Dolores didn’t feel surprised when she spotted Abbott. After all, it was Matthew who had coerced her into returning to the country, so it made sense that he would be aware of her whereabouts.
She also wanted to have a conversation with him.
“Let’s go,” Dolores said, heading towards Abbott’s car.
Abbott didn’t rush to follow her. He cast a stern look at Terry and warned, “If I catch you bothering her again, I won’t be so lenient.”
Only then did he enter the car after giving the man who had been pestering Dolores a warning.
Dolores remained silent, staring blankly out of the car window.
Abbott stole a glance at her, then focused on driving. As they made their way to the villa, Dolores noticed that the passing scenery grew increasingly familiar. Six years had passed, yet it felt as though nothing had changed.
Dolores furrowed her brows slightly.
Even though she hadn’t lived in the villa for long, she could vividly recall everything that had transpired there.
The car soon came to a stop. Dolores took a deep breath to calm herself before pushing open the door.
Abbott didn’t intend to enter the villa with her and instructed, “Mr. Nelson is waiting for you inside. You can go in by yourself.”
Dolores glanced at him and asked, “Do you know why he wants to meet me?”
“I’m not privy to the details. It’s my boss’s personal matter,” Abbott replied.
Dolores chuckled, realizing that Abbott was Matthew’s subordinate. It was unlikely that he would inform her beforehand if Matthew intended to harm her.
Her question had been unnecessary.
She walked towards the door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open.
In the right corner of the spacious, well-lit, and pristine living room, sat a piano. It had been a gift from Randolph back then, and it remained in the same spot, untouched.
Despite leaving the country abruptly after the accident, Dolores hadn’t taken any of her belongings with her. She hadn’t even had time to pack her clothes, let alone the piano.
Dolores stepped into the house.
The decorations remained the same as when she had left, as if time hadn’t passed.
“Do you remember this place?”
A man in a black shirt stood on the second floor. The top button of his shirt was undone, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing his muscular arms. With one hand in his pocket and the other holding a goblet, he swirled the red liquid inside it. The liquid danced in the glass as he moved.
Dolores looked up and greeted him with a faint smile, “Mr. Nelson.”
Matthew’s expression froze for a moment. Mr. Nelson?
She used to address him as “Mr. Nelson,” but after she heard her call him “Matthew,” he no longer liked that title. It sounded unfamiliar and distant.
He preferred her to call him Matthew.
“Are you familiar with this place?” he asked, descending the stairs.
“It’s been a long time, and my memories are not very clear,” Dolores replied, refusing to admit her familiarity with the place or acknowledge her past with Matthew.
“You summoned me here to discuss something, didn’t you?” Dolores walked to the sofa and elegantly crossed her legs, placing one hand on the armrest. “I also have something to discuss with you, Mr. Nelson.”
She had something to discuss with him?
Matthew was surprised by her words.
He placed a glass of red wine in front of her and said, “For you.”
Dolores thanked him politely, “Thank you.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow. Judging by her tone and demeanor, was she really treating him as a stranger?
Suppressing his displeasure, he sat down opposite her.
“What did you want to talk about?”
Dolores clasped her hands tightly. “Six years ago, you mentioned that you wanted a divorce. We had agreed and should have obtained the divorce certificates. However, due to my accident, we never completed the process. I deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. I have come to discuss finalizing the divorce procedures…”
“This is what you wanted to discuss?” Matthew interrupted her.
He had already informed her that he had canceled the engagement banquet with Maria. Yet here she was, bringing up these matters?
Hadn’t he made himself clear last time?
Matthew’s face darkened.
“Yes. Mr. Nelson, I have carefully considered your words. Even if you can accept it, I can’t. So, just as we agreed in the past, I want a divorce now,” Dolores declared.
Dolores noticed that her palms were sweaty after finishing her words.
Matthew sneered.
He leaned back on the sofa and calmly observed her.
Dolores grew uneasy and nervous under his gaze.
After a while, she finally composed herself. “If you’re available now, we can proceed with the procedures today…”
As if he had recalled something, Dolores chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Oh, I forgot. Mr. Nelson doesn’t need to handle such matters personally. You can simply give an order to Abbott Baron.”
Matthew furrowed his brow and asked, “Are you finished?”
Dolores nodded and straightened her back, ready to hear his intentions.
Matthew didn’t say anything. Instead, he opened a piece of social news on his phone and handed it to Dolores.
Confused, Dolores looked at the screen. As soon as she saw the photo, her heart raced, and she hastily reached for the phone. The person in the photo was his son, taken in the private room of a restaurant. The object in Samuel’s hand was quite eye-catching, and Matthew’s profile was clearly visible.
“What’s this?”
“When I was negotiating with Mr. Powell from SD Corporation, your son burst into the room holding that object and loudly proclaimed in front of everyone that it belonged to me. The whole scene was captured by someone with malicious intentions and subsequently posted on the Internet.” Matthew reached out and casually unbuttoned his collar, saying, “The news has spread far and wide. Have you heard what people are saying about me?”
Dolores pondered why Samuel would cause trouble for Matthew. However, what shocked her the most was how he managed to obtain the Durex.
He was just a five-year-old boy.
“I apologize. I will discipline him…” Dolores paused, realizing that something was amiss. There was no way Samuel could have obtained the Durex. What if it belonged to Matthew?
“It’s not mine,” Matthew said in a somber voice, seeing through Dolores’ thoughts. If it weren’t for his own reasons, he would have grabbed her collar and shouted, “I don’t carry condoms with me all the time!”
Dolores sneered, “My son is so young. I doubt he even knows what it is. Moreover, why would he give it to you and not someone else?”
Deep down, Dolores trusted her son.
Although he had a mischievous side, he would never be capable of concocting such a scheme to frame Matthew.
Well, fine.
Matthew rose from his seat and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, one button at a time, while staring at Dolores with a patronizing gaze.
Dolores involuntarily stepped back; her eyes fixed on him with vigilance. “What are you doing?” she asked.
Matthew chuckled. “I’m simply going to prove to you that I don’t have the habit of using condoms.”
Dolores fell into silence.
“I’ll talk to him about this when I return. Let’s put a stop to this for today,” Dolores declared, rising to leave.
However, before she could make her way to the exit, Matthew seized her wrist firmly. “It’s not up to you,” he stated firmly.
Dolores felt her heart pounding in her chest, her anxiety reaching its peak. She didn’t dare to turn her head and meet his gaze. “I will investigate this matter. If I have wronged you, I will apologize to you, Mr. Nelson.”
“I prefer to find out the truth for myself,” Matthew declared suddenly, applying pressure to her hand, causing Dolores to fall back onto the sofa. In the next moment, Matthew leaned forward…