Theresa’s impatience got the better of her. “What the hell do you want?” she snapped at Armand.
Armand retrieved his business card and handed it to her. “If you need anything, feel free to call me. I’ll come to the store to update you on any progress. I appreciate your assistance in managing the store by yourself during this time.”
Theresa lifted her gaze to meet Armand’s serious expression. She had recently arrived here and wasn’t very familiar with the place. She relied on their help to find Dolores and was eager for any news about her.
She reached out and accepted the business card he offered. “Thank you. Dolores has been kind to me. I’ll take care of everything at the store until she returns.”
Armand nodded, silently pondering if he could find a reason to prevent her from leaving.
“How did you get here? Need a ride?” he asked.
“I drove here,” Theresa replied, tucking the business card into her purse. “Goodbye.”
With that, she headed toward her car.
Armand ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. Why was it so challenging to have a conversation with her? Did it always require this much effort when he used to flirt with women?
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned around and walked toward the elevator. As the doors opened with a ding sound, he froze in his tracks upon seeing the person inside. “It’s you.”
His voice turned cold. “What are you doing here?”
Warner opened his mouth to respond. “Whatever I’m doing here doesn’t concern you, does it?”
Though the Herbert family’s standing had declined, Warner’s reputation and status as a lawyer were still unmatched.
Armand frowned, casting an indifferent glance at Warner before stepping into the elevator.
Warner adjusted his suit and strode out, paying no mind to Armand.
Armand’s heart raced as he thought about Matthew’s inevitable desire to harm Maria. It was impossible for Warner not to know that his sister was being held captive because of Matthew.
So, the question remained: why had Warner come here? To wage war against Matthew or to plead?
Armand hadn’t figured it out yet. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and as he walked down the corridor, an inexplicable sense of gloom settled over the entire office area.
Was it because the boss was in a foul mood, causing the entire company to suffer?
A lump formed in Armand’s throat. It wasn’t due to the cold, but he couldn’t help but shudder.
Approaching the door, he knocked. Upon hearing the voice from inside saying “come in,” he opened the door.
The vast office appeared dreary and deserted. If he hadn’t spotted the man sitting behind the desk, he would have assumed the office was unoccupied.
Armand entered, closed the door behind him, and approached the desk. “What was Warner doing here?”
Before Matthew could answer, Armand ventured a guess. “Did he come looking for trouble?” However, considering Warner’s behavior over the past few years, Armand doubted he had the courage to declare war on Matthew.
If Warner had been capable enough, the Herbert family wouldn’t be in the state it was today.
Matthew lifted his gaze and placed a document on the table in front of Armand.
Armand picked it up and unfolded it. It was a letter of intent for cooperation, a fairly common occurrence among business partners. However, what struck him as peculiar was that the letter was signed by Warner and included a valuable piece of land owned by the Herbert family.
Warner actually wanted to partner with Matthew to build a large shopping mall on their land? Armand felt as if he had just encountered the devil himself.
Didn’t Warner consider Matthew an enemy? And now he brought his own land, seeking a business partnership with Matthew?
“I once heard a saying: in the world of vanity, one second you fight to the death, but the next second, for profit, you can shake hands. Today, I finally witnessed it firsthand. But the most important question is, did you agree?” Armand asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Matthew stood up and walked to the French window, casting a long shadow on the floor.
Warner had taken the initiative to show goodwill by coming to him. If the Herbert family dared to involve themselves in Maria’s situation, Matthew would crush them.
Since he knew that Dolores’ disappearance was linked to Maria, he had made extensive preparations, and the Herbert family would be the first to bear the consequences.
After all, Maria was his family. Who knew if they would turn against him to protect their reputation?
Now that Warner had exposed his vulnerability, Matthew could entrust Maria to Boyce and Armand. He needed time to find Dolores.
As time passed, Matthew’s chances of locating Dolores grew slimmer.
He didn’t have time to waste on a feud with the Herbert family.
“Sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to save the queen. It can be cruel,” Armand snorted disdainfully. “Do rich families really lack genuine affection for one another?”
Armand’s words were aimed at Matthew, albeit indirectly.
Matthew’s mother had also come from a prominent family. Her marriage to Jayden was more of a strategic alliance than a passionate relationship. Not long after her death, Jayden remarried.
This had been a thorn between father and son for a long time.
Matthew locked eyes with Armand, his gaze piercing and intense.
Armand cleared his throat awkwardly, realizing that discussing such matters at this moment was ill-timed. He composed himself and put on a serious expression. “Don’t worry, Matthew. Boyce and I have everything planned. You can trust us to handle it. Boyce has been working tirelessly to extract any information from Ms. Flores, but she has remained tight-lipped.”
