Samuel lowered his head and said nothing.
Dolores frowned, “Say something.”
Samuel rubbed his hand on another, “He did something bad to mummy, so I need to kick his ass for mummy.”
Dolores frowned harder. Samuel had been stressing the fact that Matthew had hurt her before too.
He…
Suddenly Dolores opened her eyes wide. Did Samuel see that Matthew forced himself on her and kissed her?
“Samuel…”
Dolores didn’t know how to explain to Samuel.
Samuel firmly patted his own chest and said, “Mummy, though I and Simona don’t have a father, I am a man now. I will protect you.”
Hearing Samuel say that they didn’t have a father, Dolores felt like her heart was suddenly stung by something. It was a fact that she had been purposely ignoring.
She didn’t want to mention this.
She thought that as long as she loved them very much, they would forget that they didn’t have a father.
However, when the matter was suddenly mentioned by her son, she could only feel her chest hurting silently.
She hugged her son and lowered her head to kiss his hair. Though he was indeed smart, he was only five years old, which made him still a kid.
But he said he would protect her.
Her hand rubbed on Samuel’s back, “It is mummy who should protect you…”
Samuel disagreed and shook his head, “It should be men who protect women. I am a man, so I will protect you.”
“…”
Dolores didn’t know what to say. She looked at her son and thought how old he was and why he was chauvinistic in personality already?
“Who taught you?” Dolores frowned and asked.
Samuel blinked his big eyes and thought for two seconds, “My teacher.”
Dolores carried her son to take him to a bath while thinking on the inside whether she should go talk to his teacher.
Was it appropriate to tell such a young child such things?
“Mummy, actually my teacher is handsome, and he is good to me…”
“Stop!” Dolores interrupted her son. He was such a little child; how could he have such complicated thoughts?
Samuel muttered, “Even though you don’t think for yourself, I have to.”
“…”
Dolores dropped him into the water, “From now on, you will leave adult’s business alone.”
“Why?” Samuel asked.
“There is no why. This is my decision. Didn’t your teacher tell you to listen to and do what your mother says?”
Samuel lowered his head and nodded. His teacher said that children should listen to grown-ups.
His teacher also said that mummy was very tired trying to raise him and his sister up.
So, he shouldn’t make his mummy angry.
But if he had a father, mummy wouldn’t be so tired.
However, mummy never mentioned this. And he dared not to ask.
Grandma didn’t allow him to ask either.
Samuel thought his father must be an irresponsible man who had abandoned mummy.
Samuel reached his hands to hug Dolores, “Mummy, I love you.”
Dolores felt like a stream of warmth was traveling through her heart. It was like a spring which wrapped her around slowly.
Everything was worth it. Seeing her two kids being so adorable and sensible, she felt content.
She kissed Samuel on his cheek, “Mummy loves you too.”
Although Jessica could take care of the kids during the day, Dolores had to take care of them at night.
She tugged them to sleep since they were babies.
She was busy during the day and didn’t have much time to accompany the kids. So, at night she was closest to the kids.
She told them stories.
The kids nuzzled up against her chest, which made her feel on top of the world.
They were families bonded by blood.
When Dolores left for work, Samuel insisted on following her, determined to protect her. Despite Dolores wanting to refuse, she couldn’t.
“What kind of danger am I going to face at work?” Dolores couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.
As an adult, she now needed protection from a child?
“I don’t care,” Samuel said firmly. He almost blurted out, “What if that jerk Matthew tries to hurt you again?”
Though he was young, Samuel had a lot on his mind.
Dolores couldn’t persuade him otherwise. She reluctantly agreed to let him accompany her to work, while Jessica took care of Simona at home.
Once outside, Samuel confidently got into the car by himself. Dolores secured his seatbelt and closed the car door. Just as she was about to sit in the driver’s seat, she noticed someone in a nearby car peering at her.
Her body tensed up. Then she thought, “Have I offended anyone in this area? Or is it just my imagination?”
Who would spy on someone in broad daylight?
Deciding not to dwell on it, she got into the car.
As usual, she had breakfast at home and drove straight to LEO.
However, through the rearview mirror, Dolores accidentally spotted the same car that had caught her attention earlier-it was following her.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. If it was merely her imagination before, what about now?
It felt as though something had seized her heart.
She had to find out.
Since there weren’t many cars on the road in the morning, Dolores couldn’t shake off the pursuing vehicle.
She pondered her options. To ensure her son’s safety, she decided to slow down her car. By the time she reached the shop, it was already thirty minutes later, and most people had already arrived.
Exiting the car, she instructed Samuel to do the same, and they entered the shop together.
Inside the crowded store, the person tailing her hesitated to make any suspicious moves.
After making some arrangements and ensuring Samuel’s safety, Dolores walked back to her car.
She wanted to uncover the identity of her pursuer and their intentions.
With the car’s windows covered in black film, Dolores couldn’t see who was inside. She raised her hand and knocked on the window.
No response came, and the window didn’t roll down.
Dolores stood in front of the car. “You’ve been following me all the way here, and now you’re hiding. What’s the point?”
Inside the car, Abbott ran his hand through his hair. He had come to investigate Dolores but had been in a rush and sleep-deprived for the past two days. He had spent the night in his car, so he wasn’t in the best mental state. That was how Dolores had caught up to him.
Abbott covered his face with his hands and rubbed them, feeling somewhat refreshed.
He lowered the window and smiled, saying, “Long time no see.”
Dolores stared at him for a few seconds. “What are you doing here?”
She was taken aback.
Abbott was plagued by an anonymous sense of guilt and avoided making eye contact with Dolores. “Um… I have some business to attend to here.”
Dolores gave a cold smile. Matthew came here yesterday, and now Abbott coincidentally had business here today?
What a big coincidence indeed.
“What did he ask you to do here?” Dolores had no intention of engaging in small talk and asked directly.
Abbott refused to reveal anything.
Could he really say that Matthew had asked him to investigate her?
No one would be happy to learn that they were being investigated by someone, right?
“Do I need to call him and ask why?” Dolores’s tone turned stern.
Abbott was taken aback by Dolores’s attitude. He couldn’t help but examine her from head to toe. Whether it was her manner of speaking or her appearance, she seemed completely different.
She was no longer a girl but a woman.
Abbott scratched his head. “Um… Mr. Nelson wants to know where you live.”
Then silence ensued.
Dolores turned around and walked toward the shop.
She had made up her mind to find a new place to live.
She didn’t want any disturbances.
Especially not from Matthew!
“Ms. Flores…” Abbott tried to explain.
Dolores didn’t give him a chance to speak and walked straight into ELO.
Abbott pursed his lips. He felt like a poor victim caught in the crossfire between immortals.
While Dolores contemplated moving to a different place, Matthew, who was currently in City B, China, received an invitation to dine with the Herbert family.
If Matthew hadn’t broken off the engagement with Maria, this would have been a great opportunity for the two families to strengthen their relationship.
However, being invited to dinner now, Matthew felt like it could be a trap.
But he knew it would happen sooner or later, so he prepared himself.
Maria was dressed elegantly, and the entire Herbert family was present.
Including Sampson, who usually spent most of his time abroad.
The hall exuded grandeur, and everything seemed cheerful.
Clad in a black suit, Matthew entered the hall, basking in the radiant light.
Upon seeing Matthew, Sampson’s gaze suddenly changed…