Snare of Love

The design in Matthew's office was very modern and simplistic. The colours scheme was one of minimalism which brought out his maturity and all-encompassing empathy. On one side, there was a French window which allowed generous amount of sunlight to pour into the office.

If one were to stand in front of the window, one would be able to take in the view of the whole city.

Matthew was busy scanning some documents. He didn't even raise his head in response to a visitor.

Dolores stood in front of his desk and she then held the translated document out for him to see.

Matthew didn't accept it. He simply said, "Put that on the table."

Dolores then placed the documents on his desk before attempting to broach the topic of bringing him along back home.

However, she was struggling to say anything.

Should she just say, "Mr. Nelson, can you come with me back to my home for a while?"

She was sure that she would get rejected on the spot instantly.

Matthew probably thought that the visitor was Helen as he implored, "What's the matter?"

He flipped the document while still keeping his head low. His eyes never averted from the documents.

"Mr. Nelson, I want to ask you for a favour." Dolores finally mustered enough courage.

As if he finally noticed a different voice that didn't sound like Helen, he looked up and saw Dolores standing hesitantly in front of his desk.

Dolores hastily forced a smile on her face as she greeted him, "Mr. Nelson."

At the sight of her, there was a flash of something shiny in her eyes, but it was very fleeting.

Her appearance in his office was something that he probably never taken into account.

Matthew closed the file while leaning backwards onto his chair. His gaze was slowly scanning her face all the way to her feet. He was studying her with utmost care without missing any of her extraneous features.

"You have a favour to ask from me?"

Dolores tried to avoid meeting his mocking gaze, "Mr. Nelson, didn't you realize that I have been plagued by trouble lately because of you?"

"Oh?" Matthew was surprised about what she had actually said.

Dolores clenched her fists to calm herself down as she continued, "Helen has been making life difficult for me in the company and I think you know that very well, Mr. Nelson. Yesterday, my life was even in danger, and it was all because of my current identity as your wife. Therefore, by considering my safety, can you come along with me back home for this once?"

Matthew was cupping his forehead while rubbing his temples slightly. He didn't produce any response for a while.

Dolores continued to stand rooted to the spot as her heart raced wildly. She couldn't anticipate his reaction at all. "Can you come with me back to the Flores family for once?" Dolores repeated her plead.

His answer was very hoarse and soft, "Oh."

Why didn't he just directly answer her?

Dolores was being assaulted by frustrations.

She wanted to rephrase her request, but after turning this idea around in her head for a while, she still thought that she was being a little inappropriate. As she continued to wrack her brain, her gaze fell on his movements. He was rubbing his temples at the moment.

Since she was asking a favour from him, Dolores suddenly had an idea. She went past his desk and headed towards him while declaring awkwardly, "Let me help you."

He put down his hand and shut his eyes, as if granting her permission to do that.

Dolores didn't have any prior experience about massaging, so she just tried to press on his temples lightly.

As her fingers touched his skin, she felt his body become tensed up.

Dolores imagined that he must feel a little uncomfortable; hence she lessened her strength while asking tentatively, "Is this good enough?"

A muffled voice answered her with approval.

Dolores continued to rub his temples on both sides of his face by exerting this exact amount of strength. His skin was devoid of excess fat and was very elastic. From her perspective now, she could take in his well-sculpted face that included his neck, Adam's apple and also side profile. It was a very sexy sight.

Dolores averted her gaze, not wanting to lose herself in such a sight. She ventured again, "I don't mean anything more by asking you to accompany me back home. It is just a simple dinner."

His eyes were half-closed and it was clear that he didn't believe her words. He replied in a sarcastic tone, "Is that so?"

Dolores felt her heart jump up into her throat. It seemed that nothing could escape his intuition.

She decided to come clean, "I want to display our 'mutual affection' in front of Randolph so that I can get back what used to belong to me from him. With that in mind, Mr. Nelson, will you accept my invitation?" Dolores was afraid of the prospect of him rejecting her bluntly, so she added, "Mr. Nelson, I was almost scalded by hot water today. If it was not because of your girlfriend thinking too highly of me, I don't think such an accident would have happened, don't you think so?"

