.

Dad.

For years, he had tried to get me to come home, to leave this life behind, and get married to the guy he had arranged for me.

And for years, I had refused.

I pressed the call button.

It rang once, and he immediately picked. His familiar voice greeted me through the phone. “Hello, my dear. It’s been so long since we last spoke.”

I almost cried at the sound of his warm voice.

He didn’t sound angry that I had ignored his calls for months, and pushed him away.

“I’m coming home,” I said softly.

There was a shocked silence on the other end.

“What? Why? What happened?” My father asked.

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. “I've seen the error of my ways, and I want to make corrections.”

There was another short silence before my father sighed. “Alright. I’ll arrange everything for your return.”

Relief coursed through me.

“There’s something else,” I murmured.

“What is it?”

I took a slow breath. “I accept the proposal.”

Another silence.

“Accept what?” he asked, but I knew he already understood.

“The arranged marriage,” I said firmly. “The proposal you kept telling me about. I’ll do it.”

“Gabriella…” My father said quietly, his voice was filled with concern. “You’ve refused this for years, we had a big fight about it last year, and we haven't spoken since then. You told me you were in love. You said—”

“It didn’t work out,” I cut in, my voice cold. “I’m ready now.”

“This isn’t a small decision.” My father insisted. “Marriage isn’t something you accept just because you’re hurt.”

“I’m not hurt,” I lied. “I’ve thought about it, and I’ve decided. It’s time.”

My father sighed, but I could tell he wasn’t convinced.

“Alright,” he finally said. “We’ll talk more when you arrive.”

I didn’t want to talk more. There was nothing left to say.

“You’ll need a ride from the airport,” he continued after a moment. “Zander will pick you up.”.

Zander, the chubby, kind-hearted boy who never let me feel alone when we were children. He had always been there, with his round face and ridiculous grin. My childhood friend who was always ready to defend me against anything.

For the first time since I woke up, something inside me softened.

A small smile crossed my lips.

“When are you coming?” He asked.

“In two weeks, on the 19th” I replied.

“I’ll see you soon, Dad,” I murmured before I ended the call.

I set the phone down, inhaling deeply. I wanted to cry, but I had exhausted all my tears. Besides, it was time to work, and stop crying.

A nurse entered the room, and when she realized that I was awake, she quickly contacted Thomas.

A few minutes later, Thomas was back, and Claire followed behind him.

Thomas rushed towards me first, his face was full of relief and concern, like a loving fiancé. Claire followed behind with a worried expression on her face. The perfect best friend.

It was hard not to sneer at them. So I kept my face blank, empty. Cold. Like how I felt inside.

“Ella,” Thomas murmured softly with that intimate voice. He sat at the edge of my bed, and took my hand in his like he had done several times before.

The same hands that had been on Claire not long ago. I had to fight the urge to rip my hand away from him.

“I was so worried,” he murmured, squeezing my fingers gently. “You lost so much blood. We almost lost you.”

Claire stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “God, Gabby, you scared us.” Her voice cracked “Thomas called me, and I saw the blood, and you weren’t waking up. We—” She paused, breathing heavily as if she was about to sob. “We thought…”

Lies.

I couldn't hold it in. I blurted out. “And, it would have been so bad because it would have ruined the plans you had.”

Alarm crossed their faces, and they exchanged panicked glances.

“Plans? What plans?” Thomas said, and the two of them stared at me nervously. They were almost sweating.

I lifted an eyebrow at both of them. “The wedding plans of course, which other plans? Have you forgotten?”

They almost collapsed with relief at my words.

“Of course, the wedding plans,” Thomas echoed, “But you know that if you're not feeling up to it. We can postpone the wedding. What matters is that you're perfectly fine.” He said softly, his eyes shone with care.

I almost believed him. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wasn't going to cry anymore.

Thomas kissed my hand, his lips warm against my skin. I felt nothing but disgust.

“But you’re okay now,” he whispered. “That’s all that matters.”

I didn’t respond.

Something unreadable crossed his face, but it was gone very fast.

“I know this is hard,” he continued softly. “But we’ll get through it. Together.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face like he hadn’t just been planning to have me killed. “We can try again, Ella. When you’re ready.”

I stared at him.

Then, without blinking, I said, “No.”

His smile faded. “No?”

“There’s no need.” My voice was flat, without emotion.

Thomas blinked. I saw as he exchanged a glance with Claire before he turned to me.

“I… I know it hurts right now, baby,” he said gently. “I know you’re grieving, but you love children. You want a baby.”

Claire nodded quickly beside him. “And when you’re ready, yo—”

“I said no.”

There was silence.

Thomas stared at me, I could see the confusion in his eyes.

I had always wanted a child. Begged for one. He knew that. So why was I refusing?

After a moment, he exhaled and gave me a small, understanding smile. “I get it, Ella. It’s too soon to talk about it.” He said with patience in his voice. “You’ve been through too much. But I know you. You’ll change your mind.”

I forced a small smile as I replied. “Maybe.”

