Chapter 56: Ex-Lover And New Love Clash

Seeing Matthew appear in front of Flora, Patrick hastily pushed open the car door and ran down.

Standing in front of Matthew, he gritted his teeth:

"Matthew, do you truly understand the implications of your actions? You're a married man, stop toying with others.

Flora is not someone who will accept your groundless harassment! Stay away from her!"

Matthew's deeply dark eyes bore into Patrick, devoid of any trace of warmth.

Silently, he advanced a few steps.

The pressure emanating from a man who had grappled with the underworld for years was chilling enough to instill fear in others.

He seized the collar of Patrick's shirt, and in the moment Patrick was still taken aback, he pushed him forcefully to the ground.

"Patrick!" Flora shrieked, rushing forward to support Patrick, and then turned her questioning gaze towards Matthew: "Matthew, what are you doing? If there is an issue between us, speak openly! Why are you resorting to physical aggression?"

Matthew's eyes turned darker, his aura, ominous.

He let out a harsh breath: "You lied... you promised you wouldn't leave me, but still..."

"Why can't I leave you?" Flora impatiently interrupted: "Matthew, it seems you've forgotten.

Promises of never leaving only hold when both parties uphold them.

Now, you're married to someone else, on what grounds do you forbid me from living my life?"

As she continued to speak, her voice became choked up, but her words flowed even more freely.

The thought of leaving this man, whom she had loved her whole youth, was clearer than ever.

"We both have the right to our own lives.

You and I... Mr. Director, from now on, who I am with, what I do, no longer concerns you.

I believe you wouldn't make life difficult for a strange woman, right? After all, we've long been separated..."

With that, she helped Patrick to his feet and walked straight towards his car.

Leaving behind the man she'd given her youth to, her heart felt like it was shattering into pieces...

Even Flora herself didn't know where she mustered the strength to leave Matthew's sight.

"Where would you like to go now? Shall I take you to your new place first?" Patrick gently asked, lightly patting the back of her hand resting on the passenger seat.

Flora lowered her head, only then realizing she was clutching the seat belt so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She let out a long breath, pondered for a few minutes, and then said,

"Could... could you take me to the Cloud Mansion?" The Cloud Mansion was located by the river, boasting beautiful scenery and sky-high prices.

Most importantly, her daughter Paul was staying there for treatment.

She wanted to visit her.

Patrick nodded: "Of course."

He steered the car, changing direction towards the Cloud Mansion.

Upon reaching a white mansion behind iron gates, they both stepped out of the car and entered.

"I'm troubling you too much..." Flora's brown eyes met Patrick's, filled with gratitude and embarrassment.

"Don't be shy, what is our relationship? If you still regard me as a good friend, then don't say such things." Patrick smiled faintly: "Besides, I am also curious about your daughter.

I'm sure she is very much like you when you were little, cute and vivacious."

As the image of a young Flora sprung up in his mind, the smile on Patrick's face deepened.

Paul was lying on a pristine white bed, her eyes half-closed.

As soon as she heard footsteps entering the room, she jolted awake.

Her brown eyes, uncannily similar to Flora's, widened at the sight of the man who'd just entered behind her mother, a bit dazed.

Flora gently smoothed her daughter's hair and smiled: "Paul, how have you been feeling these past few days? I'm sorry, I could only come to visit you now."

The last time she visited her daughter, it was with Matthew.

Back then, he was not yet wed to Selena, and their relationship was not the fractured wreck it has since become.

The sweet smile bloomed on the child's face as she turned to her mother: "I have missed you terribly, Mama.

You haven't visited me these past few days, and I have been waiting so..." She trailed off, her eyes landing on the silent man: "Mama, who is this gentleman?"

"Hello Paul." the mother replied gently: "He's a friend of mine, darling. You can just call him Uncle Patrick."

The child, previously sitting on the bed with a sweet smile, abruptly furrowed her brows: "Mama, where is Papa?" Her tone was far from friendly, and she disregarded the greeting to the unfamiliar man.

"That is... Your Papa..." Flora hesitated, uncertain how to respond to her daughter.

Her little girl was not as precocious or understanding as her twin brother.

How could she utter the words: "Your father has married someone else and cannot be with us anymore"?

Just then, Patrick interjected, coming to her rescue: "Your father has been very busy of late and hasn't had time to come over.

Would it be alright if I visit you in his place from now on?"

"No." Without waiting for the adults to say anything more, the little girl hardened her expression and interrupted: "I don't want a stranger to visit me, only Papa.

Can you, Mama? I want... Papa and Mama... to visit me..."

