The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 281

Gideon's hand, holding the wine glass, froze in midair.

Mr. Xavier watched as Liam York suddenly burst through the doors. His eager expression instantly drained of color, twisting into a rigid mask of panic.

He shoved his chair back and shot to his feet, trying to block Liam's path to the dining table.

As he reached out to intercept the assistant, Mr. Xavier shot desperate glances at Mrs. Xavier across the table. His meaning was unmistakable: she needed to use the chaos to force the glass to Gideon's lips and make him finish the spiked drink immediately.

Mrs. Xavier was completely thrown into a panic.

She had meticulously orchestrated this setup for so long, exhausting every trick from paying off the paparazzi to sending away the other assistants. She couldn't let Liam ruin it at the very last second.

Forcing down the violent pounding of terror in her chest, Mrs. Xavier took two quick steps forward, arriving right at Gideon's side.

"Exactly, Liam. Whatever it is, it can wait until Gideon finishes this toast."

As she spoke, she picked up her own wine glass and raised it toward Gideon again. Her voice was shrill and trembling from intense nerves, yet she stubbornly maintained the facade of a caring elder.

"Tonight is a family dinner. Why bring up work and ruin the mood? Gideon, let's ignore him and finish this drink."

Growing bolder, she reached out to touch Gideon's wrist, attempting to physically guide the liquid to his mouth.

Gideon shifted slightly, dodging her touch.

He completely ignored her desperate urging. His predatory gaze cut straight through Mr. Xavier's obstruction, locking coldly onto Liam's face.

"What is it?"

Gideon frowned, his voice a low, commanding rumble.

"Mr. Hayes, it's Giselle... Something happened to Giselle!"

The crimson liquid splashed violently, staining the pristine white tablecloth with shocking, dark red spots.

He abruptly stood up, snatching his suit jacket from the back of the chair. His mind was consumed with bloody images of Giselle, and he wanted nothing more than to storm out of this suffocating room.

But he only took half a step.

Gideon's body froze firmly in place.

He turned his head, his gaze sweeping past the messy table to land on Nora, who sat quietly in her chair.

A sharp, suffocating ache gripped Gideon's chest.

He stopped himself from sprinting out the door.