He smiled back, looking very relieved, thinking that things were back to normal. He didn't know that I would never let him touch me again.

Gabriella's POV

A week later, I was discharged from the hospital, and Thomas took me home.

I had bought that house, a luxurious five bedroom house, under Thomas's name as a birthday gift to him. He had looked at me that day like I was his sun, and he announced that he would protect and cherish me all the days of my life.

I scoffed internally. I had been so stupid to believe his lies.

~

Thomas had been hovering around me all day.

From the moment we stepped into the house, he had been acting like the perfect fiancé. He cooked for me, he helped me take my bath, he adjusted the pillows, making sure I was comfortable. His eyes watched me carefully to make sure I was okay.

“Are you okay, baby?” he asked, sitting beside me. “Do you need anything?”

I shook my head, forcing a smile. “I’m fine.”

He reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. “You should rest. I don’t want you straining yourself.”

I almost laughed. Right. Because you care so much.

I watched him act concerned and worried. But inside, I was just waiting for him to leave.

Finally, in the evening, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Claire, but he quickly picked up the phone, covering the screen so that I wouldn't see it.

He read the message, then he sighed. “I need to handle something at the office. I'll be back very soon” He promised.

Good.

He leaned forward to kiss me, but I turned my head, causing his lips to brush my cheeks instead. He hesitated for a moment. “I’ll be back soon, Ella. Try to rest, okay?”

I nodded, keeping my expression blank. “Okay.”

The moment the door closed behind him, I got into action.

I quickly grabbed my phone, and dialed the number of the private investigator that I had been in contact with for a week now.

“Ms. Sullivan,” a deep voice greeted me with my maiden name. "I was expecting your call.”

“Tell me what you’ve found,” I said, wasting no time.

“I’ve traced the missing funds. Most of it was transferred into offshore accounts that your fiancé set up under different names.”

I closed my eyes, as I gripped the phone tighter. “How much?”

“A huge amount, and that's just for the ones I could find. There are still more. Some assets are still under your name, but he's been transferring them to himself by forging your signatures.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I can't believe I didn't notice all this money leaving my accounts.”

I took a deep breath. “I want a full report. I need to know everything he has that belongs to me, and how to take back everything.”

“I’ll have the details ready for you tomorrow,” he confirmed.

“Good.”

The next step.

I grabbed a suitcase from the closet and started packing. I tossed out old belongings, and gathered things I no longer needed or wanted, like the matching pajamas I had gotten with Thomas.

When Thomas came home an hour later, he found me folding clothes, and throwing things away.

He frowned. “Ella? What are you doing?”

I turned to him with a flat stare. “Packing.”

He looked at the open suitcase, and the scattered clothes. He looked confused and nervous. “Packing for what?”

I shrugged, keeping my back to him

“For us,” I murmured. “We’re getting married, Thomas, things are about to change. We need a fresh start.”

His worry vanished instantly, and he smiled in satisfaction.

“You’re right,” he said, “It is a fresh start for us. Anything I can do to help?”

I shook my head. He had no idea that my fresh start wouldn’t include him.

~

That night, as he slept, I stole his phone. I tried opening it, but it wouldn't open.

I frowned. His password had been Claire's birthday, he said that she dared him to do it.

Looking back now, I realized it had been a big lie. I had believed him that time because I was naive and stupid, thinking that they were just friends, playing harmless games.

I racked my brain, trying to think of other options, but I quickly ran out of ideas. At the end, I returned the phone feeling frustrated and upset.

The next morning, before I woke up, Thomas had already woken up, and he served me breakfast in bed. Thomas had never done that before. The soft look in his eyes as he served me looked almost genuine, almost like he cared.

I scoffed internally as I picked the food. That was a stupid thought. He was obviously pretending, like always. At that point, I didn't have the appetite to eat.

“Are you going to invite your father to the wedding?” Thomas asked, as he sat beside me, watching as I ate.

I paused, glancing at him before I replied coldly. “No,”

Thomas sighed, “Ella, I know that things between the two of you have not been going well, but he's your father. He should be here for your wedding. I don't know what he did, but come on, can't you both work it out?” He said softly, placing his hand on my leg.

I almost flinched at his touch, but I forced myself to relax.

“I'll think about it.” I replied in a dismissive tone.

I furrowed my eyebrows when I noticed that his hand was creeping upwards.

“What are you doing?” I queried coldly.

He gave me a coy smile. “Come on, Ella. It's been a while since—”

I cut him off immediately. “Absolutely not. Get your hands off me! I was just discharged yesterday!” I snapped.

Thomas flinched at the tone of my voice. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled, then he walked out of the room with a hurt look on his face.

Gabriella's POV

Thomas didn't leave like I thought he would. Instead, he came back up a few minutes later to apologize.

“I wasn't thinking, I was insensitive. I'm sorry.” He said softly.

I forced a smile, nodding briefly before I continued typing on my phone.

His face brightened.

A knock sounded on the door, and before we could respond, the door opened.

