Chapter 8

Walking through the heavy wrought-iron gates of the Robinson estate, Gabrielle felt as if her legs had been filled with lead.

Night fell like ink. On the winding mountain road outside the estate, cold wind whipped up dead leaves that battered her thin clothing mercilessly.

The searing pain in her abdomen felt like a dull blade, sawing back and forth through her organs.

With each step, cold sweat seeped from her temples, plastering damp strands of hair to her face.

She clutched her lower abdomen tightly, knuckles bone-white from the excessive pressure.

She didn't know how much longer she could hold on. Her consciousness began to scatter, the streetlights ahead blurring into double vision.

Just as she was about to collapse from exhaustion, the steady hum of an engine approached from the distance.

A black sedan pulled up smoothly beside her. The window rolled down, revealing a cold, familiar face.

Matthew rested one hand on the steering wheel, his gaze sweeping over Gabrielle's swaying figure. His brow furrowed, voice dripping with undisguised contempt. "Are you planning to drop dead on the Robinsons' doorstep just to cause them trouble?"

Gabrielle stopped walking and turned her head toward that face—the one that had given her warmth countless times in her dreams.

But now, those eyes held nothing but ice and mockery.

She tugged at her cracked lips, voice hoarse. "Mind your own business."

She dragged her heavy feet around the front of the car, determined to keep walking.

"Get in." Matthew's voice grew colder, brooking no argument. "Middle of the night like this—if you die on the road, I'll be the prime suspect."

"I said, no thanks." Gabrielle refused stubbornly. She didn't want him to see her in such a wretched state—much less let him witness how she'd trampled herself into the dust for Christian, for the sake of so-called love.

Matthew shoved the car door open and strode over to her, grabbing her wrist and forcibly pulling her toward the vehicle.

His palm was scorching hot against her ice-cold skin, the contrast stark.

Gabrielle struggled briefly, but that heart-wrenching ectopic pregnancy pain robbed her of all strength. She went limp, collapsing into Matthew's arms.

Matthew frowned, his movements stiff as he caught her.

He looked down at the woman in his embrace—her face deathly pale—and something complex flickered in his eyes before being quickly masked by cold indifference.

"What a pain," he muttered under his breath, then scooped her up and deposited her into the back seat.

The moment Gabrielle settled in, she felt a hostile gaze from the passenger seat.

A young, pretty girl sat there wearing a familiar pink dress—the same one who'd been clinging intimately to Matthew at the hospital.

Through the rearview mirror, the girl stared at Gabrielle with displeasure, complaining in a saccharine voice, "Matthew, why'd you bring her along? Didn't you say you barely knew her?"

Gabrielle's heart clenched violently, as if something sharp had stabbed straight through it.

Matthew returned to the driver's seat without explanation, starting the car with a flat, "She's on the way."

"But..." The girl pouted in dissatisfaction, then twisted around, leaning halfway into the back seat to speak loudly and deliberately. "Matthew, having a stranger tag along ruins our romantic evening."

As if to stake her claim, she reached out to grab Matthew's arm.

Matthew didn't pull away. He let her cling to him.

The car's interior wasn't spacious. The air filled with the girl's cloying perfume mixing with Matthew's sharp tobacco scent, making Gabrielle feel suffocated.

She curled into the corner of the back seat, trying to minimize her presence.

The abdominal pain intensified in waves, like surf pounding against rocks.

She closed her eyes, attempting to block out the intimate conversation between the couple up front.

"Matthew, you still haven't answered me—where are we going tonight?"

"Wherever you want." Matthew's voice rumbled low, carrying a hint of careless indulgence.

"Really? Then I want to go to that new French restaurant. I heard their wine selection is amazing..."

Gabrielle bit down hard on her lower lip until she tasted blood.

"Matthew, why are you so quiet today? Is it because she's here, making it awkward for you?" The girl giggled, deliberately glancing back at Gabrielle with provocative eyes.

Matthew chuckled—a low, magnetic sound that struck Gabrielle as unbearably grating. "Don't overthink it. She's nobody important."

Nobody important.

That simple dismissal shattered every ounce of Gabrielle's past perseverance and endurance.

She'd sold herself to Christian to save Matthew. She'd endured endless humiliation to pay his medical bills... And in the end, to him, she was merely "nobody important."

Immense grief and physical agony intertwined. Gabrielle felt as if her soul was being stripped away piece by piece.

She was so tired. Physical weakness and mental collapse left her unable to hold on any longer.

The scene before her eyes began to blur. The couple's figures overlapped into mottled spots of light.

She wanted to cry but found she lacked even the strength for tears.

Gradually, consciousness sank into bottomless darkness.

She leaned against the car window, breathing growing faint and shallow, her entire body slipping into unconsciousness.

The car fell silent.

Hearing the steady breathing from behind, Matthew's grip on the steering wheel tightened violently, knuckles turning white.

Through the rearview mirror, he glanced at Gabrielle—taking in her bloodless cheeks and painfully curled posture. His expression changed instantly.

That careless facade vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by undisguised anxiety and heartache.

He looked at the girl beside him who was still chattering away, his voice cold as ice. "Enough. Shut up."

The girl jumped at his sudden severity, lips trembling. "Matthew, you—"

"Get out." Matthew stared straight ahead, tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"What?" The girl's eyes widened in disbelief. "Now? We're still far from downtown..."

"I'll say it one last time. Get. Out." Matthew turned his head, those deep eyes churning with violence and impatience, frightening the girl pale.

She'd never seen Matthew like this—that savage look as if he might tear her apart.

The girl didn't dare say another word. Trembling, she pushed the door open and stumbled out of the car.