In the villa…
A collective sigh filled the air, expressing the heavy hearts of everyone present.
Victoria winced, attempting to cover her pain with her hand. Her intermittent sobs gradually escalated into a continuous, muffled cry. Her eyes squeezed shut, teeth biting down on her fist, as if trying to stifle her sorrow.
Jayden, a composed man capable of controlling his emotions, reached out to help Victoria up. “Let’s go home. You’re still in poor health.”
Victoria glanced up, fighting back tears. “I want to stay here-”
Before she could finish her sentence, she realized the recklessness of her request. Given Matthew’s character, how could she expect him to allow her to remain?
Jayden understood her thoughts. “We can visit the kids often.”
Victoria remained apprehensive, her emotions running high. “How could he be such an asshole? Didn’t he realize what he has done?”
Matthew’s reaction indicated that he truly knew he was the father of the two children.
She could sense that Matthew was even more devastated than anyone else in the room.
“Tell me, how can I find peace of mind?” Victoria sighed. “He’s always been smart. How could he make such a foolish mistake?”
Jayden patted her shoulder reassuringly. “I believe he’ll come to terms with it. Listen to me. Let’s go home. If Matthew isn’t there, you can bring the kids to our house for the day. We have two beautiful grandchildren now. We should be happy. Why are you crying? It’s not good for your health either.”
Victoria recognized his happiness. Wiping her tears, she said, “I just feel sorry for the two kids and Dolores. She has raised them as a single mother…”
“Things will get better in the future.” Jayden let out a sigh. “You’re worrying too much. Trust me. Let’s go home first.”
Assisting her to her feet, Jayden made it clear that she couldn’t stay. His suggestion made sense-they could visit the kids when Matthew was absent or bring them back to their own home.
Thomas hurried ahead to open the door for them.
Coral sat on the sofa, staring at Jessica. “You shouldn’t have kept it a secret. You should have told the truth. Even if it made you unhappy, you shouldn’t have concealed it for so long for the sake of the children,” Coral complained.
Jessica looked down. If she had known earlier, she would have revealed the truth.
She had also hoped that the children would have a father.
However, Dolores had claimed that the man was a local that night. It had been a while since then, and nobody had mentioned it. No one had connected Matthew to the children.
Jessica didn’t offer an explanation to Coral. After all, it concerned her daughter’s privacy.
She couldn’t reveal it.
If Coral misunderstood, so be it.
Coral sensed Jessica’s low spirits and decided not to push further.
A gentle breeze blew, casting a dim light from the moon.
Samuel sat quietly in the car, gazing out the window as the scenery whizzed past. Occasionally, he adjusted his sister’s collar and consoled her, “We’ll see Mommy very soon.”
Observing Samuel’s actions through the rear-view mirror, Matthew’s Adam’s apple bobbed, a surge of warmth coursing through his throat.
No matter how intelligent Samuel was, he was still just five years old. His thoughtfulness and care for his sister tugged at Matthew’s heart.
Despite putting himself in danger for the sake of Dolores’ revenge, Matthew remembered this little boy. Even now, the wound on his head had yet to fully heal.
This boy…
No words could convey what Matthew was feeling in that moment.
He had always been mature and composed, but now he was in a state of panic.
Soon, the car arrived at LEO Corporation. The store’s door was shut, devoid of any light. Dolores was not there. Matthew glanced at the time-it had been two hours since Dolores said she would be there. She was nowhere to be found. Where had she gone?
He pulled out his phone and dialed Dolores’ number, but received the same automated response: “I’m sorry. The subscriber you dialed cannot be reached at the moment. Please try again later…”
Deep furrows formed on his brow. Recalling Dolores’ behavior earlier, he sensed that something was amiss.
During the day, she had hidden away from everyone, crying in secret.
He wondered what had happened.
The more he contemplated, the more his suspicions intensified.
He retrieved Abbott’s number, but hesitated before dialing. Instead, he called Boyce’s number. Beulah’s sudden appearance and Dolores’ current disappearance seemed connected.
Boyce was handling Beulah’s case, so he would be more likely to know if Dolores’ vanishing had any relation to it.
The call connected swiftly. “Where are you now?” Matthew inquired.
Boyce was taken aback, surprised by Matthew’s urgency. Matthew’s tone conveyed his anxiety, even over the phone.
It was an unfamiliar side of Matthew.
Glancing back at the forensic doctor performing an autopsy, Boyce replied, “I’m still at the morgue, investigating the cause of Beulah Shawn’s death.”
Matthew ended the call abruptly. As he prepared to head there, he realized he had two children in the backseat.
He couldn’t bring them to such a place.
“Where’s my Mommy?” Samuel blinked, observing the tightly closed store door with no sign of their Mommy.
Matthew didn’t know how to explain. “I’ll drive you two home first. Then I’ll go find your Mommy. Alright?”
Samuel furrowed his brow, mirroring Matthew’s expression from earlier. He asked again, “Where’s my mommy?”
She was an adult, she couldn’t just disappear. He wondered if something dangerous had happened to her.
Taking a deep breath, Samuel continued, “Is Mommy missing? You can’t find her either, can you?”
The boy was perceptive beyond his years. Matthew couldn’t hide anything from him.
