Chapter68The House is Decided
As soon as Matthew arrived at the office, Patrick burst into his office, his face alight with nosy curiosity. "Hey Matthew, did you seal the deal with Madison last night? Did you two, you know... get down to business?"
Matthew kept his head down, focused on his paperwork, ignoring him.
Not taking the hint, Steven pressed on, "Come on, Matthew, don't hold out on us. We went to a lot of trouble, you know."
Matthew shot back with one word, "Get out."
Steven left with a bruised ego and skulked out, murmuring, "Could Matthew be... out of commission?"
This troubling thought had him racing to find Liam.
Patrick rushed into Liam's office after a frantic elevator ride. "Bro, I've got a problem."
Liam, who was reviewing the latest commercials for JK Group before sending them to Matthew for approval, was startled by Patrick's dramatic entrance. "What happened?"
"Matthew may be... underperforming," Patrick whispered cryptically.
"Underperforming? What do you mean?" Liam was bewildered.
"Well, I asked him about last night, and he looked utterly frustrated. He even told me to get out," Steven lamented.
Liam stared at Patrick like he was an idiot.
"Maybe you're reading too much into it. It doesn't mean there's a problem. You haven't even been there. What would you know!" Liam's tongue was sharp, subtly highlighting the fact that Steven was still a virgin.
Dismissing the conversation, Liam went back to work.
Patrick grumbled, "You haven't been there, either."
Feeling unjustly attacked, Steven stormed off.
With the sound of the door slamming, Liam pondered the idea Could Matthew be having trouble?
*
Madison was dropped off at The Old Residence by her driver, where Grandpa and the kids were already playing in the garden.
Upon seeing Madison enter, Quentin and Hannah Garcia greeted her.
"Mom, didn't you and Dad come home last night?" Hannah Garcia tugged at her mom's skirt and asked innocently, tilting her head slightly.
"Yep, it was pretty late, and we didn't want to wake you kids up. Were you good while I was away?"
"Don't worry, Mom, I put Hannah to bed and even told her stories, just like you do."
Quentin was devoted to his little sister.
"That's awesome, buddy."
Madison stroked her son's hair, generously showering him with praise.
"Where did you and Dad sleep last night, then?"
Hannah was still curious about why her parents hadn't come home.
"We stayed at a villa," Madison naturally wouldn't tell the little ones about her drinking too much.
"Mom, are you going out to meet Godmother again today?" Quentin felt that Mom had been quite busy lately, always visiting godmother. As a fashion designer, he guessed her studio must be doing well.
"Yes, that's why you must be good and listen to William, okay?"
"Sure, Mom, don't worry, I'll take care of my younger sister."
Changing her clothes, Madison went upstairs, first calling the real estate agent she had contacted earlier and then phoning Rachel.
She planned to finalize the house purchase before Quentin and Hannah started school.
Meeting the agent outside Riverview Gardens—a convenient spot close to her studio—she told Rachel to head there first while she would take a cab.
They viewed three properties. A two-bedroom and two three-bedroom houses. Madison ruled out the unfurnished one to avoid renovation hassle. The two-bedroom was relatively new but seemed small for their future needs. She was more interested in the other three-bedroom houses. The current owner, moving abroad with their family, was leaving all the furniture and appliances, barely a year old and in top condition. It was a move-in-ready home.
After consulting Rachel, who also found it a great option, especially with no need to worry about renovations or shopping for home goods, only a minor personal touch in decorating would suffice.
Negotiation with the owner through the agent revealed they were the first to view the property and even got a discount.
Madison decided on the spot, put down a deposit, and arranged to sign the formal contract the following week.
The matter of the house was almost settled.
Clutching the receipt from the real estate agent for the deposit she'd just paid, Madison suddenly remembered how upset Matthew had looked that morning.
It was settled that they had to find the right moment to break the news about moving out.
Madison had yet to go out for lunch with Rachel today. They'd been running around a lot, and it seemed better to go back and spend some time with the kids. Rachel had suggested taking them out for a celebratory meal before school started.
After parting ways, Madison caught a cab back to The Old Residence. It was still early, and Matthew hadn't returned from work.
The kids were thrilled to see Mom home, immediately dragging her to read picture books.
*
Matthew came home later than usual that evening. After dinner, he spoke with Grandpa about returning since Quentin and Hannah Garcia would be starting school next week. They needed to get things ready, he said. The kids would visit again over the weekend.
Grandpa had been happy the past few days with his grandkids around—eating and sleeping well, joy evident in his demeanor.
Although reluctant to see them go, he understood their need to prepare for school.
So, post-dinner, Madison packed up the kid’s things, and Matthew pulled the car around.
Quentin and Hannah hugged Grandpa William goodbye, looking like they'd never see him again.
"All right, get in the car. I'll bring you back this weekend," Matthew urged the kids to climb into the vehicle slowly.
The family of four returned to their villa.
Madison took the belongings to their rooms to sort them out while Matthew retreated to his study. They hardly spoke the entire day.
Seeing Matthew's cold demeanor from breakfast till his evening return, Madison decided not to provoke him further.
Having just bathed the kids, with both settled in bed, she was preparing for her shower when someone knocked on the door.
Knowing it was Matthew, as no one else was around, she wondered what he wanted so late.
She opened the door to find him standing there, face flushed with anger, holding the receipt she'd gotten from the realtor earlier that day.
Matthew, seemingly forgetting the children were still present, stood at their bedroom door, his rage palpable as he confronted her, demanding what she meant by this.
He had just finished work in the study and was about to head downstairs for a glass of water when he stumbled upon this receipt on the staircase.
So, she had gone out to look at houses today. Was her last outing with Nicholas to see houses, too? And she had lied about checking out schools.
He had tried his best to spare time and be with them recently. And now, she went behind his back to buy a house.
He flicked the receipt in his hand, suppressed the rage boiling inside, and asked in an icy tone, "What's this?"
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