It took a lot for Gabriel to remain calm and not interrogate Claire. He was anxious and her silence agitated him further.
As expected, a doctor gave Claire an ice pack to hold against her cheek and besides documenting it there were no issues in that regard.
Gabriel was upset when Claire wished him a good night and disappeared into her bedroom. He hesitated for a while before knocking on the closed door.
"Claire, I know that you may need space. I'm not sure what exactly is going on and I'm not sure if I can help, but please, talk to me." Gabriel said with his pained voice. There was no answer. Claire didn't know what to say or how to say it. She lay curled up on a bed, hoping for everything to be over, sobbing and feeling like she was drowning. She was given two weeks by Michael Moore. She knew that he didn't lie when he said it. He was going to kill her, especially as he now knew where she was and that she was hiding behind his very son. He was going to kill her…
Claire got up in the morning, acting as if she didn't just ghost Gabriel the night before. She didn't know that Gabriel sat by her bedroom door for most of the night. She didn't know that once she was up, he just left to get a shower himself. She didn't know that he had a panic attack where he questioned whether leaving Francesca untouched was the right thing to do. And she didn't know the fear and worry over her and what his father might have done.
Gabriel came down not long after her, watching her studiously as she chatted with Eva, recognising that her smile was fake and that it hasn't reached her eyes. But, he played along too. Eva was leaving this morning. He could wait a little while longer to get Claire alone. To tell her of his past and maybe show her that he will support her no matter what.
But as Eva left, Claire hid in her study with barely a few words spoken to Gabriel and then she hid in her bedroom. Gabriel waited around for hours but she didn't show any sign of wanting to talk to him.
As the night fell, Gabriel sat in his study, going over Claire's medical records that were concealed by Moore Pharmaceuticals years before, trying to find another clue that he might've missed earlier. He agonised over every single sentence, hurt by it even more with every single read.
Claire walked into Gabriel's study unannounced. She noticed that he acted suspiciously, trying to hide some papers underneath the pile of others.
"I thought you were asleep." Gabriel smiled at her sweetly.
"No, I wasn't," Claire said rather coldly walking up to his desk. She quickly uncovered the papers that Gabriel tried to hide from her, and before he even reacted she held them up.
"Claire, no." Gabriel protested trying to get them back. Claire was quicker taking a step back to be just out of Gabriel's reach. Claire soon realised that it was her medical records - classified medical records. She turned pale looking up at Gabriel. "I can explain." Gabriel said with worry, feeling like he betrayed her. "I know my father went to see you some time ago and neither of you was to tell me what's going on. I was anxious and worried so I tried to search for the connection between you two. I completely forgot all about it when Mark managed to dig this out. I didn't mean to intrude. I didn't mean to go behind your back." Claire looked at her files, terrified of what Gabriel knew and what he was going to do about it. She struggled to say anything. "Claire, please say something." Gabriel begged but she couldn't utter a word. She lowered her hands clenching onto the paper, hurt by the fact that Gabriel researched her background like this, but more so by the fact that she didn't know whether if he were to choose, would he choose her or his father. Her answer leaned to the latter, after all, who wouldn't choose their family over essentially a stranger?
Claire put the papers back on his desk, withdrawing in herself. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the intense emotions. She reopened them only to look down at the floor. Gabriel walked around the desk, reaching out towards her but Claire put her palm out, silently stopping him. He respected it, and stood still, a few steps away. He yearned for her and wanted to embrace her, but he wouldn't do it against her will.
Claire left the study without saying anything, and then she left the house. She ensured that no bodyguards followed her as she picked up the keys to her car and left the courtyard.
Gabriel quietly went downstairs, sitting in the dining room, waiting for her return, as he always did. He knew that she needed space and he knew that he already crossed the line. He cussed himself out for crossing any form of boundary and then continued to do so for the last few weeks.
She pulled up to the Great River Hospital, waiting for the courage to move. Once she came out, she walked through the familiar corridors, reaching the reception, from there she was directed to their archives room. She requested her medical data using all of her previous aliases, and there were three. She was known as Charlotte Thomas, Jessica Collins, and Sarah Lee. Each of those names was used to cover her true identity after the 'incident'. For months she lived as someone else because no one wanted to admit her mistreatment, at least no one that had the power to do something about it.
