Chapter 49: Weakness
"Is everything okay?" Riot asked her.
"Yes. I think so...I saw someone that I can’t remember..."
"Do you want me to find out who they are?" Riot asked her.
"Yes, please. She gave me a weird feeling..."
She didn’t have time to figure out who she was. Not yet.
Because standing at the front of the house, waiting for her, was Gabriel.
Dressed in a sleek black coat, hands tucked into his pockets, he looked as effortlessly dangerous as ever.
He swept over her, taking in every detail.
Diane clenched her jaw. "What do you want?"
Gabriel smirked slightly. "Come with me."
She lifted a brow. "Excuse me?"
"To my clinic."
She crossed her arms. "Why?"
Gabriel stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You agreed to the scar treatment, remember? I’m starting it today."
Diane hesitated.
Riot appeared at her side wary of Gabriel’s actions once again. "You sure you wanna go with him?"
Gabriel ignored him, continuing to be locked onto Diane’s.
"It’s up to you. You can stay here and keep running from me, or you can come and let me fix what they did to you."
Diane swallowed hard.
She didn’t trust him. Not fully.
But she trusted that Gabriel Frost never did anything without a reason.
And right now, she needed those scars gone.
She turned to Riot. "Take Arthur inside."
Riot frowned but nodded. "Call me if he tries anything."
Diane turned back to Gabriel. "Fine. Let’s go."
A victorious smirk tugged at his lips.
Diane followed Gabriel into the clinic, her heels clicked silently against the pristine floors.
The moment she stepped inside, she felt the shift in the air.
Women—beautiful women—were watching her.
Some sat in the waiting area, dressed in expensive designer coats.
Others were nurses, their makeup flawless.
But the moment Diane walked in, they all seemed to stiffen.
She heard the hushed whispers.
"Her?"
"Is that his wife?"
"Why her?"
Diane ignored them, keeping her head high.
But as soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, she turned to Gabriel. "Why were they glaring at me like that?"
Gabriel leaned against the wall, looking amused. "Because they’re jealous."
Diane scoffed. "Of what?"
He looked over her, slowly, taking his time. "Because you’re naturally beautiful."
Diane blinked.
She expected arrogance. Teasing. Maybe even mockery.
But his voice was sincere.
Her stomach twisted. "That’s not funny."
Gabriel tilted his head. "Who said I was joking?"
She turned away, staring at the elevator doors. "I don’t need their jealousy."
Gabriel smirked. "No, but you have it anyway."
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.
"Come on, Mrs. Frost. Let’s begin."
The scar treatment was supposed to be intense.
Diane sat on the examination chair, arms folded.
Gabriel was beside her, setting out medical tools on a tray. He was moving carefully, precise, and almost hypnotic.
He finally turned to her, his green eyes looked even brighter now.
"We’ll be doing laser resurfacing first. It’ll help soften the scars, even out the pigmentation."
Diane nodded. "How long will it take?"
Gabriel pulled on a pair of gloves. "Multiple sessions. Some scars will fade faster than others."
He stepped closer, brushing her hair aside so he could examine her shoulder.
"This one," he murmured, tracing the jagged mark just below her collarbone. "Deep. But manageable."
Diane forced herself to stay still.
His touch wasn’t meant to be intimate—it was clinical. Detached.
But it still burned.
Gabriel’s fingers moved lower, ghosting over the scars along her back. "These will take longer."
Diane inhaled sharply. "I know."
He stepped back, watching her carefully. "Do you want anesthesia?"
"No."
His brows lifted slightly. "Brave."
She smirked slightly. "You should know by now."
Gabriel let out a low chuckle. "I do."
He turned to the machine, adjusting the settings. "It’ll sting. Try not to move."
Diane nodded, clenching her fists as he began.
The first pulse of the laser sent a sharp, stinging heat through her skin.
She gritted her teeth, refusing to flinch.
Gabriel’s voice was calm, confident. "Breathe through it."
She did.
Minutes passed in silence.
Then, just as she was getting used to the pain—
The door swung open.
Diane turned her head immediately, ready to snap at whoever had barged in—
And then she stopped any kind of move.
A woman was standing in the doorway.
She was striking—tall, poised, with wavy brown hair and piercing green eyes that mirrored Gabriel’s.
Diane knew instantly.
This woman wasn’t a patient.
She wasn’t a nurse.
She was family...and the same woman she saw at Arthur’s school.
Gabriel’s face broke into something rare. Something soft?
"Isla."
Diane’s stomach dropped.
The woman’s lips formed into a smirk as she walked forward.
Gabriel met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
Diane just stared.
The cold, untouchable Gabriel Frost—who had treated her with indifference—was hugging someone with warmth.
With affection.
The woman pulled back, resting a hand on his cheek. "It’s been too long."
Gabriel chuckled. "Whose fault is that?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know how work is."
Gabriel turned slightly to Diane. "Diane, meet Isla. My older sister."
Diane’s breath caught.
His sister?
The woman turned, her green eyes landing on Diane, and now she knew for sure it was the same woman from before.
But she had this weird aura around her that it was hard for Diane to understand if she was actually nice or just pretending to be.
Then, slowly, Isla smiled.
"Ah," Isla murmured, tilting her head. "So you’re the infamous Diane."
Diane swallowed, forcing her expression to stay neutral. "And you’re his sister."
Isla smirked. "Surprised?"
Diane’s fingers curled into her lap. "A little."
Isla chuckled, stepping closer. "Well, Gabriel and I don’t exactly advertise our relationship."
Diane arched a brow. "Why?"
Isla’s smile didn’t fade. "Because Frosts don’t like people knowing our weaknesses."
Diane’s pulse spiked.
Before she could respond, Isla turned back to Gabriel. "I need to talk to you. Now."
Gabriel sighed, pulling off his gloves. "Diane, wait here."
Diane barely nodded as they left the room.
And as the door clicked shut behind them, one thought screamed in her mind.
Gabriel Frost has a weakness.
And it just walked into the room.