Dolores could understand Matthew’s intention quickly.
“Do I then have to go out alone to entice him to show up?”
“No.”
Matthew would not let Dolores take this risk. Despite the fact that he was confident of success on the
first try, he couldn’t, however, use Dolores as bait.
“I will find another person to replace you…”
“Do you think Sampson is a moron?” Dolores interrupted him, “We’ve known each other for too long.
He knows too much about me. Even if you can find someone who looks like me, you may not be able
to fool him also.”
She would be worried if Sampson was not caught. He was a ticking time bomb, and no one knew when
he was going to blow out.
She wanted to settle Sampson’s case as soon as possible for the sake of her two children and her own
safety.
“Let me do it.” She looked at Matthew very seriously. She was aware of his concerns, but she was
willing to put her trust in him, believing that he would be able to protect her.
When Dolores noticed Matthew hesitating, she said purposely, “Are you not confident of yourself?”
Matthew looked at her for a while and said in a low tone, “Don’t incite me. Even if I’m well prepared,
there will always be an unpredictable accident. I can’t put you in danger.”
Dolores leaned into his arms, “I believe in you. His presence causes me undue anxiety and fear.”
Matthew leaned back, and his face was hidden in the dark. His expression at this moment couldn’t be
clearly seen. Dolores didn’t say anything, just lay on his chest to allow him to digest the situation.
After a good while, he suddenly said, “You sleep for a little longer.”
Dolores slept very little these two days. So, she was sleepy until she fell asleep while sitting just now.
The period that she was asleep just now was short as well. She knew that Matthew had to go out and
find Boyce to set things up, so she lay down obediently.
Matthew put the blanket over Dolores, “I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.” Dolores was no longer sleepy. But in order to let Matthew leave without any worry, she
pretended to sleep with her eyes closed.
Matthew left the room after Dolores had slept soundly. But he had no idea that as soon as he left,
Dolores, who had been sleeping, opened her eyes. Dolores had been sleepy, but after knowing
Matthew’s plan, she was no longer sleepy.
She sat up straight and walked to the window with her body wrapped in the blanket. She could feel the
bitingly cold wind outside through the window.
Sough, sough, the tip of the tree was swaying.
“Knock, knock…”
The door to the room was suddenly knocked. Dolores settled her mind and said softly, “Come in.”
The door was swung open. Theresa was standing at the door. She hesitated for a while, unsure of how
to begin the conversation.
But she apparently had something to say to Dolores.
Dolores walked towards her, “Come in, quickly. Why are you standing there?”
Theresa was a bit embarrassed. She was not sure if it was true that every newlywed woman
experienced this kind of weird feeling.
Dolores poured some water for her and sat down on the sofa opposite to her. She had no experience to
share with Theresa.
“My marriage is terrible. I don’t have any relevant experience to share with you. I just want to say that
fate brought you together. You have to appreciate one another.”
Theresa lowered her head and hummed in agreement.
“I still want to call you Lola like before.” Armand was a close friend of Matthew and called her Dolores,
but she didn’t want to change how she called Dolores with Armand.
She wished that they could be the same as they had been before.
Dolores smiled, “Sure.”
She thought it didn’t matter what she called her because it wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t matter how they
called each other as long as they were the same and their friendship didn’t change.
At this moment, Mrs. Leslie brought Samuel and Simona and came in. When she noticed Theresa, her
smile broadened, “Theresa is also here.”
Theresa stood up quickly, “Grandma.”
Mrs. Leslie waved her hand, “Sit. Sit.” She thought that everything about Theresa was good.
Samuel rolled onto the bed and played with his Rubik’s cube. Simona threw herself into Dolores’ hug.
She lay in Dolores’ arms lazily, not sure if she was sleepy or tired.
Mrs. Leslie sat next to Theresa and held her hand, “Theresa, we’re a family from now on. You tell me if
Armand is not being nice to you.”
Theresa pursed her lips and lowered her head shyly, “He was being good to me.”
Mrs. Leslie was delighted. Maybe because Mrs. Leslie was in a good mood, she seemed energetic.
