I will love again

Part 15 - Secrets?

The young assistant just stared at him.

"What? It's a memory stick. What kind of surprise could that be?", she asked with her voice trembling.

"You'll see", Gabriel said softly and smiled at her. "But go and have some food before you look what's on it, okay?"

Nathalie nodded shyly. Then she walked towards the kitchen. The designer watched her leave, a sad smile on his lips.

The young woman returned half an hour later, a cup of coffee for both of them on a tray, as well as a portion of cereals and an apple.

"Here, you need to eat too, you know.", Nathalie scolded as she set the tray on her desk. "Sit and eat", she demanded.

"Really?", Gabriel asked quietly. "You might want to be alone, while looking at the contents of the stick."

"Have you seen it? Whatever it is?"

He nodded silently.

"Well, there will be no need then, to be alone with it, right?", the female suggested.

He shrugged. "If you want me to leave anyway, just give me a sign."

Nathalie chuckled lightly. Then she plugged the small device into the hub on her computer. A short moment later, her mother showed up on the screen. The assistant looked towards Gabriel questioningly. But the designer just smiled lovingly.

"Listen!", he hissed.

She turned up the volume of her speakers and listened to her mother's words, that she of course had directed at Gabriel, because she didn't know about the hidden camera.

"It's very kind, that you are offering me a way out of here, Mr. what was it?", the aged woman mumbled.

"Just Gabriel", the designer could be heard.

Nathalie's mother nodded. "Gabriel", she continued, "it's very kind, that you are willing to safe an old woman like me, but I don't care anymore. I am used to this life and I will be more than happy, if you just keep my daughter safe." The old woman started to cry while she spoke. "Please tell her, that I am sorry for everything she had to go through because of what my husband made me tell that woman. She was a handful when she was small, that's true, but she never did something bad. All she wanted was to be free. She should have run away after the first time he beat her. And you also have to tell her, that I love her more than anything in the world. Maybe you can make her happy and give her the life my little girl deserved from the very beginning."
Now there could be voices heard, that quickly got louder.

"I have to go", Nathalie's mother muttered quickly and rushed out of sight.

The clip ended here. He had watched her closely while she listened to her mother's voice. At some point she had slapped her hands over her mouth and tears were falling from her eyes.

Now the assistant turned her head to face him.

"Why?", she asked. "I told you to stay far away from them. They will do everything they can to hurt you. You were lucky to make it out of there unharmed! What would have happened if...I can't do that on my own. How did you even find them?"

Gabriel got to his feet and walked to his assistant to just pull her against his chest and hold her there, until she calmed down.

"Before this week will be over, the, by Ladybug recorded, apologies of each of them will be broadcasted by every possible source on the Internet, on TV and in every newspaper there is. Nobody will believe them after that. And I have also said a few words myself, about the two of us and that it's none of anyone's business, if we are a couple or not. And that we never betrayed Emilie, neither as long as she was awake nor when she was in a coma. I as well told, that without you, I would have lost everything years ago, so if anyone was dependent on the other for money, it would be me."