Chapter 6

Wait a minute. Did Albert just say he had come to pick up Matthew? Tessa was in utter disbelief. There were more than a dozen luxury cars present, and the first car alone was worth over ten million dollars. She had never ridden in such a luxurious car before. Yet, Matthew, a mere ex-convict and a man she had recently dumped, was being picked up in such a luxurious car! Just what had he done to deserve such special treatment? It had to be a mistake! From the comfort of the car, she gestured toward Matthew on the roadside and said to Albert, “Are you sure about that? Take a good look at him. He’s dressed like that and even has to hail a cab to get around. How could you possibly be here to pick him up? There must be a mistake! You must be here for me!” Albert furrowed his brow at Tessa’s rambling. After all, he had indeed been sent here to pick up a man. And he certainly wasn’t there to pick up this woman. Glancing at Matthew, Albert approached him and asked politely, “Excuse me, sir. Are you perhaps Mr. Matthew Grant?” With a dubious look, Matthew nodded and said, “Yes, I’m Matthew Grant.” Albert was delighted that he had finally found the right person. “Good day, Mr. Grant. I’m here to pick you up.” Pick him up? A wave of confusion washed over Matthew. After all, only Lillian and Stanley knew about his divorce, and he hadn’t told anyone else about it. But now, a motorcade of luxury cars had unexpectedly pulled up, claiming to be there to pick him up. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, he asked, “Who asked you to pick me up?” Albert explained with a smile, “We’re here on behalf of Mr. Carter.” Mr. Carter? After some thought, Matthew remembered that the only “Mr. Carter” he knew was Fred. At that moment, it dawned on him that Fred must have sought him for his medical expertise and tracked down his whereabouts. A sense of displeasure washed over him at this thought. After all, he disliked people prying into his private life. He felt compelled to issue a warning to Fred as soon as he met him, so he said, “Alright, take me to Mr. Carter then. And make it quick; I’ve got other commitments today.” After Albert hummed in agreement and was about to invite Matthew into the car, he suddenly recalled that Tessa was inside. He hurriedly shooed her away. “Why are you still in the car? Get out now, or I’ll have to drag you out myself!” Tessa was still reeling from the shock. She couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that such a lavish and extravagant motorcade had come to pick up Matthew. Who had made such arrangements to pick him up? And why was he deemed worthy of being picked up? There must have been some kind of mistake! She wanted to understand the reason behind it, so she asked, “Why did Mr. Carter invite Matthew? Is it possible it’s someone else with the same name? Did you guys mix him up with someone else?” Passersby were becoming increasingly drawn to the commotion, and before long, a crowd of nearly a hundred onlookers had formed at the scene. Albert, who was eager to leave with Matthew, became irritated by Tessa’s questions. “Who are you to meddle in Mr. Carter’s affairs? Mr. Grant is Mr. Carter’s honored guest! “Get out of the car immediately. You’re holding me up from picking up our guest. I’ll be forced to take action if you don’t comply.” Everyone had already gathered at the hotel and was awaiting Matthew’s arrival for the arranged blind date. Time was of the essence for Albert. Tessa was fuming. She had actually been subjected to such disrespectful treatment and dismissed in full view of everyone. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that someone would send a fancy motorcade for Matthew. “Please don’t be upset. You might have really made a mistake. I’m the president of Evergreen Group. My name is—” At this point, Albert completely lost his patience and roared, “You’ve left me no choice. If you don’t get out now, I’ll take matters into my own hands!” As he spoke, he walked directly to the passenger side, looking as if he were about to forcibly remove Tessa from the car. In a panic, Tessa scrambled out of the car and ran a few feet away. When she realized that Albert wasn’t pursuing her, she stopped. Albert made his way to Matthew, offered a courteous bow, and extended a hand toward the car, saying respectfully, “After you, Mr. Grant.” Matthew made a sound of agreement and got into the passenger seat. When Tessa saw Matthew getting into the car at the head of the procession of luxury cars, she felt as if she were experiencing a dream. It was all so unbelievable. She had been forced out of the car, while Matthew had been courteously invited in. Did Matthew have something going on that she wasn’t aware of? If not, why would he be accorded such exceptional treatment? Everyone around was abuzz with speculation, each having their own take on what was happening. “She believed this man wasn’t good enough for her and divorced him. Who would have thought that he’d have luxury cars picking him up? She even tried to get in the car and got kicked out instead.” “Check it out. You can see the regret written all over her face.” “A man who travels in that kind of car is undoubtedly wealthy. Whoever divorced him is going to be eating their heart out.” Tessa’s face was pale with embarrassment. She felt utterly humiliated. After all, she had been kicked out of the car unceremoniously, with so many people