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The clock struck 3:10 PM. The afternoon sun was warm, casting a golden glow over Gabriella's bedroom. She was lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone and lost in her music, when a notification popped up from an unknown number.
The profile picture was unmistakable: Felix.
Felix: "Save my number."
Gabriella's eyes narrowed. How did he get my number? Then it clicked—Aunt Fiona. She replied with a dry, "Ok."
Felix: "Planned where we're going for our date today?"
Gabriella: "Your wish."
The second she hit send, she froze. Wait! I wasn't even going to go! She scrambled to edit the text, but the double checkmarks turned blue.
Felix: "Then let's go somewhere far away. 😏 I'm at your house. You have 10 minutes to get ready."
Gabriella bolted to her balcony. Sure enough, his sleek black car was idling in the driveway. "Ten minutes?! I'm not going!" she hissed. She scrambled to call her mom downstairs. "Mom! If Felix comes in, tell him I'm not home! Tell him I went to a friend's house!" Before her mom reply she hang up.
Downstairs, the doorbell rang. Roselette opened it to find a stunningly handsome man. "Hi, Auntie. I'm Felix. I'm here to pick up Gabriella."
Roselette, completely charmed, beamed at him. "Sit, please! She's in her room. I'll go get her."
Before she could move, Felix smiled. "It's okay, Auntie. I'll go up."
Gabriella, hearing footsteps, She sighed, "Mom...! " Panicked. She looked around her room—nowhere to run. In a moment of pure desperation, she dove into her large walk-in wardrobe, pulling the doors shut just as the bedroom door opened.
Felix walked in. The room was empty. Roselette followed, looking confused. "Maybe she's in the washroom? Wait in the living room, Felix, I'll find her."
But Roselette knew her daughter too well. As soon as Felix turned his back, Roselette marched over to the wardrobe and yanked the doors open. There sat Gabriella, curled up among her dresses, looking like a caught rabbit.
"I've known you since you were a baby, Gabby," Roselette whispered, pulling her out. "You always hide here. Now go on the date!"
Suddenly, the door swung wide again. Felix had come back to ask a question, and he stopped dead. He saw Roselette pulling a disheveled Gabriella out from behind a row of coats.
The silence was deafening. Felix let out a slow, awkward smile. Gabriella wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
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A few minutes later, Gabriella was trudging toward the car, dressed in a chic denim jacket and black boots, her hair tied back but messy from her wardrobe adventure. As she sat in the passenger seat, Felix leaned over. She froze, her breath catching as his face came inches from hers.
He buckled her seatbelt.
"No need to feel awkward about the date, " he teased, his voice a low, mocking velvet. "And definitely no need to hide in a wardrobe."
"I was searching for my... my gloves!" Gabriella snapped, looking out the window.
"Gloves," Felix smirked. "Right."
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An hour later, the city was a distant memory. They had reached a rugged, beautiful hill station. Both of them get out from car. Gabriella asked " Where are we going?".
Felix pointed toward a steep stone staircase leading up the mountain while he is leaning in car. Gabriella sighed—she wasn't exactly the "hiking" type.
After thirty minutes of climbing, her lungs were burning. She collapsed onto a stone bench. Felix, looking perfectly energetic and not even breaking a sweat, looked down at her. "Tired already?"
"How much further?" she gasped.
"A few minutes. Hurry, or you'll miss the scenery."
Gabriella tried to stand, but a sharp pain shot through her foot. Her stylish boots were digging into her skin. Felix noticed immediately. Without a word, he knelt before her and took her foot in his lap. Gabriella gasped, her heart racing as his warm hands began to gently massage her sore heel.
The mountain breeze caught her hair, blowing it across her face. She looked down at him, mesmerized by the sudden gentleness in his eyes. The revenge, the anger, the wardrobe embarrassment—it all faded.
"Can you walk?" he asked softly.
"I... I can," she stammered, trying to stand. Her ankle wobbled.
