Lock You In My Heart novel Chapter 343

Talon's private restaurant was located in a residential building of an old district with narrow alleys, so the car couldn't stop directly in front of the establishment. They had to walk for more than a hundred meters to get to the parking lot.

The two walked silently. With her bag slung over her shoulder, Gabrielle followed him obediently, quietly appreciating the unique charm of the area and how quaint it was.

They were designers, and they always gravitated towards anything about design—from architecture and stores to clothing and shoes. They could even draw inspiration from simple flowers and grass. There was no limit to their imagination.

Gabrielle loved the scenic view, so she often stopped to stare at the old buildings. She completely ignored Jackson who walked with rapid steps ahead, not bothering to look at anything.

"Gabrielle, do you mind if I smoke?" Jackson suddenly stopped and turned back to ask Gabrielle. He raised his brow, waiting for her answer.

Gabrielle saw that he had a cigarette and lighter in his hand. Those two things seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Gabrielle was a little surprised. She didn't know Jackson smoked, but judging from his behavior, he must have been a smoker for years.

"Jackson, why are you asking for permission? This isn't a no-smoking zone. Of course you can smoke," Gabrielle said with a smile. Jackson responded with a brief nod to her.

Personally, Gabrielle didn't like the smell of cigarettes. It made her dizzy. She was also worried for her lungs because of second-hand smoke, but even so, she had no right to say no to Jackson.

Besides, he was one of her bosses, so there was no reason to stop him. She should just keep a distance from him while he smoked.

Jackson lit the cigarette, took a puff, and stubbed it out into the ashtray on top of the dustbin. He then continued to walk.

Gabrielle was rendered speechless as she watched Jackson. He smoked a single puff then put it out. What a total waste. She had never seen anyone smoke like that before.

Perhaps it wasn't so unexpected. After all, Jackson had a rather distinct personality—anyone in the studio could attest to that fact. He wasn't an ordinary man. He looked at things differently.

"Gabrielle, is your husband here?" Jackson asked casually. He wasn't actually curious, but he only wanted to know if her husband was coming. Unlike others who thrived on gossip, Jackson didn't have any other motive when he asked such a question.

"Do you want to see him?" Gabrielle thought that Jackson was interested in seeing her husband. That was probably why he was asking her.

However, it worried Gabrielle because Westley was a well-known figure in Antawood. She was 100% sure Jackson would immediately recognize him. Anyone who had lived at least a few months in the city knew who Westley was.

Therefore, Gabrielle didn't want them to meet. Once Jackson saw Westley, their relationship would be exposed. It was only a matter of time before the public found out.

"No, I don't. Why would I want to see a man? I just want to know if he has arrived yet. If he hasn't, I'll wait here with you. But if he's already here, you can go to him directly," said Jackson indifferently. He then looked around him to see if there was any other car.

He had no interest in Gabrielle, let alone her husband. But even if he was arrogant and intimidating, Jackson wasn't so coldhearted that he would leave her in this alley alone.

Gabrielle understood what he meant. Jackson was just worried that it was not safe for her to wait for Westley alone. Despite some of his unlikeable traits, Jackson was a true gentleman.

"Thank you, Jackson. I'll go to a café nearby and wait for my husband. You can head out first. Thanks for helping me choose a dress today and taking me to a private restaurant. Dinner was delicious," Gabrielle happily told Jackson.

In truth, Gabrielle was delighted that Jackson actually cared about her. It was a striking contrast to all the stories she heard about him.

"We're here because I was hungry, and I didn't want to eat just anything. You paid for the dinner, so that made us even," Jackson replied coldly.

He didn't care about Gabrielle, but he was a responsible man. It was him who brought her out. If anything happened to her, he would never hear the end of it from Jason, and he would be in trouble too.

