Chapter 43 Matthew's Motives

Clara noticed his intense focus on the matter and leaned back, propping her head with one hand as she looked at him.

"Mr. Garcia, what do you think my relationship with Mr. Lewis could possibly be?"

Clara's words seemed to tread on Matthew's nerves.

Matthew instantly rose from the couch and approached her.

His imposing figure partially enveloped her, and Clara sensed a hint of danger, instinctively shrinking back into the sofa.

"Clara, are you so eager to divorce me because of Daniel?"

How many men did she have around her after all these years?

Those guys never appeared during their marriage, but why did they all show up as soon as she filed for divorce?

"Mr. Garcia, what are you trying to do?"

Daniel arrived with takeout, seeing Matthew advancing on Clara like an enraged lion, unwilling to let go.

He immediately stepped between them.

"Mr. Garcia, you said you wanted to eat. Dinner's here. Why don't we eat first?"

Matthew glanced displeased at Daniel, took a step back, and placed the takeout he handed over on the table.

The tense atmosphere was deftly defused.

Clara sat up casually, stifling a yawn.

As the takeout boxes were opened, a strong aroma of chili pepper filled the air around the three.

Matthew's gaze fell on the opened dish, noticing the layer of red chili pepper floating on top, causing his stomach to involuntarily twitch.

He looked at Clara with a cold face. "You did this on purpose."

She knew he couldn't handle spicy food, yet she ordered everything medium-spicy.

Her intentions were all too clear.

Clara blinked innocently, raising her hands. "No, Daniel and I both enjoy spicy food. Mr. Garcia, if it's too spicy for you, why don't you go back and rest? I'll treat you to a meal that suits your taste another day."

Seeing that she still intended to shoo him away, Matthew became more determined not to leave.

"I think I quite enjoy spicy food," Matthew remarked.

Seeing Matthew's face turn red from the chili scent but still trying to tough it out here, Clara was at a loss for words momentarily.

Yet she refrained from telling him to leave.

"Clara, I've had someone deliver that thing you wanted. Check if it meets your requirements, and if not, I'll arrange for a replacement urgently."

Daniel interjected, having come specifically to discuss this matter and unwilling to waste time waiting for Matthew to leave.

"Where did you put it?"

Clara set down her utensils, frowning. It was evidently something important.

"When I brought it over, you weren't home, so I left it in your study," Daniel replied, instantly catching Matthew's attention as he sat nearby.

"Do you have a key?"

Matthew's icy gaze shot over, catching Daniel off guard. With a hint of pride in his eyes, Daniel quipped. "I know the passcode."

This answer only intensified Matthew's internal turmoil.

His gaze shifted to Clara. "Looks like you two are quite close if you're freely giving her the passcode."

The remark sounded tinged with jealousy.

Daniel couldn't help but awkwardly cough a few times and teased. "Why do I feel like someone's jealous? Mr. Garcia, is it you?"

"No!" Matthew replied curtly, ignoring him and continuing to watch Clara ascend the stairs.

Only after she was out of sight did he retract his gaze.

Matthew stared at the dish of food before him, now with little appetite to continue eating.

"Mr. Garcia, there's a saying that rings true. As an ex, your best course of action should be to disappear. Are you clinging to Clara now because of her connections?"

"Otherwise, why would you have decisively divorced as soon as the three years were up?"

Daniel's mocking words caused a flicker of surprise in Matthew's eyes.

He glanced at Daniel in front of him, noticing that he seemed unaware of the marriage agreement between him and Clara, and suddenly felt much more at ease.

"Mr. Lewis, you should perhaps mind your own business and be less curious about others' affairs. As for my marriage with Clara, it's not as simple as you think."

He indeed had ulterior motives back then.

He and Clara had drafted an agreement that they could divorce freely after three years of marriage.

He just didn't expect at the time that he would care so much about Clara.

"Tsk, men are just cheap."

Daniel didn't care about Matthew's marriage contract. In his eyes, a shrewd businessman like him didn't have much genuine feeling.

They were all after some commercial value.

"Aren't you two eating anymore?"

Clara came down from upstairs, noticing the awkward atmosphere between the two, deliberately avoiding the topic.

"Not really tasty. I'm not eating anymore."

Daniel, looking bored, stood up. "If there's nothing wrong, I'll leave first. I won't stay here to disturb your rest."

His words had a hidden meaning.

Matthew pretended not to hear and did not get up with Daniel.

Clara nodded subtly to Daniel, saw him off, and did not close the door. Instead, she leaned against the door and looked at the indifferent figure.

"Mr. Garcia, you wouldn't be wanting to stay here for the night, would you? The room rate here is quite expensive."

Matthew frowned and got up, but stopped in his tracks as he passed by her with his tall figure.

Enveloped by Matthew's aura, Clara showed no fear, her lips curved into a smile as she looked at him. "Mr. Garcia, is there something else?"

Matthew stared at the face before him, so different from before, and struggled to articulate his thoughts.

"You..."

Before he could finish, a burning sensation gripped his stomach.

Matthew involuntarily frowned, his hand instinctively covering his abdomen.

Seeing his discomfort, Clara realized something.

Instinctively, she moved to fetch stomach medicine for him, but then she remembered that this wasn't her place where she lived with Matthew.

"Mr. Garcia, since you're not feeling well, you should go back home early. I won't see you off," Clara said dismissively, pushing him out the door.

She couldn't be bothered with Matthew's current state and hurried upstairs to inspect the equipment Daniel had brought.

Outside the door, Matthew's stomach cramped painfully, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

Thinking back to Clara's dismissive demeanor, he felt a pang of bitterness.

"Mr. Garcia, your stomach is acting up again?" David hurried over, supporting him into the car. Seeing Matthew in such pain, David quickly drove to the hospital.

After taking medication and receiving intravenous fluids, Matthew's stomach began to feel better.

Andrew, sitting on the hospital bed, rolled his eyes at Matthew's condition. "Looks like your attempt to play the sympathy card failed, and she kicked you out."

"No," Matthew replied icily, refusing to admit it.

"I don't need to resort to playing the sympathy card. After all, Clara and I haven't had much of a relationship in these three years."

Andrew scoffed. "If you don't have much of a relationship, then why are you rushing over to her place now?"

Matthew fell silent, tightly pursing his lips and refusing to look at Andrew.

"If you really want Clara to change her attitude toward you, you need to take some real action. Without action, no girl will take you seriously." Andrew advised bluntly.