Through the Dark

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It's been two months since I first met Gabby, and I can honestly say she's one of the sweetest, loveliest little girls I've ever known. Once you get past her shy front, you realize she's actually a whirlwind of energy—an unstoppable little ball of joy who keeps everyone on their toes.

It's also been two months since I told her the truth—that I wasn't her real mum. She cried so much, believing at first that I was rejecting her. My heart broke into a thousand pieces watching her sob like that. But when I promised her that I wasn't going anywhere, that I would never leave her, the light slowly returned to her eyes. She gave me the most fragile, beautiful smile and started opening up to me in ways I never expected.

Ever since that day in the hospital, Amy and I have been talking a lot more. She's become a comforting presence in my life. Just three days after we brought Gabby back home, Amy met Stacy—and from that moment, the two of them became fast friends. Too fast, if you ask me. Now they're practically partners-in-crime, always plotting something together.

And of course, their favorite pastime? Teasing me and Harry. It's like they've made it their personal mission to push us back into the dating scene. They've been bugging us non-stop about going out together again, and to make matters worse, they've enlisted Gabby as their secret weapon. With her big almond eyes and pouty little smile, there's no way either of us can say no when she joins their team.

They know we can't say no to Gabby.

And yes, we had our third date—this time on the rooftop of our office building. Harry said if we went out anywhere public, there was a chance we'd get caught by paparazzi, and neither of us wanted that kind of chaos.

When I stepped onto the rooftop, I was honestly speechless. The whole place was strung with colorful lights, glowing softly against the night sky. In the middle, a cozy blanket was laid out with a basket of food and a bottle of wine waiting beside it. It felt like something straight out of a movie.

That night, we just talked and talked, laughed until our cheeks hurt, and for a moment, it was like the world shrank down to just the two of us. He even sang a few of his songs for me, and let's just say... having a private concert under the stars? Absolute dream.

Our third date was quickly followed by another—this time, a dinner in the middle of the sea on his private yacht.

Yes. A freaking expensive yacht!

It started off magical, the kind of date you'd brag about forever. But, of course, reality had other plans. Neither of us expected to get seasick right in the middle of dinner, so the romantic cruise ended much earlier than planned.

From there, one date turned into another, then another, until it just became... natural. My colleagues at work have started to suspect something's going on. Some of the girls glare at me like I've stolen their dream, while others are genuinely happy for me—hoping Harry and I find some kind of peace together. It's funny, though, because technically... we're not even an item yet.

*****

Monday morning. I was buried in paperwork, scanning and editing documents that needed to be passed to James. My focus was locked on the screen, red marks scattered across the page.

Then, speak of the devil—James stormed into my office, a deep frown carved into his face. He didn't even knock.

My eyes immediately caught the newspaper in his hand. His knuckles were tight around it, his expression somewhere between frustration and worry.

"We need to talk," he said flatly.

Oh no. What is it now?

"Sure," I replied, forcing calm into my voice. I gestured toward the chair in front of my desk. "Have a seat."