Chapter 185 Madison's Business Trip
Madison hung up just after making lunch for the two little ones when Rachel arrived in a rush. She didn't even knock; she burst through the door using the spare key Madison had given her.
"What's wrong, Madison?" she asked as soon as she entered.
Then, the three people sitting at the dinner table all looked up at her with wide eyes.
Hannah broke the silence first, "Godmother, why are you here?"
Understanding Madison's expression, Rachel quickly regained her composure and walked over with a smile, sitting beside her. "Ha, godmother just missed you guys and came right over when I knew you were back from William's house."
Quentin saw Rachel sit down and went to get her a knife and fork. Rachel looked proudly at her dear godson, grateful for how much she cherished him.
Although Rachel clearly sensed Madison was preoccupied, with the help of the little ones' lively spirits, she managed to divert their attention so they didn't perceive Mrs. Jonah's distressed state.
After the meal, while the children were napping, Rachel took Madison, who was absentmindedly washing dishes, into the room for a serious talk.
"What's wrong, Madison?" Rachel inquired with urgency.
As soon as she asked, Madison couldn't hold back her tears. She told Rachel about Matthew's disappearance and her plans to go to Rome to find him. Rachel hugged Madison, offering silent comfort. Perhaps it was the tacit understanding that came with many years of friendship. Rachel often acted as Madison's protective elder sister and now keenly understood her feelings.
"You go; I'll take care of Quentin and Hannah," Rachel said with a firm, reassuring tone.
"Thank you, Rachel," Madison said sincerely. Although she could have taken her two kids to Mr. Johnson's, she didn't know what to say to him, so she had no choice but to ask Rachel for help.
"We don't need to thank each other; I'm the kids' godmother, after all. Go and bring Matthew back," Rachel insisted, not believing that Matthew was really gone.
Madison nodded in agreement.
"Quentin and Hannah don't know yet, do they? How do you plan on telling them?" Rachel inquired.
Madison shook her head; she hadn't figured out how to explain to the kids that she had to leave for a while.
"Here's what you do – just say you have to go on a business trip for a while. They knew about the last time you went to a competition, so they probably won't ask too many questions," Rachel suggested decisively, knowing that the plain truth just wasn't an option.
Madison stared at Rachel, mulling over the suggestion. It seemed like the only reasonable option...
After dinner, Madison followed Rachel's advice and told the kids she would be away on a business trip and that their godmother would take care of them during this time. The children didn't react with the indifference she had anticipated and even seemed quite downcast.
"Why did Mrs. Jonah have to go on a business trip when Matthew went?" Hannah asked, her voice filled with unhappiness. Quentin also appeared upset, but he was understanding and restrained. He didn't complain like his younger sister, instead reminding Madison to contact them every day like the little adult he was.
"All I can tell you is that Mrs. Jonah will be back soon, and you two must be good and listen to your godmother," Madison could only reply.
Later that night, before bed.
Madison tucked Hannah in, and as the little girl lay in her tiny bed, her head peeping out from under the covers, she asked, "Mrs. Jonah, where are you going on your business trip? Are you going to where Matthew is? Why hasn't Matthew called or messaged us on Facebook recently?" Madison almost cried in front of the kids but managed to reply, "Matthew is probably busy. Leave him a message; he'll definitely call when he can. Now be good and go to sleep."
"Okay," Hannah obediently closed her eyes.
Madison walked over to Quentin's bed and found her son still awake.
"Quentin, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Mrs. Jonah, are you going to look for Matthew?" Quentin asked.
"Why would you say that, Quentin? Mrs. Jonah is on a business trip," someone replied.
"I overheard a bit of your conversation with the godmother in the room, talking about bringing Matthew back," Quentin admitted honestly.
Madison was taken aback; her son had always been more mature and sensible than other kids his age.
"Yes, Mrs. Jonah is going to find Matthew. Quentin, be a good boy at home, listen to your godmother, and take care of your younger sister Madison, okay?" Madison decided not to continue with the lies, even though she didn't share much with her son, only that she was going to find Matthew.
Quentin nodded silently.
Madison stood up, turned off their room light, and then left.
Back in her room, she took out her suitcase and began packing. Victor had said they were leaving tomorrow, and she couldn't wait a moment longer. She wished she could fly to Rome right that instant.
The next morning, Victor and Dorian came to pick up Madison. They didn't ask anyone else to come along, and the three of them left. After more than ten hours of flying, they finally arrived in Rome.
Victor settled in Madison in the same hotel where she and Matthew had stayed before, even in Matthew's old room, where some of his luggage still lingered. Upon landing, Dorian, having recently undergone surgery and taken two short-haul flights, almost collapsed from a reopened wound. Victor quickly arranged for him to be taken to a hospital.
Victor's men, who had stayed behind in Rome, had been searching for Matthew nonstop with no news. Seven days had passed since the incident, and the chances of finding someone alive after going missing for three days were slim. But they didn't give up and kept sending search parties, with Dorian even pulling government strings to help, using every resource available to find Matthew.
Without a glance at anything else, Madison dropped her luggage and immediately insisted on going to the dock where Matthew had disappeared. Victor suggested she rest first, as his men were still searching. Unable to sit still, Madison had no choice but to have Victor drive her to the location of the mishap.
Stepping out of the car with a heavy heart, Madison looked out at the calm sea, where Matthew had vanished without a trace, as if a drop of water disappeared into the vast ocean.
She couldn't afford to cry, to give in to despair.
The children were still waiting for her to bring Matthew home.
Madison assured Victor she'd be fine on her own, urging him to tend to the pressing matter of coordinating the search. Victor returned to the hotel after assigning one of his associates to keep an eye on her.
Alone, Madison wandered along the seaside as dusk turned into night, pacing back and forth near the dock where Matthew's incident occurred. She was haunted by the imagery Victor described – the speedboat exploding over the ocean's surface.
Staring up at the sky, its grim, overcast hue mirrored her own turbulent emotions. Her eyes brimmed with tears, blurring her vision as if she could no longer see clearly.
"Matthew, where are you?" she whispered into the void.
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