Chapter 65: Revenge is Good For the Heart
"I can’t believe you got yourself a puppy!" Anaїs’s exasperated voice rang through the room as she once again glanced at her phone screen, currently lit with the face of her grandson on a video call.
"What’s the big deal, anyway?" Gabriel pouted, lifting the puppy’s tiny paw and waving it at the camera. "I’ll take good care of him, I promise! Besides, you always said I needed to be more responsible, and having a dog is, like, peak responsibility!"
"You fool!" she snapped, her brows furrowing deeper. "When I said that, I meant you needed to grow up—learn to stand by your words and actions. Decide who you want to be. What kind of life you want to live!"
That last bit made Gabriel chuckle, but the smug smile quickly faded when he saw the disapproving lines deepen on Anaїs’s face. With a sigh, he gently placed the puppy on the bed and raked his fingers through his unruly blond curls.
"I didn’t come here just to run away from you, you know," Gabriel murmured, his voice lower now, eyes drifting away from the screen. "I came to help... both of them. Revenge isn’t a game—it’s serious business. It takes planning. People. Power. You and I both know that better than anyone."
Anaїs fell silent, her gaze no longer fixed on the screen either. She often scolded Gabriel for being childish, called him impulsive and immature—but in truth, her grandson had grown up far too quickly. He’d carried burdens meant for men twice his age, long before he was ready.
"That man is in jail, Gabriel," she finally said, her voice wavering near the edge of a crack. "He’s going to rot and die in there. I don’t want you wasting your soul chasing revenge. I don’t want you becoming bitter... like—"
She stopped mid-sentence, her lips trembling as she caught herself—almost saying something she shouldn’t have. But Gabriel already knew.
"Like William?" he finished softly, completing the thought for her.