Time stood still.
Dolores Flores stood there, swaying as if on the verge of collapsing.
Matthew Nelson locked eyes with her desperately and spoke with painstaking clarity.
“That night, it was me.”
Matthew’s revelation struck Dolores like a bolt of lightning, leaving her stunned and disoriented.
She stood rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend. “What… What did you say? How is that possible? How can it be you?” She covered her face with trembling hands, laughing and crying simultaneously.
It was unfathomable. She paced back and forth, trying to make sense of it all.
“Back then, Sampson Herbert investigated for me. He claimed… he claimed it was a local that night. How could it be you?” Accidentally knocking her leg against the edge of the bed, she stumbled and fell onto the mattress, vigorously running her hands through her hair.
Matthew seized her hand, stopping her self-inflicted scratching. He held her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “What did you say? You investigated it?”
Tears still lingered in her eyes.
With fear and anxiety in her gaze, her mouth felt as cold as ice as she struggled to form words. Finally, she withdrew her hand from Matthew’s grasp, and her fingers brushed across his cheek, slid down his neck, traced along his collar, and rested on his shoulder. “I suspected something when I found bite marks on your shoulder. So, I asked Sampson to help me investigate, and he eventually told me… that night, it was a local.”
Gradually, she began to calm down. Could it be that her initial suspicions were correct, and Sampson had lied to her?
Sampson had always been there for her, taking care of her and assisting her, often emphasizing how Samuel Flores and Simona Flores were without a father.
But had he known the truth all along and kept it from her?
“Did he lie to me?” she asked, raising her gaze.
Matthew reached out and covered the back of her hand with his warm palm, holding her icy hands tightly in his. In that moment, his emotions were indescribable. All the words he wanted to say transformed into a kiss that passionately sealed her lips.
Dolores remained in a dreamlike state, where everything felt hazy and surreal.
Like a bubble in an illusion that burst with a single touch.
But the warmth radiating from him, standing so close, was undeniably real and intense.
“Do you doubt my sincerity?”
She wondered if this was a fabrication he conjured up to comfort her.
“No need to investigate, I know it’s you,” Matthew said, clasping her hand in his palm and gently massaging it.
He couldn’t explain the inexplicable familiarity he felt towards her until he discovered the truth.
It was later revealed that there was a reason behind it all.
Dolores withdrew her hand, leaving Matthew’s palm abruptly empty, making him feel uneasy. He looked up at her.
Dolores gazed back at him and said, “I don’t want to make a mistake.”
When she regained her composure, she was extraordinarily calm. This was not a trivial matter; it concerned the father of her child.
Matthew gently rubbed the corners of her eyes, noticing how she had lost weight once again and how her skin felt chilled. He could only imagine the hardships she had endured.
“How can you trust that I know?” Matthew sat by the bedside, pulled her into his arms, stroked her shoulder with his hand, and informed her about Jayden Nelson, who conducted the paternity test behind her back.
Thus, there was no doubt that Samuel and Simona were his children.
Dolores slowly closed her eyes.
It still felt like a dream to her.
“Pinch me.”
When Matthew lowered his gaze, he noticed the scar on her forehead. Although it was barely visible, concealed beneath a layer of foundation, he lovingly traced the scar with his fingertips. He continued to caress it gently, with a hint of uncontrollable trembling.
His eyes were red, a result of her departure and the grief of not being able to find and protect her in time.
He cared deeply for her, feeling an overwhelming need to shield her. Never before had she witnessed such a vivid, profound, and compassionate expression on his face. He had always treated her well, but with reservations. She had never opened herself up to him, but now things had changed.
“Why are you here?” Matthew asked.
According to Bess, Sampson was taking her to Sichuan Province.
Why would he suddenly appear here and get involved with Charles White?
What had happened during all this time?
And what had she experienced?
Recalling the days when she was held captive by Sampson, Dolores couldn’t help but shudder. Even after encountering countless life-and-death situations, the fear still lingered.
Matthew continued to comfort her, his warm and broad palm massaging her slender back.
Finally, Dolores found the calmness to recount her experiences. “I was brought here by Sampson, and it was Charles who saved me after I managed to escape.”
She chose not to mention the dangers she faced.
Matthew sensed that she must be hiding something, given the shocking nature of her solitary confinement. He wrapped his arm around her slim waist and gently laid her down. They lay side by side on the bed, uncovered, his warmth enveloping her.
After some time, Matthew fell asleep, still holding her tightly.
Dolores turned to look at him, observing him in his deep slumber. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and couldn’t resist reaching out her hand. Her fingertips barely brushed against his skin before he clasped her hand, eyes still closed. He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them gently. “Stay with me a while.”
He hadn’t slept well since she was gone, and now that she was in his arms, he felt a sense of peace.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Dolores slowly shut her eyes, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling upon her. The relentless nights of unrest had taken their toll, and now, in this brief respite from chaos, she could finally succumb to sleep.
Unaware of how long she had slumbered, Dolores awoke to find herself met with a pair of intense eyes gazing at her. The sudden shift from dreams to reality jolted her awake, instantly alert.
“You’re awake. Are you hungry?” Matthew tenderly brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead.
Dolores nodded, her stomach grumbling with hunger.
“Let’s go to the other room. Samuel and Simona would be overjoyed to see you,” Matthew suggested, his voice filled with anticipation.
“Wait, what?” Dolores interrupted, her agitation apparent. “Samuel and Simona are here?”
“Yes,” Matthew confirmed.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Dolores looked at him with a mix of longing and reproach. She hadn’t seen her two children in far too long and yearned to be reunited with them.
Eager to see her son and daughter, Dolores hurriedly got up from the bed, not realizing that the ties of her gown were undone. As she stood, the gown fell open, leaving her exposed. She gasped in surprise, instinctively crossing her arms over her chest for modesty. Turning back to Matthew, she discovered that he had undone the ties on her gown.
Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
“Get up,” Dolores stammered, her face blushing.
Matthew didn’t immediately comply but instead glanced down at her exposed body. Her abdomen was flat and toned, lacking any excess fat. Her skin was fair with a subtle rosy hue, and faint stretch marks adorned her lower abdomen, pale and shallow.
His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.
Embarrassed and infuriated, Dolores pushed at him, but he seized her wrist and pulled her closer. Off-balance, she stumbled and landed on the bed. Matthew followed suit, swiftly lowering himself beside her.
She lay beneath him, vulnerable and unclothed.
Despite the slight disarray of his attire, his handsome appearance exuded a raw magnetism. The fiery blend of desire and love surged within him, restrained but palpable. “We are still legally married,” he declared.
Technically, they remained husband and wife until they obtained a divorce certificate.
“But you still need my consent,” he added, his gaze scorching, leaving her throat dry.
“I don’t want to wait,” he confessed, his fingertips pressing against her hand and caressing it.
“I want you,” he murmured softly, his head descending to plant gentle kisses at the corner of her eyes. His face nestled in the curve of her neck. “I long to…”
“Give me some time,” Dolores interrupted, tilting her head slightly.
She wasn’t ready yet.
“How long will it take?” Matthew asked, capturing her face in his hands and capturing her lips in a tender kiss.
“When I was younger, I yearned for an extraordinary love story, something unforgettable. But in reality, I’ve never truly experienced love. I don’t know what it’s like,” Dolores confessed, her gaze drifting towards the ceiling, illuminated by a halo of soft light.
“Wait for me to fall in love with you,” she continued, her eyes searching the room, hoping to find the answers she sought.