Chapter 153: Chapter 153



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In the village…

“Ay-” everyone let out a sigh.

Victoria moaned, trying to use her hand to cover the pain again. Her sobs now and then finally turned into a low, continuous cry. Her eyes were closed. She bit her fist through her teeth, trying to stop the sobbing.

As a man, Jayden had good composure and could hold his emotion steady. Helping Victoria up, he said, “Let’s go home. You’re still in bad health.”

She looked up to stifle tears. “I want to stay here…”

Before she could finish her words, she realized she had acted unwisely. Based on Matthew’s personality, how could she allow him to stay here?

Jayden knew what was on her mind. “We can come over often to see the kids.” Victoria was still worried. She was quite excited. “How could he be such a jerk, didn’t he know what he’d done?”

Matthew’s reaction implied that he really hadn’t known he was the father of the two children.

She could tell that Matthew was much sadder than anyone else in this room right now.

“Tell me. How could I be calm?” Victoria sighed. “He’s always a smart guy. How could he make such a stupid mistake?”

Jayden patted her on the shoulder. “I think he’ll figure it out on his own. Listen to me. Let’s go home. If you want to see the kids tomorrow, I’ll take you back here.”

To persuade Victoria to go home with him, Jayden continued, “If Matthew isn’t home, you can take them to our house for the whole day, too. Now we have two lovely grandchildren, we should be happy, why are you crying? It’s not good for your health either.”

Victoria knew she was happy. Wiping away her tears, she said, “I’m so sorry for the two children and also for Dolores. As a single mother, she took care of the two children…”

“It will be better in the future.” Jayden let out a sigh. “You’ve worried too much. Listen to me. Let’s go home first.”

Jayden helped her up. Victoria knew she couldn’t stay. What Jayden said made sense: they could come here to visit the children when Matthew was away, or they could take the children to their own home.

Thomas stepped forward to open the door for them.

Coral sat on the couch, staring at Jessica. “You shouldn’t have hidden it. You should have told the truth. Even though you’re quite unhappy, you shouldn’t have hidden it for so long for the sake of the children,” Coral complained.

Jessica lowered her gaze. If she had known sooner, she would have told them the truth.

She also hoped the children would have a father.

However, Dolores said that man was from the area that night. It had been a long time and no one had mentioned it. No one had connected Matthew to the children.

Jessica didn’t explain it to Coral. After all, it was her daughter’s privacy.

She couldn’t expose it.

If Coral misunderstood, that was okay.

Coral noticed that Jessica’s mood was also quite down. Therefore, she did not continue.

The breeze was blowing and the moonlight was dark.

Samuel was sitting quietly in the car. Looking out of the window and watching the scenery rush by, from time to time, he locked his sister’s collar. He comforted her, “We’ll see Mom soon.”

Matthew noticed Samuel’s action from the rearview mirror, his adam’s apple bobbing, feeling a gush of heat shoot up his throat.

As smart as Samuel was, he was only five years old. He was very sensitive and knew how to take care of his sister. His sensitivity made Matthew’s heart ache.

He still remembered this little boy despite having gone into danger just to get back at Dolores. Even until now, the wound on his head still hadn’t recovered.

This child…

No words could describe how Matthew felt now.

He was always mature and assertive, but now he was in a panic.

Soon the car had arrived at the LEO Corporation. The door to the store was closed. There was no light in it. Dolores was not there. Matthew looked down to check the time: it had been two hours since Dolores said she was coming. Now she wasn’t in the store – where had she gone?

He pulled up and dialed Dolores’ number, but got the same answer, “I’m sorry. The number you have dialed cannot connect at the moment. Please try again later…”.

He frowned deeply. Thinking carefully about Dolores’ behavior back then, he could tell that it was very different from usual.

Today, during the day, she was hiding from the crowd and crying secretly.

She wondered what had happened.

The more she thought about it, the worse her feeling got.

He looked up Abbott’s phone number. After a short while, he stopped. Then he dialed Boyce’s phone number. Beulah suddenly appeared today and Dolores was missing now, apparently they were connected.

Boyce was in charge of the Beulah matter. Therefore, it would be more convenient for him to find out if Dolores’ disappearance had anything to do with it.

Soon the call connected. “Where are you now?” asked Matthew.

Boyce was taken aback. He was surprised by Matthew’s attitude because Matthew sounded quite anxious. Boyce could sense it even being on the other end of the line.

Therefore, he was not used to it.

Looking at the coroner performing the autopsy, he said, “I’m still at the morgue, investigating the cause of Beulah Shawn’s death.”

Matthew hung up the phone. When he was ready to go there, he realized he still had two children in the back seat.

He couldn’t take them to that kind of place.

“Where’s my mom?” Samuel blinked. The door to the store was shut tight, and his mommy was nowhere to be seen.

Matthew didn’t know how to explain. “I’ll take her home first. Then I’ll go get his mommy, okay?”

Samuel frowned, looking very much like Matthew when he had just frowned. He asked again, “Where’s my mommy?”

She was older and couldn’t be missing. He wondered if something dangerous had happened to her.

