Page 86 of Surrendering to the Obsession

The girl pouted. “I live with my family. We can’t go there.”

Gabriel’s hand slid possessively to her hip, pulling her closer. “Then let’s go to a hotel. We can spend a nice, relaxing night… and you can please me all you want.”

She laughed, swinging her head back and leaning into him as they headed toward the exit.

But Gabriel’s steps faltered. Through the glass wall, he saw Mia sitting inside the restaurant’s exclusive area. A man sat beside her, his back turned toward Gabriel.

His chest tightened, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. “No… that can’t be Mia.” He stared, unblinking, making sure he wasn’t mistaken.

Chapter 15 A Cheater

There she was, seated near the window, serene and composed, a faint smile playing at her lips. Gabriel shifted from foot to foot, straining for a clear view of the man with her. But the man’s back was turned, and his face remained impossible to see.

Gabriel’s mind raced, anger coiling in his chest. “So she finally came out of the hole she was hiding in to make James chase her? Who the hell is that man with her?”

He reached for the door to step inside, but a waiter materialized almost instantly, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, sir. You can’t enter. Please settle your bill outside and leave this way,” the waiter instructed, his stance blocking Gabriel’s path.

Gabriel ground his teeth, fury flaring, but before he could argue, Mia rose from her seat. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on the man’s cheek.

Gabriel’s face fell, disbelief rooting him to the spot.

Immediately, he pulled out his phone and began snapping photos, capturing the moment as Mia kissed the man, pulled back and settled elegantly into her seat. His chest burned as he stared at her, jaw tight.

“I’m sorry, sir. You need to leave,” the waiter repeated, gently guiding Gabriel toward the exit.

Gabriel stormed out, the girl still clinging to his arm. Once outside, he couldn’t resist glancing back again. The one-way glass concealed them from view.

He quickly sent the photographs he had snapped to James, fingers trembling slightly as he typed furiously:

‘Weren’t you searching for this woman all over the city? Look—she’s cheating on you with some roadside bastard. I always told you she has character issues. She probably already cheated on you before your divorce. Look at her now, kissing a man right after the divorce, spending her nights with someone else.’

With that, he hit send.

The girl on his arm whined, tugging at him. “Gabriel, what are you doing? Aren’t we going to a hotel?”

Gabriel barely heard her. His eyes were locked on the large glass wall of the steakhouse, heart hammering, chest tight. His lips pressed into a thin line, teeth grinding as a flash of sharp, burning jealousy surged through him. ‘What did she even see in that man that she is clinging onto him like that? If she’s divorced… she could have come to me.’

Mia’s image appeared vividly in his mind.

He had always been envious of James. Seeing Mia hang on his every word, doing everything he asked, had sparked a feeling in Gabriel he hadn’t expected. And because she had been the wife of his best friend, there had been nothing he could do about it.

Now, after her divorce, she was finally free. And seeing her with another man ignited Gabriel’s jealousy even more.

“Did I have a chance…?” Gabriel muttered under his breath, fingers tightening around his phone. The flash of jealousy burned hotter in his chest, making it hard to breathe. His pulse raced, mind spinning with a mixture of frustration and longing.

The girl on his arm nudged him lightly. “Gabriel? What are you thinking about? Let’s go, I’m getting tired.”

Gabriel’s temper flared instantly. His grip on her arm tightened as he roughly steered her toward the car. “Let’s go,” he barked, voice harsh, laced with possessiveness. “You’re calming me down tonight.” He shoved her into the car, slammed the door, and roared the engine to life, leaving the restaurant behind.

***

James sat in his car, phone in hand, eyes locked on the screen. He sent another message to William:

“Did you find Mia’s address yet? Where is she living now?”

William’s answer came back tense. “No, Mr. Sinclair. We haven’t found anything. Whoever she married has deliberately hidden her location. Even the government files are locked. No one can access them.”

James ground his teeth, fury boiling. “What the fuck is going on?!