Chapter 888: Triumph
Victor leaned back in his large chair, his fingers drumming idly on the armrest as he stared at the screen. There stood Rafe, still and silent, his head bowed in defeat while the press shouted questions at him with relentless fervor.
What did he say this time? That he was ashamed? Victor sighed, his lips curving into a faint smirk. It was predictable—typical, even. When had Rafael ever taken responsibility for anything? All his life, his misdeeds had been neatly swept under the rug, conveniently pinned on Kael, while he pranced about as the pristine white prince.
If only the man had shown a shred of guts—just once—and stood up for his wife. That, Victor mused, might have earned him a flicker of genuine respect. But no, there he was, keeping up the same old act, shielding his carefully polished image by throwing his wife under the bus.
Tsk, tsk. No problem. Let him keep up the charade. It wouldn’t matter in the end. Victor’s smile deepened as he leaned forward slightly. The throne was as good as his. With a shake of his head, he turned off the screen and closed his eyes, waiting for the next part to unfold.
Unknown to everyone else, another figure stood frozen as he stared at the news. Gabe’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening as he replayed the words he had just heard. Arabelle had been pregnant. Pregnant. How had he not known? The realization struck him like a thunderbolt, unraveling years of his pride at being the closest to Arabelle.
He thought back to the time when she was younger. There had been a time when she had been infinitely heart broken and tensed due to her first ever break up. She’d insisted that she wanted to leave for a vacation to get over that boy. And he had not insisted that she share her feelings with him.. So he’d let her, Cai and Dora plan a trip...
But now, the pieces didn’t fit. So that was it. Her sudden shift back then, her brittle smiles, her quiet moments of withdrawal—it hadn’t been about her breakup with that boyfriend at all. Gabe’s hands curled into fists, his protective instincts flaring like a wildfire. That boy. He’d been ready to blame her heartbreak on him and teach him a lesson, but now he realized there had been something far deeper, far more painful, at play. And someone needed to answer for it.
His eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line. That boy, was going to pay. Gabe was already forming the command in his mind, prepared to instruct his assistant to dig into the past and find that sorry excuse for a man. But before he could voice his intent, Rafe’s voice broke through the noise again, pulling him sharply back to the present.
"I am ashamed..."
Gabe stiffened, his breath catching as the words registered. His stomach churned with a white-hot anger. Ashamed of Arabelle? The thought ignited a firestorm within him. Rage rolled off him in waves, his mind racing ahead. Rafe had glanced sideways, just for a second, but it was enough. Gabe’s sharp eyes caught the movement. Arabelle was likely standing there, within earshot of the accusations, enduring every damning word.
His heart clenched, fury overtaking reason. How dare he! Was this the man who had promised him just yeaterday that he would always care for Arabelle.