If that was what was going to happen, then believe it of not, this kid would much rather stay without his father. And it was more than written on his face with his pouty expression, rendering Gabriel speechless.
Scratch what he had thought earlier. What in God's nwas Leonica teaching his son! A few solid seconds had gone by, Ashely staring pointedly him and Gabriel being speechless, before he had finally gathered his thought and a befitting answer.
Parting his lips to respond, he was instantly silenced as a familiar yet angered voice sounded out from behind him.
"What in God's fucking ndo you think you're doing?" Paterpity Folder Paternity Folder.
It was inaccurate to say Leonica was angry as she walked into the classroom, eyes trained solely on Gabriel in a deathly glare.
A more accurate expression for her, would be fuming, red faced and all, which was the least. expression she should have showed. Like, just imagine walking you merry way into your son's. school, intending to pick him up, only to find your devil of a ex husband, petting and playing daddy with him.
Fuck no! Stopping shut right in front of the man she had been glaring at, Leonica reached forward and with lightening speed, she pulled Ashely away, pushing him behind her like she was an acting shield.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" She questioned with a pointed stare, not for one bit, liking the way he remained silent and tilted his head to the side, eyes dropping to the corners of her neck Unintentionally, she flinched. Fuck those gray eyes of his. They haunted her in her every nightmares and now here he was, standing in front of her and watching her like she was his freaking prey. This added all the more to her anger. Firstly, Gabriel had no fucking right to show up at her Son's school and he sure as hell had no right to stare at her like she was his meal.
Swirling around with Ashely still in her hand, Leonica faced Mrs. Harper, addressing her instead as Gabriel had chosen to remain silent.
"What the hell is this man doing here?" She nearly sneered at the teacher, controlling her voice last second, but still not being able to control the venom that rolled in waves off her tongue along with her words.
Mrs. Harper quickly senses the tension between the two, no more words needed to be spoken to enlighten her. However, this little action of their, not intentional, had put her in a tight corner.
Gabriel was a big contributor as well as shareholder to their school and Leonica, she was one of the most respected parents in the school, despite A just joining less than two months ago.
It was safe to say that they both equally held important positions in the school, each with its own pros and cons. And, it was also an unspoken role between all, be it in the school or out in the social world, to always take the bigger side. Paterply Luke But the question here was, which was the bigger side? Fiddling with her finger like a child- heck, under the gaze of Leonica and Gabriel, she felt like a fucking child - Mrs. Harper managed to gather the words to respond.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Well, Ms. Romero, you see, the thing is, Mr. Bryce here," She pointed at Gabriel. "He's a contributor and shareholder of our school and as per usual yearly routine, he had been picked to volunteer in today's classroom inspection." Leonica's eyes narrowed at the explanation.
The fuck type of coincidence is this? No, she'd be damn dumb to believe that this was a coincidence.
Glancing over her shoulder at Gabriel who had remained silent, she subtly shook her head.
She was damn sure this wasn't a coincidence.
"Ashely, Grab your stuff, were leaving." She instructed, eyes never leaving Gabriel's own that watched her silently like a hawk.
The little boy, despite the instructions his mother hand given him, lingered for seconds longer, glancing between his mother and Gabriel He may have been little, but not completely stupid and even though he couldn't completely understand the shit going on, he could tell that tension was hanging thickly in the air and that he did not like.
If only he could do something to dissolve the tension.
"Ashely," The sound of his mother's voice pulled him out from whatever mischievous plan he had been concocting in his tiny head. "Get your stuff, now." She repeated.
This time, without any slight delay, the child moved, gathering his stuff and bidding Daisy goodbye before returning to his mother's side.
Once she was aware that her son had packed up and was back by her side, Leonica took his hand, gently despite the anger she felt towards Gabriel, and scooped him into her arms, turning on her heels and meandering out of the dassroom without another glance in the older male's direction. As she walked her way through the halls of the school, heading for the exit, Leonica chose to curse inside her mind, rather than spitting everything out for Ashely's ears to be blessed.
"That fucking prick' If she could take a baseball bat and bash his car in, she'd happily do so, but sadly, she had to avoid doing anything that he could use against her in the nearest future.
But still, how dare he show his face- despite what Mrs. Harper had told her, shareholder, contributor and all- Leonica chose to believe that this was Gabriel's plan.
Which was awfully shameless of him, considering how he had gotten drunk, or better yet, allowed his drink to get spiked and dragged her down that sinful lane of pleasure.
After her visit to Arvan's hospital wing the day following her sinful mistake, Leonica had taken a moment to clear her head on the hospital roof, Arvan standing beside her and he could tell that she had something on her mind.
"What's dragging you down?" Leonica had snapped her head, lightening fast in his direction, brows furrowing as she questioned in her head whether or not Norway's senator had the ability to read minds.
"It's all written all over your face," Arvan pointed out with a soft chuckle, and she, closed her eyes, internally slapping herself for letting her expressions show so much on the surface.
During her section of internal reprimanding, berating, scolding, be it whatever you want to call it, Arvan watched her silently once more, taking note of the small details on her face- like the faded freckles she had. Her natural cat like eyes and the little love shaped mark? Scar? Whatever it was, that was stationed at the corner of her right eyes- before throwing his gaze towards the sun setting beneath the clouds sdistance away.
