Debbie decided not to tell Erica as it would worry her.
Relief coursed through the young girl when she heard the news. She obediently nodded and said, "Okay, I'll stay in the classroom."
"Well, remember what I said. Don't go anywhere by yourself!" Debbie was afraid that the people who tried to kill Matthew would target Erica now.
"I know."
She took a deep breath and wiped the tears that had stained her cheeks. It would be a while before the bodyguards arrived, and so, she decided to wait in the classroom. Her classmates glanced at each other, unsure of what to say or do. After several tense moments, that bold classmate asked tentatively, "Erica, are you okay?"
Erica lifted her gaze and looked around. Her eyes were red from crying. Nevertheless, she tried smiling as she replied, "I'm fine. Thank you." As long as Matthew was all right, she would be fine. This thought was soon replaced by a more worrisome one. She wondered why he hadn't thought to use a bodyguard's phone to call her and let her know that he was safe.
Was it because he didn't know that she had seen the news?
While she was lost in her thoughts, her classmates, who were now less worried, left the classroom.
Soon, several black cars screeched to a halt in front of the teaching building. Even before the engines switched off, a dozen bodyguards dressed in black jumped out of the cars and headed to a classroom.
The passers-by were stunned by their sudden arrival and wondered what brought all these people to their school.
A few minutes later, the group of bodyguards escorted a petite woman to one of the cars. Only then did everyone realize that they were here to collect Mrs. Huo.
With all this protection and vigilance, she was indeed the most important figure at the school now. Even the school leaders did not require this level of security.
Erica had thought that Carlos would send a few guards to escort her. Her eyes widened with astonishment when she saw that he had sent over a dozen people!
But, she was anxious and distressed and couldn't think about anything other than Matthew's well-being. Under the rigorous protection of the bodyguards, she got into the luxury car in the middle of the convoy. The vehicle was, in fact, refitted to be bulletproof.
Once they safely arrived at the Huo family's manor, Erica sat forward, placed her hands on the window, and peered out in search of Matthew. She assumed that he'd have returned by then, but he hadn't.
Only Carlos and Debbie were waiting for her. As soon as she got out of the car, Debbie held her hand and reassured, "Rika, don't worry. Matthew will be fine, okay?"
"Where is he now? I want to talk to him." The overwhelming need to hear Matthew's voice coursed through the young woman. She knew that nothing else would settle her.
The couple glanced at each other, and when Debbie nodded, Carlos pulled out his phone and dialed a bodyguard's number.
"It's me. How is everything?" Carlos nodded at something the bodyguard said to him. A few moments later, he said, "Rika wants to talk to you."
Then, he handed the phone to Erica. The distraught woman grabbed the phone with trembling fingers and placed it near her ear. "Matthew!"
"I'm here. Don't worry. I'm fine," Matthew's tone was gentle and soothing as he comforted his wife.
Erica finally released the breath she had been holding all this while. "Where are you? I want to see you now!"
"I'm on my way to the hospital. Someone is injured. I'll return to the manor as soon as she is settled in the hospital." Matthew glanced over his shoulder as he spoke. He was sitting in the front passenger seat while Camille and the bodyguard were in the back.
Erica wanted to ask something about Camille, but she realized that this was not the right time. So, she suppressed her doubts. "Okay, I'll wait for you!"
"Okay, honey."
After the call ended, Debbie held Erica's hand and led her into the house. The whole time they walked, she spoke to the young girl to distract her and ease her tension.
Erica waited for several hours before Matthew finally returned. As soon as he stepped through the door, she saw that his clothes were stained with blood.
Almost instantly, the pungent smell made the young, pregnant woman nauseous. Erica tried her best to suppress the growing squeamishness in her stomach. She opened her mouth to ask Matthew if he was injured, but as soon as she took a step forward, the sick feeling intensified. "Matthew—"
Her mouth snapped shut. She feared she would throw up.
With a frown, Matthew rushed forward and asked, "Rika, are you okay?"
Erica pushed him away, covered her mouth, and ran to the bathroom.
Matthew chased her, but Debbie stopped him. She grabbed his arm and said, "Hey, the smell of blood on your body must have unsettled her. Rika is pregnant and prone to morning sickness. Don't worry. Go upstairs and change your clothes. I'll go check on Rika."
Matthew glanced down and noticed the large amount of dried blood on his shirt. With a curt nod, he made his way toward the stairs.
In the bathroom, Erica squatted in front of the toilet and dry-heaved for a while. When nothing came out, she decided to wash up.
"Rika, are you feeling better?" Debbie, who was waiting at the door, asked when she heard no sound of vomiting.
Erica flushed the toilet and walked out. She nodded and said, "Yes, I'm fine, Mom."
Then, she turned on the tap and rinsed her mouth.
"Well, that's good. Morning sickness is normal. I'll get you some food to settle your stomach."
"I don't want to eat now. Where is Matthew?"
"He went upstairs to change his clothes. Do you want to go and talk to him?"
"Yes."
When Erica arrived at the bedroom door, Matthew was showering in the bathroom. She hesitated at the door. 'Will the blood-stained clothes make me sick again?
Perhaps he left them in the bathroom?' At that thought, she entered the bedroom.
Sure enough, the bedroom was clean, like always.
A long time passed, but Matthew didn't come out. She opened the bathroom door and stuck her head in. "Matthew, what's taking so long? Are you hurt? Do you need help?"
"No." When he heard her voice, the man turned and looked toward the door.
Seeing his naked body, Erica blushed. "Well, I'll wait for you outside."
A few minutes later, he finished his shower and stepped out of the bathroom. In the bedroom, Erica had laid clean clothes on the bed for him.
She rushed over and hugged him. "Honey, who were those people? Why did they dare to kill people with weapons in broad daylight?"
Matthew held her in his arms and gently kissed her forehead. "The police are investigating. I'll tell you as soon as I know what they find."
He didn't tell Erica that those people had come for him as he didn't want her to worry.
"Then... what about Camille? Why were you together?" She finally voiced the question that had plagued her ever since she saw the picture.
"We met at the gate of the CBD Exhibition Center," came Matthew's brief reply.
He didn't intend to tell Erica that Camille had taken the bullets for him. He was afraid that she would be frightened and would overthink.
"I see." But, a while later, she couldn't help but ask another question. "Why did you hold her hand?"
Matthew's brow furrowed as he thought over the events. He vaguely remembered that he had held her hand. "Someone pushed her. Since she was in high heels, she lost her balance and fell toward me. I helped her up."
The man answered so frankly that Erica was too embarrassed to question him further.
Later that day, Matthew left the manor. He didn't return that night.
The next morning, regardless of Debbie's dissuasion, Erica took the lunch prepared by the chefs and headed to ZL Group, accompanied by the bodyguards.
She was worried about Matthew as he hadn't come home at night. Now that she was at his office and he wasn't at his desk, her concern grew manifold. When she looked around, she found that Owen and Paige were not in the area for special assistants, either.
She randomly asked one of the special assistants, "Where is Matthew?"
"Mrs. Huo, the CEO went to the hospital."
"Hospital? Was someone hurt? Where are Owen and Paige?"
The assistant told her everything he knew. "Owen has been at the police station all this while. And Paige took Mr. Huo to the hospital. It seems that the eldest daughter of the Su family was injured."