She patted the back of Theresa’s hand and said with a tinge of emotion, “I feel like I’m dreaming.”
She expected this journey to be unhappy and thought that Armand would be the same as before, lying
to her about getting married at the end of the year.
She didn’t expect that this time was real.
“I’m already old. I hope you and Armand will be doing well. Can you make me a promise?” Mrs. Leslie
suddenly became serious.
“Please say, grandma.”
“Can you promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you will not leave Armand and will
help me to take care of him?”
Theresa felt that Mrs. Leslie was weird, but she couldn’t tell why. To put Mrs. Leslie at ease, Theresa
answered solemnly, “I promise you.”
Mrs. Leslie gave a broad smile. She felt at ease after hearing Theresa’s words.
Dolores left the hotel alone at night. The weather in December was bitingly cold, especially at night.
It was excruciating when the wind stung on one’s face like a knife.
Dolores cinched up her down jacket.
Because it was close to Chinese New Year, Matthew wanted to catch Sampson as soon as possible
and went back to City B. This was the first Chinese New Year since Dolores’ return. He didn’t want his
family to be disturbed.
This was what Dolores thought about as well. This problem, which was not solved, made her worried
and fearful.
Dolores pretended to quarrel with Matthew in order to get Sampson. She went out at night and sat
alone by the flowerbed.
To be more real and to confuse Sampson, Theresa went out and advised her, “Lola, there is no couple
who does not quarrel. I think Mr. Nelson is a good man. Don’t be mad at him anymore. For the sake of
your two kids, let’s go back. It’s bitterly cold outside.”
Dolores covered her face and remained silent.
Theresa continued to persuade her, “Your two kids are still waiting for you. Let’s go inside.”
Dolores lowered her head, “I would like to be alone for a while. You go inside and help me to take care
of my two kids.”
“But I’m worried about you staying outside.” Theresa held her, “You go inside with me.”
“I don’t want to see him. You go inside. I want to stay alone and think about it.”
After failing to persuade her several times, Theresa had no choice but to leave first.
She seemed very worried about Dolores and turned back and looked at her from time to time.
She didn’t go back to the room after entering the hotel. Instead, she went to find Armand. This time,
Armand was in a covert room with Matthew, and they were monitoring everything outside.
When Armand saw Theresa came in, he stood up and walked towards her, “You go upstairs. Grandma,
Samuel, and Simona were all upstairs.”
Theresa was a bit worried, “Can we really make Sampson show up this way?”
“As long as he hasn’t given up on Dolores, he will definitely show up. If we fail this time, we will try
again. He will definitely show up once.”
Armand thought that Sampson must be a paranoid. He wouldn’t be following this closely if he wasn’t.
Theresa was still worried, “Will he threaten the safety of the two kids?”
Armand stroked her cheek, “Don’t worry. Boyce is now guarding them upstairs.”
Theresa had faith in Boyce’s capabilities. There was nothing that needed her anymore, so she could
not cause any trouble here.
Theresa turned over and walked upstairs. Armand returned to the room again. Matthew was standing
by the window all the time. He didn’t even change his posture. They had been waiting like this for three
hours. Dolores had been sitting in the cold wind for three hours. There was no sign of Sampson, and
he was nowhere to be found.
“Dolores has already been sitting outside for three hours. Do you want her to come back first, and then
we’ll continue tomorrow?”
Matthew’s face stiffened a little more with each passing second. When Dolores was suffering from the
cold outside, his heart ached more than anyone else’s. But at the same time, he was rational.
Even if Sampson was keeping an eye on Dolores in the dark right now, he might not show up because
he couldn’t be sure if Dolores was really quarreling with Matthew.
If she sat for a longer period of time, then Sampson would think that they must be quarreling because
even if Dolores was down now, Matthew didn’t come out and coax her.
Once Sampson confirmed that Dolores was quarreling with Matthew, he would definitely show up.
They spent another two hours like this. Dolores sat until her legs became numb and her hands were
frozen stiff.
A girl appeared in front of her just as she was about to believe Sampson would not
appear.
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