He arched his lips into a sardonic smile. “Quite hot today, isn’t it?”
Dolores followed his gaze and glanced down at her dress, realizing that she hadn’t pulled down the hemline, which she had lifted for driving.
About to offer an explanation, Dolores was interrupted as Matthew opened the car door. He retrieved his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Get in the car.”
She wondered when he had taken off the jacket, as she could still feel his warmth lingering on it. The fabric carried his unique scent, a cool and pleasant aroma that she found appealing.
Bending down, Dolores entered the car. She remembered that Terry had visited her store and casually asked, “Terry mentioned that you asked him to delay the appeal, didn’t you?”
Matthew cast a quick glance at her. “Did he come to you?”
Dolores nodded honestly. “Yes, he did.”
“It’s not the right time,” Matthew stated. After all, Sampson had just been sent to jail. If they revealed Maria’s involvement in a homicide case, they would become outright enemies of the Herbert family.
It wasn’t that Matthew was afraid of the Herbert family. They simply operated by their own rules within their circle.
However, Matthew had sensed Landon’s displeasure during their last encounter. He wondered what wicked actions Landon would plot against him next.
“Don’t worry. It won’t lead to anything definitive. It’s just not the right time yet.”
Dolores felt relieved. Although this matter concerned her, it wasn’t as crucial as it was for Terry. After all, his older brother had lost his life in the incident, and even if he had made mistakes, he didn’t deserve to die.
Matthew gently held her hand in his palm.
His broad and sturdy hand seemed to possess a comforting magic. Dolores gradually felt a sense of calmness wash over her.
“When the time comes, you don’t need to show up in person,” Matthew assured her. He had already planned to have Terry appear in court on his own.
With one of the Herbert family’s sons already behind bars, having their daughter implicated would be a direct affront to their reputation.
The Herbert family wouldn’t be able to contain their anger. Anyone in charge would become a target of their revenge.
Matthew couldn’t bear the thought of Dolores becoming a target.
“Okay,” Dolores replied, not dwelling on the matter as much as he did. After all, Maria and she had been enemies for a long time.
Feeling fatigued, she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.
Gradually, silence enveloped the car. They no longer engaged in conversation, each lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Dolores recalled something. She turned to Matthew and asked, “How’s Beulah Shawn? Have you discovered anything? Why did she appear so suddenly? Was she being manipulated by someone?”
Matthew averted his sparkling eyes and replied flatly, “It’s still under investigation.”
He didn’t want to divulge the details of Beulah’s death to prevent Dolores from overthinking.
He would delve into the cause of her death and uncover who was behind it.
Dolores nodded, leaning against the seat as she continued to rest. Just then, a surge of electricity ran through her hand as her cellphone vibrated. Startled, she shivered and looked down, unlocking the screen to see another photo sent to her. It depicted her receiving money from an elderly woman.
Shortly after, another message appeared: “You took the money and sold yourself. Then you ended up pregnant unexpectedly. Don’t you want to know who the father of your child is?”
Dolores’s hand trembled uncontrollably as unease flooded her heart. Hastily, she typed a response: “Who are you? What is your motive? How do you know about this?”
Without hesitation this time, she pressed the send button.
“What’s wrong?” Matthew sensed her distress.
Dolores struggled to catch her breath and concocted another lie. “Theresa was texting me about work.”
Matthew didn’t suspect anything and glanced at her face. “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Okay,” Dolores replied, looking down.
How could she possibly share this matter with him?
Tell him that she had sold herself?
Sold her body?
She had no idea how much evidence this person held. She feared that her dark history from the past would be exposed to the public.
Especially if he were to find out…
Essentially, Dolores was uncertain about Matthew and couldn’t fully trust him.
A deep and wide chasm separated Matthew and her.
She always wondered if he truly didn’t care that she had lost her virginity.
Was he indifferent because she had given birth?
He deliberately avoided those topics.
It wasn’t that he didn’t care.
He intentionally ignored those matters.
Suddenly, she received another message.
Dolores tapped to read it.
“I’m a party.”
Those simple words struck her like a thunderbolt.
A party?
Was this person the man from that night?
Dolores panicked.
At this moment, Maria sat in a booth at a bar, an unfinished drink before her.
Curling her lips, she sent another message: “Whenever you want to meet me, just contact me. I heard your store opened today. Congratulations.”
The unease grew deeper, consuming her entirely. She knew nothing about this person, yet they seemed to know everything about her, including the events happening around her.
It felt as though her life was being observed, leaving her thoroughly disgusted.
It meant that such a person existed, capable of unexpectedly appearing, approaching her, and disrupting her current life.
Lost in her thoughts, she was driven to their villa.
Another car was parked nearby, one that didn’t belong to Matthew or Dolores.
As Matthew stepped out of the car, he frowned upon seeing the other vehicle, growing increasingly annoyed.
“Good evening, Mr. Nelson,” Thomas greeted him at the door instead of waiting inside the house.
Seeing their return, Thomas approached them immediately.
“Why did they come here?” Matthew’s voice carried a hint of coldness.
The elderly couple rarely visited, so Matthew was displeased when they showed up unannounced this time.
Thomas smiled and said, “Yes, they have something to tell you.”
He turned towards Dolores and continued, “This must be Mrs. Dolores.”
Dolores remained silent, unsure of how to respond to such a title.
“Please go in quickly. They are all waiting for you inside,” Thomas said, opening the door with a smile.
Dolores stood still, looking at Matthew. “Have your parents come?”
Matthew didn’t answer, but it was evident that they had indeed arrived.
“They rarely come here,” he said in a tone that carried a hint of rejection.
For some reason, Dolores began to panic. She had met Victoria before, but she had yet to meet Matthew’s father officially.
She felt nervous, as if an unworthy daughter-in-law was about to meet her in-laws.
Seeing her hesitation, Matthew walked over and took her hand. “I’ll be with you. Why are you so scared?”
“I’m not scared,” Dolores retorted, although she couldn’t deny her nervousness.
She wondered why Matthew’s parents had chosen this moment to visit.
At the bar…
Maria took a sip of her wine, feeling bored and lonely. Picking up her phone, she sent two photos to Dolores. This time, they weren’t of Dolores herself but of Samuel and Simona.
The photos had been taken recently.
She had planned everything carefully.
She knew that Dolores cared deeply about her children.
Currently, Samuel and Simona were staying at Matthew’s villa, accompanied by bodyguards wherever they went. Maria had no opportunity to approach them directly, but she could secretly take their photos.
Finishing her wine, Maria sent a text message that read, “Your children are adorable. They resemble both you and their father.”
Dolores’ phone vibrated once again. She opened the message and panicked upon seeing the photos of Samuel and Simona.
How did this person obtain these photos?
Were they watching her?
The thought of a stranger having access to her life filled her with dread.
Especially when it concerned the safety of her children, she couldn’t remain calm any longer.
“What’s wrong?” Matthew turned to look at Dolores, sensing her sudden pause.
She stared at him, falling into silence for a few seconds. Then, she finally spoke, “I forgot something at the store. I need to go back and get it.”
As she spoke, she tried to retrieve her hand from Matthew’s firm grasp.
“Is it really important?” Matthew looked at her hand, which tightly held the phone, with a hint of doubt.