It was already late evening as she pulled up by the villa, spotting tenths of bodyguards surrounding the gate.
Claire walked into the villa with a heavy heart. She knew that once she enters, she'd have to deal with the inevitable end of her relationship.
She held onto the documents in her hand, readying herself for the worst. Her hands were shaking as she walked through the door, and her legs barely carried her across.
Claire walked across the hall when she spotted a moving shadow in the dining room.
"You came back." Gabriel's voice sounded. Claire turned the light on, finding Gabriel sitting by the table, still dressed in his clothes as if he hadn't moved for hours. "I wasn't sure if you would." Gabriel admitted. "I was afraid that you were gone, again."
"I can't reveal everything just yet." Claire started carefully. "But the medical records you have were incomplete." She walked up to him, taking several folders out. She placed them on the table in front of him.
"What are these?"
"My complete medical records." Claire said. "I know that you will have a few questions afterwards, and I'll answer them. I may need a few days, that's all."
"Charlotte Thomas?" Gabriel furrowed his brows. "Sarah Lee? Jessica Collins?"
"My past might be a little bit more complicated than what you anticipated." Claire said quietly, words barely escaping her lips.
"I don't need to know if you don't want me to. I overstepped your boundaries with it and I'm sorry." Gabriel didn't open the folders. "If you're worried about it, I'll never look at it."
"It's something you should know." Claire said carefully. "Especially if you are to decide if you still want to be with me."
"My mind is set. I'm never going to leave you." Gabriel said sternly as he stood up. "What's inside will never change my mind."
"Gabriel, please, don't make any promises right now. Read it and then we can talk." Claire stood up.
"You told me that I should write you letters when I can't say something." Gabriel started cautiously. He stood up and picked up a small box that he readied earlier in the afternoon. "I did. When you were gone I wrote to you almost every day." He smiled with sadness. "I don't think I can ever go through it again." He passed Claire the box. "Maybe this will stop you from thinking that I can live without you because I can't."
Claire looked at the box in her hand. She lifted a lid to find tenths of letters neatly put inside.
"Thank you." She whispered. "I'm going to stay away tonight so that you can read through the files. I want to give you time and space to look at it." She said with worry.
"Please, promise me that you'll be careful and safe." Gabriel begged her.
"I will." Claire looked up at Gabriel. "Once you're ready, we can talk, whether it's tomorrow or the day after, or maybe never."
"Okay." Gabriel agreed, kissing her forehead. "I'll talk to you soon."
Claire left the house with a heavy heart. As she did she called Alex asking him to be there for Gabriel, begging him to stop him from doing anything stupid and to support him. She drove to Zoe's who didn't bother questioning anything, and instead, she let Claire stay in the guest room giving her a strong hug before bedtime.
Claire sat down in silence. She stared at the letters for a while before opening the first envelope.
'My dearest Claire,
I didn't know happiness before you, and I didn't know pain before you left. I was foolish to be the way I was. I was foolish every time I raised my voice, and every time I broke something. I was foolish to show you my anger. And most importantly, I was foolish to waste all my precious time with you because I was afraid to show you what I felt and because I was afraid to tell you how much you truly meant to me.
I love you, Claire, and I miss you deeply.
Your foolish husband,
Gabriel'
Claire read through them all, sobbing violently by the time she finished a second letter.
"What's wrong?" Zoe came in after hearing the sobs. Claire shook her head. "What are these?" Zoe enquired pointing at the letters. Claire passed her the letter. Zoe sat beside her reading it. "Why are you crying?"
"He's going to find out everything and he's going to hate me." Claire said between the tears.
"You don't know that." Zoe said sternly. "None of it was your fault. It's his father that…" Zoe didn't finish the sentence realising the issue. "You don't know, Claire. You don't know for sure."
"I've filed the lawsuit against his father. It'll be reviewed in the next few days." Claire started panicking.
"Maybe he hates his father?" Zoe asked, which made Claire chuckle. "There's always a chance of that."
"Maybe." Claire nodded.