"Yes, we're even. Either way, thank you. I'm okay to wait here by myself. Anyway, he's already on his way here. You can go hom

e now." Gabrielle urged him to go. She didn't want him to see Westley. She was smiling at Jackson, but her eyes kept on darting on the street—looking for Westley's car.

Jackson understood what was up with Gabrielle. She didn't want him to see her husband. Jackson shrugged. Then, he wouldn't see him. After all, he was not the least bit interested.

"Okay, take care of yourself. I'm leaving now. I'll pick you up at the studio at ten o'clock the day after tomorrow. Then, we will go to the airport together." Jackson turned around and left, not once looking back at her.

Gabrielle found a café nearby and sat down to wait for Westley. He hadn't called her yet, so he was probably still driving.

Gabrielle ordered a cup of coffee and chose a seat by the window so she could spot him easily. She checked the time on her phone, but she didn't call Westley. She didn't want to pressure him to drive faster. Besides, it wasn't eight o'clock yet, so it was still early.

As she checked her phone, she received a message from Mia, asking if she had time tomorrow.

Gabrielle asked her what the matter was while she stirred her coffee.

Instead of replying, Mia called her up. Gabrielle quickly answered it.

"Mia, what's up?"

"Gabrielle, are you free tomorrow? It's Micheal's birthday. We didn't invite anyone else except for our families and close friends. It's a birthday dinner at home. If you have time, you and Westley can come over." Mia was breathless with excitement.

'Tomorrow is Micheal's birthday. So it will be just a few days before Westley's.'

"Tomorrow night?" There was hesitation in Gabrielle's voice.

"Yes, tomorrow evening at six o'clock at my brother's villa. Can you make it? Can you both come over?" Mia continued to ask.

"I think I can, but I'm not sure if Westley will go with me." Even if he was her husband, Gabrielle could not speak for him. She refused to agree to anything on his behalf.

He was Westley. No one spoke in his name; Gabrielle didn't dare.

"It doesn't matter. You can ask your dear husband tonight. I think he will agree if you ask," Mia said confidently. Her tone implied that Westley wouldn't say no to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle couldn't help but laugh. She blew lightly on her coffee and took a sip before speaking. "Mia, I'm not that powerful. Don't count on me that much."

"What are you talking about? Just the fact that you're married to Westley is proof enough that you're powerful. There are countless women in Antawood who are eager to be his wife, but you're the one who won him. How many have you defeated to become the wife of the Morris Group's president? How can you even say you're not powerful? Stop being too humble in front of me, okay?" Mia completely believed in Gabrielle's charm. She thought Gabrielle could do whatever she wanted because she was Westley's wife.

Gabrielle was at a loss whether to laugh or cry at Mia's words. Gabrielle leaned back in her chair, tapped her fingers on the table, and looked out the window.

If Mia only knew the real reason she married Westley, she probably wouldn't get this excited. Gabrielle had no idea how Mia would react if she ever found out.

"Okay, I'll tell him, but I'm not sure if he'll go. I can't promise you anything." Gabrielle was sure she would attend the birthday dinner, but she couldn't guarantee that Westley would go with her. She didn't like forcing him to do things.

Besides, Westley didn't like Micheal very much, so it was highly unlikely that he would attend Micheal's intimate party. Gabrielle would have to go there by herself.

"Well, that's that then. To tell you the truth, I don't want Westley to come here, and it's better if you come alone. It would make my brother happy." Mia sighed. Even she knew it was probably a bad idea to have both men in one room.

The thing was, Westley and Micheal didn't like each other. They were two men who made several women swoon and were possibly everyone's dream guys. But they couldn't stand each other. If they were within each other's vicinity, it wasn't possible to have a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

This was also what Gabrielle was worried about. She couldn't go there without telling Westley. If she tried to attend the party secretly and he found out, he would be furious with her.

"So, do you want me to tell him or not?" Gabrielle left it up to Mia. She didn't want to risk Westley's ire just for a dinner.

Since Mia invited her and brought it up, she would ultimately have to decide.