watching to boot. She was so mortified by the gossip around her that she felt sick to her stomach. She began to doubt her decision and questioned whether she had made a mistake by divorcing Matthew. Before long, the powerful rumble of the engines reverberated through the area. After that, the Koenigsegg smoothly started and rolled to a halt in front of Tessa. Matthew cast a chilling glance at Tessa, then shut his eyes. In his heart, he silently declared, “I’m leaving it all behind! A new life awaits, and it’s going to be more extraordinary than before!” As he thought of that, his eyes snapped open with a determined glint in them. “Step on it! I’ve got places to be!” As soon as Albert heard that, he immediately stepped on the accelerator, causing the engine to let out a furious roar. Soon, the Koenigsegg sped away at an impressive speed. One after another, the luxury cars quickly followed, forming a motorcade that soon disappeared. As the cars left, a cloud of dust kicked up in their wake. Tessa, who was enveloped in the dust, squinted as she moved to the side of the road. By the time the dust settled, she was covered in dirt. All the onlookers regarded Tessa with peculiar expressions. They were pointing fingers at her and whispering behind her back. Tessa’s face grew increasingly grim. She couldn’t bear the stares of the onlookers, who were gawking at her like she was a spectacle, and turned away from them. When the onlookers noticed that the spectacle was over, they gradually dispersed. Before long, a pristine blue Porsche pulled up and stopped at the entrance of the courthouse. As soon as the car door opened, Randall got out and walked happily toward Tessa. “Well, what do you think? I just got this new car and came straight here to pick you up.” Tessa glanced at the car. If it had been before the earlier fiasco, she would have been overjoyed and would have asked Randall to take her for a spin in his new car. Yet, at that moment, the car before her was nothing compared to the Koenigsegg that had picked up Matthew. It wouldn’t even cover the cost of one of the Koenigsegg’s tires. She couldn’t care less anymore. If only Randall had arrived earlier, she wouldn’t have had to experience such a humiliating incident. She asked angrily, “Why are you so late?” As soon as Tessa brought that up, Randall’s anger flared up. “There was this whole motorcade that just went by. It was probably for some wedding procession. “They were all luxury cars, and none of the other cars dared to overtake them. So, they were all stuck at the intersection. Otherwise, I would’ve been here ages ago.” A wedding procession? It suddenly dawned on Tessa what had really happened. Matthew must have orchestrated that act earlier to show off to her! He must have hired them! It was the only explanation that made sense. When she recalled the humiliation of being forced out of the car, she was immediately consumed with fury. At that moment, she felt more disdain toward Matthew. “Only a good-for-nothing like him would hire a whole motorcade to show off! And only a good-for-nothing like him would always seek attention like that. Thank goodness we’re divorced!” Randall was aware that Tessa’s pointed remarks were meant for Matthew. “You’ve finally gotten rid of that good-for-nothing. We’ll celebrate at Beyond Hotel. It’ll be my treat!” … Meanwhile, Matthew had arrived at Beyond Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Lambda City. The motorcade of luxury cars pulled up at the left entrance of the hotel. Albert got out of the car and opened the passenger’s door. “Mr. Grant, Mr. Carter and the others are all waiting in Euphoria Suite. Please allow me to show you the way.” Matthew waved him off. “You go ahead and take care of your business. I’ve got it from here.” After Albert bid him adieu, the motorcade of luxury cars drove off in an orderly fashion. A wave of nostalgia washed over Matthew as his gaze lingered on the entrance of Beyond Hotel. During his days in the business world, he had occasionally invited his business partners to a meal here. It had been three years since then, and the hotel still looked exactly the same. As he composed himself and walked toward the entrance, a gorgeous woman sipping a carton of milk walked toward him. Rachel was breathtakingly beautiful, and her demeanor was aloof and refined. She was wearing a black skirt and a white shirt at that moment. After a single glance, Matthew couldn’t tear his gaze away. It was common for women to unfasten one or two buttons at the top when wearing a shirt. Yet, Rachel’s shirt was undone by three buttons, offering a tantalizing view of her cleavage. It appeared as though the buttons were struggling to contain her ample chest. After three years in prison without any female companionship, Matthew, who had suddenly encountered such a seductive sight, instantly felt parched. As the two drew closer, Rachel saw Matthew’s expression, and her face grew even colder. She immediately looked away, refusing to make eye contact with him. When they reached the doorway together, Rachel suddenly stumbled sideways. Upon seeing this, Matthew quickly reached out to grab her. Amidst the chaos, he felt something soft against his hand. As Rachel screamed out loud, she instinctively squeezed the milk carton in her hand. As a result, the white liquid sprayed out, splashing onto her beautiful face.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.