Before she could protest, Felix stepped in. In one swift, powerful motion, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal-style.
"I don't think so," he said, his eyes locking onto hers with a challenge. "You're too slow. We'll never make it if I don't carry you."
Felix hiked the rest of the way with Gabriella in his arms as if she weighed nothing. They reached the summit just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, turning the sky into a sea of fire and purple.
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The air at the summit was thin and sweet, smelling of wild pine and the coming evening. Felix moved with effortless strength, finally reaching the perfect vantage point. He leaned forward and gently placed Gabriella down on her feet.
A Golden Trap
Gabriella gasped, her eyes widening. Before her, the sky was a masterpiece of burning orange, deep violet, and bleeding gold. The sun was a heavy coin sinking into the mountain range.
"Wow..." she whispered, her voice filled with genuine wonder.
"We reached just in time," Felix said, his voice a low rumble.
Gabriella looked at him, her denim jacket slightly oversized and her hair a mess from the wind, but her smile was radiant. "Do you come here often?"
Felix's smile faltered. A shadow of deep, cold sadness crossed his face for a split second. "I came here once," he said shortly.
Gabriella noticed the shift. "Felix? Felix!"
He snapped out of it, blinking. "Huh? Oh, yeah. It's a beautiful scenery, right?"
They walked toward a rustic wooden bench overlooking the cliff. Gabriella sat down, the cool wood chilling her skin. "I want to come here often," she admitted.
Felix leaned in closer, his scent—sandalwood and something cold like rain—wrapping around her. "Really? Then I'll accompany you every time."
Gabriella's heart hammered against her ribs. She looked away, her cheeks flushing. "I don't usually like hillsides... but being here now, I really love it." She turned to look at him, her eyes soft with an emotion she hadn't felt in years.
Felix stared into her eyes, mesmerized. For a moment, he forgot the revenge, the mission, and the lies. "You're just like her," he whispered unknowingly.
"What?" Gabriella asked.
"Nothing," he said quickly, his phone vibrating in his pocket. "Excuse me for a second."
Felix stepped away to a secluded cluster of trees. He answered the call with a cold, sharp "Hello."
"Did you get her trust?" a mysterious, distorted voice asked. "How is it going so far?"
Felix looked back at Gabriella. She was standing at the edge, the wind catching her hair. He chuckled darkly. "Trust? I think so."
"Good," the voice hissed. "She is the key to our target. Don't forget why you're there. And Felix... don't fall in love."
Felix's jaw tightened. He didn't reply.
"What? Do you have soft corners for her now?" the voice mocked.
"I know the plan," Felix said, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "But I can't break her. She's already suffered enough."
The mysterious voice laughed—a dry, hollow sound. "I didn't tell you to break her. But understand the truth: if you make her fall in love with you for the mission, and she finds out it was all a game... that will break her."
Felix's eyes wavered. The truth hit him like a physical blow.
Meanwhile, Gabriella wandered toward a fence at the very edge of the cliff. It was covered in thousands of small padlocks. A young girl nearby was snapping a lock onto the wire.
"Don't you want to hang a lock?" the girl asked.
"Why do people do this?" Gabriella asked, curious.
"If you hang a lock here, your love stays forever with your lover," the girl explained, blushing as her boyfriend called her away. "That's why this place is famous. Every guy brings his girlfriend here."
Gabriella's heart softened. Did Felix bring me here because... he really loves me? She felt a strange hope rising in her chest.
She began to scan the locks, her fingers brushing over the cold metal. Suddenly, her hand froze. Her eyes widened, and the world seemed to stop spinning.
There, among the thousands of memories, was a lock that looked slightly older than the rest. She leaned in, her breath catching in her throat. Engraved clearly on the metal were two names:
FELIX & JANE
Beneath the names, in elegant script, were the words: LOVE FOREVER.
The wind picked up, turning ice-cold. Gabriella's hand began to shake as she stared at the name "Jane."
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To be Continued.....
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