The child's voice hitched, as though tears were imminent.

The two adults couldn't bear to distress the child any further.

Especially Flora, who was overcome with a sharp pang of guilt.

But the truth remained unchanged. She and Matthew could not turn back time, nor could they provide their children with the intact family they yearned for.

Flora sighed, bending down to hold her daughter's hand: "But Papa is very busy, he cannot..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by her daughter: "I don't care... sob... I just want Papa and Mama..."

Sometimes, children are incredibly sensitive, naturally bonding with their parents.

Those children who are starved of affection, once they receive a semblance of warmth from their parents, cling on tightly, never willing to let go.

Flora blinked her teary eyes and bit her lip.

"Alright, don't cry, darling, Mama... will bring Papa to visit you." In the end, she was a soft-hearted woman.

And so, Flora agreed to bring Matthew along on her next visit to her daughter, not knowing what awaited her.

The brief hospital visit ended just like that.

Patrick accompanied Flora to her new house, which was right next to his, and helped her settle in.

Once they had tidied up a bit, he couldn't resist speaking out:

"Flora..." He began hesitantly: "I know given our current relationship, I shouldn't be saying this.

But... you're not thinking of getting back with Matthew, are you? Have you forgotten? The man has hurt you so much..."

In Patrick's heart, whether past or present, Flora was always important.

She deserved the best of everything, to be cherished by the man she loves.

That man should absolutely not mistreat her.

But Matthew, the lucky recipient of her love, caused her heartache time and again.

He couldn't stand by and watch her jump back into the fire.

"It's normal for a child to miss their parents, but you should not soften at her whims.

Matthew, he..."

"Enough." Flora interrupted him: "Patrick, I know you mean well, but you needn't say any more.

This is my personal matter, and I can decide for myself."

Her brown eyes locked with Patrick's, filled with a complex mix of emotions.

There was pain, reluctance, resilience, gratitude... but no lingering love.

She suddenly cast her eyes down: "Thank you for bringing me home.

Now... could you give me some space?"

In the stillness, Patrick's sigh seemed to carry an even heavier weight.

With a "click." the door closed, separating two worlds.

Flora sank down onto the dusty sofa of her new home, sighing deeply.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, hesitating slightly, but decided to make a call.

A series of numbers not saved in her contacts, yet she had memorized them long ago.

"Hello.

It's me." After the seemingly endless dial tone, came the familiar cold, deep voice of a man.

For a moment, Flora felt as if they had already lived a lifetime together.

The person who had once been so close, so familiar, now felt distant and alien.

She quickly regained her composure.

She used the most normal tone possible to speak with the person on the other side.

"Mr. CEO, we should visit Paul at the riverside villa tonight.

He said he wants us to... um... come together... so I wanted to ask if you are free tomorrow night.

If you have time, we could..."

She tried her best to keep a neutral tone as she talked to the man she once loved.

But it seemed like it wasn't very successful.

The other end of the line filled with even breathing.

Matthew waited for her to finish stumbling over her words before asking: "What time?"

"I'll wait for you at the gate of the villa at seven tomorrow night.

I... am hanging up now." Flora put down her phone, exhaling another long sigh.

Matthew's coldness had disappointed her a little.

But then again, isn't that the attitude they should have? They both take care of their children, due to their responsibilities as parents.

After all, he agreed to visit their daughter together.

His attitude towards her is irrelevant, not worth comparing..

"The subscriber you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.

Please try again later..." A cold, robotic female voice echoed in Flora's ears, blending with the increasingly heavy rainfall.

Rain poured down on her weak umbrella, she flusteredly ran her fingers through her wet hair, her lips tight and pale.

The clock on her phone read 19:30.

Where could Matthew be? They had agreed to visit Paul at seven tonight, and it was already half an hour past the scheduled time.

In the heavy rain and wind, she had been waiting outside the villa since before the agreed time, and there was still no sight of his familiar tall figure.

She couldn't reach him on the phone either.

"Why would Matthew turn off his phone?" She couldn't help but mumble: "Or did something happen to him? We agreed to meet outside, it would be inappropriate to go in first.

Let's try calling one more time... Ah, there's no signal..."

The signal bar on her phone fluctuated between zero and one bar.

Flora looked at the amber lights of the villa through the heavy rain, sighing deeply.

She decided to wander around looking for a signal to call Matthew and then see what to do.

After all, she can't just go in by herself.

Suppose he's busy and comes late, then can't find her.

Moreover, if she goes in alone, she doesn't know how to talk to their daughter.