“I’m available,” Dolores replied without hesitation, her eyes filled with determination.
Persuading the master to come back to City B with her would greatly benefit her business. Plus, she was eager to settle everything and bring her children back home as soon as possible.
“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements,” Charles said with a smile.
Matthew’s expression turned sour.
If it weren’t for the presence of their children, he would have left immediately. He didn’t want Charles to know that he and Dolores didn’t have a normal marital relationship.
After they finished their meal, Charles turned to Matthew and said, “Thank you, Mr. Nelson, for your treat today.”
Matthew stared at him coldly and replied, “You’re welcome.”
Charles noticed that Matthew wasn’t happy ever since Dolores agreed to meet the tea silk master. He wanted to cause trouble. He glanced at Dolores and added, “I’ll pick you up at the hotel tomorrow morning.”
As he spoke, his gaze fell on her legs. “Wear flat shoes tomorrow. The master lives in a remote area, and the road isn’t very smooth.”
“I know,” Dolores said without thanking him, knowing he said it on purpose. She then turned to look at Matthew, who wore an even more displeased expression.
It was clear that Charles’s comment was intentional.
“Mommy, hug me!” Simona reached out her arms, longing for Dolores’s embrace.
Matthew wrapped his arms around her waist. “Daddy’s hugs.”
Simona pouted. “I want mommy’s hugs.”
It had been a long time since she had seen Dolores, and she wanted to stick to her mother.
“Good girl,” Matthew kissed her forehead. “Later, I’ll buy something delicious for you.”
“Really?” Simona asked eagerly.
“Yes.”
“Okay, then daddy can hug me. But I want to sleep with mommy,” she declared.
Samuel held Dolores’s hand and looked at Matthew. “Mommy, I want to sleep with you too.”
Matthew was left speechless.
Dolores readily agreed, “Okay.”
After being separated from her children for so long, she missed them dearly.
They went upstairs, and Dolores bathed the two children and changed them into their pajamas. They jumped on the bed, laughing and playing.
Dolores wore a bathrobe provided by the hotel since she had no other clothes there.
“Mommy!”
As Dolores stepped out of the bathroom, the two children rushed toward her. She embraced them, and the three of them hugged each other tightly. Simona looked up and said, “Mommy, if we play hide-and-seek again, you have to take me with you. I don’t want to be separated from mommy ever again.”
Dolores held her daughter tightly, promising that she would never leave them again.
Outside the room, at the end of the corridor, Matthew stood in front of a French window. The view of the riverside could be seen through the window, with its bright lights and shimmering reflection on his face. His features were defined yet slightly blurred in the dimness. His back was straight and broad, his waist slim with no excess fat. He had a well-proportioned figure.
With one hand in his pocket, he unbuttoned his shirt with the other, speaking calmly, “Is there no trace at all?”
Boyce shook his head. “No, it seems he’s gone into hiding. If he wants to survive, he’ll have to leave this place. And if he still seeks revenge, he’ll have to wait for the right moment.”
Sampson was missing, a ticking time bomb whose next move was uncertain.
He was a dangerous man.
“We don’t have many people. Assign two to track him, and the rest will stay here,” Matthew decided. Some needed to protect his children and Dolores.
“Okay, I’ll arrange it,” Boyce agreed before leaving.
Matthew stood alone by the window, lost in thought. After a while, he took out his phone and called Abbott, asking him to look into Charles’s background and his company, the White Group. Abbott agreed to investigate.
After ending the call, Matthew returned to his room.
As he opened the door, he was greeted by a dimly lit, serene atmosphere.
The children had tired themselves out playing and were now asleep in Dolores’s arms.
Dolores was worried they wouldn’t sleep well, so she had turned off the main light. Only a soft bedside lamp provided a dim glow.
Matthew closed the door and approached the bed, standing beside it.
Dolores leaned against the bedside, lying on her side with the children’s heads resting on her arm. Simona lay in her arms, her small hand resting on Dolores’s chest. It was a habit of hers.
Matthew bent down and lifted the corner of the blanket, revealing Dolores’s legs. She didn’t sleep soundly; he could sense a chill emanating from her. She subconsciously moved her legs, slowly opening her eyes and finding Matthew by her side. She wanted to sit up, but the children were asleep on her arms, and she didn’t want to disturb them. She asked softly, “What are you doing?”
