Claire struggled to wake up. Her headache was skull splitting. She wasn't sure where she was. The room was light and airy and the sun was breaking in through chiffon like blinds. The room had a peaceful sort of warmth, like a spring morning on a weekend. The world seemed to be still in its quietness.
Claire's eyes caught Gabriel sitting in the armchair. He was leaning forward, resting his chin on his hands, and his elbows on his knees. His face was twisted in a frown but it didn't seem to be directed at Claire. He wore a blood stained shirt and black trousers matched by black socks. He has taken off his suit jacket and bow tie by now.
Claire blinked several times as she tried to recall how she ended up in the unknown room and beside Gabriel. For a second she thought that everything else was just a bad nightmare and that finally she awoke from it, but a bloody stain on Gabriel's shirt hinted otherwise.
A grunt escaped her lips as she tried to move.
"Stay still." Gabriel said shortly. "Doctor said you might be concussed. It is better if you do not move much."
"Brilliant." Claire grumbled sarcastically. "What happened?"
"I've tried to punch Daniel, and he tried to punch me back. He missed and caught you. You fell back and you hit your head on the floor." Gabriel seemed to bite the inside of his cheek as he explained what happened.
"Where am I?"
"My home."
"Why?"
"Because…" Gabriel stopped and didn't explain any further. He couldn't explain all of the thoughts that stormed his brain.
Claire let out yet another tired sigh and then she tried to sit up, ignoring the pain the best she could. It was still nothing compared to the pain she experienced before.
Gabriel didn't stop her. He watched as she sat up, as she wobbled on the bed.
"Where is my purse?" She asked as she looked around the room.
"Inside the bedside table." Gabriel answered the question.
"Thanks." Claire found it and then she found her coat and shoes on the side. She tried to work out if she had enough of strength to dress up and leave. She noticed her dress on the chair in the far corner and blushed in embarrassment as she looked down and realised that she wore an oversized pyjamas that definitely didn't belong to her. She automatically pulled up the duvet as if she tried to cover herself up.
"How do you know Daniel?" Gabriel asked at last. The question startled her, reminding her of his presence.
"I-…" Claire stuttered. Her brain was too hazy to fully process everything that was happening. "I've met him during a banquet a few years ago. I was invited there after securing a contract with the Jones family." Claire answered honestly.
"Why did he try to… kill you?" Gabriel wasn't certain whether killing Claire was truly the intend but it looked like it. He subconsciously clenched his fists.
"He blames me for the fact that a lot of dodgy stuff he did came to the light and he ended up facing consequences for his actions." Claire shrugged.
"What happened?"
"He took a liking to me during that banquet and he started to bother me at work. During one particular dinner, he slipped a date rape drug into my drink but he wasn't successful in taking me back home. Instead, his date rape tendencies came to light causing him some issues. He started to threaten me. He and his family fully blamed it on me. I came across him during another event and he tried to assault me then."
"And?"
"You've beat him and he ended up in prison." Claire mumbled. "You also were the one that stopped him from taking me home after I was drugged. You made sure that I got home safely that night. Later, you were the one who filed the lawsuit against him and who found other women he assaulted to have a solid case against him."
"But he blames you?"
"Yes." Claire nodded. "I hold no power so I'm an easy target." Claire hesitated. "Thank you for saving me. Again. I'm sorry for the trouble it must've caused you."
"I don't remember anything of what you keep telling me. But neither do I remember the stuff that others told me. The difference is, there is tens of other people and so few that could confirm your story." Gabriel hesitated. "I don't think I can love you like I did before."
Claire nodded in silence. She didn't fully understand the intend behind his words. She didn't hear the hint in his voice. She believed that he didn't love her anymore, and she did not hear that he actually felt things for her that he couldn't explain. She didn't know that she evoke feelings in him that were deeply hidden in him, but for which he had no logical explanation. He didn't remember the things that started those feelings, yet the warm tingling was there.
"Thank you." She uttered after a moment. "Thank you for being honest with me."
"Stay until you feel better." Gabriel said hopefully.
"I appreciate your help but… I am not certain that I should."
Gabriel was silent momentarily, unsure on how to persuade her to stay.
"Project L8967." As Gabriel said it, Claire looked back at him with her eyes wide open. He had no doubts that she knew of the secret project in his company's system. "What is project L8967?"
"It's a private customer." Claire replied honestly.
"It is password protected."
"It was confidential."
"What is the password?" Gabriel's eyes shined as he looked directly into Claire's eyes. Something about the way he looked at Claire made her pause.
"According to the Diamond Corporate client confidentiality policy, the client can request highest level confidentiality if the design is private. In this instances, only the designer has access to the full documentation. Anyone else working on the project will receive only the relevant components. It is the designers duty to ensure the confidentiality is retained throughout the entire project, up to its completion."
"What is the project, Claire?"
Claire was silent. Her insides twisted at Gabriel saying her name again.
"It is not a skyscraper or the next gallery or hotel. It was meant to be a home." She answered at last, buckling under Gabriel's gaze.
"What happened to the project?"
"Like everything else in my life, it was stopped and gotten rid of." Claire put a forced smile on her face. "But then, I am just crazy. Why would I have ever been a designer in a company like Diamond Corporate? Elise Cooper never was employed at DC." There was a bite in her voice.
"Claire Thompson supposedly was." Gabriel said as a reply.
"Supposedly." Claire repeated as she looked down at her lap. "Why are you so hung up on it? It's all in the past. As I've said, it isn't going to bring you happiness." Claire said carefully slowly looking back up at him.
Gabriel was silent for a good few moments, feeling the atmosphere and tension between them become so thick that almost suffocating.
"I want to know the truth no matter how ugly and hurtful it is." Gabriel admitted at last. He didn't know why he was willing to admit it to Claire who logically was still a stranger. He felt at home with her. "Rest. If you need anything, dial number 0 on the phone." He pointed at the bedside table. "I do have to deal with a few things now but I will check on you in a bit. If you need anything else, a drink or food, dial number 1."
"Thank you." Claire uttered.
As soon as Gabriel left the room, she got up and started getting dressed. She was fighting the tears since the moment she saw him and now they streamed down her face. She wrote 'thank you' on the bit of paper that she found in a drawer of a bedside table and left it on top.
She opened the door to a long corridor and with hesitation she walked away, feeling as if she was sneaking around.
The house was exactly how she imagined Gabriel's style. It was modern and minimalist. Aside of the guest room which had more soft furnishings than the rest of the house and which was painted in the cosy shade of magnolia that seemed to draw more warmth from the morning sun.
It didn't take long for Claire to find her way out and there she called a taxi with the last few bits of battery her phone had left.
Gabriel didn't stop her as he noticed her walking out of his home through the upstairs window. He was on call with one of his advisors when he spotted Claire walking out wearing her green dress.
Claire didn't look back to notice that Gabriel stood by the window and watched her vanish behind the gate.