Matthew calmly fixed his gaze on ‘Dolores’ and asked, “What do you want me to do?”
‘Dolores’s’ heart thumped loudly. Matthew appeared calm on the surface, but there was an inexplicable horror in his eyes. “He… he didn’t do it on purpose. Let it go!”
“Thank you! Thank you for being so understanding!” The waiter expressed his gratitude repeatedly as he pushed his trolley toward the door to leave. As he closed the door behind him, he couldn’t harbor any positive feelings for ‘Dolores’ in his heart.
Even a dog would act aggressively under its master’s influence. Clearly, if it weren’t for Matthew standing beside her, who would even recognize such a person?
‘Dolores’ approached him, intending to hold his arm. “Matthew…”
“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s eat,” Matthew disregarded her touch.
‘Dolores’s’ hands were left awkwardly suspended in the air. It was evident that Matthew had just rejected her intimacy. But he had just promised to have a baby with her.
“Matthew, are you upset?” ‘Dolores’ cautiously probed.
Matthew pulled out a chair without looking at her and casually said, “No, let’s eat.”
Observing that he wasn’t angry, ‘Dolores’ suppressed her uneasy heart. She made a considerable effort to restrain herself and quietly sat down to eat.
Matthew served vegetables onto her plate. “Have more.”
‘Dolores’ blushed and felt a hint of shyness. It turned out that Matthew treated Dolores quite well.
Happiness blossomed within her.
To ensure a smooth course of events, she hadn’t been able to eat or sleep well in the past few days. Now that she had successfully positioned herself beside Matthew, she felt a sense of relief. Naturally, her appetite improved when she was in a good mood, and she ate heartily.
Matthew handed her a glass of water. “Take it slow.”
‘Dolores’ was thrilled that she could live with Matthew and sit together like this to have a meal. After taking a few sips of water, she drank a little more, perhaps because she was happy that Matthew had given it to her. After a few more gulps, she spoke softly to Matthew, “Can you stay with me here tonight?”
Matthew made a faint humming sound.
‘Dolores’ was overjoyed and forgot about everything else. She even forgot that she had sprained her ankle. Rising from her chair unsteadily, her belly accidentally hit the table, causing her pain. She frowned, “Ouch, it hurts.”
She looked at Matthew, hoping he would comfort her.
Just then, Matthew’s phone rang, and he took it out, glancing at the caller ID. It was the landline from the villa. He didn’t answer immediately, instead waiting for ‘Dolores’ to return to the room to rest.
Reluctantly, ‘Dolores’ skimmed the screen of his phone. “Who is it?”
“It’s from the company. Why? Do you want to meddle?” His voice turned cold.
Don’t get angry and act arrogant.
Not wanting to anger him, ‘Dolores’ pouted. “No, I’ll just go back to the room.”
‘Limping, ‘Dolores’ made her way back to the room. As soon as she shut the door behind her, the smile on her face vanished.
Why was Matthew so temperamental?
Sometimes he treated her well, and other times he was impatient. Did he truly care for Dolores or not?
‘Dolores’ was puzzled, wondering what kind of attitude this was.
In the living room, Matthew watched the bedroom door close before walking over to the window to answer the call.
As soon as the call connected, Samuel’s voice came through, “Where is Mommy?”
The first thing he asked was a question.
Jessica had told him that his Mommy and Daddy were on a business trip, but he didn’t believe it. His Mommy would never go on a business trip with Matthew without informing him and his sister first.
And did she go on a business trip without packing any clothes or daily necessities?
That didn’t make sense.
Matthew’s fingers clenched into a fist, making the veins on the back of his hand stand out. Intense emotions filled his heart. He didn’t know how Dolores was right now, where she was, if she was safe, or if she was hurt.
He knew nothing. Something had happened that was beyond his control. He blamed himself and worried.
His voice trembled slightly, “She’s on a business trip with me…”
“Don’t lie to me. I’m not as easily deceived as my sister. Where is Mommy? If she’s truly with you, let me talk to her,” Samuel interrupted, his voice slightly hoarse. “If she’s with you, then why aren’t her calls going through? Doesn’t she know that I’m worried about her, that I miss her? If she knew, she would never do that.”
