The loud alarm sounded at 6 am. Claire turned it off sleepily, trying to free herself out of Gabriel's arms to get on with her day.
"Not yet," Gabriel mumbled as he pulled her in closer, spooning her.
"But I have work to do," Claire replied.
"But, it's only 6 am, and it's Sunday… and I am so comfy, and you're so comfy. I don't want to let you go just yet." Gabriel buried his face in the back of her neck. Claire wanted to argue and fight but his warm breath on her neck made her all cosy, making her feel drowsy again.
"I wanted to go to the gym…" Claire said trying to convince herself more so than Gabriel.
"You're too fit anyways."
"I need to make sure that I can still outrun you." Claire chuckled.
"Are you planning to run away from me?" Gabriel asked with worry.
"Wait and see."
"Do you really want to get up now?" Gabriel asked with a sigh.
"It's not that I want to, I need to. I need to get some exercise, grab a shower, and get on with work. I need to finish a few bits off for tomorrow."
"You're working too hard," Gabriel grumbled, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist.
"It's my job."
"As your boss, I declare that it's your day off."
"As a co-owner of the company, I need to work harder to bring more money into our pockets."
"So that you don't use them either?"
"One of us has to be the provider." Claire teased him.
"If those several billion are not enough for your needs, how much will be enough? I need to know what my ultimate goal is."
"I'd say a trillion sounds pretty good."
"Oh, you greedy…" Gabriel laughed kissing her by her ear. "I just need a smidge longer. Then we can get on." He said with defeat. "May I kiss you? I think that'll be a good motivation."
"Hmmm… I want a kiss here." Claire pointed at her neck. Gabriel complied with a wide smile, gently kissing her below her ear, snuggling his face there. He pulled her in closer, which made her momentarily tense up, as their bodies touched. She could feel his torso against her, and his muscular legs along the back of her thighs.
"Tell me if you want me to stop." Gabriel reminded her in a whisper. "I can move away."
"I want one more kiss," Claire said quietly surprised by her own words. "Then I want to go."
"Okay." Gabriel agreed, kissing her neck again, finding her sweet smell, with a mix of vanilla and coconut of the shower gel she used, absolutely intoxicating. He slowly started backing off, unwrapping his arms and moving away from her. Claire felt the sudden coldness of the room as Gabriel shifted.
"Claire…" Gabriel started cautiously as Claire sat up. Claire looked back at him expectantly. "Would you consider sleeping with me from now on?"
"You have to be more specific."
"I don't mind if it's without any form of touching, or if we hug like last night. I am suggesting that we sleep in the same room, and maybe the same bed." Gabriel said nervously as he sat up himself. "You have a full right to say no." Gabriel reminded her. "And there's no need to explain it. No is a full sentence."
"I'm not sure. Is it okay if we go with the flow?" Claire tilted her head. "Some nights I may be okay with it, but I do like my own space too."
"Of course." Gabriel nodded. "Now, do you want breakfast before or after your exercise?"
"After. I don't like working out on a full stomach." Claire touched his hand. "Why don't you get some more sleep and then once I'm done with my workout we can have breakfast together."
"No, I can't. I need to get you that trillion." Gabriel laughed. "Now, tell me what you'd like to spend it on."
"I-…" Claire stuttered.
"Do you just want to accumulate your wealth?"
"I still consider our finances separate," Claire said carefully. "I have been putting money back into the account to repay the two hundred thousand that I took. I don't want to spend the money that you worked hard to get."
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"I could ask you the same," Claire replied with a peal of laughter, she waved at him shyly before leaving his bedroom.
Claire was quick to get changed into her sportswear and go downstairs. She decided to go via the room with the pool, slowly walking beside it. She knew that she will have to undergo gradual exposure therapy so she thought it'll be good to get used to the discomfort, never mind that she wanted to get on with it as soon as. The smell of chlorine and the trickling sound of water had an almost immediate effect on her, leading to a flashback and a panic. Her breathing sped up and she felt her chest tighten, leading to the dizziness. Claire tried to dismiss her thoughts, trying to focus on something else, something good, in hope that it'll help to change her negative associations.
At first, she struggled to think of anything positive, feeling the overwhelming panic coming up. She closed her eyes trying to steady herself.
"What are you doing?" Gabriel asked behind her, walking up to her and grabbing her hand. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." Claire managed to utter.
