The Billionaire I Married by Mistake

20. CHALLENGE

|Katherine|

“Uh… do you know me?” I asked, my voice hitching slightly as I looked up at Gabriel Gil.

Gabriel Gil. The Gabriel Gil?

My heart thudded against my ribs like it had just realized who I was standing in front of. I tried to keep my expression neutral, maybe a little casual, but curiosity cracked through anyway—and maybe a bit of awe. Because, honestly, I couldn’t believe he was actually speaking to me like he knew who I was!

To say I was stunned would be putting it mildly. Sure, I’d seen celebrities before. Glimpses at events, parties, across velvet ropes. But Gabriel? He was something else entirely. His name wasn’t just famous—it was everywhere. On magazine covers. On streaming screens. On massive billboards that lit up entire city blocks. And now he was here, right in front of me, casually talking like we’d known each other for years.

So… Javier hadn’t been bluffing after all. Gabriel really was his friend. That fact alone made my brain stutter.

Gabriel flashed me a smile then, wide and effortless—the kind that could disarm an army. It was the kind of smile you saw in slow motion on TV commercials, the kind that made photographers forget their jobs and fans forget how to breathe.

“Yeah,” he said smoothly, “I kinda know you. You’re pretty well-known at all the parties.”

The words hit me like a sudden gust of wind—unexpected, knocking the air right out of me. My cheeks flared with heat, and I felt it spread like wildfire down my neck. That’s what I was known for? Of all the things?

Being that girl?

I let out an awkward laugh, trying to mask my embarrassment with humor. “Uh, I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment.”

He chuckled, low and easy. There it was again—that devastating smile. The one Gianna had practically written poetry about. She used to say his grin could make panties drop at twenty paces. I’d always rolled my eyes when she said that, but now? Standing here, looking at him?

“Oh, don’t worry,” he said, brushing a hand through his tousled hair like he had no idea the effect he was having. “I meant it as a compliment.”

I tried to blink the heat from my face, but then he added, as casually as if we were discussing the weather, “And you’re not just famous at parties—you’re actually kind of known in my circle too, so…”

I froze.

His circle?

My eyes widened, unable to hide the surprise that jolted through me. He noticed my reaction, the slight widening of my eyes, the spark of disbelief and curiosity that must’ve flashed across my face like neon lights.

“I mean, a friend of mine has been going on and on about you,” Gabriel said with a teasing smirk. “He’s quite taken, actually. He even thought about inviting you to join show business. But apparently, you turned him down—politely, of course.”

My eyes widened in surprise at his story. Suddenly, I remembered someone had indeed offered me a shot at acting… but for the life of me, I couldn’t recall who it was.

Gabriel must’ve noticed the flicker of confusion on my face because he let out a soft chuckle. “Forget I said anything. It just crossed my mind, that’s all.”

He then glanced at the man sitting a few seats away, quietly working. But my eyes stayed on Gabriel, still trying to remember who that mystery person was—the one who had invited me into the world of flashing cameras and scripted lives.

Now that he mentioned it, the idea didn’t sound so bad… especially now that I am…broke. Should I consider it?

I pressed my lips into a thin line. As if I had any acting skills, right?

“I’ll head out now, Vier. Just dropped by to check on you,” Gabriel said casually.

Only then did I finally look at Javier. The moment our eyes met, one of my brows instinctively shot up—his cold stare could’ve frozen me on the spot.

What is his problem? Was it because I came in late?

Honestly, sitting in the lobby was rather nice. Too bad his secretary found me and insisted I go up. If that annoyed him, then great—I guess I accomplished something today.