"You don't have to tell," He spoke again. "I just wanted to point it out, lest you continue carrying that look on your face." What look? Leonica wanted to ask, but settled for a sigh as soon as she opened her lips.
A few seconds went by before she spoke, voice near whisper. "I did something I'm not to proud of- under the influence of alcohol, but still not an excuse." Arvan nodded. "Something you're not proud of? What might that be? You didn't kill anyone, did you?" His sudden questioned coaxed a chuckle from Leonica before she could realize.
Shaking her head, she responded. "Of course not. It's just...I committed a...bad? Act with someone. We were both...drunk and not in our right sense I guess." Arvan, after listening to her words, could only nod once more. "And who's at fault?" "What?" "Who initiated this act that happened?" Leonica thought for a few seconds, no, she didn't need to think. "The other person?" Slapping his hand against the rooftop railing, Arvan announced. "There you have it! If that's so, then in this case, you my friend, are Innocent" Yeah, exactly, she was innocent. Gabriel was the offender in this case and it was awfullu bela alergit, Folder of him to still have the balls to linger around her son after what he had done.
"You're leaving, aren't you forgetting something?" Gabriel's voice cfrom behind, pulling Leonica out of her thoughts just as she stepped out of the school. Forgetting something? Against her better judgement, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to see what Gabriel was referring to. She had expected to see Sof Ashely's stuff, but boy did she expect wrong.
Rather than Ashely's belongings, Gabriel held between his fingers, a strip of golden wrist bracelet that shone under the sun's fading light.
Leonica's breath disappeared for a moment once she recognized the bracelet.
It was the exact one she had worn to Stellar's party and the very sone she had been searching for the day she left to visit Arvan in the hospital.
Fuck! So that's where it had gone.
"Huh, aren't you?" Gabriel dangled the bracelet in a taunting manner, manhandling it a few times.
Leonica felt like matching forward and snatching the bracelet from him, after all, as tiny as it looked, it held great importance in her life, but upon realizing that that very action would ground the fact that they had sex that night, she remained rooted in her spotted, merely glaring at him with clenched jaws. It was admit or lose something precious to her, and as selfish as it may sound, Leonica wasn't ready to do any.
"Huh? Mommy isn't that your bracelet?" Ashely's child like voice was the one to cut through the vile of silence that had nearly descended on them. "Did you lose it?" Wriggling out of his mother's hold, Ashley meandered towards Gabriel putting his hand out for the older male to hand over the jewelry.
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When he did, he examined it in his palm. "Mommy it is yours." He confirmed to engrossed in looking at the bracelet to notice the way his mother clammed her eyes shut and the way Gabriel smirked. "But, Gabriel," he addressed the man in front of him, long adjusted to using his name. "Why do you have Mommy's bracelet? His eyes drew into thin lines. "Did...did you and mommy play without me?"
"Hm," humming thoughtfully at the child's word, Gabriel gently took the bracelet back and knelt to his level, ΟΜ Leonica's body becoming tensed as she watched him gently Caress her son's hair before looking in her direction. "That's right, your mommy and I...we played and had lots of fun." He smirked. "A little too fun if you asked me." Putery Folitec "That's enough Gabriel," Not wanting to hear any more, and at the stime, save her son before his innocent ears were ruined, Leonica matched forward, pulling Ashely away first before she tried to reach for her bracelet.
"Now you give that back."
Gabriel raised it above his head and thanks to the hight difference, Leonica had to almost press hem body against his as she struggled to get it back. From the angle she was, while trying to retrieve her bracelet, Gabriel could see how reddened ear and cheeks had becdespite the glare etched on her face. It was a cute expression, one that he found himself unconsciously admitting to wanting to see a few more time. As the two basically played like teenagers, Ashely watched, happy to see that they were getting along. The sound of a laugh ripping through his lips and been what alerted his mother and her enemy of his presence and with that little distraction, Leonica was quick enough to jump up and rip the bracelet out of Gabriel's hold. Damn, he thought, watching her retreat with the jewelry and her son.
She looked like she could murder him this very moment and as if she was burning from ear to ear, at the stime.
"Con Ashely, let's go." She turned the child around, ushering him towards the car.
But just before she was out of hearing range, Gabriel called out.
"You can't hide the truth forever, Leonica. Sooner or later, it will be revealed." Despite it being three days since she had encountered Gabriel at the kindergarten, seated in the comfort of her favorite café, Leonica had his words buzzing through her mind and worse, the look he had gave her when she slipped into the driver's seat of her car. That smile, fuck it gave her shivers.
If it was his mission to make sure that she didn't forget their encounter, then he could give himself a pat on the back, because, mission freaking accomplished.
Unconsciously, she allowed a sigh slip pass her lips, while leaning back into the comfort of her chair.
After returning home, she had checked everything thoroughly, but she still couldn't forget the smile Gabriel had given her, almost as if he knew something she didn't.
And that was bad, freak fuck bad.
The familiar vibration of her phone severed as a soft awake way from all her thoughts.
Reaching for the device, she clicked the screen open, seeing a message. From Gabriel fucking Bryce! Now put aside the fact that, he had her number, Why in God's nwas he texting her? [Two thirty tomorrow, let's meet.] The message read and she could almost hear his condescending demanding tone in her ear.
Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Leonica was more than ready to reply something ego crushing, or better yet, not reply at all and block his number when he eyes landed on the picture below and a wave of panic suddenly washed over her. It was a picture of a paternity folder, clear as fucking day.