Gabriel looked at her realising that her lips were pursed and that her entire body was tense.
"Can I hug you?" Gabriel asked carefully. Claire couldn't answer. She gave him a barely noticeable nod. Gabriel was gentle, slowly wrapping his arms around Claire and pulling her closer, laying her head on his chest as he placed his chin on it. Subconsciously he started rocking her. This was it. A new positive experience to start overriding Claire's negative response to the environment. "Tell me when you want to stop. I'll hold you for as long as you need. All day if you wish." Gabriel spoke softly. Claire was still astonished by Gabriel's contrasting behaviour. And she still couldn't tell which side of him was truly him, the aggressive beast that she was shown ever so often, or a gentle giant who comforted her as much as he could. Maybe the roaring and aggressive beast was pouncing on his insides and he tried to tame it, or maybe it was his soft side that was imprisoned for so long and it's finally freed. Or maybe both? Maybe he consciously is choosing his behaviour, breaking his habits, to willingly change into someone better. Whichever it was, right now, he was what Claire needed, whether he realised that or not.
Claire hasn't said anything, focusing on the grounding techniques she was taught before - on Gabriel's steady breathing, his warmth, his whisper, and his smell. He must've just come out of the shower as aside from his natural smell, there was this citrusy smell with a hint of wood or moss, perhaps chypre. It was refreshing, pleasant, and comforting. But it was his body, his warmth, and his strength that truly gave Claire a sense of security. She didn't know why. Logically, it shouldn't be. He hurt her. He pushed her against the wall, he bruised her wrist, and he threw things around her. There was a point when she thought that he wanted her dead. She wondered when her fear of him vanished, and she realised that it was because of his letters. Everything that she thought was done to spite her, was actually dealt with by him in the shadows and he did everything he could to repair the damage done. It was those letters that made her see his side of the story. Ever since then, she couldn't stop wondering whether she was all wrong about him.
After a few minutes, she let out a sigh of relief, wriggling in his arms. Gabriel let go of her, looking at her with worry.
"Now, shall I arrange for it to be filled with concrete?"
"No." Claire shook her head quickly.
"Why don't you use the door that leads directly to the gym then? It might be less stressful for you." Gabriel asked.
"I'll be fine. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision." Claire smiled weakly. Gabriel held her hand and walked towards the gym room with her.
"Okay, do you want me to stay with you in here?"
"No, I don't need someone creepily staring at me while I'm working out." Claire laughed, her anxiety easing off completely.
"Who said that I'd be staring?" Gabriel asked with a slight scoff.
"Will you not?"
"That's not what I've said." Gabriel laughed. "What do you fancy for breakfast?"
"A fountain of coffee," Claire said as she started walking on the treadmill.
"That's a given. Who can function on two hours of sleep without coffee?"
"I used to be able to when I was younger. Those days are long gone though."
"You're still young, dear. Don't make yourself sound like you're ancient."
"True. Compared to you I'm a youngling." Claire said teasingly.
"Seriously?" Gabriel gasped, hurt by her remark. "How old do you think I am?"
"Let me just Google it," Claire said jokingly reaching for her phone.
"No, darling. I need an answer. Do you even know how old your husband is?"
"Who cares if he's a billionaire? Maybe a few decades too young. It would've been nice to keep all the riches to myself."
"Jesus, Claire. You really have no filter, do you?"
"At which point did you think that I did?"
"My bad." Gabriel nodded with a laugh. "But…"
"You're thirty. I know your age. I was smart to Google it when I started to work for you. You're just over four years older than me, which does make it quite amusing. I was starting at the bottom at twenty-one whilst at the same time, you were the CEO and owner of the company at just twenty-five. You are quite smart, in some ways."
"You're complimenting and offending me at once. I am genuinely confused."
"This is as far as my compliments go. Now, go away. You're distracting me." Claire ordered him. Gabriel hesitated as she saw Claire starting to jog, but he listened and left her to it.
After almost an hour, Claire left the gym and went to get a shower and got dressed for a day, before coming back down for breakfast.
Gabriel smiled at her as she sat beside him.
"Jonathan cooked but I've made coffee. This is as far as my capabilities go at the moment. I've made it extra strong."
"Thank you," Claire said as she poured herself a cupful.
"How old is your mum turning today?" Gabriel asked curiously.
"48," Claire answered quickly. "She was 22 when I was born."
"That's quite young."
