Without giving a response, the car drove away.
Sampson’s words had inexplicably sown a seed of suspicion in Dolores’ heart.
“Don’t just keep giving your sincerity like a fool and be blind to what’s right in front of your eyes.”
He was clearly referring to Matthew.
Matthew caught on to her thoughts and sneered.
“What are you laughing at?” she frowned.
“Do you feel relieved now?”
Dolores blinked, not responding immediately. After a moment, she said, “No.”
She didn’t believe it, not at all. His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
She pondered for a while and then said, “Forget about that news.”
“Have you figured it out?”
Dolores turned her head, looking out the window at the swiftly passing scenery, much like the fleeting past.
“Yeah,” she replied softly.
“Okay.”
She preferred to figure it out on her own, without his assistance.
In silence, the car grew quiet, and the two of them stopped talking, creating an atmosphere of stillness.
In the midst of it, Matthew answered Abbott’s call.
Abbott informed him that Landon was waiting for him at the company.
Dolores had made her decision, so he had to resolve the matter naturally.
The news issue wouldn’t be investigated further, but the video problem remained unresolved.
He didn’t want her video to circulate on the internet.
The car pulled up in front of the WY Group building. Matthew got out of the car, handed the keys to Dolores, and said, “Go home early.”
Dolores took the keys and nodded. “Okay.”
Watching him walk into the building, Dolores settled into the driver’s seat and drove towards the airport.
Glancing at the time, she realized she still had half an hour left. It was just right.
Not far from the airport, she caught sight of a plane resembling a bird soaring in the blue sky.
Parking the car in the lot, she entered the airport’s departure hall.
As always, the airport was bustling with people, bidding tearful farewells or joyfully reuniting.
“Dolores.” Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind. She turned around and saw Allison beckoning to her. Allison was dressed casually, wearing white sneakers with her sleeves rolled up, and she carried a suitcase.
Mrs. William stood right behind her, clad in an ivory suit, complete with sapphire jewelry, emanating a sense of decency and elegance.
Dolores smiled and walked over. “I’m late!”
“That’s for sure. We’ve been waiting for you forever,” Allison complained, looking behind her. “Are you alone? Didn’t Samuel come to pick me up?”
“He got a minor injury, so I didn’t want him to leave the house. I didn’t even know you were coming,” Dolores replied.
Allison playfully bumped her shoulder. “You weren’t expecting me, were you?”
“No,” Dolores truthfully admitted.
“Still not here to help you,” Allison said with a meaningful look, and Dolores immediately understood. Allison had come because Mrs. William was worried that Dolores would be too busy and brought Allison along to assist her.
Even if Mrs. William hadn’t brought any help, Dolores wouldn’t have been upset.
All her current achievements were thanks to the opportunities provided by Mrs. William.
“Mrs. William,” Dolores said, showing great respect as if she were part of her own family.
Mrs. William graciously smiled. “Let’s go.”
Dolores assisted with the luggage. “The car is waiting outside.”
Dolores loaded the luggage, and Allison opened the door for Mrs. William.
“Dolores, you’ve become quite wealthy since you came back,” Allison observed, inspecting the car carefully. She knew Dolores was frugal and would never buy such a luxurious vehicle.
“This isn’t mine,” Dolores replied.
She didn’t have the extra money to buy a car.
Allison leaned closer and, in a gossipy tone, said, “So, who does this car belong to? Don’t tell me. Let me guess.”
She pondered for a moment and then exclaimed, triumphantly, “A man gave it to you, and he’s very wealthy, right?”
The car’s color and features had a distinctly masculine feel, so the person who lent it to Dolores couldn’t be a woman.
Dolores couldn’t afford to buy such a car.
“It that right?” Allison asked, wearing a self-satisfied expression.
Dolores pretended not to hear and asked, “What did you say?”
Allison caught her instantly. “Why are you pretending? You heard me perfectly well. Are you trying to hide something? Can it be that you’ve already found a man?”
She guessed, “Could it be your son’s father…”
“Allison, aren’t you tired after such a long flight? Can you please be quiet for a while?” Mrs. William interrupted her.
