Chapter 13: She Knew the Language of A Country

Dolores stood frozen in place. Sampson had never embraced her before, and it caught her completely off guard. Once she regained her composure, she attempted to squirm out of his hold.

From Matthew's perspective, they appeared to be a couple, embracing each other. His brows furrowed as he frowned.

Helen commented casually, "I never would have expected her to have a boyfriend."

Matthew suddenly felt restless. He stomped on the pedal, and the car accelerated away.

Helen pursed her lips. "Are you upset about that woman and her boyfriend?"

Matthew chuckled coldly. "Why should I be upset?"

She had been pregnant, so it was evident that she had been involved with another man.

There was no reason for him to feel flustered after seeing her with other guys.

Soon, the car came to a stop in front of Helen's residence. She didn't immediately exit the car as she gazed longingly at Matthew. "Don't you want to come in for a while?"

Concerned that he might refuse, she added, "Matthew, I have everything to prepare your favorite meal—"

"Helen," Matthew interrupted her.

His frustration clouded his thoughts.

He gently caressed her hair and smiled softly. "I won't come in today. Please get some rest."

"But..." Helen didn't finish her sentence and obediently got out of the car.

"Please drive safely."

Matthew muttered a response before speeding away.

He hadn't realized how fast he was driving until he reached home much sooner than expected. He stepped out of his car, unsurprised that Dolores wasn't home yet.

Matthew unbuttoned his jacket and turned to Coral as she entered. "What time did she leave?"

"She left around noon." Coral took his coat from him and smiled. "Would you like to have dinner now?"

"Later." He had no appetite at the moment.

He loosened the top two buttons of his shirt, feeling less suffocated by his collar. However, it didn't alleviate the restlessness in his heart. It was an unfamiliar sensation that made him incredibly uneasy.

Matthew pushed open the door to his study. Dolores' note still lay on the desk. He picked it up and let out a bitter laugh.

"You're quite the actress. Acting pitiful in front of me while carrying on with another man behind my back. Dolores, you truly are something!"

Angry, he crumpled the note and threw it into the trash.

Dolores took a taxi back home. Sampson insisted on getting her a ride, but she didn't want him to know about her arrangement with Matthew, so she politely declined his offer.

Upon arriving home, Dolores was greeted by Coral, and the rest of the house was quiet, indicating that Matthew hadn't returned yet. She felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Coral noticed Dolores' upbeat mood and inquired, "What has put you in such a good mood?"

Dolores smiled brightly, thinking that nothing significant had happened. "I feel more at ease when Matthew isn't home."

Coral didn't know how to respond.

"Are you suggesting that I shouldn't be here?"

Matthew's tall, slender figure appeared in the doorway of his study. He leaned lazily against the frame, his tone both mocking and indifferent.

"That voice..." Dolores slowly turned around, her gaze locking onto Matthew leaning against the doorframe. His face was filled with disgust.

'Why was he already home?' There had been no sign of his presence—no jacket or shoes lying around—leading Dolores to assume that he hadn't returned yet. If she had known, she wouldn't have spoken so casually.

"I—"

She wanted to explain herself, but Matthew simply brushed past her and headed toward the dining room. He called out to Coral, instructing her to serve dinner.

Dolores followed him and quietly took her seat at the dining table. She attempted to clarify her intentions several times, but no words came out when she tried to speak.

Throughout the meal, Matthew never glanced in her direction, engaging only in conversation with Coral. However, as soon as he finished eating, his gaze fixated on her.

"Come with me to the study," he commanded.

Dolores immediately dropped her fork and followed him into the study. She wasn't particularly hungry anyway.

Matthew settled behind his desk and placed a stack of her translated papers in front of her. He looked at her with curiosity.

"You know the language of A Country?" he asked.

Dolores nodded earnestly.

Matthew found that intriguing. "Why did you learn this language? Very few people in the world speak it, except for those who live there."

The language belonged to the place where she had spent eight years of her life. It held deep, unspoken pain within her heart. The worst part was that no one could truly understand her anguish. Only she knew the extent of her degradation and misery during that time. She had no intention of revealing her vulnerability to anyone, especially not him.

With a faint, forced smile on her face, she lied, "I learned it because I like it."

Matthew couldn't help but frown at her response. Despite her cheerful facade, he could discern a fleeting expression of pain in her eyes. 'What is she trying to hide?'

"Come here," he said in a low voice.

Dolores hesitated, not liking his tone and recalling their previous encounter in the study. Moreover, she had no idea what Matthew was thinking. However, she didn't want to anger him either. She took a deep breath and cautiously approached him.

Matthew placed a document on the desk in front of her. "Since you know the language, translate this document for me."

Dolores glanced down at the document and noticed the words "WY Group" printed on the stationery.

She had been so engrossed in translating the content that she hadn't fully grasped its significance.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she looked up and asked, "Aren't you looking to hire a translator?"

Matthew arched an eyebrow slightly.

Dolores took hold of the document and continued in a hushed tone, "I went for an interview at your company for the translator position. It seemed like they wanted to hire me, but later, for some reason, they called back and said I wasn't qualified."

"Did that really happen?" His expression and tone were inscrutable.

Dolores mumbled and nodded in response. There was no point in lying about that fact.

"I can translate this document for you, but..." Dolores wasn't usually the type to solely consider her own gains. She desperately needed a change in her luck after struggling for so long. She had to secure the job, even if she wasn't qualified.

Matthew observed her closely and dashed her hopes before she could propose anything. "If you're thinking about involving Repulse Bay, I have to decline. The Flores family cannot acquire the land at this time."

Dolores had indeed intended to broach the subject of the land, but she had planned to request it for herself instead of letting Randolph have it. That way, she could finally secure the bargaining chip needed to negotiate with Randolph on equal terms.

Unfortunately, her idea had been rejected even before she had the chance to express it. Of course, a meager translation job wouldn't provide her the leverage she needed to obtain a piece of land. Since she couldn't reclaim her mother's dowry, she had to earn more money to ensure her mother's comfortable life. Moreover, she would soon have a baby, and she needed a significant amount of money to ensure their future was bright.

Dolores flipped through the pages of the document, counting them. There were twenty pages in total. "I will charge fifteen dollars for each page I translate. That's a fair deal, in my opinion."

Matthew continued to gaze at her in silence. 'Is the Flores family really in such dire financial straits?'

Dolores' behavior was becoming increasingly perplexing, to say the least.

Matthew remained silent, leading Dolores to believe that he was hesitant to pay her that much for the work. "The amount I mentioned isn't excessive, you know. If you think it's too much, I could... lower my price?"

"There's no need for that. I'll pay you what you asked."

"Very well." Dolores took hold of the document and stood up. "I'll need some time to translate it completely. I'll do it in my room and bring it back here once I'm finished."

"Wait a minute."

"Yes?" Dolores stared at him with doubt in her eyes.

He spoke with a tone of warning. "I want you to understand something."