"Yeah." Claire nodded. "She met my dad when she was eighteen, while she was in her first year of university. They married when she was twenty-one, just after she graduated with her bachelor's."
"What is your mum's degree in?" Gabriel asked curiously. Claire stopped mid-bite, wondering how much she could disclose to Gabriel without pointing toward her mum's connection to Moore Pharmaceuticals.
"Biochemistry," Claire answered carefully.
"Oh, sciences. How did she end up working in your dad's restaurant?"
"A lot has happened and my mum needed a change in her career."
"I see. Did she work in her field at all?"
"She did. For years. She had me not long after she started her doctorate in Clinical Research and then she was on top of her field for many years. She only dropped her work around the time I was in college and started working with my dad full-time."
"What about your dad?"
"What about him?"
"How did he get to open his restaurant?"
"Well, my mum was always the goal-oriented and very ambitious type whilst my dad was more of a chase-your-dreams type. He grew up cooking with my Nonna and it was always his dream to feed others. He never was interested in climbing corporate ladders and working for someone else. He didn't care about how much money he made, he cared more about enjoying what he did. He did culinary school training and worked as a chef when I was little, opening his own little place when I was in high school. It was quite successful so when I was in college, he opened a restaurant."
"What about you?"
"Me?" Claire's eyes widened as she looked at Gabriel.
"Yeah, what's your aspiration and dream?"
"I don't know." Claire looked down at her plate.
"Go on." Gabriel encouraged her. "Or are you about to tell me that it either involves burning down our company to the ground or killing me?"
"No, it's not like that." Claire laughed.
"Then?"
"It's weird to talk to your boss about it."
"Jeez, I'm your husband and not your boss."
"You're still the CEO of Diamond Corporate."
"And you own half of it." Gabriel shrugged. "I'm guessing that Diamond Corporate wasn't in your plans."
"Not exactly. I joined your company because I needed a stable income. Working for a corporate wasn't my life goal. For a long time, I was hoping to one day be high up enough, with enough experience, to open my own small firm where I can choose the clients and projects I want to work with and which I could choose according to my personal ethics and values, as well as the ones which I found most interesting."
Gabriel stared at her silently for a few moments, feeling a little conflicted about her response. Claire looked down shyly.
"If that's what you want to do, I'll support you fully," Gabriel said at last. "I do admit that it'll be the biggest loss for Diamond Corporate, but I think that you should follow your dreams."
"So, you wouldn't mind if I would start a firm that would be your competition?"
"Hardly a competition." Gabriel scoffed. Claire looked at him curiously, hurt by his remark. "Once you're gone, I suspect at least half of our client's coming through your department will follow you, if you'll take them. Even if you'll stick with a small company of below 50 employees, you'd still have a good shot at building a mini-empire. You single-handedly secured a one billion project. I don't dare to think how quickly Diamond Corporate would fall behind with you as a competition."
"You have some very unrealistic expectations of me." Claire laughed.
"Really?" Gabriel propped his head on his hand. "Then, tell me, which area of our company you couldn't overtake?"
"Business, finance, marketing, and HR."
"No, Claire. I've seen you deal with each of those aspects flawlessly. All your financial reports are spot on, never mind your business-oriented mind. You're a fast and adaptable learner, I do not doubt that you can run a company on your own." Gabriel thought for a moment. "Would you like to run Diamond Corporate?"
"What? No." Claire shook her head quickly.
"Why not?"
"I'm not interested in it at all. I rather stick to the design part of my job."
"Is that your way of saying that my job is boring?"
"It is!"
"Wow." Gabriel looked at Claire in disbelief.
"It's only staring at the numbers and sucking up to investors."
"When you put it that way." Gabriel laughed at Claire's honesty.
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
"No, it's alright. I'm glad that you shared your opinions with me." Gabriel still laughed. "Nothing better than having my wife say that my job is boring. I'll make sure to never bring it up then."
"What? No." Claire protested. "I don't mind if you talk about it. I don't mind if you complain about it, if you need my input with anything, or just need to vent. I just meant that I can't imagine myself doing it on a day-to-day basis. I do have a slight admiration for you for being able to do it. Like, yeah, some of my managerial tasks overlap with yours, but I still have my creative outlet."
