Chapter 326 Matthew’s Unexpected Admission
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“Grandpa, if you’d just stop reading into everything, you wouldn’t have half as much to stress about,” Matthew said, sounding a little worn out.
Sitting there sipping coffee and acting like he was just watching the world go by–did he really think anyone bought that?
“You’ve got some nerve saying that. If you had any drive in that department, I’d probably be holding a great–grand baby by now. Then I wouldn’t have to meddle in all this,” Robert shot back, waving a hand dismissively.
“I’ve got it under control, Grandpa,” Matthew replied.
“That’s what you always say–‘Don’t worry about it‘, ‘Stay out of my business‘. So when exactly were you planning to… Wait, what did you just say?” Robert froze.
Did Matthew just say he had it under control?
Matthew’s gaze dropped slightly, and he stayed quiet.
He wasn’t even sure why he’d let that slip.
But Robert looked thoroughly pleased. “Alright then, that’s good to hear. Finally puts my mind at ease. It’s about time you came around.”
Either way, knowing the boy had some kind of plan was a relief.
At least now he didn’t have to wonder if the kid was planning to join a monastery someday.
Watching the two of them, Arabella tilted her head slightly, confused.
What was up with Robert?
One minute he looked completely defeated, the next he was almost cheerful.
“Robert, are you… alright?” Arabella asked curiously.
What had Matthew said that cheered him up so much? To her ears, it sounded pretty ordinary.
“It’s nothing, really,” Robert said with a mild smile. “Dr. Hamilton, I won’t keep you from your meeting any longer”
He then turned to Naomi. “Naomi, let’s get going.”
“Okay,” Naomi replied softly, stealing one last glance toward Matthew. But she knew she had no real excuse to stay “Matthew, I’ll see you later,” she said quietly. Since she’d come with Robert, she’d have to leave with him too.
She’d gone by Stewart Manor that morning only to find Matthew had already left for the day
Left with no other option, she’d talked Robert into stopping by Horizon Corp–just so she could hand Matthew the invitation in person. Truthfully, she just wanted to see him one more time.
“Mmhm,” Matthew responded flatly, hardly even looking her way.
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9:59 am
Chapter 326 Matthew’s Unexpected Admission
Naomi’s heart sank a little, her face paling slightly as she helped Robert toward the door.
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Once the office was quiet again, Arabella glanced at Matthew curiously. “You know, if your grandfather came to see you, you could’ve just finished up with him before calling me in for the meeting.”
“He just stopped by to drop off an invitation,” Matthew said offhandedly.
Arabella raised an eyebrow. “Robert personally delivered an invitation?”
“For Naomi’s birthday dinner,” Matthew clarified.
“Got it,” Arabella said, not pressing further. Birthday parties weren’t really her thing anyway.
Matthew shot her a look, his expression unreadable. Noticing she hadn’t asked a single follow–up question, he frowned slightly.
“Let’s go. The meeting’s starting,” he said, his tone suddenly cool as he stood and headed out.
Watching him walk away, Arabella mumbled under her breath, “What’s his problem now?”
Why did he suddenly seem so irritated?
“Did you say something, Dr. Hamilton?” Andy asked quietly.
“Nothing,” Arabella replied, shaking off the thought.
Oh well. Matthew’s moods weren’t really her concern anyway.
Soon, they entered the conference room where everyone was already seated.
“This is Dr. Hamilton, the lead on this bid project,” Andy announced to the group.
“Dr. Hamilton,” everyone greeted in unison.
Arabella scanned the room and gave a slight nod. “Hello, everyone.”
She then took her seat to Matthew’s right.
“Evan, you can begin,” Andy prompted.
Evan Weiss stood up, looking serious. “Based on the initial proposal, we’ve integrated several additional concepts…”
Arabella listened carefully, jotting down notes now and then….
Naomi helped Robert toward the car.
“Mr. Stewart, what did Matthew mean earlier?” Naomi asked, trying to sound casually curious.
“About what?” Robert wondered.
Keeping her voice light despite her racing heart, Naomi replied, “When he said he had it under control.”
“Oh, that,” Robert said calmly. “Nothing much, really.”
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9:59 am
Chapter 326 Matthew’s Unexpected Admission
Naomi lifted a brow. “So you don’t know what he’s planning either?”
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“I only just heard him mention it. Who knows–maybe the kid was just humoring me,” Robert added with a touch of humor.
“Is that so?” Naomi smiled lightly along with him.
But inside, she knew better. Matthew wasn’t the type to say things he didn’t mean.
If he’d said it in front of Robert, it was probably true.
Yet after all these years of waiting, all she’d gotten from Matthew was a broken engagement.
So… what exactly were Matthew’s plans?
“Naomi?” Robert called, noticing she’d gone quiet and seemed lost in thought.
Naomi snapped back to the moment and smiled. “We’re here, Mr. Stewart. Watch your step getting in.”
‘Alright, I’ll be on my way then,” Robert said.
‘Take care, Mr. Stewart,” Naomi replied before turning to the driver. “Make sure Mr. Stewart gets home safely.”
‘Yes, Ms. Hamilton,” the driver acknowledged.
Once Robert was settled in the car and it slowly pulled away, a heavy sense of dread settled in Naomi’s chest. She slid into her own car, her thoughts weighed down.
The more she replayed the conversation, the more uneasy she felt. Unable to shake her anxiety, Naomi pulled out her phone and dialed Ruby.
“You said what?” Ruby’s voice came through, low and disbelieving. “That doesn’t sound right at all.”
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