Pushing the thoughts away, I get in and Gabriel follows next. After his driver get in, he starts the car, and soon we are off.


    "Sir, are you rich?" Lilly''s voice cuts through the awkward atmosphere.


    "Lilly," I admonish. "You''re not supposed to ask people such personal questions."


    One thing you''ll learn about my daughter is that she has no filter. She''ll speak her mind; everyone else be damned. She doesn''t care if she crosses a line, as long as she get it off her chest and mind Instead of getting angry or irritated like he should, Gabriel just chuckles before asking,


    "Why do you ask?"


    She shrugs. "Because one, you have a private jet that costs anywhere from two million dors to one hundred, then there is your car, which is around two hundred thousand dors, and let''s not forget your suit, watch, and shoes. From their material alone, you can tell they''re expensive."


    Lilly does know her numbers. Apart from cars, her other hobby is watching business channels and reading business magazines. Her favorite is the ounting section.


    I noticed this when she was around five years old. Her sharp intelligence and love for anything numerical. I didn''t want to let her down and waste her potential. It''s why I broke my back to make sure she went to a good school.


    Gabriel''s small and deepugh makes me turn to him. There was something akin to pride shining in his eyes. It''s almost like his eyes were speaking the words his mouth couldn''t.


    I know how he feels. I struggled with this a lot, even though I was proud of her. She shared a lot with her dad. In addition to the cars, they also shared their love for numbers.


    "You could say that," came his reply minutester.


    "I also want to be rich when I grow up," she began. "Like filthy rich. That way, I can give Mama a good life."


    Just hearing her say that warms my heart... And the fact that she called me mama made my heart melt into a mushy goo. She hasn''t called me that in a long time. Once she hit six years old, she transitioned from calling me mama to mom.


    Gabriel turns to me, but I ignore his stare. From the corner of my eyes, I see him nod, and then we all get quiet.


    "Are we staying with you?" Lilly fired again after a while, making me groan in embarrassment.


    I did want to ask Gabriel that, given the contract, but I didn''t want to ask within Lilly''s hearing range.


    "Yes, I have a penthouse where we will all be staying for a while," he replied. "In fact, we are almost there."


    "Final question: are you mom''s boyfriend? Are you going to marry her?"


    "Lilly!"


    Gosh, this girl. What was I going to do with her?


    Lilly turns to me, then back to Gabriel when he begins speaking.


    "First of all, those are two questions, and second of all, yes, I''m going to marry your mother."


    Her pink lips broadened in a wide smile at his answer. "Good. She''s been lonely since Papa died."


    I''m sure my cheeks are ming red. I can''t believe that she would say that so confidently in front of Gabriel... Then again, why am I so surprised?


    I''m totally embarrassed. Gabriel was thest person I wanted, knowing just how lonely I am.


    Lilly was about to open her mouth, when the car stops. I breathe a sigh of relief and thank the heavens. Thest thing I wanted was for her to reveal even more embarrassing things about me. The door opens and Gabriel''s driver helps us out. Lilly and I stand there for a while, admiring the tall and imposing building.


    "Jared will let you in and show you your rooms," Gabriel says from behind me.


    I turn to find him out of the car. What surprised me, though, was that he was seated in the driver''s seat.


    "Aren''t youing with us?" I asked, fumbling with my hands.


    His grey eyes pin me to the spot. "No, and don''t wait up for me."


    With that, he speeds away, leaving us with a stranger.


    "This way, madam," Jarred says, taking our luggage.


    I give the car onest look before following Jarred to the entrance.


    I know where Gabriel is going. He cheated on me during our marriage multiple times. He was probably heading to one of his many mistresses.


    What bothered me, though, is that that thought send a pang of hurt through my heart. I didn''t understand why.


    It''s been years, shouldn''t I be over it?