He gazed at Samuel. “I will find her, I promise.”
Samuel clenched his small fists, his eyes reddening. “Maybe you don’t like my mommy. But for the fact that she gave birth to us, you must find her and ensure her safety. Maybe you don’t want to acknowledge my sister and me, but your blood runs through us. For the sake of this connection between us, please make sure to find my mommy.”
Matthew looked away, his hand supporting his forehead. Most of his face was concealed in the shadows. He spoke in a hoarse voice, strained with emotion. “Why do you think I dislike your mommy and don’t want to recognize you two?”
“If you loved Mommy and cared for her, you wouldn’t have divorced her.” Samuel’s words were earnest as he lowered his gaze, staring at the tip of his shoe. “No other man has come into Mommy’s life. Just now, when you saw the test result, you didn’t believe we were your children. You’ve hurt us and Mommy.”
As Samuel spoke, silence enveloped the car.
They could hear each other’s breathing, faint but filled with unease.
After a long silence, Matthew finally found his voice. It trembled with a mix of regret and sorrow.
“No, I didn’t mean to deny you. As for the divorce…”
He struggled to articulate his thoughts. It was he who had initiated it.
He had nothing more to say.
“I get it,” Samuel responded maturely, sounding beyond his years. “It’s normal for a man to be attracted to something new and dislike the old. I actually wanted to find a man for Mommy who is more handsome and richer than you, but I haven’t found that man yet. I’ll keep trying my best.”
Matthew was at a loss for words. Was this truly his son?
What a remarkable child!
He turned to face Samuel. “I am your father.”
“Biologically,” Samuel interjected.
Once again, Matthew found himself speechless.
“You and Mommy got divorced. Mommy has the right to find a new husband,” Samuel stated matter-of-factly.
Matthew felt powerless. He pursed his lips. “Hasn’t your Mommy told you? We haven’t received the official divorce certificate. Legally, we are still married.”
What on earth?
Samuel’s mouth hung open. Hadn’t Mommy obtained the proper divorce papers yet?
He couldn’t comprehend how they had divorced without proper documentation.
“How could you adults be so careless?” Samuel was visibly annoyed. If they still had their marriage certificate, they were still legally married. How could he find a better man for his Mommy?
“Samuel, where is Mommy?” Simona tugged at Samuel’s shirt, her eyes heavy with sleep. “I’m so sleepy. I want Mommy to hold me and put me to bed.”
“I’ll take you guys home first.” Matthew started the car engine and began driving back to their house.
Soon, they arrived at the villa. During the drive, Simona had fallen asleep in Samuel’s arms.
Matthew opened the car door and stepped out. He then opened the rear door and bent down to lift Simona into his arms. It wasn’t the first time he had held her, but it felt entirely different this time.
His heart couldn’t help but tremble, and his fingers shook slightly. She was his daughter, his blood ran through her veins.
She was brought into this world by Dolores, for him.
Her little body felt so delicate. His heart had softened considerably.
Samuel didn’t want Matthew to hold his sister, but he couldn’t manage to hold Simona himself. Thus, he had no choice but to let Matthew take her.
He followed closely behind Matthew, fearful that he might try to claim his younger sister.
“Please take her to my room,” Samuel requested.
Matthew turned around and looked down at him. The small boy gazed up at him, worried that he would take away his younger sister.
Since Matthew would be going out again to search for Dolores, he didn’t plan to take Simona upstairs. It would be inconvenient to care for her there.
He entered Samuel’s room, placed Simona on his bed, and tucked her in under the covers.
Simona’s face had a rosy glow, probably from falling asleep in the car with its fresh air. Her eyelashes were long and curly, like butterflies gently resting on her closed eyes.
She pouted as she slept peacefully.
Matthew gently stroked her cheek, feeling the softness and smoothness of her skin. He leaned down, intending to plant a kiss on her forehead, but Samuel pushed him away. “She’s my sister.”
As if declaring ownership, Samuel made it clear that Simona belonged to him. Matthew couldn’t kiss her.
“She’s also my daughter.”
“But you never raised her.”
Once again, Matthew failed in front of Samuel.
With Dolores still missing, he said to the little boy, “Take good care of your sister.”
“I will.”
Matthew wanted to ruffle Samuel’s hair, but he refrained from doing so. After giving them both a quick glance, he turned around and left the room.
Since nobody had eaten dinner, Coral prepared some food. Upon seeing Matthew emerge, she said, “Mr. Nelson, please have something to eat.”
“They’re in the room. Take good care of them,” Matthew replied, lacking the appetite to eat.
“Of course,” Coral agreed. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.”
Matthew turned around and glanced at the securely closed door before striding out of the villa.
As he walked, he dialed Abbott’s number. The call connected quickly.
“Arrange for a few skilled and reliable bodyguards to come to the villa.”
Dolores had suddenly gone missing, and Matthew didn’t believe it was a simple matter. With the two children staying at the villa, he couldn’t rest easy without sufficient security.
“Sure. When?”
“Tonight.”
That soon! Abbott pursed his lips. It was short notice.
“What? Can’t you handle it?” Matthew’s voice turned cold.
“Well… I’ll send my men over within an hour.” Abbott braced himself.
Matthew ended the call and sat in his car. He was heading to the detention center in City B.