“Where did you hurt your leg? Let me take a look,” he said calmly, reaching out to touch her legs.
Dolores instinctively pulled back, biting her lip. “My leg has healed.”
Matthew looked up at her, silent for a moment. Then he said, “I want to know the truth.”
Dolores didn’t say anything further; she surrendered.
Matthew sat on the edge of the bed and placed her legs on his lap. He asked, “Which leg?”
“The right leg,” she replied, feeling a tingling sensation as he touched her leg. It sent a shiver through her body, connecting to her heart.
Her hand gripped the edge of the bed tightly.
Matthew lowered his head, examining carefully. He noticed a wound on her leg, with a slightly red ankle. “How did you injure yourself?”
“I sprained my ankle while trying to escape,” Dolores answered honestly.
“Does it still hurt?”
Dolores shook her head.
Matthew gently lowered her leg and went to the bathroom to fetch a towel. He soaked it in hot water, wringing out the excess before carefully wrapping it around Dolores’s injured ankle.
The warmth seeped into her skin, spreading comfort through her body. She held onto the edge of the bed, feeling the tension slowly dissipate.
Returning to the bed, Matthew sat down and took hold of Dolores’s legs, massaging her ankle with a gentle touch.
Almost unintentionally, he asked, “Do you know Mr. White?”
Dolores shook her head. “No.”
“Then why did you agree to go out with him?” Matthew couldn’t hide his displeasure.
Dolores picked up the dress she had taken off earlier and explained, “Take a look.”
Matthew wasn’t an expert in this field, so he struggled to see any difference.
“This fabric is called tea silk. It’s no longer available in the market, but Mr. White knows a master who excels at making it. I want to hire him,” Dolores explained, her eyes sparkling with interest whenever she talked about clothing and design.
“It’s a soft and lightweight material that doesn’t easily wrinkle. It’s suitable for all kinds of summer clothes.”
Whenever the conversation turned to her area of expertise, Dolores would speak passionately and without pause.
Matthew observed her quietly, finding her enchanting in that moment.
“So, I must hire him. If I can’t, I’ll even learn the skill myself,” Dolores declared.
“If the skill is on the verge of being lost, it must be a complex one. It won’t be easy to learn,” Matthew acknowledged. Simple skills would have been learned by many already.
Dolores sighed, a tinge of melancholy in her voice. “Yes, there are so many skills being lost in our country. I don’t have the power to stop it.”
She gathered her strength. “But I’m not afraid of hard work. This is my career.”
It was not only her career but also her dream and passion.
“By the way,” Dolores suddenly remembered the connection between Charles and Victoria, her expression changing. “He wants to help me because of Victoria.”
Matthew paused the massage, taken aback by the revelation.
Charles had a relationship with Victoria?
Dolores extended her hand and examined the jade bracelet on her wrist under the dim light. What was the secret behind this jade bracelet?
“I believe there must be a secret behind him,” Dolores speculated.
She didn’t fully trust Charles’s words.
Assuming he was adopted by Nathan and saved her because of Nathan’s dying wish, thinking she was Victoria’s daughter, then what was the relationship between Victoria and Nathan?
Matthew didn’t want to dwell on Victoria.
He placed the towel in the bathroom and turned on the faucet, the sound of running water filling the room.
After forty minutes, Matthew emerged from the bathroom wearing a bathrobe. The collar was slightly open, revealing water droplets on his fair skin. His wet black hair was tousled. He ruffled it with his hand as he approached Dolores. She squinted, almost falling asleep.
He tossed the towel on the table and lay on his side. The bed was no longer empty; it was filled with their presence.
But he desired to sleep beside Dolores.
Dolores nudged him, saying, “You go on the inside.”
Matthew held his waist and inched closer to her. He gently kissed her earlobe and, with a husky voice, declared, “I want to sleep with you.”
Dolores shifted to create some space, ignoring his kiss. She made room for him and said, “Sleep well.”
Matthew moved closer, molding his body against hers. He had slept soundly in the morning and wasn’t tired at all. He simply wanted to hold her and shower her with kisses.