Gabriel watched her with a smile as she tried to explain herself and reassure him that she wanted to listen to him. Whether she realised it or not, she just told him that she'd be there for him when he was struggling with work, that she wanted him to tell her about his struggles within Diamond Corporate, and that she was keen to listen to him, even if it was something that she didn't seem to have much interest in at all. It was very comforting for Gabriel.
"Claire dear, I love you so much." He said with a smile as he caressed the back of her hand. Claire looked at him with confusion.
"Why such a sudden confession?"
"I haven't said it in a while, and you just reminded me of it."
"How?"
"By being you." Gabriel caressed her cheek and continued with his breakfast as if his words didn't carry any special meaning. Claire froze as she observed Gabriel being his casual self, relaxed and smiling, wondering if he knew the importance of what he just said and whether it had the same meaning to him as her. "Come on, eat up. You'll need the energy if you want to run around on two hours of sleep. By the way, I do not approve of this."
"You don't approve of what?"
"Your sleeping habits. You keep running yourself to the ground."
"That's the only way I can get some sleep at all. If I deprive myself of sleep enough, my brain stops thinking for a moment so I can get to sleep at all."
"That's not healthy," Gabriel grumbled.
"None of your business," Claire grumbled half-jokingly.
"I think I've said it before, you can't get away from me that easily," Gabriel said back with a laugh.
"I'm sure I can run further than you, so as long as I have a head start, you'll never be able to catch up," Claire said with a smile, clearing the table after herself and kissing Gabriel's cheek before walking off. Gabriel followed her a step behind. "Good morning, Jonathan. I'm guessing Gabriel didn't terrorise you as much today?"
"Thank god, no," Jonathan said with a laugh which was met with Gabriel's scowl.
"Good breakfast, as always. Thank you. Make sure you eat well yourself too." Claire mumbled at him.
"I always do." Jonathan laughed. "Now, what would you fancy for dinner?"
"Isn't the menu pre-set?" Claire raised her brows as she placed her plate in the washing machine.
"Well, kind of. But I don't mind making something different for you."
"That's kind of you but I have no preference."
"Okay, he's going to murder me if I don't." Jonathan pointed at Gabriel who hasn't stopped scowling at him.
"Why?"
"He insisted that I cook your favourite meals."
"I don't really have any," Claire answered honestly.
"See, I've told you that I can't win with her," Jonathan said in an exasperated tone to Gabrie. This made Claire laugh.
"Tell him what you want for dinner otherwise I'll fire him," Gabriel said sternly to Claire.
"Did that threat ever work on anyone?"
Claire asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Seriously? I don't want to be used as a pawn here." Jonathan grumbled.
"Do you want to test me?" Gabriel asked Claire.
"I'll hire him back." Claire laughed.
"You're fired, sorry," Gabriel said decisively to Jonathan.
"You're hired," Claire said straight after. Gabriel stood stunned into silence. He opened his mouth and closed it. "Are you about to tell me that I do not have that kind of authority?" Claire asked him teasingly.
"I'm about to say that I'm hurt that you overturn my decision so easily."
"Because it's stupid," Claire said with a shrug.
"I'm genuinely hurt right now."
"You'll live." Claire tapped him on the chest as she walked past to grab a glass of water. "Unless you're second-guessing the power you've given me?"
"Maybe a little," Gabriel said with a slight smile. "Now, please decide on at least a few meals that you fancy for this week."
"I genuinely don't care," Claire said with a shrug. "Actually, Jonathan, please make something that he doesn't like. That ought to teach him a lesson." Claire decided.
"I'm thinking Stilton and mushroom lasagne would do just fine," Jonathan said with a smile.
Gabriel's nose scrunched up in disgust.
"Sounds great." Claire nodded with a wide grin.
Jonathan looked at Gabriel warily.
"Good." Gabriel nodded satisfied that Claire chose something, even if it was to spite him.
"Shall I make something else for yourself, sir?" Jonathan offered warily.
"No need. I'll eat whatever Claire wants." Gabriel decided.
"Oh, this is going to be fun." Claire laughed having a new idea on how to torture Gabriel.
"Everything for you, sweetheart," Gabriel said sweetly as he pecked her cheek. Claire flinched at this. She never was overly keen at sweet nicknames, and she just tolerated the 'Claire dear' that Gabriel seemed accustomed to. She had too many male colleagues and clients use it to be patronising and condescending to her. Jonathan stared at them but said nothing. He raised just now that Claire was the reason why his boss chilled out so much in the past few months and that his anger outbursts started to wane. He decided to treat her well to show his appreciation and cook her the best meals he could.