The child’s mind was so astute that it couldn’t be hidden from him.
Matthew didn’t know how to respond.
He had never felt so utterly lost before.
Confronted with Samuel’s questioning, he found himself at a loss for words.
“Samuel…”
“You don’t need to explain. Just tell me where my Mommy has gone and if she’s in any danger. Please, tell me. I’ve never been away from her since I was born. I am the only man in my house, and I promised to protect her…”
In the vast living room of the villa, Samuel stood next to the sofa, his eyes red and teary, looking small and vulnerable. “Tell me.”
Matthew took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking softly, “I will have Abbott come to pick you up.”
“Okay.” Samuel ended the call.
Matthew remained in a daze, his phone beeping to indicate a new text message. He clicked on it and read the message-it was from Boyce, the one who had brought the doctor. Boyce was waiting at the door, asking if he could come up.
Glancing at the time, Matthew realized that ‘Dolores’ should be asleep by now. Careful not to alert her, he opened the door and checked to confirm she was asleep before texting Boyce to bring the doctor up.
Boyce entered, accompanied by a man in his forties or fifties wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a cosmetic surgeon.
“This is the cosmetic surgeon I found. He has over twenty years of experience in the industry…” Boyce began.
Matthew sat on the sofa, leaning back, pressing his eyebrows with one hand, and interrupted Boyce with the other. He wasn’t interested in the details. “Take him in.”
Seeing Matthew’s foul mood, Boyce understood and didn’t press further. He led the cosmetic surgeon to the bedroom to examine ‘Dolores’.
The doctor listened to Boyce’s explanation and brought some small tools with him. Using a small flashlight, he examined ‘Dolores’ translucent nose. He gently touched her cheeks, jaw, forehead, and other facial features. “The bridge of her nose has been filled with fillers. Her eyes have been widened, the bones shaved, and several teeth have been fixed. Her facial features have undergone significant changes…”
Boyce looked grave. “How long does it usually take to transform someone like this?”
“For a natural recovery, it can take up to three or four years, or else the face would appear stiff. However, the surgeon who performed these procedures on her is skilled and left almost no flaws. Unless you examine her closely, you wouldn’t be able to tell that she has had plastic surgery.”
Boyce accompanied the cosmetic surgeon to the door and handed him a stack of money. “Thank you. I hope you won’t discuss today’s matter with anyone other than me.”
“I understand. Don’t worry, I don’t want to bring trouble upon myself.” The cosmetic surgeon accepted the money and left.
Boyce turned around and looked at Matthew, who was on the phone with Abbott, arranging for Samuel to be picked up and brought to the villa.
Closing the door, Boyce walked in and sat across from Matthew. He waited until Matthew ended the call before speaking. “It’s plastic surgery.”
Matthew wasn’t surprised; he had anticipated it.
“I asked the doctor. To achieve her current appearance and let her recover naturally, it would have taken at least three or four years. That’s a long time…” Boyce spoke seriously. “This won’t be easy. Who is this woman? How could she have hidden herself for so long just to impersonate Ms. Flores?”
Matthew pondered the individuals who held a grudge against Dolores. There were only a few-Beulah was dead, Maria was locked up, and there was Beulah’s daughter who had disappeared six years ago.
Having been absent for six years, she had had the time to do this.
And she harbored hatred towards Dolores.
That could be a motive.
From the expression on Matthew’s face, it was apparent that he already had an idea of who this girl with plastic surgery might be. Boyce approached and asked, “Do you know who it is?”
“I’m still guessing, but I need to investigate further before confirming.”
“What will you do? How will you handle her?” Boyce was dumbfounded; he thought Maria was crazy enough.
Little did he expect that there was someone even more deranged.
Women!
Boyce shivered.
He believed women were terrifying creatures.
Matthew curled his upper lip, forming a cold and bloodthirsty smirk.
How could a woman like her dare to share the same face as Dolores?