“Huh?” Allison exclaimed, her expression puzzled. “Don’t tell me you don’t know them.”
Dolores genuinely didn’t know. It wasn’t until she saw them in the exhibition area that she discovered their identities.
They were Armand and Boyce.
Armand stood before a long skirt, the designer’s name clearly displayed beneath it. However, he pretended not to notice and asked Theresa, “Who designed this?”
“I did,” Theresa replied. If she hadn’t known she was speaking to a wealthy and influential individual, she would have cursed him for being a pervert. Here he was, a man poking around women’s clothing and asking nonsensical questions.
Armand drew out his response, deliberately elongating the sound, “Oooh!” It was discomforting. Theresa managed to keep her temper in check and calmly stated, “Do you have any other questions? If not, I’m quite busy.”
“Yes, I do!” Armand grabbed the thin shoulder straps of the skirt. “What was your inspiration for this design? Why are the shoulder straps so thin? Is it to make it easy to take off or to reveal more skin?”
Theresa’s face instantly flushed, and she glared at him.
With a mischievous grin, Armand quipped, “Are you here to cause trouble and ruin the opening?”
“No, no! I’m just curious,” Armand defended himself. “Cause trouble? Do you think I want to jeopardize my own life?”
This was Dolores’ place.
And who was Dolores?
She was currently Matthew’s sweetheart. Armand didn’t dare to provoke her.
“If you like it, you can buy it. As for my source of inspiration, how about I tell you another time?” Theresa suggested.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, so why would I buy it?” Armand pouted.
Theresa smiled, revealing two dimples on the corners of her mouth, which made her look incredibly cute. “If you want, you can wear it yourself.”
Armand was left speechless.
Meanwhile, Boyce burst into laughter beside him.
“This is brilliant! He should wear it himself! I’m telling you, it suits him,” Boyce chimed in, taking the opportunity to dig Armand’s grave.
Armand glared at him. “Will you shut up if you don’t have anything important to say?”
“Yeah… What are you staring at?” Boyce noticed Armand’s sudden change in expression.
Following Boyce’s gaze, Armand saw Victoria entering through the door.
As friends of Matthew, they both knew that Victoria was Matthew’s stepmother.
It was because of her that Matthew had left home at such a young age and started living on his own.
She was also the reason behind the strained relationship between Matthew and his father.
Naturally, they didn’t hold her in high regard.
From a personal standpoint, even though she was an outsider, Victoria appeared gentle and peaceful when stripped of her grand clothes and makeup. She didn’t exude materialism at all.
“What is she doing here?” Armand narrowed his eyes.
Boyce didn’t say anything, but he felt that her presence wasn’t a good sign.
Victoria seemed unwell, her face weary. She had applied a light layer of makeup to conceal it.
Theresa went over to greet her. “Hello!”
“I’m looking for…” Victoria began, but at that moment, Dolores approached. They had met previously, and Dolores had invited her to the opening. Dolores had sent her an invitation, but she hadn’t expected Victoria to arrive so early, even before the actual ceremony.
“You made it,” Dolores greeted her with a smile.
“Of course,” Victoria replied. She didn’t plan to stay long and had come early purposely to avoid running into Matthew. She was afraid he wouldn’t be pleased if he found out she was there.
“Can we have a moment alone?” Dolores asked.
There was still time before the event, so Dolores agreed, “Sure, come with me.”
Dolores led the way, and Victoria deliberately walked at a slower pace, admiring Dolores’ slender figure in the pink gown.
She looked as though she had never given birth and appeared very young.
Internally, Victoria thought that although her son was perfect, his wife was no less exceptional.
Especially after learning that she had given birth to twins for her son, Victoria admired her even more.
Although the test results hadn’t come out yet, Victoria already knew that the children were Matthew’s.
Dolores pushed open the door to the meeting room and turned to Victoria. “This room is quiet.”
“Okay.” Victoria entered and took a seat on the sofa.
Dolores poured her a glass of water and sat down on the sofa across from her.
No matter how Victoria looked at her, she found her incredibly beautiful.
Dolores felt a bit embarrassed under Victoria’s gaze and started the conversation. “How are you? You don’t look too well.”
Victoria snapped out of her daze and replied, “I have a slight cold.”
She took a sip of water from the table, concealing her previous awkwardness.
As she set the glass back down, she said, “Please don’t tell Matthew that I came here today.”
Dolores smiled and agreed, “Okay.”
“I trust you.” Victoria had a thousand words to say, but she didn’t know where to begin. She took out a wooden box from her bag and extended it to Dolores. “I want to give this to you.”