She paused briefly before adding, "Last time when we were at home, I have done a translation for you and we have agreed on a price for my labour. However, you never pay me yet. I have spent the whole night doing that, but now I'm not asking for the money anymore. You just need to do me this favour, Mr. Nelson."

He finally looked up at her, "If that's what you really think, then there's no way I can refuse you anymore." "Thank you, Mr. Nelson..."

Suddenly, there was someone knocking on the door before Dolores could finish her words.

Dolores felt her frame tense up as she abruptly removed her fingers from his head and stepped aside.

Matthew just eyed her slightly without saying anything. He approved of her reaction at that moment.

Dolores looked at the floor while moving her fingers around. Her palms were soaked with cold sweat at that moment.

If she was not aiming to borrow some of Matthew's influence, she would never flatter him like this.

She didn't have anyone backing her all the while, so she could only employ the services of her "husband" in order to retrieve what used to belong to her.

Helen came into the office with some documents in her hands. When she caught sight of Dolores, her brows knitted slightly and just as she was about to ask about her presence, Matthew asked, "What's the matter?"

"I need your signature for this document." Helen put on a forced smile while answering him.

He received the documents and started to leaf through it. He didn't forget to ask Dolores to leave, "You're not needed here at the moment. You may exit now."

Dolores continued to lower her head while exiting his office.

Helen turned around slightly to stare at her. She wanted to slap Dolores so much. Was Dolores trying to seduce Matthew while she was gone?

This was her turf. Dolores could never trespass this area!

"Matthew, she..."

"I have asked for her to translate something for me. Is there anything wrong with that?" His face was unfazed while he interrupted her.

There were no traces of him lying at all just by looking at his face.

He was secretly taking responsibility for what had happened to Dolores recently.

He knew fully well about Helen's unfriendly attitude towards Dolores, but he couldn't do anything to change the situation.

He had some responsibility when it was about Helen.

"Nothing." Helen walked over and started to give him a massage, "You can leave such things to me in the future."

Matthew simply mumbled some response.

After getting off work, Dolores stood by the road next to the building.

She saw a black car slowly emerged from the garage and she inadvertently straightened her back.

She knew the identity of that person in the driver's seat.

Soon, the black car rolled to a stop in front of her. Abbott was not with him today so he was driving himself. The window was being winded and Matthew's calm gaze came into view. Dolores was wearing a red dress with flat collar. Her waist line was accentuated and the dress reached just below her knees. Her pale legs were exposed underneath.

As she felt his burning gaze, Dolores hastily explained, "I don't want to wear too casually and make you lose face. After all, I am still your 'wife'."

She was doing this deliberately because she was afraid that Randolph would see through her and realize that they didn't love each other.

During afternoon break, she had specially returned to the villa and singled out this particular dress. She had never worn it before, which was one that was given to her by Sampson on her eighteenth birthday. Dolores was always fair-skinned, and this bright red coloured dress was able to emphasize her skin contour even more. Her collar bones were sculpted and her neck was without any excess fat. She was exuding charm.

She was a sight to behold.

A faint glint appeared in Matthew's eyes. He said blandly, "Get in the car."

She sat in the passenger's seat while thinking about what would happen next. Since they were returning to the Flores family home, she had to belt out her best performance.

Matthew was too strangely calm, and Dolores couldn't guess what was on his mind at all.

Could it be that her attire was not appropriate?

She rarely wore anything that stood out like this bright red dress.

Back then, Sampson had commented that it suited her very well.

As the scenery flashed by outside the window, the scintillating shadows were moving ambiguously on Matthew's handsome face. He looked like someone who only existed in a dream.

He felt unreal and distant, just like their relationship, so near yet so far.

After deliberating for a while, she voiced out her concerns, "Is my attire not up to standard?"☐☐☐☐