Chapter 35 Matthew Takes Her Home
Madison stood still, the fear just moments before now giving way to nervousness. She didn't dare look at Matthew, especially since this was their first meeting in four years—her disheveled, him so noble.
Matthew took off his jacket and walked over, draping it over her. Madison was startled, whispering a 'thank you' audible only to Matthew.
Matthew bent down and carried her toward the exit.
Upon seeing this, Brianna hurriedly called, "Matthew!"
Matthew paused beside Brianna and said, "Have Carl take you home later." Without another word, he walked away.
Brianna was left behind, glaring fiercely at the departing backs of the two.
Everyone started whispering among themselves, "Who is that woman? Why is Matthew carrying her?"
"Yeah, and he even left Miss Smith behind."
Hearing all this, Brianna was seething with anger. She couldn't accept it. She had harbored a relationship for four years and wouldn't allow it to change because of Madison!
Nicholas, who had just been discussing business in a private room, heard about the commotion and that Matthew had carried away Madison. He immediately tried calling Madison, but there was no answer.
*
Madison was groggily carried into the car by Matthew, and by the time she realized what was happening, they were parked in front of the villa they had lived together in before. Matthew got out of the car, walked to the passenger side, and carried Madison into the house.
With her head buried low, Madison muttered, "Put me down. I can walk on my own."
Matthew remained silent and didn't heed her request.
As Madison squirmed, trying to get down, Matthew halted and commanded in a subdued, deep voice, "Stay put."
Terrified like a quail, Madison let herself be carried into the room by Matthew.
After placing Madison on the bed, Matthew stood up to look for some ointment, noticing the swelling on her face where a red mark was visible.
Sitting on the bed, Madison observed the room's décor, unchanged from when she had left four years ago. His suit on her retained Matthew's scent, which suddenly brought tears to her eyes as she couldn't help but sniffle.
Matthew entered with the ointment, saw Madison with red-rimmed eyes and nose, and hurried over, mistaking the reason for her condition. He gently applied the ointment to her face using a cotton swab with a tender touch.
"Ow, be gentle," Madison said. Until now, preoccupied with escaping that man and feeling frightened, she hadn't noticed the pain from the injury on her face. Only when calm did she think it.
The sight of the bruised mark on Madison's face caused Matthew to feel pain and his eyes to well up with tears. He thought the brute responsible deserved no less than his hands chopped off.
They remained silent as Matthew quietly tended to her swollen face.
Watching his focused demeanor, Madison found herself becoming mesmerized.
One couldn't deny that, even after all these years, this man was still strikingly handsome, with long eyelashes, a prominent nose, and lips tensely pressed together in concentration, which made him look as serious as ever. Quentin had eyes and a nose very much like his.
They were so close she could hear his shallow breaths and feel the warmth on her face, which only made her blush more intensely, wanting to back away slightly.
"All done. Don't wash this area when you cleanse your face tonight. Apply the ointment three times a day for two days, and it should heal," he said, handing the tube to Madison after closing it.
"Thank you," Madison replied in a subdued voice, taking the ointment.
Suddenly, Madison remembered leaving her purse at the hotel and hadn't informed Nicholas. She thought that he might be frantic by now.
"May I use your phone? I left my purse at the hotel," she asked Matthew, feeling timid and somewhat inferior in his presence, hardly daring to speak up.
Matthew pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her.
Madison quickly called Nicholas, "Nicholas, it's me."
"Madison, are you okay? I heard someone saying a girl was being harassed. Was it you?"
"Yes, he mistook me for someone else. I'm fine now. Fortunately, a friend showed up, and I took off quickly. But I left my phone behind in a rush and didn’t get a chance to tell you."
Madison didn’t want Nicholas to feel guilty, so she downplayed the incident.
"I'm sorry, Madison."
"Nicholas, it's okay. You should go home early and rest."
"Did you make it home? I'll come by and check on you," Nicholas persisted, still worried.
"I haven't gone home yet. Let's meet another day."
"Madison, is your friend Matthew?" Nicholas had heard it was Matthew who carried the harassed girl to safety.
"Yes, that's right." Madison didn’t intend to deceive Nicholas but didn't explain her relationship with Matthew. After all, Matthew was standing right behind her, watching as she made the call.
"All right, then you should go home early, too."
Madison hung up the phone, turned around, and saw Matthew still standing there. She handed back his phone.
"Thank you."
"That's the third time you've thanked me tonight," Matthew said teasingly as he took the phone.
Madison kept her head down, thinking about the two sweethearts at home. They would be worried sick about her being out so late. Seeing Matthew turn to leave, she spoke up.
"Hold on, could I borrow your phone again to make one more quick call?"
Without a word, Matthew handed over the phone.
Taking the phone, Madison saw that Matthew wasn't leaving, so she dialed Rachel's number and moved toward the window, speaking softly.
"Rachel, are Quentin and Hannah asleep? Something came up, and I probably won't make it back until tomorrow morning... Thanks for looking after them tonight...yes, I'll talk to them for a bit..."
After speaking with the kids, Madison ended the call. She couldn't go home tonight with half of her face swollen, and the kids would be too worried if they saw her. She planned to find a hotel for the night and hoped the swelling would subside by tomorrow. Then, with some concealer, she could cover it up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long," Madison finally said after returning the phone awkwardly after finishing her call.
"Could you help me get a cab to the hotel? I need to go back and get my purse." Her phone and wallet were all in there. Without her purse, she couldn't do anything.
"Stay here tonight. I'll have someone retrieve it and bring it to you tomorrow."
"There's no need to trouble yourself. The hotel should have staff available, and I can just get it on my own."
Madison instinctively refused, as there was no reason to stay there. They were divorced, and Miss Smith would surely get angry if she found out.
"It's really not necessary. Just hail a cab for me. It wouldn't be good if people got the wrong idea."
"Who are you afraid might get the wrong idea?" Matthew's sudden proximity, his warm breath on Madison's face, startled her, causing her to retreat and fall back onto the bed.
‘Could it be that she already had someone else? That Nicholas she had just called? Or someone else whose identity he couldn't guess, whom she secretly talked to for half an hour?’
Matthew wondered as he gazed at her from such a close distance. Her petite frame was clad in a black gown, though covered by his coat, the exposed skin at her chest even more pale, and as his eyes traveled down, her slender figure impressed him while her lush lips drew nearer as she bowed her head.
Ding!
The notification sound from his phone snapped Madison out of it, and she quickly turned her head away.
Matthew stood up, his voice deep and husky as he spoke.
"Don't overthink it. You sleep here, I'll sleep in the guest room. Tomorrow, I'll have someone send your bag over, and you can leave on your own." Saying this, he grabbed his pajamas without a second glance and left the bedroom.
After Matthew left, Madison sat on the bed, cheeks blazing, confused as to why she turned foolish at the mere sight of him, almost seduced by his looks.
She couldn't leave now and had no choice but to stay the night. Opening the wardrobe, Madison felt an inexplicable relief upon not finding any women's clothing. She took one of Matthew's shirts and went to take a shower.
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