Chapter 2102


    Estelle and Gabriel had just made our way up to the second-floor diner when I pinged Magdalen,


    [We''ve arrived!]


    Her reply came in no time, [Sylvia''s been waiting for a good ten minutes already. Send Gab over to


    table six!]


    [Got it!]


    Estelle turned to Gabriel, “I’m gonna hit the restroom. Head to table six and I’ll catch up in a sec,


    okay?”


    "Sure thing!" Gabriel nodded, unsuspecting, and headed towards the designated table.


    The opera house''s diner was a shrine to artistry, with exquisite floor-to-ceiling windows, murals, and


    chandeliers that dripped crystal elegance. Couples and small groups of patrons conversed in


    hushed tones, the air steeped in romance and refinement.


    Approaching table six, Gabriel froze for a moment upon seeing the girl seated there.


    He knew she was in the city, yet this unexpected run-in caught him off-guard!


    Sylvia, too, was taken aback, rising instinctively with a sudden shift to a respectful demeanor,


    "Gab!"


    She stood there, donned in a ck trench coat, minimal makeup enhancing her natural features -


    she was like a lone, striking red plum blossom against a snowy backdrop, elegant and enchanting.


    Gabriel blurted out, "What brings you here?"


    Sylvia confessed, “I came for a blind date.”


    "A blind date?" Gabriel''s brow furrowed in confusion.


    His phone buzzed. It was a message from Estelle, [Gab, Magdalen mentioned she wanted to set


    you up with a girl. Guessing you''ve met her by now, so I''ll skip the interruption. Enjoy your date!]


    Gabriel''s expression darkened.


    A set-up? He''d been lured out for a blind date?


    With her, of all people?


    It was preposterous!


    Wait a minute, the date was Sylvia?


    He looked up at the girl across from him who was now eyeing him with a mix of mischief and mirth,


    "You''re not my blind date, are you?"


    Suddenly, it clicked for her. Magdalen and Estelle were friends; he must''ve been duped intoing


    as well.


    Gabriel took a deep breath, nced out the window, and turned to leave.


    "Gab!" Sylvia called after him, "Now that you''re here, let’s at least grab a bite before you go!"


    Realizing that storming off might be poor form, he turned back to Sylvia, "Fine, let''s call it lunch


    then."


    "Please, have a seat!" Sylvia gestured with deference.


    Gabriel shrugged off his coat and settled into the sofa opposite her, his voice subdued, "You order,


    my treat."


    "How could I let you pay in J City?" Sylvia chuckled and summoned the waiter, choosing dishes that


    suited Gabriel''s pte.


    Once the waiter departed, Sylvia offered a sheepish grin, "If I''d known it was you, I wouldn’t have


    come!"


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Gabriel''s eyebrow arched slightly, his tone unreadable, "So knowing it was me would''ve kept you


    away? Am I that unpleasant to you?"


    Sylvia was at a loss for words.


    She considered herself seasoned, unppable in the face of any VIP, but around this man, she


    either stumbled over her words or found herself utterly speechless.


    Gabriel poured himself some tea, inquiring casually, “How long have you been in J City?”


    "After leaving you," Sylvia replied honestly, "I traveled for a year before settling down here."


    "Why J City?" he asked, genuinely curious.


    "It''s hard to exin. I stumbled upon some photos of J City on my phone and fell in love with the


    city instantly. It felt like nostalgia, like this ce was somehow familiar," she exined.


    "You run your own PR firm?" Gabriel probed, aware of her endeavors over the years through the


    asional shared lead or two.