Chapter76Going Home Together
Hannah caught sight of her dad and raced over to him.
Matthew crouched to catch his running daughter and let out a grunt of discomfort.
Hannah, running into his embrace, accidentally bumped into his injury.
Still beaming, Hannah excitedly tugged at her dad's hand, leading him toward the race area.
"Dad! Why are you so late? I thought you weren't coming," Hannah said, her smile radiant.
"Sorry, sweetheart, work was hectic. I just made it from my morning flight," Matthew apologized.
"It's okay! You're just in time. Can you race with me later?"
"Sure."
The pair walked up to where Madison and the others were.
Madison watched as Hannah and Matthew approached. It had been over a week since he last saw them after that night.
His face was pale, and he looked much thinner, looking haggard.
Madison turned to look for Quentin, who had just gone to the teacher to collect the sticker for his prize. After the race, those with stickers could attend the award ceremony to receive their prizes.
Still caught up in the excitement of the race, Quentin hadn't noticed Matthew's arrival. He told his mom that they might have won first place if he had slapped a few more times.
Asking his mom to kneel, he carefully placed her sticker in a prominent spot on her chest.
Madison smiled and patted her son, "Quentin, you were fantastic. It was Mom who slowed us down."
"No worries, mom. Second place is great, too. We still get to go on stage for the award, and there are prizes!"
Rachel spotted Matthew approaching, recognizing him as Hannah's father. Even now, looking a bit worn, Matthew had an undeniable presence. She greeted him warmly, "Hey there, Matthew."
Matthew was meeting the woman that Hannah and her brother Quentin had affectionately called their godmother for the first time. Knowing how she had cared for them since they were young, he responded courteously, "Hello, and thank you for bringing them over."
"No problem at all," Rachel replied with a smile and a wave of her hand. She hadn't expected the CEO of JK Group to be so polite that rumors had painted him as quite the stern figure, but he seemed approachable up close.
Quentin turned, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his dad.
Hannah rushed to her brother, saying, "Brother, Dad really came! I want to switch to racing with Dad."
After her plea, she looked to Matthew and Rachel for approval. Rachel had no objections. With Matthew here, it only made sense for him to pair up with his kid in the race.
Despite his medical advice against strenuous activity, Matthew couldn't find it in him to let down his daughter's hopeful gaze and nodded in agreement.
Quentin tried to contain his excitement at his dad's arrival, keeping his emotions in check.
In their recent times together, Matthew had come to understand his son's reserved nature, especially around him. Although Quentin was usually happy to see his dad, he never made it overly apparent.
Moreover, Quentin had not once called him 'Dad' since they reunited, unlike his sister, who clung to him lovingly. Matthew wondered if there was some underlying issue and decided it might be time for a heart-to-heart conversation with his son.
Matthew and Hannah stood together at the starting line, their legs tied. They raced well at first, but Matthew slowed as they neared two-thirds of the way. Madison, watching from the stands, sensed something was wrong.
They were eventually overtaken and finished in second place, a position they shared proudly as father and daughter.
Hannah felt a bit disappointed they didn't win first, but sharing second place with her brother made her happy. She rushed to get a sticker from the teacher and proudly put it on Matthew's chest. Meanwhile, Rachel quietly stepped aside and snapped a photo of the picture-perfect family of four standing together.
Madison noticed that Matthew's face was paler than before.
She couldn't help wondering to herself, Could he be sick? He looked like he might pass out. They could've easily won the race, but he suddenly slowed down, clutching his chest and frowning deeply. Maybe he was hurt.
Without realizing it, Madison found herself worried about whether Matthew was ill or injured.
But remembering their recent falling out and his days-long absence, the awkwardness kept her from asking if he felt all right.
During the award ceremony, the family of four shone brightly on the podium. The handsome couple and their adorable twins completely outshone the others. Rachel, from the audience, fervently captured the moment, clicking away at different angles to get the perfect family shot.
As she took the photo, she admired Madison and Matthew as a striking couple, understanding why they had such adorable twins like Quentin and Hannah. Matthew's serious demeanor added to his coolness, while poor Nicholas seemed less impressive. This round clearly went to Matthew.
After the awards were given out, the first day of orientation and the parents' open house came to an end. The children could go home with their parents, ready to start classes the next day.
Rachel decided not to intrude on the family's harmony anymore, excusing herself as she had things to do, and quickly took her leave.
Once Rachel was gone, Madison was unsure if Matthew planned to return to the villa.
She ventured, "If you're busy, we can just take a cab home."
Matthew looked at Madison earnestly and replied, "Not busy, let's go. My car is parked up ahead."
He then took Hannah by the hand and walked ahead.
Madison followed with Quentin in tow.
Back at the villa, Quentin and Hannah headed straight to their rooms to open their presents while Matthew went upstairs to the bedroom.
Madison got busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
In just half an hour, she had three dishes and a soup ready grilled asparagus with lemon zest, garlic butter shrimp served over angel hair pasta, sautéed pork with bell peppers, and a classic tomato basil soup.
It was a set of straightforward home-cooked dishes hence, only a little time was needed.
Madison set the dishes on the dining table and noticed that the kids and Matthew hadn't come downstairs. She removed her apron and decided to call them upstairs.
Upon reaching the master bedroom, Madison knocked but received no response. She gently pushed the door open, saw that the room was empty, and assumed Matthew might be in the study.
Just as she was about to leave, Matthew unexpectedly emerged from the bathroom, shirtless.
Madison froze for a moment, then quickly turned around, her back to Matthew.
Blushing, she stammered out an explanation.
"I... I thought... you weren't in the room."