Chapter 5 Can You Stay With Me

From the start, Lynda had never accepted Gabriela as her son's wife. In her eyes, Kylie was far more fitting, especially after casually presenting an expensive bottle of wine that only highlighted Gabriela's supposed shortcomings.

"Alex, she was never right for you, and she never will be. You shouldn't have married her at all. She stays at home doing nothing for the family, and it's embarrassing to bring her out. How could she ever compare to Kylie?" said Lynda.

Those biting remarks only made Gabriela let out a faint, mocking smile.

Her gaze drifted toward the wine bottle Caitlin held so carefully, and her voice turned cold. "This isn't a bottle of DRC."

"What are you talking about?" Caitlin shot back immediately. "You're just jealous of Kylie, so you're making things up."

"Ms. Moore, I know you don't like me, but you can't accuse me like this," Kylie added, lowering her voice as tears gathered in her eyes.

Alexander frowned at Gabriela. "Ella, I understand that Mom and Caitlin upset you, but Kylie has done nothing wrong. You shouldn't say things like this. Apologize."

Watching them side with Kylie without question, Gabriela's gaze gradually turned colder.

"Everyone knows DRC uses off-white labels, yet this one is pure white."

"Maybe it's a special release, so it looks different," Caitlin argued, though her confidence had already begun to waver.

Caitlin's response only made Gabriela's smile grow colder. She stepped closer, her tone sharper now.

"Every DRC bottle has its number and vintage printed on the lower left, and a monopole mark on the lower right. This one has the number and vintage, but it's missing the monopole mark. That alone proves it's fake."

"Besides," Gabriela added, loud enough for everyone to hear. "A '45 DRC-over eighty years old-why is the wine level here?" She pointed to the spot below the bottleneck. "That's 'Into Neck'-as full as if it were bottled yesterday. Have you guys ever seen an old wine that hasn't evaporated at all?"

Her words made sense, and Caitlin, who had dismissed her earlier, now hesitated and glanced at Kylie with doubt.

"That's not true..." Kylie insisted, though uncertainty crept into her voice.

She had only wanted to impress Caitlin. Since DRC was so rare, she had bought a counterfeit, assuming no one would notice. She hadn't expected Gabriela to know so much about wine.

Flustered, she stepped back into a wine glass tower.

Gabriela ended up right beneath the falling tower. She tried to move aside with a frown, but she was already too late.

The tower crashed over her, red liquid soaking into her dress and leaving her in a disordered state.

At the same moment, her husband rushed to protect Kylie, his attention filled with concern for her alone.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a deep frown, looking Kylie over carefully.

With tears running down her face, Kylie held her calf where a small shard had grazed her. "It hurts... That really scared me."

The moment Gabriela noticed the tiny cut, barely visible, her expression turned cold. Even so, Alexander was already panicking, calling for the family doctor as if it were something serious.

"Alex, please don't blame her. I don't think she meant to push me," Kylie said softly, twisting the situation before Gabriela could even respond.

"I pushed you?" Gabriela almost laughed at the accusation. She never thought Alexander would be so foolish as to believe Kylie's claim without even questioning it.

"You were standing right next to her, and you've been picking on her all day. You're jealous of how close Kylie and I are, so you did this to get back at us!"

Alexander looked at Gabriela with clear disappointment. Convinced she was being unreasonable, he decided she needed to be taught a lesson.

Gabriela stared at the man scolding her, unable to ignore the pain inside her. Even though she had already accepted that their marriage needed to end, a sharp bitterness slowly rose in her heart.

"I didn't push her!" she said firmly.

For a brief moment, her steady, defiant gaze made Alexander hesitate.

Had he misjudged her? But Kylie had no reason to lie. Maybe something had been misunderstood.

His brows furrowed as he prepared to speak more gently, but Kylie interrupted him first.

"Alex, please don't argue with her because of me. If she says she didn't do it, then it must be a misunderstanding..."

Kylie's pitiful tone stirred his sympathy and even a sense of admiration. When he looked back at Gabriela, her unwavering expression now only made him more annoyed.

"Look at Kylie. Even after getting hurt, she's still defending you. You should learn from her. You keep creating trouble. Maybe you should just leave."

Alexander's voice turned sharp as he spoke, filled with anger.

He meant to intimidate Gabriela, yet he didn't expect her to leave without hesitation.

As she turned, his eyes caught the blood on her arm.

Was she hurt, too? Then why hadn't she said anything?

Alexander watched her leave, a conflicted expression on his face, his instincts telling him to follow, but his arm was held back.

When he turned, Kylie was still clinging to him, tears falling as her voice shook.

"Alex, it hurts so much... I'm really scared. I've never felt pain like this before. Can you stay here with me?"