Claire quickly waved to them both before running off and hiding in her study. But before she started her work she called her mum.
"Hey, mum. Happy birthday." Claire said cheerfully, hiding away her pain that she wasn't there to celebrate the day with her mum.
"Hello, Claire. Thank you. Are you sure that this phone is safe?"
"Yes. It has plenty of anti-tracking features."
"Okay," Leanne responded with slight anxiousness in her voice. "How are you, my baby?"
"I'm good, mum," Claire said honestly.
"How is Gabriel?" Leanne asked. Claire could tell that her num was smiling on the other side.
"Good, mum." Claire giggled as she responded.
"You must tell me," Leanne demanded.
"What would my mother want to know?"
"Well, how did he welcome you back?"
"I'm not sure." Claire furrowed her brows to recall. "He seemed very excited and he might've begged me to give him a chance." Claire laughed in embarrassment, turning all red.
"And did you give him a chance?"
"I-…" Claire stuttered. "I did."
"And? I know it's only been like two weeks since you went back, but how is it so far?"
"Good," Claire answered honestly.
"But?"
"What if it's all a game? What if I trust him and he stabs me in my back? What if…?"
"What if you love someone? What if you find someone who loves you back? What if you find your happiness? What if?" Leanne cut her off. "I know that it's difficult. He might be a narcissist, a psychopath, or a serial killer. Who knows. But it's the first time in a long time I've heard you laugh. Truly laugh. I can hear it in your voice. You're happier, even if you hate to admit it."
"You are, as always, the most encouraging mum there is," Claire said in a sarcastic tone. "Besides, it doesn't matter."
"It does." Leanne insisted.
"I'm seeing Cecilia on Saturday," Claire informed her.
"You found her?" Leanne replied quietly after a few moments of silence.
"I did."
"Are you sure that you want to go ahead with it?"
"Yes, mum."
"You shouldn't be the one…"
"Mum, I've decided already and you know how stubborn I am."
"It should've been me, not you."
"Well, it is what it is," Claire said dismissively. "I'm seeing Cecilia on Saturday and I'm seeing Uncle Adam a week after with all the bits I've gathered. I have the documents from David and Horace too. Everything is ready to be set in motion."
"But…" Leanne sighed with worry. "He will try to kill you."
"I know, mum."
"Will Gabriel protect you?"
"I don't know. He doesn't know yet." Claire said honestly.
"You shouldn't withhold it from him," Leanne grumbled at her.
"You shouldn't be telling me what I should and shouldn't do," Claire grumbled back.
"Oh, and there she is." Leanne laughed.
"I wanted to ask you something…" Claire hesitated.
"Go on."
"What happened to Diane Moore?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Diane Moore passed away, but I don't remember much being said on the news on her death."
"I didn't realise she died," Leanne admitted.
"But, weren't you close?"
"Close is a bit of a strong word. Michael wouldn't let her be too close to anyone."
"Yeah, but isn't it weird? I don't remember seeing anything on the news."
"Neither do I and I think I would've remembered," Leanne admitted. "What's that little head of yours thinking?"
"I don't know. When I found out, I had a feeling that something didn't add up. And I can't shake it off."
"Do you think it was Michael?"
"You tell me, you knew him better." Claire scoffed.
"I wouldn't put it past him, seeing what he did to so many of us. To you, Jen, David, Horace, Cecilia, me and many others. Even though, I had it probably the easiest."
"But… his own wife?"
"She knew too much to be left alone. She said it herself. By the end, she was pretty much locked at home." Leanne said with some sadness in her voice.
"Do you know what her relationship with Michael was like?"
"Well, I suspected that she was abused beyond imaginable. She always was smiling and trying to hide it, but you can only do so much to hide all the bruises. And it just breaks something in person. She was always so quiet and withdrawn, and she'd flinch at any noise. It wasn't hard to guess. But she didn't want to say anything to anyone. She didn't let anyone help her."
"I see," Claire said quietly, wondering how Gabriel's childhood must've been. "Sorry for putting a bit of a damper on the mood today. I hope that dad is going to make you something nice."
"Yeah, he is already cooking dinner." Leanne laughed.
