After My Death, My Husband Who Threw Me Into the Hunting Grounds Went Insane novel Chapter 86

GABRIEL

There were reasons why I preferred to live alone. 

Helen Stark could see through my mask, and she was the only one—not even my real mother could see it. I'd always longed for a mother's affection, and she knew exactly what she was doing. I wasn't even her son, but she cared for all her children equally. Not that I didn't want it, but living with the Starks made me forget why I reclaimed myself. 

It was to crush and destroy Hopkins down. I should never forget how they ruined my life, and I wasn't their only victim.

I could never drag the family down with my issues.

The dinner was already served when we arrived at the house. The rest of the family was present at the elongated table. 

"Good evening, Dad." I first greeted Elazar with a brief embrace. 

"Gabriel! So, Maya wasn't lying when she told us you are coming?" He accepted my greeting and patted my back as his welcome. 

Maya appeared at our side and kissed Elazar's cheek. "Hey, Dad! He was going to ditch me for a beautiful blonde, but I insisted. She doesn't seem to mind." She grinned sweetly.

Helen's expression surprised. "Is this true? Isn't Maxine a brunette?"

"Mom." I walked towards her as well and kissed her cheek.

"Sweetheart!" She hugged me. "I'm glad you are here."

"It's not Maxine, and it's certainly not Gabriel's girlfriend. It's his assistant," Coulson interrupted, coming from behind, and he held Helen as well.

"Really?" Helen was even more astonished. "Is she new? You never even brought Kline once."

I squeezed my temples. No information had really walked past my mother. She always knew what was happening in the office. Damn, Kline. 

"It's because she's a vision! I told you. Gabriel is always fond of beautiful girls!" Maya crossed her arms.

"You are exaggerating, and your imagination is unbelievable. Miss Hopkins is there to work." I paced towards the table and pulled out a chair.

Coulson laughed. "She's just jealous."

Elazar settled at the head of the table, and then the maids began filling our glasses with water and wine. "Anyway, it's not always you are here to dine with us. You should do this often."

"We're always busy at work, Dad." Coulson sighed, shaking his head. "I, myself, sometimes forget about lunchtime." 

However, I also missed one thing while living with the Starks. Compassion. They had always supported each other, and they were the definition of a perfect family. I was lucky enough to become a part of them. 

After a few minutes of silence, Elazar spoke. "By the way, Gabriel, Coulson. It's only a week until your company's sports fest, right?"

Coulson wiped his mouth. "Yep, what of it?"

"The Exclusive magazine called my office today, and they wanted to feature both of you on their front page and some pages, I think." Elazar ate another forkful of this food.

"But don't they only cover celebrities?" Helen asked. "Do they target businessmen now?"

"Exactly, we are not. And don't you know? Exclusive has a reputation for publishing biased information. I wouldn't want my face plastered on their magazine." I sighed and put my utensils down. "They already called us last week, and I had their calls blocked in our system."

"Have you spoken to them?" Elazar queried.

"No."

"Well, they reached my assistant's direct line," he informed. "And they had been bugging Wallace for days. However, what they offered seemed promising, to be honest. I actually considered letting them cover our estate in Southampton and offered that you use the place for your sports fest."

"The idea is actually brilliant—covering sports fest and the estate seems to be a good commercial that'd benefit both the apparel and the Stark's businesses. But Gabriel's right. Exclusive Magazine is biased." Coulson shrugged. 

"It might've been my fault," Maya interjected. Four pairs of eyes shifted in her direction.

"Why do you say so?" Helen asked. 

"It's Carla. She's back, and she contacted me. She seems well, and she told me she works as a Marketing Director at Exclusive, and she's, well, your ex, so I passed her to Wallace's line."

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist in unison. Right. Maya didn't really know what happened between me and Carla. She knew all this time that Carla and I split because of our differences, nothing else, and she always thought Carla and I still had a chance to reconcile. 

Coulson smirked. "Carla Garner. Your greatest nightmare," he commented. "I thought you already got rid of her?" He shook his head, sighing. 

Well, that was what I thought, too. 

"What else did she want from your brother?" Elazar asked. "I thought it was her who ended things with him?"

Coulson and I shared the same look. We both knew something they didn't. Carla didn't break up with me. I did. 

Carla and I had differences, it was true, but she once rescued me from my pathetic self. I couldn't say that I loved her. Maybe I did not, but I couldn't trust anyone (except for the Starks), and she was the first person outside the family who showed me I could live normally again. 

She made me happy just by staying by my side. She was smart, beautiful, and sweet. She taught me how to fuck, as well as my first. Suddenly I found a new direction in my life, but she betrayed me.

She sighed in defeat. "You're not really going to tell me, are you?" 

I didn't answer. 

"Maya," Coulson prompted. 

"Fine!" she shrieked, then she turned around and stomped away, slamming the door shut as she exited. Coulson waited a few more minutes before he spoke. 

"So now tell me? What are you planning to do?"

"I will lure her out of her comfort zone, and then I will make her pay for what she did."

Coulson walked towards the desk and sat in front of me. "She holds a great threat to all of us, you know that, right? She worked with Thomlinson once, our business rival."

I looked at him. "She's not stupid enough to make the same mistake, but she's up to something, that's for sure."

He nodded, and then he crossed his legs. "So what now? Are you really going to keep doing this, Gabriel?"

"Do what?"

"Making people pay for what they did to you. You can never move on if you keep doing this," he said.

"The last thing I want is you lecturing me," I retorted. I picked up the stress ball from the desk and squeezed it hard. 

"So, the woman who started all your misery appears. Miss Hopkins. What are you going to do about her?" he inserted out of the blue.

Alright, he got me there. Coulson didn't just become my brother, but my best friend I could count on as well. It was surprising that he knew much more about my life than myself. 

"Why should I tell you again? So you could come and try to befriend her like you did earlier in the exhibit? Why did you approach her, Coulson?"

He heaved a sigh. "Gabriel, from the moment you stepped into our lives, we were both troubled, but then you saved me from myself, and it is time I save you from yours. Audrey Hopkins isn't the person whom you told me she was. I realized that while she was working with us. I say, she's also a victim of her family's severity."

I banged the wooden desk with my fist. "You don't know what you are talking about."

"I never wanted to meddle in your affairs, but this woman… She's rather innocent, diligent, and kind. Can't you see it? She doesn't even know you're still alive."

"Then don't meddle," I said, almost pleading. "I almost died, Coulson, and it's because of her. I will make her and her family pay for what they did to me. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"But you didn't," he retorted. "You didn't die. You were given a chance." He raised his hand in surrender, and finally, he sprang up. "I am your friend, Gabriel, not your enemy. I'm saying this because I think you are making a mistake."