Chasing the Unexpected

Damon approached them with a smile, but Nyla could sense his bad mood.

Gabriel followed her gaze and noticed Damon, his eyes narrowing slightly as he perceived the hostility. Damon walked directly to Nyla and sat down beside her. With a smile, he said, “Nyla, I didn’t know you were having dinner with your brother, I would’ve joined you if I had known.”

Gabriel looked at Nyla, his expression questioning. ‘This is?”

Feeling the weight of both men’s gazes, Nyla frowned.

Just as she was about to introduce them, Damon interjected with a smile, “Mr. Hackett, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Damon Sumner, Nyla’s boyfriend and the CEO of Prospectus Technology.”

Gabriel’s eyes flickered as he shook hands with Damon. “Hello, I’m Gabriel Hackett.”

In that brief exchange, only the two men understood the underlying tension.

Nyla asked Damon, “What are you doing here?”

Damon released Gabriel’s hand and turned to her. “What’s wrong? Can’t I join you? It seems like you didn’t want me here.”

Nyla replied, “I thought you might be busy.”

“No matter how busy I am, I can always find time to have dinner with your family, Damon said.

Gabriel’s grip on the table tightened as Damon’s words reminded him of his role as Nyla’s stepbrother. His gaze toward Damon began to show a hint of hostility.

He had hoped that with Nyla’s divorce from Clark, he might have a chance. It now seemed that Damon had beaten him to it.

“Then have a look at what you want. We just ordered for two,” Nyla said.

Damon handed her the menu with a smile. “You pick. You know what I like.”

Since they hadn’t been together long, Nyla wasn’t sure of his preferences. She didn’t want to embarrass him in front of Gabriel either, so she took the menu and ordered a few dishes.

As she was ordering, the two men began talking, leaving her little chance to join in.

After finishing dinner, Damon remained enthusiastic and said, “Mr. Hackett, it was a pleasure meeting you tonight. I enjoyed our conversation and hope we can have another dinner together soon.”

Gabriel glanced at Nyla, who had her head down, and remarked, “We’ll have another chance.”

Damon took Nyla’s hand and smiled. “Let us give you a ride back to the hotel.”

“No need. My friend is coming to pick me up, and I have some things to do later,” Gabriel declined. Damon nodded. “Alright. We’ll head back then. See you

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Chapter 309 All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Gabriel looked at Nyla with a softer expression. “I’m going to visit your father tomorrow. Would you like to come along?”

“No, I’ll go another time,” Nyla replied.

“Okay, be safe on your way back,” Gabriel said.

“You too,” Nyla said.

Once they were out of Gabriel’s sight, Nyla pulled her hand away from Damon and walked directly to her

car.

As she reached the vehicle, Damon stopped her. “Are you upset?”

Nyla looked up at him, her expression tinged with anger. “Shouldn’t I be? Why did you suddenly show up tonight?”

Damon’s smile faded slightly. “Do you not want me to meet Gabriel?”

“That’s not the point,” Nyla said.

“What do you mean? If you didn’t want me to come, it means you didn’t want to introduce me to your family or acknowledge my status, right?” Damon insisted.

Facing his somewhat aggressive gaze, Nyla sneered. “If an ex can make you disappear for a whole day, how could I possibly introduce you to my family or acknowledge you?”