“What are you suspicious about?” Boyce was a little perplexed. Matthew had been so desperate to find Dolores earlier. Why was he so calm now?
Matthew walked over to the window, reminiscing about the moments he had spent with Dolores-her appearance, her smile, the tone of her voice. She still resembled Dolores, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t her.
“She’s not herself,” Matthew concluded.
Boyce raised an eyebrow, taken aback. “Are you joking? Who else could she be? Did someone undergo plastic surgery to look like her and pretend to be her?”
Plastic surgery?
Matthew suddenly turned around, a cold expression on his handsome face, his gaze penetrating.
Meeting Matthew’s intense gaze, Boyce’s eyes widened as he realized the gravity of the situation. “You… Do you suspect that the person we found is not Ms. Flores? That someone underwent plastic surgery to resemble her and is impersonating her?”
Boyce found it hard to believe. “Maria is locked up by us. Besides, who could resemble her so closely? Achieving such an exact likeness would take more than a couple of days.”
Matthew couldn’t provide a counterargument.
However, what he was certain of was that the person they found was not Dolores.
How could a person’s character change so rapidly?
Boyce carefully recollected the process of finding Dolores. “At that time, following the clues near the bar, we checked the surveillance footage and gradually discovered the van that abducted her. The surveillance footage led us to the outskirts. We searched the area and found the van, engulfed in flames, presumably doused in gasoline. The fire was intense, and the smoke was thick. Dolores was lying nearby. She mentioned that someone intended to burn her alive and that she twisted her ankle while fleeing. There is absolutely nothing suspicious about it.”
Matthew sneered coldly. “Maris wanted to kill her so badly. How could she just leave without ensuring she was dead?”
“Perhaps she was confident that Dolores wouldn’t escape?” Boyce still felt Matthew was overthinking things.
How many surgeries would it take for someone to completely change their appearance?
“If you have any doubts, we can consult a plastic surgeon to determine if her face has been altered. That would clarify things,” Boyce suggested.
Matthew glanced at him. “If she’s not Dolores, then doing so would only alert her to my suspicions.”
Wouldn’t that be detrimental to Dolores?
He had to consider it carefully.
After some thought, Boyce came up with an idea. “I’ll get you some sleeping pills. You think of a way to make her take them. Once she’s asleep, we can bring in a doctor for an examination without her realizing.”
He felt that if she truly wasn’t Dolores, this matter wouldn’t be resolved easily.
They had to acknowledge that transforming into a different person couldn’t be achieved in a short period. Moreover, how would they cope with the aftermath of failure after putting in so much effort? How would they ever find the real Dolores?
The more Boyce pondered, the more he realized this was no trivial matter. He wouldn’t find peace until he unraveled the truth. He quickly stood up and declared, “Let me change into proper attire. Wait for me.”
Returning in his authoritative and imposing uniform, Boyce appeared tall and strikingly handsome. He grabbed the car keys and said, “Let’s go!”
Matthew glanced at him but remained silent, seemingly accepting Boyce’s suggestion.
Leaving Boyce’s place, Matthew collected the medication and returned to the hotel, while Boyce took it upon himself to find a trustworthy plastic surgeon.
In the hotel room, ‘Dolores’ couldn’t sleep. She sat on the bed and grumbled, “Doesn’t Matthew love Dolores? Why isn’t he here when I’m injured?”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She stood up and limped to the bathroom. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she marveled at her Dolores-like face, running her fingers over it with confidence. “I must admit, this face is delicate and beautiful!”
She contorted her lips into a sinister grin. “From now on, I’ll be Dolores, the mother of Matthew’s children. Even if he doesn’t love Dolores as much, he’ll treat me well because I’m the mother of his two kids. In the latter half of my life, I can live without worry. No more hiding, no more disguises… ha ha!”
Click
Hearing the sound of the door opening, ‘Dolores’ immediately wiped the smile off her face and exited the bathroom, feigning weakness.
A tall figure stepped inside. She chuckled, “You’re back?”
