Chapter 16
The dining hall glowed with chandeliers and polished silver, a dazzling display of wealth that Andrea had never quite gotten used to. The room hummed with polite conversation, punctuated by bursts of laughter from the red-tied elites at the center tables. She adjusted her napkin on her lap, keeping her gaze down and willing the night to pass quickly.
Across from her, Victoria Sterling was in rare form. With her perfectly coiffed blonde hair and icy smile, she was the queen of subtle cruelty, and tonight her target was unmistakable.
“Of course,” Victoria said loudly, her voice carrying across the table. “It’s so inspiring to see how some students have managed to climb so far despite… well, let’s just say, humble beginnings.”
Andrea froze, her hand tightening around her fork.
Victoria smiled sweetly, her emerald eyes sparkling with faux innocence. “I mean, it’s practically a fairy tale. Poor little scholarship girl rises to royalty. Don’t you all agree?”
The elites around her chuckled, their laughter quiet but biting. Andrea’s cheeks burned as she stared at her plate, her pulse thundering in her ears.
“Victoria,” Gabriel’s calm voice cut through the noise like a knife, “if you’re trying to make a point, I’d suggest doing it without embarrassing yourself in the process.”
The table fell silent. Andrea looked up in surprise, her eyes meeting Gabriel’s steady gray gaze. He was seated at the far end, his posture relaxed but his words sharp.
Victoria blinked, her mask slipping for a fraction of a second. “Excuse me?” she said, her voice tight.
Gabriel tilted his head slightly, his tone casual but laced with steel. “You’re clearly trying very hard to make yourself look superior, but all you’ve done is make everyone uncomfortable. Maybe you should leave it at that.”
The room seemed to hold its breath.
Victoria’s lips tightened, but she forced a laugh. “I see. The Sinclair family strikes again, always swooping in to save the day. How charming.”
Gabriel didn’t reply, his cool gaze locking hers in place until she finally looked away. Murmurs rippled through the table, a few amused smirks flashing among the elites.
Andrea risked a glance at him, her heart pounding. Gabriel’s expression remained calm, but when his eyes flicked to hers, there was something warm—reassuring—there.
Later, Andrea slipped away from the crowded dining hall, her chest still tight from the confrontation. She wandered through the manicured gardens, the cool night air soothing against her flushed skin.
The gravel crunched softly under her shoes as she found a quiet bench near the edge of the garden. She sat down, exhaling shakily.
The sound of approaching footsteps made her stiffen, but when she looked up, it was Gabriel. His tie was loosened, his blazer slung over one shoulder as he stopped a few feet away.
“I thought you might be here,” he said, his voice softer now.
Andrea managed a weak smile. “Needed some air. That was… a lot.”
Gabriel nodded, stepping closer. “Victoria has a talent for being insufferable.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Andrea muttered, rubbing her temples.
Gabriel watched her for a moment before setting his blazer on the bench and pulling a small leather sketchbook from his pocket. “Do you mind if I sit?”
Andrea hesitated, then gestured for him to join her. “Go ahead.”
He sat beside her, flipping open the sketchbook. “You’re interesting to draw,” he said, almost absentmindedly.
Andrea blinked. “What?”
Gabriel smirked faintly, pulling out a piece of charcoal. “Your expressions. They’re… layered. Most people here have a single face they wear, but you? You don’t hide what you’re feeling.”
She wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted. “I didn’t realize I was so transparent.”
“It’s not a bad thing,” Gabriel said, glancing at her before his charcoal began moving across the page. “It’s rare.”
Andrea shifted slightly, feeling self-conscious as he studied her. The intensity of his focus was unnerving, but she didn’t look away.
“What do you see when you draw me?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Gabriel paused, his gaze meeting hers. For a moment, he seemed caught off guard. “I see… someone trying to hold everything together. Someone who doesn’t realize how strong they already are.”
Andrea’s breath hitched, her chest tightening at his words. “That’s… oddly specific.”
Gabriel’s lips curved into a faint smile, but there was something vulnerable in his eyes. “I’ve been watching you,” he admitted. “Not in a creepy way,” he added quickly, the faintest hint of color rising to his cheeks. “It’s just… you stand out. You’re not like the others.”
Andrea looked down, unsure how to respond. The air between them felt charged, heavy with unspoken words.
Gabriel leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “They don’t deserve to pull you down, Andrea. Don’t let them.”
Her heart skipped a beat, the warmth in his tone catching her off guard. “Why do you care?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
For a moment, Gabriel didn’t answer. His gaze lingered on hers, his usual calm slipping into something deeper, more intense. “Because I do,” he said simply.
Andrea felt a strange vulnerability under his gaze, like he could see straight through her walls. She looked away, her cheeks flushing.
The sound of the charcoal scratching against the page filled the silence for a while.
“You’re a good subject,” Gabriel said eventually, his voice lighter now. “Difficult, but good.”
Andrea managed a small laugh, glancing at him. “Thanks, I think.”
He finished with a few final strokes before tearing the page from the sketchbook. He hesitated, then handed it to her.
Andrea took it carefully, her fingers brushing his. The drawing was striking, capturing her in a way that felt almost too real—raw and unguarded.
“I’ll take it,” she said softly, her voice catching in her throat.
Gabriel’s eyes lingered on hers for a moment longer before he stood, slipping the sketchbook back into his pocket.
“Goodnight, Andrea,” he said, his voice as steady as ever. But as he walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something between them had shifted.
