The Billionaire's Regret: His Secret Wife Turned Medical Genius novel Chapter 129

Emily ended the call and stood there for a long moment, her nerves still buzzing.

But soon, her phone lit up again with a message. Apparently, the college group chat was planning a gathering that night at Maple Bistro.

A private message from an old friend followed.

"Mills, will you be coming tonight? It's been forever."

Since she was free that night, she decided she'd go. So, she responded, "I'll be there."

She needed the distraction anyway. Plus, a few of their classmates had become heavy hitters. Talking shop wouldn't hurt.

After that, Emily set her phone aside, drew the curtains, and grabbed a few hours of sleep.

By dusk, she woke up and took a shower. Then, she slipped into a simple dress and caught a cab downtown.

…

Half an hour later, the cab pulled up in front of Maple Bistro, and Emily made her way to the reserved private room.

When she walked in, the space was already buzzing with conversation. Most people had arrived by then—except Robert and Gabriel.

The small talk warmed up fast.

After a couple of drinks, one of the guys leaned back and grinned at Emily. "Emily, I remember you and Robert were a couple back in university. Are you still together? And where are you working at now?"

Emily's fingers paused on her glass of water. She skipped over the question about Robert and smiled. "I'm working at the municipal hospital."

A gasp slipped out. Lydia Sanders, who'd never been on her side back in university, covered her mouth in surprise. "The municipal hospital? I've got a cousin who's a nurse there, and I'd never once heard your name."

She looked Emily up and down, her tone full of doubt. "You didn't just make that up, did you?"

But Emily didn't flinch. Instead, she calmly met Lydia's gaze and said, "If your cousin's interning or is still in training, it would be normal not to have crossed paths with me."

Instantly, Lydia's face tightened like she'd just bitten into a lemon.

The room fell silent as everyone looked toward the doorway. There, Gabriel stood, tall and imposing in his perfectly tailored suit.

Emily hadn't expected him to come. After all, he never showed up to gatherings like these.

One of the guys broke the silence. He hurried over with a drink in hand and clapped Gabriel on the shoulder. "Gabriel, you made it! You haven't changed a bit!"

Gabriel let his gaze drift past Lydia's awkward expression as he responded to the guy with a few polite words.

In truth, he hadn't planned to come. However, after seeing Emily's reply in the long-forgotten group chat, he was already on his way before he could even stop himself. He only wanted to catch a glimpse of her.

Meanwhile, Lydia's face went from pale to red, then back to pale again before she forced out a stiff smile. "Gabriel, sit here," she quickly said, patting the empty chair beside her.

However, Gabriel didn't so much as glance her way. Instead, he walked past her, pulled out the chair next to Emily, and sat down like that had always been his place.

After that small gesture of his, everyone in the room seemed to freeze.

Lydia's hand hovered awkwardly in the air. Though humiliation burned through her, she forced a smile and tried again. "Gabriel, I really didn't expect you to come. I..."