Chapter 47 Her Heart Is Troubled
In that moment, Matilda's mind flooded with memories from their innocent youth—
He would walk far behind her in the mornings, silently escorting her to school.
After classes, he'd always wait at the street corner until the crowds dispersed, then walk up to accompany her home.
Sometimes he'd secretly slip a piece of chocolate, an apple, or a small snack into her backpack, and when she struggled with math homework, he'd patiently help her work through the problems.
He'd once said his dream was to become a doctor.
That year, when she applied for college, she'd subconsciously chosen pre-med programs too.
But then one day, he just disappeared—without warning, as if he'd evaporated from her world.
Wentworth glanced at Matilda, then at the man.
The two locked eyes, their expressions complex—shock at this unexpected reunion, regret at meeting too late, and a deep, hidden sense of loss.
These two had history.
In that moment, Wentworth felt genuine crisis for the first time.
Reuben had never been real competition, but this man's mere presence made Wentworth feel his position was precarious.
The girl who'd been held hostage noticed her brother staring at Matilda and couldn't help asking, "Ethan, do you know each other?"
Ethan Long nodded and told his sister, "You know her too, though you might not remember. This is Matilda Spencer."
"Matilda? Oh, I remember now—the girl you had a crush on as kids? The one who lived upstairs from us?"
Ethan coughed awkwardly but admitted, "Yes, that's her."
Matilda snapped back to the present, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and offered a cool greeting. "Ethan."
"Matty, long time no see."
"Yeah, it has been."
"How have you been all these years?" Ethan asked.
Matilda's tone remained calm. "Not bad."
"Is this gentleman with you?" Ethan looked toward Wentworth.
"Yes, he's my... boyfriend," Matilda replied.
Ethan's expression visibly darkened. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Yes, we live together." As Matilda said this, she knew exactly what she was doing—she didn't want Wentworth to feel awkward, so she continued, "We need to head home. We have things to take care of."
Ethan looked reluctant, hurriedly asking, "Could I... get your contact information? Your boyfriend saved my sister. I'd like to bring her by to thank you both properly."
"That's not necessary. He does good deeds without expecting recognition," Matilda refused.
Wentworth remained silent.
Matilda tugged at Wentworth's hand. "Wentworth, let's go."
As they walked away, Wentworth watched her expression.
On the surface, she was deliberately keeping distance from Ethan, but her eyes betrayed her—her heart was in turmoil.
...
Ethan's sister Mia Long watched Matilda and Wentworth's retreating figures, then finally turned to her brother after a long moment.
"Ethan, looks like we really did come back too late. Matilda already has a boyfriend."
Ethan's voice carried disappointment. "Yeah, too late."
"But I think she still has feelings for you. The way she looked at you just now... she seemed reluctant to leave."
Ethan smiled bitterly. "But she's a woman of principles."
"Love doesn't follow principles though," Mia said softly.
...
On the drive home, Wentworth kept glancing at Matilda.
She remained silent the entire way, looking downcast.
Wentworth suddenly understood—her first love hadn't been Reuben. Reuben was just a passing figure in her life, while Ethan was the man who'd occupied her entire heart during those formative years.
Matilda seemed to realize her expression was off.
Once home, she explained to Wentworth, "Wentworth, I... I guess seeing someone from the past just caught me off guard. Ethan and I, there was really nothing between us. We truly never even held hands."
Wentworth didn't respond. The more she explained, the more it seemed like she was covering something up.
Seeing his silence, Matilda just smiled. "Okay, I'll stop talking. How about a hug, Wentworth?"
She opened her arms.
Wentworth opened his arms too.
At least she still wanted to hug him—that meant she still had room for him in her heart.
After their embrace, Matilda smiled. "There, now you can sleep well tonight."
Wentworth looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Sleep well—don't you always sleep better after physical contact with me?" Matilda looked up at him.
Wentworth frowned. "How do you know that?"
"When we had dinner with your brother, you guys talked about it. I also know you were once poisoned. It wasn't serious, but it left you with insomnia. Actually, insomnia isn't that big a deal—you could see a specialist later."
Wentworth's heart sank slightly.
So every day when she found excuses to hug him, it was just to help him sleep?
What a... devoted wife.
Seeing his slightly dejected expression, Matilda said gently, "It's getting late. You should rest early, Wentworth. Good night."
...
Back in her room, Matilda lay in bed.
Her mind kept switching between Wentworth and Ethan.
Ethan had indeed occupied a huge place in her teenage years.
Once, Derek had followed her after school, trying to harass her, and Ethan had rushed out to stop him.
He'd called the neighbors and chased Derek away.
From then on, Ethan had been like a silent guardian, protecting her from behind from eighth grade through tenth.
But during the summer of tenth grade, his family suddenly moved away without time for goodbyes.
Matilda had been heartbroken, asking around for news of him, but no one knew anything except that his family had faced some troubles and moved abroad.
Later, Matilda gradually buried him in the depths of her memory, trying not to think about him.
She'd always felt like she was just an abandoned child, that no one would truly stay by her side. Ethan's protection had probably just been out of sympathy, which was why he'd left without even saying goodbye.
Then she thought about Wentworth.
Thinking of Wentworth made her lips curve into a smile.
After nearly a month together, Wentworth seemed like a big guy who was sometimes serious, sometimes endearingly simple.
He was thoughtful, could cook, took care of her—someone she could trust with her life.
She should be content.
As long as he didn't leave, she wouldn't abandon him either.
With that thought, Matilda hugged her pillow and drifted off to sleep.
...
Meanwhile, in the other room, Wentworth's backup phone vibrated once. An encrypted message appeared on the screen:
"Helicopter lands on your rooftop in ten minutes. Report for duty immediately."