Matthew entered and let out a nonchalant hum in response.
‘Dolores’ thought he was always like this around the real Dolores. Dolores didn’t seem like someone who would flirt with a man even if she wanted to.
Even if she gave birth to two children for him, she still couldn’t make him fall in love with her.
But now that she was Dolores, she would make Matthew deeply fall in love with her.
She limped toward Matthew and coquettishly said, “I’m hungry.”
Matthew extended his hand mechanically. “I’ll order food for you.”
“I want to eat at the restaurant,” she insisted, leaning into him and grasping his collar. “Take me to the restaurant, won’t you?”
Matthew lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed on her face. She looked exactly like Dolores, but her artificial demeanor disgusted him.
“Alright,” Matthew finally acquiesced.
‘Dolores’ thought to herself that this was how Matthew always acted with Dolores. Dolores didn’t seem capable of engaging in a romantic relationship with a man.
But even if she was now Dolores, she would ensure that Matthew fell deeply in love with her.
She held onto Matthew’s arm and whispered, “Let’s go.”
He gently pushed her away and said in a calm tone, “Your leg is injured. Let me order room service for you.”
With that, he gestured to make the phone call and distanced himself from ‘Dolores’.
Bitterness filled ‘Dolores’ as she watched him, unwilling to accept the situation. She now had this face and had even given birth to two children for him. He should treat her well. She approached him and embraced his slender waist from behind. “Matthew, are you avoiding me?”
Matthew lowered his head, his gaze falling on her hands clasped around his waist. His eyes flickered with coldness, and his lips remained devoid of a smile as he said, “Why would I avoid you?”
Hearing his words, ‘Dolores’ furrowed her brows. She forced a bright smile and rubbed her face against his back. “Then, do you still want me to have another child for you? I really want to have another baby with you. I think our family would be livelier and more fun with more children. After all, you are the only bloodline of the Nelson family.”
In that moment, Matthew became certain that she wasn’t Dolores.
He remembered Dolores saying that she had sustained injuries and wouldn’t be able to bear children in the future.
He slowly closed his eyes, calming himself. After a while, he opened his eyes again.
“However much you desire it, it’s fine,” he said with a coldness in his eyes, but his expression remained stoic.
‘Dolores’ felt elated because his words indicated his willingness to have children with her.
If she became pregnant, it would naturally require them to maintain a relationship. ‘Dolores’ felt a surge of excitement and held onto his arms even tighter. “Matthew, I’m so happy.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Matthew disentangled himself from her grasp. “I’ll answer the door.”
‘Dolores’ smiled. “It must be the food.”
As the door opened, the food arrived.
“Mr. Nelson,” the waiter, dressed in a crisp white shirt and a black vest, greeted Matthew respectfully.
Matthew allowed him in.
The waiter pushed the food trolley and carefully arranged the dishes on the table. After setting the tableware, he spoke, “Please call me if you need anything.”
As the waiter began to push the trolley to leave, he accidentally bumped into ‘Dolores’, who was making her way to the dining table.
Apologizing quickly, he said, “I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize, ma’am. Are you alright…?”
“Don’t you have eyes?” ‘Dolores’, who had always been used to her domineering temperament as the eldest daughter of the Flores family, couldn’t change her ways. She spoke coldly, “Is a simple apology enough after colliding with someone?”
The waiter furrowed his brow. He had seen this woman before with Mr. Nelson, and she had seemed pleasant and easygoing. Why was she suddenly behaving so irrationally?
Was she truly unreasonable?
“Believe it or not, I can have you fired from this hotel!” ‘Dolores’, relying on her status as Matthew’s partner, spoke with even more arrogance.
The waiter felt embarrassed and apologized profusely, “I am truly sorry. It was my mistake. I accidentally bumped into you…”
“You may leave,” Matthew interrupted the waiter’s apology.
‘Dolores’ frowned, disagreeing with Matthew’s response. “He bumped into me. How can you just let him go like that?”