Dolores hesitated to accept it and pushed it back. “I don’t think I can accept this.”
They weren’t familiar with each other at all.
And Victoria’s identity… If Matthew found out they had met, he wouldn’t be pleased.
“You haven’t even seen it yet, and you want to refuse me?” Victoria looked at her. “Are you afraid that Matthew will find out and get angry?”
Dolores pursed her lips. She was right.
But there was another reason. It was only their second meeting, and it felt somewhat inappropriate to accept gifts. They weren’t close enough for that.
Furthermore, their relationship wasn’t likely to grow closer in the future.
After all, her identity posed a barrier.
“I always have to consider his feelings,” Dolores deliberately used Matthew as a shield, masking her true intentions.
However, in reality, that statement wasn’t entirely true. If Victoria and Matthew’s relationship hadn’t been as complicated as it was, Dolores wouldn’t have rejected her kindness.
Victoria appeared like a graceful and secluded lake, with calm waters that hid her emotions.
Mixed emotions welled up inside Victoria-sadness and happiness intertwined.
She felt sad because Dolores didn’t accept her gesture, yet she was happy because Dolores was considerate of Matthew’s feelings.
“Don’t think our relationship is too complicated. You are you, and I am me. There is no other connection between us. Today is the opening of your store, and I have always shown you my true heart. Even if I consider myself a friend, I didn’t want to come empty-handed,” Victoria insisted, pushing the box back toward Dolores. “Open it and see.”
Dolores hesitated, feeling that it might not be appropriate.
“Open it and see,” Victoria persisted, making it clear that she would keep repeating the request until Dolores accepted.
Left with no other option, Dolores reached out and opened the box. Inside, a stunning emerald green jade bracelet lay nestled in an embroidered case. Its purity and high-quality craftsmanship were apparent at first glance, indicating its considerable value.
Dolores grew even more hesitant to accept such a precious gift. “This is too expensive. I can’t accept it.”
What was Victoria’s intention?
Was she trying to bribe Dolores with such an extravagant gift?
Dolores secretly wondered about Victoria’s motives.
“There’s nothing you can’t accept. You are the daughter-in-law of the Nelson family; you can afford it,” Victoria asserted.
Dolores was left speechless.
She didn’t even know what her relationship with Matthew truly entailed. Were they husband and wife? Lovers? Friends? None of these words accurately described their connection.
Victoria retrieved the jade bracelet from the box and placed it on Dolores’ hand. Dolores attempted to withdraw her hand, but Victoria held onto it firmly. Her eyes bore into Dolores with a profound intensity. “Don’t refuse.”
Her voice sounded heavily restrained, as if she was concealing something unspeakable.
Dolores stood there in stunned silence for a moment, unsure of how to respond. “But…”
“I care about you a lot,” Victoria tightened her grip on Dolores’ hand. “If I get the chance in the future, I will share a story with you.”
Dolores could sense the sorrow in Victoria’s eyes. She stopped struggling and allowed Victoria to place the bracelet on her hand. “My mother-in-law gave this to me. Now, I’m giving it to you.”
Her mother-in-law?
Did that mean Matthew’s grandmother?
But wasn’t she a mistress before becoming the wife?
Dolores felt perplexed.
“You must be very busy today. I should go,” Victoria said, standing up. Dolores also rose to her feet, offering to show her the way.
“Okay,” Victoria replied, her face beaming with joy.
Dolores felt a sense of unease and shame after accepting the gift. She planned to return it to Victoria at the first opportunity.
Victoria’s car was parked outside, and Dolores assisted in opening the door. Victoria settled into the car and then lowered the window, complimenting Dolores with a smile. “You look stunning today.”
Dolores felt a tad awkward as she responded, “Thank you.”
Victoria bid her farewell, closed the window, and turned to the driver. “Let’s go.”
Dolores stood on the roadside, watching the departing car with narrowed eyes. She wasn’t very familiar with Victoria. They had only met a few times and had minimal contact.
However, she could sense that Victoria wasn’t a bad person.
There seemed to be many hidden secrets within her, things she couldn’t openly discuss.
That sense of restraint…
Dolores struggled to find the right words to describe it.
She believed there must be some deep secret buried within Victoria’s heart.
Lost in her thoughts, Dolores didn’t notice a black car stopping not far from her.
A man stepped out of the car, dressed in a tailor-made suit with sharp lines and not a single crease, exuding an air of wealth and nobility. The street was bathed in sunshine, but the weather had cooled down. The sunlight was gentle and refreshing, rather than scorching and blinding.
His gaze fell upon the exquisite and delicate figure enveloped in the halo of light.