Boyce had utilized various methods, but the extent of a woman’s jealousy was truly terrifying. Armand pondered this silently.
Little did he know that Maria’s feelings went beyond mere jealousy. She believed that Dolores had stolen Matthew from her and taken away everything that rightfully belonged to Maria. Her loathing and resentment ran deep.
The sound of buzzing interrupted their conversation as Matthew’s phone vibrated on the table. Armand glanced at it and informed Matthew, “It’s Abbott calling.”
He picked up the phone and handed it to Matthew.
Matthew took the phone, ready to answer the call. “Mr. Nelson…” However, before Abbott could speak, the phone was snatched away from him abruptly.
“Matthew, where are you?” ‘Dolores’s’ voice came through immediately.
Armand leaned in, curious to hear the conversation happening on the other end of the line.
Matthew glanced at Armand, his eyes sharp. He handed the phone to him and asked, “Do you want to take it?”
Armand gasped, shaking his head quickly. “No, no, you take it.”
In an attempt to prove that he had no intention of eavesdropping, Armand took a step back, creating distance between himself and Matthew.
“When are you coming back? I miss you so much,” ‘Dolores’ lamented, her voice filled with grievance. “Abbott won’t let me go out to meet you. Why is he doing that?”
Matthew’s expression remained impassive, his tone slightly cold. “Give the phone to him.”
‘Dolores’ believed that Matthew was about to scold Abbott, so a sense of pride welled up within her. She handed the phone over, saying, “Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s not wise to offend me.”
Abbott stared at her, observing the familiar face of Dolores. How could her character be so different? Clearly, she was an imposter, and her quality left much to be desired.
He reached out, taking the phone and placing it against his ear. “Mr. Nelson.”
‘Dolores’ didn’t know what Matthew said to Abbott, but she noticed his serious expression. “Yes, I understand.”
In her eyes, Matthew had scolded him. She turned around and sat on the sofa triumphantly. “See? I told you Matthew cares about me a lot. You’ve been disrespectful to me. Just wait until I see him-I’ll tell him everything.”
Abbott ended the call and spoke calmly, “If you want to tell him, I won’t stop you. In fact, let’s go to him right now.”
In truth, Abbott paid little attention to her words. How could a fake like her dare to raise her voice and cause a scene? She seemed unafraid of being exposed.
Indignant, ‘Dolores’ believed that meeting Matthew was her opportunity, quickly getting up from the sofa without considering the pain in her foot. “Is he waiting for me?”
Abbott pursed his lips. “Yes.”
“Hmph! You were acting high and mighty before, but now you’re speechless. Do you finally realize my position in Matthew’s heart? I’ve given birth to two children for him. In the future, I’ll be Mrs. Nelson. If I expose your behavior to him, I can have you fired in an instant!” ‘Dolores’ grew increasingly presumptuous, as Abbott hadn’t allowed her to leave and hadn’t shown her the respect she demanded.
Annabelle had always possessed a domineering temperament, and now that she found herself next to Matthew, she naturally became arrogant. Abbott’s lack of flattery and attention fueled her grudge.
She failed to see the inappropriateness of her timing and insisted on meeting Matthew to have Abbott dismissed.
Abbott looked at her with a dominant gaze, smiling faintly. “We’ll see about that.”
‘Dolores’s’ face contorted with displeasure.
She had made up her mind that, once she gained power, her first order of business would be getting Abbott fired!
“Help me! Can’t you see I’ve hurt my foot? Are all the people around Matthew so dim-witted?”
Abbott was too exasperated to argue with her and reached out to support her.
They entered the elevator, descended to the hotel lobby, and walked through it to the parking lot outside. As Abbott was about to get into the car, ‘Dolores’ sarcastically remarked, “Don’t you know who you are?”
Abbott turned back, questioning her intentions.
“Open the door for me!” She glared at him.
Abbott’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then he reluctantly reached over and opened the rear door.
‘Dolores’ scoffed, arrogantly taking her seat in the car.
“How foolish! I can’t believe you’re Matthew’s assistant with such stupidity.”
Abbott clenched his jaw and pursed his lips.
He hoped she would maintain this arrogance even after they arrived.
He started the car.
In order to maintain her cover and stay close to Matthew smoothly, ‘Dolores’ had conducted surveillance on those around him and had a basic understanding of the WY Group. However, the direction in which Abbott was driving didn’t seem to be towards the company.
Frowning, she couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t Matthew at the office? Where are you taking me?”
Abbott glanced at her coldly through the rearview mirror. “You’ll find out when we get there.”
Before long, the car came to a stop. ‘Dolores’ couldn’t help but flinch when she recognized their location. She trembled slightly and questioned, “Why did you bring me here?”