Claire walked in like she owned the place. That was how she always did.

“Hello lovebirds.” She sang, but I could see a dark look in her eyes. “I hope I didn't spoil the moment. Today is your dress and suit fitting day for the wedding. We can't be late.”

I frowned at her. “Go wait downstairs for us, and next time knock on the front door and wait for someone to open the door for you. Don't just barge in” I said firmly.

There was shocked silence for a moment as they both stared at me.

Claire furrowed her eyebrows at me for a moment, looking confused, then she forced a smile. “Don't be absurd, Ella. I can't remember the last time I knocked. This is like my second home.”

I resisted the urge to scoff at her. “Well, you need to start knocking now. We need privacy.” I replied firmly.

Claire turned to Thomas for help, but he shrugged.

“Ella is right, Claire. You need to start knocking.”

Claire gaped at him in disbelief. He gave her a look, and she clenched her jaw in anger, before she swallowed her rage down, forcing another smile.

“Okay, got it. Now, hurry up. We have a lot of things to do.” She sang.

I didn’t argue when Claire insisted on sitting in the front seat when we entered the car. She smirked in victory, teasing me about wanting to sit close to her in-law. I didn't reply her as I simply got into the back seat

I kept quiet throughout, but Claire kept talking. She kept reaching for Thomas’s hand as she spoke, but I noticed that he kept drawing his hand away.

I stared out the window, uninterested.

By the time we arrived at the luxurious store, Claire looked so excited. “Ella, I can't wait to see you in your dress!” she squealed.

Immediately I wore my dress for a few seconds, I quickly took it off. There was no use when I wasn't getting married.

Behind me, Claire and Thomas were getting fitted for their own outfits. Thomas looked handsome and charming in his tailored suit. Claire clung to him, helping him to adjust his tie and clothes like a wife.

I sat on a chair in the store, rubbing my temples as I waited for Claire to change back so we could go.

Claire’s voice called out from behind me.

“Oh, Ella, do you mind?”

I turned and annoyance flicked through me as I stared at her.

Claire stood in the middle of the room, wearing my dress.

My wedding dress.

She twirled slightly, watching herself in the mirror. “I just wanted to see how it looked on me,” she said with a soft giggle. “I hope you don’t mind.”

To my surprise, Thomas was glaring at her fiercely. “Claire, take that off. That's Ella's dress.” He scolded her sharply.

Claire frowned at him with surprise on her face. “I'm just messing around, Thomas. Chill.”

“Well, it's not funny.” Thomas snapped.

The store owner walked in at that moment, oblivious to the tension in the room. She smiled. “You two make such a perfect couple,” she commented, gesturing to Claire and Thomas.

Thomas opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, I spoke first.

“Yes,” I said smoothly. “They do.”

A strange, unreadable look crossed Thomas’s face, as he stared at me. Claire, on the other hand, looked very smug.

I just smiled coolly with a blank expression on my face.

On the way back, when Claire insisted on sitting in the front, Thomas refused vehemently, and threatened to leave Claire behind if she refused to stay at the back seat. Claire wasn't pleased. She kept grumbling in the back seat.

~

The next day, I fell ill. In the morning, I could barely move.

I felt so weak. My head was pounding, and breathing was difficult. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I could barely keep my eyes open.

Thomas was by my side throughout.

He held a cloth to my forehead, whispering softly to me. “Shh, Ella. I’m here, baby. Just rest.”

He stroked my hair, spoon-fed me, and made sure I was comfortable. He stayed by my side all day and night, never leaving, with concern in his eyes.

I could feel my heart soften towards him.

What if he did care? I knew what I heard that day, but what if I had been wrong?

Maybe… maybe I had misunderstood. I could ask him to explain.

The next morning, I was better, but I was still tired. Thomas sat beside me, watching me eat the toast he had made.

“Feeling better?” he asked softly.

I swallowed my bite, nodding. “Yeah.”

He gave me a warm smile. “Good.”

There was silence for a moment, and several questions ran through my mind.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I hesitated, then I replied. “I think you should change your password. I don't want Claire's birthday to be your phone password. Change it to something else.” I said, purposely trying to get his answer on his next password.

He raised a brow at my words, then he smiled. “I’ve actually changed it. It's 1402, the date of our first kiss.”

My fingers froze around my fork.

Our first kiss.

I remembered that night. The way my heart had pounded when he whispered my name right before he kissed me.

A lump formed in my throat. He remembered.

Thomas kissed my forehead. “I’ll go take a shower, okay? Call me if you need anything.”

I nodded absentmindedly, lost in thought.

Thomas's phone buzzed with a message.

I turned to his phone that was on the nightstand, and I reached for it slowly, hesitating. Why did I feel guilty?

I shook off the feeling and typed in the password.

The screen unlocked instantly.

My breath caught in my throat. It was Claire.

Claire: I'm sorry for doubting your loyalties. Now that you poisoned her, causing her to fall ill, I'm convinced that you're still mine. I love you.

My blood ran cold.