Claire chatted with her mum for a little longer not realising that Gabriel was about to knock on her door when he overheard Claire asking about his mum. He froze with the cup of coffee in his hand that he was about to bring her. He didn't expect Claire to speak about his mother to her mother, and what made it weirder was the fact that her mum might've known her - that's at least what he could deduce from the snippets of the conversation. As Claire finished the call, Gabriel stood there for another few moments before knocking on the door. His hands were shaking so he barely managed to avoid spilling his coffee.
"I've brought you some more coffee," Gabriel said with a rather quavering voice. Claire looked up at him, noticing it.
"Thank you," Claire said with a smile, walking up to him. She took the cup away and put it on her desk. "You look very pale. Are you okay?" She asked with worry.
"Yeah, I think the two-hour long sleep is catching up with me."
"You didn't have to get up with me."
"I have work to do myself," Gabriel admitted. "How are you getting on?"
"I've just called my mum." Claire smiled. "She's been asking about you." She said with a chuckle.
"About me?"
"Yeah." Claire nodded.
"Oh." Gabriel wasn't sure how to respond.
"Don't worry. It wasn't anything bad. If anything, I've got the scolding." Claire laughed.
"Why?"
"The usual things." Claire shrugged. "That I'm too stubborn, too anxious, overthinking things too much. You get the gist."
"Are your parents okay?"
"It seems like it." Claire nodded as she sipped the coffee.
"I'm glad." Gabriel nodded.
"I've told my mum about you," Claire said quietly. "Not the marriage part though."
"How did she take it?" Gabriel asked with concern.
"I think she's shipping you more than me. I have a feeling that she'll team up with you against me." Claire huffed.
"I'm not sure if that's very good or not."
"Good for you, not great for me." Claire laughed.
"What about your dad?"
"There's not a chance I'm telling him anything yet," Claire said decisively, going pale at the mere thought.
"I see." Gabriel smiled reassuringly. "Claire…" he started carefully.
"Yes?" She looked at him expectantly noticing his nervousness.
"If anything troubles you, please tell me."
"Hmm…" Claire thought carefully about her troubles. "I'm sorry about earlier. Thank you for being there."
"What?"
"By the pool."
"Oh, that's not an issue, Claire."
"What's an issue then?"
"Well, I know you've said that you'll tell me about who's following you and that you'll tell me about your connection to my dad in a few weeks, but I'm really worried, and I feel absolutely powerless. I am not going to push for it, but I just want you to know that I'll be here if you want to share it, and I'll keep your secrets."
"I appreciate that, Gabriel." Claire put the cup down. "If it's any reassurance, if everything goes right, I might be able to share what is happening sooner than I initially thought. Possibly within four weeks, if not earlier. I understand that this is making you anxious, and I suspect that you have some awareness and snippets of it that may not make much sense to you, which probably makes it worse. Once I get there, I hope things will make sense. But…" Claire sighed. "You may be put in a very difficult situation because of it." She looked at him with her hazel doe-like eyes with worry.
"You're worried about something, aren't you?"
"Well, yes." Claire laughed nervously. "There's a possibility that you know what's going on and that you'll destroy me in the weeks to come."
"I don't know what's going on and I would never destroy you."
"Yeah, we'll see about that."
"Do you need any of my help? I am not going to ask questions, but you have full access to our security, lawyers, business geniuses, and tech guys. Anything you might need."
"I think I've got it," Claire said in thought.
"Okay." Gabriel nodded moving closer to her, he held her hands and kissed them gently. "If you want to know anything about me, just ask."
"Is there anything I should be asking?" Claire raised her eyebrows.
"I don't know. I am more than happy to share with you everything. You can have my family history, medical records, and financial history."
"Are you hinting that there might be issues there?"
"I mean, there are, but I don't think I'm hiding them from you. You already know that I'm mentally unstable."
"That's a good point." Claire laughed. "So, bribery? Money laundering?"
"No," Gabriel answered with a frown.
"I don't know what else could be a big issue," Claire said honestly. "Are you part of a mafia?"
"You're teasing me now, aren't you?"
"Answer the question."
"No, I'm not."
"Okay. I think I'm okay with it for now. I might return with more questions later." Claire kissed him on the cheek. "Go away and stop distracting me. I have work to do." She ordered him as she went back behind her desk.
"Can I help?"
"You have your own work to do." Claire smiled. "Go on. I'm not going to disappear, you know."
"I hope not but I can't put it past you," Gabriel grumbled as he walked away.