The SMS record contained a series of text messages exchanged between Maria and Dolores, accompanied by some photos sent by Maria. Matthew’s hands trembled as he read through the messages. He recalled a moment from the past when Dolores had gone upstairs alone, seemingly upset. Could it have been triggered by these text messages?
One particular message caught his attention. It was sent at night, possibly when Dolores was in the car with him. He remembered her receiving a message and acting strangely, claiming it was from Theresa. Matthew scrolled down to read further.
“You accepted my money, sold your body, and unexpectedly got pregnant. You don’t know who the father is, right?”
Matthew’s hands shook uncontrollably. He realized why Dolores had abruptly left, citing an emergency. She must have fallen into a trap, despite her ability to sense it. The other party knew her well and understood her deep concern for her children. Mentioning the kids had unsettled her.
Feeling the weight of the situation, Matthew’s hands continued to tremble. Boyce, sensing his distress, made a call to expand the search for the van, urging them to find it quickly. The city was cloaked in a haze, the sky slowly brightening as the neon lights faded and the streets quietened.
Approaching Matthew softly, Boyce suggested, “Would you like to go back for now? I’ve already sent more people to search, and if you don’t return overnight, your family will worry.”
Boyce tactfully refrained from mentioning that he had already searched until daybreak, implying it was for the children’s sake. Matthew gestured for Boyce to wait and said in a low voice, “Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“No problem. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to find her as soon as possible,” Boyce assured him.
Matthew turned off his phone screen, stowed it in his pocket, and got into his car. The image of Samuel, delicate and sensitive, waiting anxiously for Dolores struck his mind. He had to go back home to attend to the children first.
The roads were deserted at this hour, with only the breakfast stalls open, and a hint of coolness in the air from the morning dew. As Matthew approached the villa, he suddenly made a U-turn and headed back to the hotel. He took a shower, changed his clothes, and tried to appear in good spirits before returning to the villa.
Parking the car at the villa, he checked the time-4:30 am. Everyone should be asleep by now. He entered the yard quietly and pushed open the massive front door. The dimly lit room was serene. Matthew intended to check on the kids when he noticed a small figure lying on the sofa.
Approaching, he discovered it was Samuel, curled up without a cover. Matthew leaned down to pick him up, but as soon as he touched Samuel, the boy woke up.
“Where’s Mommy?” Samuel’s first question upon waking was about Dolores. His eyes half-opened, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
Matthew’s throat tightened, mirroring his heart’s turmoil. He replied, “Mommy received a new design request that had to be completed urgently, so she worked overtime at the store. I stayed with her all night, and now she’s sleeping at the store. She asked me to come home and check on you guys.”
Rubbing his eyes, Samuel inquired, “Really?”
“Yes.” Matthew lifted him up. “Let’s go to your room and sleep.”
Samuel, who had waited all night for Dolores to return, was indeed exhausted. Unconsciously, he snuggled into Matthew’s arms, finding a comfortable position, and mumbled, “Mommy is busy again. She said she’d be busy during the day but would definitely make time at night to be with Simona and me. Unexpected, right?”
Matthew halted, his body tensing up. He lowered his head to look at the innocent face in his arms. Samuel’s eyes were closed, and his sleepy words struck Matthew’s heart.
His voice quavered, “Really?”
“Yeah, she never says it, but I know she feels like we don’t have a father, so she loves us even more than usual. She tries to make up for that.”
Matthew’s grip tightened involuntarily.
“Ouch! That hurts!”
Apologizing, Matthew quickly loosened his hold. He had momentarily lost control and hugged Samuel tightly. His voice trembled as he said, “I’m sorry.”
Unaware of the implications, Samuel closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep. He was genuinely exhausted.
Matthew placed him gently on the bed. Simona, who was supposed to be there, was nowhere to be found. The vast bed lay empty.
Covering Samuel with a quilt, Matthew watched him sleep. His small face nestled in the pillow, outlining his silhouette-fair, tender cheeks, a petite nose, and slightly parted, rosy lips moving with each gentle breath.
He seemed soundly asleep.
Matthew reached out to touch Samuel’s face gently, taking in the moment.
Suddenly, the bedroom door creaked open, and Jessica stood in the doorway. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked.
Matthew nodded, withdrawing his hand and stepping out of the room. Jessica was seated on the living room sofa.
“Lola didn’t come back all night. Was she with you?” Jessica inquired.
“Yes,” Matthew replied, maintaining an expression of complete indifference to dispel any doubts Jessica might have.
As if nothing had happened.
“It’s hard for me to believe,” Jessica admitted. She struggled to accept that Samuel and Simona were Matthew’s children.
“At that time, my son and I were in a serious car accident. Lola managed to acquire money from somewhere and saved my life. Unfortunately, my son couldn’t be rescued in time and passed away at the scene… Later, I discovered where she got the money from. She claimed it was from someone native to that country. I don’t want any misunderstandings. We don’t need to verify anything; they are my children,” Matthew firmly interrupted Jessica.
Now he understood why Dolores had needed money back then. It all made sense…
He lowered his head. “I’m sorry for leaving her to take care of our children alone for so long.”
Tears welled up in Jessica’s eyes. “I even pressured her, telling her that being pregnant before marriage was…” Jessica struggled to find the right words to describe it. “I even tried to convince her not to keep the baby, but she didn’t listen… So I just accepted her and let her suffer alongside me, knowing I was an unfit mother…”
She pursed her lips, choking on her sobs as her shoulders trembled.
“What are you going to do?” she asked, unsure of Matthew’s intentions toward her daughter.
Did he have feelings for her or any other motives?
Even though the children were his, she still wanted her daughter to be happy. She hoped that the man who lived with her daughter genuinely cared for her and was also loved by her daughter.
That was the only way she could find happiness.
If the two of them stayed together solely for the sake of the children, they might not find true happiness.
“Lola has raised them, so they’re accustomed to living with her…” Jessica trailed off.
“What are you trying to say?” Matthew raised his head, seeking clarification.