A face identical to that of the man in front of her quickly flashed through Dolores’ mind. It was this man who had raced towards her in his truck when she had the car accident.
The thrilling scene was etched in her memory, and her heart still fluttered with fear whenever she recalled the incident. This was why she could vividly remember it.
At the time, the police investigation concluded that the accident was caused by a truck failure.
The cab driver had tragically lost his life, and Dolores herself had been injured in the accident.
Although the truck driver wasn’t primarily responsible for the accident, he should bear some liability.
As Dolores was injured and subsequently brought to a foreign country by Sampson, she wasn’t aware of the follow-up actions taken.
Even though it was caused by brake failure, the driver had still raced towards her car without making any attempt to slow down.
That alone left a negative impression on her.
Curiosity arose within her as to why a driver like him was still licensed to drive a cab.
“Lady, are you taking the cab?” the man asked again, seemingly oblivious to Dolores.
Dolores frowned and replied in a cold voice, “Can someone like you even be a cab driver?”
“What do you mean?” Terry Holmes felt puzzled. He was just a cab driver. It was fine if she didn’t want to take the cab, but why did she speak rudely?
Dolores didn’t want to dwell on the past since she and the children were fine now. However, she despised people like him.
Dolores ignored him and continued walking along the road.
Terry followed in his car. “Hey, what did you mean just now? Please explain. I don’t know you. Isn’t it rude to make casual comments about someone?”
Dolores furrowed her brow. She didn’t want to make a scene about the past, so why was he bothering her now?
She paused and said, “I don’t want to bring up the past. Please stop following me, okay?”
After speaking her piece, Dolores walked away briskly.
Terry slammed on the brakes and watched Dolores leave, dumbfounded.
Based on her words, it seemed like she knew him, but he didn’t know her.
Furthermore, her attitude and angry expression indicated that she did know him.
Could she be an acquaintance of his deceased elder brother?
Terry clenched his teeth tightly and slowly drove the car to keep following Dolores.
Dolores hailed a cab and headed to her store.
Unaware that someone was tailing her, she focused on inspecting the site and decoration of the store. The store’s renovation project was nearly complete.
“Lola,” Theresa approached her and handed her an architectural drawing.
The store was situated in a bustling area of City B. Although Mrs. William had established this branch store under someone’s direction, LEO Corporation was her passion, and she wouldn’t treat it lightly.
They have conducted market research and carefully considered the store’s location and decor.
“Everything has been customized and should arrive next week, just in time for the grand opening.”
Dolores nodded appreciatively. “Thank you for your hard work. It must have been tough for you.” Theresa had handled most of the arrangements here.
“It wasn’t a problem,” Theresa smiled.
When she was rejected by LEO in the past, Dolores had given her the opportunity to stay in the company.
Although she was currently Dolores’ assistant, she had learned a great deal.
Moreover, Dolores had been extremely kind to her. She had aided and guidance without reservation.
“You must be tired after the long journey. Go back and rest. I’ll take care of things here.”
Dolores pondered for a moment and replied, “Alright, I’ll head back first. Let me know if any issues arise.”
The two children had just arrived in an unfamiliar place, and Dolores was concerned about their adjustment.
Dolores walked out of the store. Since she had only recently returned to the country, she didn’t have a car yet and could only rely on walking or taking a taxi. She stood by the roadside, waiting for a cab.
Terry, who had followed her here, started his car when he saw her standing alone by the roadside and stopped in front of her.
“Lady, do you know my elder brother?” he asked.
When Dolores laid eyes on his face again, her expression immediately darkened. Was this person following her?
“What are you talking about?” Dolores responded with annoyance.
Having just returned to the country, she encountered such a bothersome individual who seemed to be tailing her. How could she be in a good mood after dealing with this?
Terry wasn’t bothered by Dolores’ attitude. Instead, he patiently explained, “You acted like you knew me earlier, but I can assure you that I haven’t seen you before. So, the person you mentioned couldn’t have been me. I assume you might be referring to my brother. He passed away six years ago, and they claimed it was suicide. But I don’t believe that to be the truth.”
Dolores took a step back, her confusion evident. “Your brother?”
She felt utterly perplexed now.
He had died?
The truck driver who crashed into her had died?
To ensure Dolores wouldn’t doubt him, Terry pulled out his wallet, revealing a group photo of him and his late brother. Handing it to Dolores, he said, “Take a look. I’m on the right, and my elder brother is on the left.”
Dolores reached out to take the photo. After briefly examining the picture and then glancing at Terry, she noticed the striking resemblance between Terry and his brother. Dolores carefully reconsidered and concluded that the truck driver looked more like Terry’s brother.
“Your brother is deceased?” Dolores asked incredulously.
Terry’s expression tightened as he spoke about his deceased brother. Nodding solemnly, he replied, “He had kidney failure, and the treatment required a significant amount of money. Our family didn’t have much, so the chances of curing him were slim. However, one day he posted ‘I have money now’ on his social media and attached a photo with the words ‘I’m rich.’ Yet, such an optimistic person suddenly committed suicide. Don’t you find that strange?”
He had been investigating the matter but hadn’t found any convincing evidence.
Dolores’ reaction provided him with a breakthrough.
“It is indeed strange that he would take his own life after posting about being rich. In theory, having money would mean he had hope for a cure and the will to live. So why did he choose suicide?” The circumstances were truly bewildering.
However, this matter had nothing to do with Dolores. She returned the photo to Terry and said, “I’m sorry, but this doesn’t concern me.”
Terry pocketed the photo and acknowledged that this matter couldn’t be resolved hastily. He then offered, “Are you waiting for a cab? I can give you a ride.”
Dolores declined, “No, thank you.”
“But you’re standing by the roadside, waiting for a cab, aren’t you?”
Dolores remained still, contemplating her options.
“I’m not a bad guy, and I won’t charge you much either,” Terry earnestly assured her.
Dolores hesitated for a moment, then opened the car door and got inside, reasoning that he didn’t appear to be a bad person.
Terry asked, “Where are you headed?”
“Golden Bay,” Dolores replied.
Terry refrained from mentioning his brother again and introduced himself instead, “My name is Terry Holmes. You can just call me Terry.”
Feeling his excessive enthusiasm, Dolores ignored his words.
“Ahem, I hope I haven’t offended you,” Terry finally realized that he had been overly talkative for their first meeting. However, he wanted to make a good impression on Dolores so that he could uncover the issues between her and his brother, as well as understand why she had been so angry earlier.
It took only five or six minutes to reach Dolores’ destination.
After paying the fare, Dolores exited the car.
Terry stopped her, asking, “Can I be your friend?”
“We’re not that acquainted, and I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in making friends,” Dolores firmly declined.
But Terry didn’t give up. He opened the car door and stepped out, only to be halted by someone blocking his path. “What are you doing? Do you know who she is?” the person questioned.
“Who are you?” Terry stared at the man obstructing his way.
“My identity is irrelevant. What matters is that you should not have excessive ambitions regarding her. Remember that” Abbott warned him.
Upon hearing Abbott’s voice, Dolores turned around, her expression growing even darker.
“Ms. Flores,” Abbott quickly changed his demeanor and approached her with a smile, “Mr. Nelson would like to meet you.”