Chapter 36: Brayden Patel

Upon receiving the response, Mia finally felt completely at ease.

Mia rested her chin on her hand while sitting in the chair, and looked at Clara with a heartfelt sigh. "This is the Clara I know, always radiating her own brilliance."

Clara's heart felt as if it had been struck by a boulder upon hearing this.

She fixed her gaze on Mia's expression, her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and she lowered her eyes to hide her emotions.

'Has my brilliance still been there for these past three years?' she wondered.

As the banquet time drew closer, Clara changed into her dress and sat in her electric wheelchair.

With Mia's help, she descended the stairs, just in time to encounter Matthew, who was getting out of his car.

Matthew's gaze landed on Clara. Even though she was in a wheelchair, her red dress glowed brilliantly in the twilight sun, making her look exceptionally stunning.

Matthew thought about the plain clothes she used to wear at home and suddenly felt it was all unreal.

She was meant to shine like this.

"What are you doing here?"

Mia frowned, clearly showing her disdain. Without caring about Matthew's reaction, she lowered her eyes and suggested. "Clara, how about I take you there?"

Matthew raised an eyebrow, took two steps forward, and forcefully pushed Mia aside.

"No need to trouble you, Ms. Anderson. After all, Clara is my ex-wife."

Mia rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue before issuing a warning. "Then, Mr. Garcia, please make sure to protect Clara well. Don't let anyone bully her. Otherwise, you should just stay away from her."

Her words carried a hint of ambiguity, making people feel uncomfortable.

Out of the corner of her eye, Clara glanced at the person beside her and saw that Matthew's face was still expressionless. He clearly wasn't angered by Mia's attitude.

This surprised Clara a little.

Matthew wasn't usually this easygoing.

It was truly strange that he hadn't retorted when warned in such a manner.

"Ms. Anderson, rest assured. I know what I'm doing." Matthew threw out these cold words, signaling David to lower the ramp and then directly wheeling Clara inside.

Mia watched the car drive away before turning to leave.

In the car, Clara idly fiddled with the small crystals adorning her dress, pondering about the meeting three days later.

She didn't notice Matthew speaking beside her.

Seeing her distracted, Matthew took a deep breath in frustration, his tone intensifying, "Clara, did you even hear a word I said?"

Clara finally noticed the voice coming from her side, turning her head to look at him in confusion. "What?"

It was clear she hadn't heard a single word.

Matthew clenched his teeth in anger, closed his eyes, and repeated himself. "Grandpa wants to see you. After the banquet tonight, I'll take you to the hospital to see him."

Clara thought about how Andrew had cared for her over the past three years and didn't blame Matthew for making decisions on his own.

"Alright."

Matthew frowned in displeasure when Clara merely nodded without any other reaction.

"Grandpa has been very concerned about you these past three years. That's all you have to say?"

Clara found his words utterly baffling, quirking her lips in confusion. "Mr. Garcia, what do you expect me to do? Bow all the way there and eagerly rush to see Mr. Andrew?"

Matthew noticed the sarcasm in Clara's tone and realized he had spoken too harshly.

"That's not what I meant. Grandpa cares about you a lot. This time, it's because of the news of our divorce that he..."

Before he could finish, Clara's cold, indifferent voice cut in, "So, Mr. Garcia, are you implying that you want us to get remarried?"

The atmosphere in the car became eerily silent.

Matthew's gaze lingered on her irritated expression, his throat involuntarily tightening as he turned to look out the window.

"You're overthinking it."

Despite his words, the now dazzling Clara undeniably drew people in.

Matthew couldn't deny that every time he saw another man around her, he felt a pang of regret about his past decisions.

Now, he found himself wavering.

"It better be me overthinking it," Clara said, glancing at his profile, her voice resolute and unfeeling.

"But I must remind you, Mr. Garcia, we're divorced. I'm not going to play house with you again."

"We each belong in our own worlds, and that's the best outcome for both of us."

Each word and each syllable conveyed one clear message.

She wanted to be rid of him completely.

Matthew's emotions were in turmoil. He didn't even know how to respond to her words.

The tense atmosphere was so palpable that David, driving up front, couldn't help but glance at them in the rearview mirror.

Seeing Matthew's expression, David couldn't help but ponder, 'Mr. Garcia must want to get back together with Mrs. Garcia, but from her attitude, it's obvious she has no such intention. Mr. Garcia is in for a tough time.'

Neither of them spoke again.

Clara enjoyed the silence, resuming her thoughts on the task Parker had given her, contemplating the upcoming treatment plan.

Industrial pollution was severe and could directly cause health issues.

In serious cases, it could even lead to leukemia. More importantly, the children living nearby were already showing abnormal health symptoms.

As Clara was deep in thought, the car arrived at the hotel where the Scott family was hosting the farewell party.

Outside, numerous luxury cars were parked.

Everyone stepping out of the cars was dressed in formal attire, exuding an air of upper-class superiority.

Clara watched this scene and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, maneuvering her wheelchair out of the car.

No one knew what would happen at this banquet today.

"Matthew."

A familiar voice called out, but Clara didn't even glance in that direction. Instead, she continued to control her wheelchair toward the entrance.

Matthew was about to follow when someone stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"Matthew, you're here early! I thought you'd be arriving much later," said Lillian, dressed gracefully in white, contrasting sharply with Matthew's black attire. They looked particularly well-matched, though this was spoiled by the impatient expression on Matthew's face.

Seeing her standing so close, Matthew frowned and pulled away. Noticing that Clara had already disappeared from sight, he didn't feel the need to hurry after her.

"Matthew?"

Lillian blinked in confusion and glanced in the direction Matthew had been looking, but saw nothing noteworthy.

Matthew's indifferent expression left Lillian feeling a bit dejected. "Matthew, I brought someone special for you to meet today. He's a renowned figure from Medical University, currently working on breakthroughs in cardiac treatment. He's willing to help with your grandpa's ongoing care."

A young man standing beside Lillian smiled warmly at Matthew and extended his hand. "Mr. Garcia, hello, I'm Brayden Patel, a graduate student from Medical University."

Matthew had heard of Brayden.

He was one of the outstanding graduates this year and had participated in some specialized medical projects under Parker.

"Hello." Matthew nodded politely, then walked straight inside.

Brayden awkwardly retracted his hand, standing there feeling somewhat embarrassed.