Lock You In My Heart

Chapter 23 I’d Rather Be An Orphan

Wendy arranged a driver to send Gabrielle to Vineyard Villa. She instructed him repeatedly to take her only there.

Gabrielle could tell why she was so erratic, She was afraid Gabrielle would run away.

“Ronin, stop the car!” Gabrielle urged the driver when they reached downtown.

Wendy had told Ronin not to let Gabrielle out of the car. She was rather stubborn. Wendy knew if she got out, it would be difficult to coax to get in again.

“Miss Jones, what is the matter?” Ronin asked in a low voice. He took a look at Gabrielle through the rearview mirror. She looked calm and composed.

Before Gabrielle could say anything, her phone rang. It was a call from Tobias.

She hesitated for a while, then answered the phone.

“What’s up, Dad?”.

She was in no mood to fake niceness.

“Gabrielle, have you reached Vineyard Villa?”

anxiously.

“We are just crossing downtown. It will take a while. Dad, what can I do for you?”

Gabrielle knew something was up. Otherwise, Tobias would never have called her.

“Our stocks are falling! It must be because of Westley. When you reach Vineyard Villa, can you urge him not to brutally drive us to a dead end? The Jones has brought you up. I know you are upset with your mother. But I can assure you once this problem is solved, such a thing will never happen again!” Tobias was a middle-aged man. He had never been humble, and was dragged into this trouble by Wendy. 4

Gabrielle was shocked to hear him. Their stocks were falling?

acting

you know why Westley did this. Whether he listens to me or not

3

Every second in this drama was causing harm to

family! Who else can we rely on? We have raised

fruit of your grandfather’s painstaking efforts! I don’t want it destroyed

humiliating that he had to beg Gabrielle for help. If the stocks hadn’t fallen too low, he would never have begged

even more. I can try to talk to him. If he

you can do it. I

teeth. It was useless to

trust her. Tobias had begged her

to you

she felt she had

She was just a scapegoat for everyone. As soon as Nellie would be back, she would have no home. She could not imagine going back to the Jones after what

and lonely she would

and living in an orphanage was much better. At least there she wouldn’t

you okay?” Ronin asked, looking

heard her talk to Tobias and could roughly tell what the conversation

her grow up. She had always been a gentle and kind-hearted girl. If Bryce

a cup of iced coffee? I need to drink something cold.” She looked at

Jones. I’ll be back in a moment.” Ronin pulled up and got out of the car

her opportunity. She climbed to the driver’s

turned back. He rushed toward the car and tried to

rolled down the window and looked at him calmly. “Ronin, you can take a taxi home. I’ll drive to Vineyard Villa

can’t do that,” Ronin said anxiously, scared of what

to Vineyard Villa, but that she was mentally unstable and

and I know what I’m doing.” Gabrielle turned the