Allison didn’t know, but Mrs. William probably had an inkling of whose car it was. It was most likely the person who had compelled her to come back.
Allison smirked and patted Dolores on the shoulder. “Alright, this time I’ll let it go for Mrs. William’s sake.”
“By the way, what’s the plan for today?” Allison showed no signs of fatigue from the flight and seemed quite enthusiastic.
“Don’t you need to rest?” Dolores glanced at her.
“I’m not tired.” Allison stretched. “Where’s Theresa? Why didn’t she come with you to pick us up?”
“She’s at the store.”
“Ah, then I’ll go there too and get acquainted with the surroundings. You just take Mrs. William to the hotel to rest.”
“Are you sure?” Dolores asked.
“Yes.”
Dolores made a U-turn, changing the car’s direction, and drove towards the store.
While dropping Allison off at the store, Dolores and Mrs. William took a look inside. The store’s interior design mirrored that of the main store, displaying modesty and an absence of mistakes. Mrs. William appeared quite satisfied.
ELO was the result of her lifelong hard work, and even though it was just a branch, she wouldn’t tolerate any errors.
After the visit, Dolores accompanied Mrs. William to the hotel to rest.
“Are there any auspicious days to start new things in China?” Mrs. William inquired.
Dolores nodded. “Yes.”
“Then we must carefully choose a propitious day for the opening ceremony and follow all the customs. After all, you’re also Chinese.”
“I’ve checked, and the day after tomorrow is considered auspicious. It’s recommended for moving into a new house, opening a business, or groundbreaking for a building.” Dolores had been diligently searching for a suitable day while overseeing the store’s renovation, so they could open as soon as possible.
“If you’ve arranged it, then that’s great,” Mrs. William replied, appearing a bit tired.
Dolores opened the door to the hotel room, helped Mrs. William with her luggage, and poured her a glass of water. “Have some water, take a bath, and rest. We’ll have dinner together tonight.”
“Okay. You go finish the preparations.”
There were many things to arrange for the opening, and Dolores had little time to organize everything in time.
Dolores left the hotel and went to the store to choose invitations and decorate the venue.
Since returning to China, this was the first time Dolores felt like everything was truly happening.
In the reception room of WY Group…
“Don’t worry about the video. I’ll make sure it never leaks. It will be completely destroyed,” Landon personally assured Matthew.
Sampson had informed him that the video matter was resolved. Once the press conference was held, he would take full responsibility.
The situation had escalated to such an extent that it was impossible to clean it up without any consequences. No matter what they did, the Herbert family’s reputation couldn’t be fully restored.
Sampson had volunteered to admit that he had bullied and kidnapped Samuel and was willing to face punishment.
The maximum sentence for intentional injury imposed by the police was one year and six months of jail time.
Under normal circumstances, the sentence wouldn’t be as long. However, even though Samuel hadn’t been severely injured, there was immense pressure on the police, and the Herbert family no longer wanted any trouble. Therefore, they would impose a harsh sentence to reassure the public’s concerns.
This would also restore the Herbert family’s reputation. They didn’t bully others and were law-abiding citizens. If they made a mistake, they would be punished even more severely than ordinary people.
This would put an end to all the gossip.
“That video of Maria…” Landon abruptly stopped speaking.
His meaning was clear.
“I need sincerity,” Matthew stated, his tone indifferent.
He wouldn’t rely solely on words.
Was he a three-year-old child?
Sincerity was demonstrated through actions, not mere words.
Landon placed the original video on the table. “There’s no backup copy; it wasn’t saved anywhere. You can rest assured that, even though this situation is unpleasant, the old friendship between our families remains intact. I won’t go back on my word.”
Matthew picked it up and examined it for a couple of seconds. “Don’t worry. As long as this video remains hidden, your daughter’s video won’t be leaked either.”
“But…”
“Why? Can’t you trust me?”
Landon felt embarrassed. If the video remained in his possession, wouldn’t he be able to use it as leverage whenever he pleased?
Feeling threatened by others at such times was not a pleasant experience.
“Of course, I trust you. But, after all, it’s linked to my daughter’s reputation, so I have to be cautious.” Landon appeared like a concerned father in that moment.