Thinking about it, Samuel inhaled deeply. “Is my mommy missing? You can’t find her either, can you?”

The boy was too sensitive. Matthew couldn’t keep anything from him at all.

He looked at Samuel. “I’m sure I’ll find her.”

Samuel clenched his small hands into fists, his eyes red-rimmed. “Maybe you don’t like my mommy. But, for the sake of the good Mommy has given us, you must find her and ensure her safety. You may not want to acknowledge my sister and me, but your blood was in us too. For the sake of this connection between us, please make sure you find my mommy.”

Matthew looked away, his hand resting on his forehead. Most of his face was hidden under the shadow. He said in an extremely hoarse tone, “Why do you think I dislike your mommy and don’t want to acknowledge you?”

“If you like Mommy and love her, you wouldn’t have divorced her.” As he spoke, Samuel lowered his head and looked at his toe. “No other man has ever appeared near my mommy. Just now, after reading the test result, you haven’t believed that we are your children. You have hurt both us and Mommy.” When Samuel felt him speak, the whole compartment quieted down.

Everyone could hear each other’s breathing, which was light but quite chaotic.

After a long moment of silence, Matthew was finally able to find his tongue. His voice was off-key.

“No. I didn’t mean not to acknowledge you. As for the divorce…”

He couldn’t explain it clearly. It was he who had proposed it.

He had nothing to explain.

“I understand,” Samuel said like an adult. “It’s normal for a man to love the new and loathe the old. At first I wanted to find Mom a man more handsome and richer than you, but so far I haven’t been able to find him. I’ll keep trying.” Matthew was speechless.

He wondered if this was really his son.

What a fine son!

He turned to look at Samuel. “I am your father.”

“Biologically.”

Matthew was speechless again.

“You and Mommy are divorced. My mommy has the right to find a new husband.” Matthew felt helpless.

He pursed his lips. “Didn’t your mommy tell you? We hadn’t gotten the divorce certificate issued. In name, we’re still a couple.” What the hell?

Samuel gaped- hadn’t Mommy received the official divorce certificate yet?

He wondered how they had divorced then.

“How can adults do such vague things?” Samuel was quite annoyed. If they still had the marriage certificates, they were still a legal couple. How could he find a better man for his mom?

“Samuel, where’s Mom?” Simona tugged at the hem of Samuel’s shirt, feeling rather sleepy. “I’m too sleepy. I want Mommy to hold me and sleep.”

“I’ll take them home first.” Matthew started the engine again, driving back home.

Soon they had returned to the villa. On the way, Simona had already fallen asleep in Samuel’s arms.

Matthew pushed open the door and got out of the car. Opening the back door, he reached down and held Simona in his arms. It wasn’t the first time he had held Simona, but it felt very different than before.

Her heart couldn’t help but tremble, and her fingers trembled as well. She was his daughter, her blood was in his body.

She had been born by Dolores for him.

Her little body was so soft. His heart had softened so much.

Samuel did not want Matthew to hold his sister. However, he could not be able to hold Simona. Therefore, he could only let Matthew hold her.

He followed Matthew tightly, fearing that he would steal his younger sister from him.

“Please send her to my room,” Samuel said.

Matthew turned and looked at him. The little boy was looking at him now, fearing he would steal his little sister.

Since he was going out again to get Dolores, he didn’t plan to take Simona upstairs, because it was inconvenient to take care of her.

He went into Samuel’s room, put Simona in his bed and tucked her in with the comforter.

Simona’s face looked ruddy, probably because she had fallen asleep in the car, where the air was quite cool. Her eyelashes were curly and thick, like butterflies kissing their way into her eyes.

She pouted, sleeping soundly.

Matthew stroked her cheek, her skin tender and soft. He was about to lean in to kiss her forehead, but Samuel pushed him away. “She’s my sister.”

As if declaring ownership, he told Matthew that Simon belonged to him.

Matthew couldn’t bring himself to kiss her.

“She’s my daughter, too.”

“You never raised her.”

Matthew again failed in front of Samuel.

Thinking Dolores was still missing, he told the little boy, “Take good care of your sister.”

“I will.”

Matthew wanted to rub her head, but couldn’t reach her. After glancing at both of them, he turned and left the room.

Since no one had eaten dinner, Coral went back to preparing some food. Seeing Matthew leave, she said, “Mr. Nelson, please eat something.”

“They are in the room. Please take good care of them,” Matthew said. He didn’t feel like eating.

“It’s okay,” Coral agreed, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.”

Matthew turned and looked at the tightly closed door. Then he strided out of the villa.

As he walked, he called Abbott. Soon the call connected.

“Send me a few skilled and trusted bodyguards to the villa.”

Dolores had suddenly disappeared. He didn’t think it was that simple. Now the two children were in the villa. Without enough bodyguards to ensure safety here, he wouldn’t be at ease.

“Sure. When?”

“Tonight.”

So soon! Abbott curved his lips. It was such short notice.

“What, you can’t do it?” Matthew’s voice turned cold.

“Well… I’ll send my men in an hour.” Abbott braced himself.

Matthew hung up the phone and sat in his car. He was headed for the detention house in B-town.

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