.
On that occasion, the matters discussed were always business related. Besides, Sampson was dying to socialize with the others. Dolores could tell he didnât relish such an occasion. So she tugged Sampsonâs arm and whispered, âI want to get out, I need some air.â
Sampson took her by the hand, âIâll take you to the back parlor.â
The lights, the noises, the voices of conversation and compliments gradually became inaudible.
After crossing the hallway, they reached the back lounge. It was large, open and much quieter than the hall. Occasionally, a few people would talk to each other while standing in front of the window.
âYou donât like those conversations, do you?â. Sampson smiled faintly, âActually, I donât like them either.â
He had no choice but to agree to come this time because Camilla used both hard and soft tactics to coerce him.
She didnât like to participate in social activities, didnât like scheming against others, and didnât like to earn money by all means.
Perhaps this was related to his family background. He had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he had never cared about money.
âIâve noticed, do you want to thank me for getting you out of it?â
âHow would you like me to thank you?â Sampson moved closer to her. Dolores could clearly smell his masculine scent lingering around her ears. She couldnât help but want to pull away but her waist was hugged by Sampson.
âI used to think you were young. Time flies, youâre all grown up.â He was paying attention to her in the past but had no other thoughts. She didnât know since when she had started having these kinds of thoughts.
Dolores felt that Sampson was different from the person she knew in the past.
He was gentle as a dove and there was always a kind smile on his face.
He always looked after her like an older brother.
But now something had changed, he was always âteasingâ herâ¦..
âYouâve changed.â Dolores turned her head and clenched her hands into fists uneasily.
âYouâre an adult now, so of course, I canât treat you like a child anymore, am I right?â he smiled.
Dolores shoved him away, âBut Iâm your sister.â
Sampson, who was unexpectedly shoved, took a step back. When he regained his composure, he looked at her, âIâm not a biological sibling.â
Dolores walked over to the window and looked up at the star-filled sky, âI want to treat you like an older brother.â
Sampson looked back at her, was she rejecting him?
âI think I know who the father of the child I carry in my womb is,â she said in a light tone, as if she were soliloquizing, but as if she were also speaking to Sampson.
Sampsonâs face, which at first was smiling, changed. He said seriously, âWho?â
âIâm not sure. Thereâs still a lot I havenât figured out.â Dolores took a deep breath and turned to look at Sampson, âIâm in a bind and I donât know what to do, I donât knowâ¦â
She couldnât describe her feelings.
âWho is this person you suspect?â Sampson frowned, âCould it be someone local?â
As he thought about the matter that night, he felt annoyed, âWhy didnât you come looking for me at that time?â
Dolores lowered her head, âI did come looking for you, but I didnât find you.â
She didnât want to owe anyone a favor, but it was related to the safety of her younger brother and mother, so she couldnât hesitate too much. She went looking for him but didnât get him. It was the woman who came to see her soon after.
She had no choice at the time, as she needed money to save her mother and younger brother.
Sampson remembers carefully what happened that night. That was the day Maria disappeared, so he was in a bad mood and drank like a fish. Maybe he fell asleep and didnât hear anything when she knocked on the door.
He always thought Dolores didnât find him at all.
At this moment, his heart sank.
âIâm sorry.â If he hadnât been drunk he might have heard her knock on the door, maybe everything would be different now.
She wouldnât have to be accused of being a whore and having a pregnancy before marriage.
And he could have taken care of her without a doubt.
But all this didnât happen because he was drunk.
âYou owed me nothing. Iâm quite ashamed to hear you say that,â Dolores spoke in a self-deprecating tone.
It was her choice and her fate.
âI wish to go back.â
âLet me take you home.â
Sampson reached over and took her hand firmly in his palm, âIn the future, I wonât let you fail again. I will definitely take good care of you.â
Dolores did not move and did not resist as well. At that moment, he understood a little that his feelings for her were perhaps not love, but a brotherly feeling for his younger sister.
He just couldnât tell them apart.
They went out the back door. The neon lights outside the building were still flickering and glowing brightly.
The lights made the night seem like day.
Sampson opened the car door for her. Dolores ducked her body and climbed in.
The two did not speak during the ride, as each had his own thoughts in mind.
Dolores would not let him send her to the villa. She asked him to stop the car when they reached the intersection, âIâll get out here.â She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the car door.
âLola,â Sampson called to her.
âYes?â Dolores stood in front of the car window and leaned her body to look at him.
Sampson hesitated for a moment, âWho is this person you suspect?â
Dolores lowered her gaze. She had no absolute proof and was only guessing, âIâm not sure.â
Sampson pursed his lips and was silent for a moment, âIâll help you.â He paused, âTell me first who is the person you suspect.â
His mood was in a contradiction as he hated to know but also wanted to know.
Dolores thought for a moment. She couldnât figure out what the hidden truth was on her own.
âMatthew.â
As Dolores finished her words, the air in the surrounding area froze.
Sampson was also surprised for a moment.
He hadnât expected the person Dolores suspected to be Matthew.
How was thisâ¦possible?
Or was she purposely looking for an excuse to reject him?
âYou know where he lived in Country A. The person who introduced me was a woman named Melanina. If you can find her, maybe you can find out what happened that night.â
âWhy do you want to find the man?â interrupted Sampson.
At first, Dolores had no will to find him.
She just involuntarily found some clues on Matthewâs body.
âDidnât you say that a baby growing up in a single-parent family would have character defectsâ¦â
âI said I can take care of you and your son,â Sampson interrupted her again.
Dolores pursed her lips and glared at Sampson, âBut you are not the childâs biological father.â
She said this deliberately because she knew it was impossible for her and Sampson to have a relationship.
She wanted to let Sampson know that it was impossible for her to be with him. On the other hand, she really wanted to find out the truth.
And it wasnât possible for her to be with Matthew either. This was very clear in her mind.
She just wanted to know if the father of her child was him and to know what had happened at that time.
After the child was born in the future, she could at least tell him what kind of person his father was.
Maybe it would be a kind of atonement.
âI think itâs better not to bother him. Itâs late. Hurry back and rest.â Dolores straightened up and smiled, âDrive carefully, Iâll be back first.â
After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked down the road toward the villa.
After a few steps, Sampson called out to her, âAs I have already promised you, I am obliged to help you. However, I expect you to quit when the time is right.â
âYou donât know each other. He wonât want you and he wonât accept you just because of the child.â
She knew this fact, so she had no other motives. All she wanted was simply to know the truth.
As she walked along the roadside, the shadow of her slender figure showed on the ground due to the street light.
A black car was parked not far away and a tall figure leaned against it. The warm light was spreading across her side face. This made him look even more handsome, less serious and more friendly.
Dolores stopped her step. She thought he hadnât returned yet, but she hadnât expected him to do so before she did.
She wasnât far from him, but her legs felt as if they were chained to iron shackles, making her unable to move even an inch.
He turned his head and looked at her for two seconds. In an intriguing tone, he spoke, âCome here.â
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