Chapter 104 He Overlooked One Thing
Lily understood why Ethan had moved here—Matilda didn't want him around, and he was worried about being unwelcome here too.
She smiled. "You don't need to worry. There's just the boss lady here. No husband."
"Carol's... not married?"
"She was married, but... her husband was a war hero. He died several years ago. She's never been able to move on, so she's stayed in Stoneford Town all this time. That's actually why the military looks out for this place."
So that was it.
Just then, Carol walked in. Seeing Lily and Ethan chatting, she asked casually, "What are you two gossiping about? Better not be talking behind my back."
"No, no, nothing like that. Just making conversation," Ethan said quickly.
He glanced at Carol and felt his cheeks warming.
...
Wentworth wasn't on duty that evening and called asking Matilda to come to his quarters, but she declined.
She always felt uncomfortable the moment she stepped into that military compound. She wasn't doing anything wrong, but the atmosphere felt so restrictive, and she hated feeling constrained.
So Wentworth came to her instead.
Matilda was thrilled. To make him a really good meal, she used her pasta machine to make fresh noodles, her meat grinder for the sauce, and a special tool to julienne cucumber and carrots into perfect ribbons.
Wentworth had complicated feelings watching her cook. On one hand, it was impressively elaborate. On the other hand, the end result was... just a bowl of noodles. And a mountain of dishes to wash.
But she was in her element, seeing it as an expression of love. The effort was worth it to her.
Of course, Wentworth ended up crouched by the sink carefully washing all those little tools. Couldn't let her tire herself out—they might have other activities later that night.
After dark, they lay in bed together. Because the bed had collapsed last time, they only dared lie still this time, barely moving.
Wentworth was also restraining himself, not trying to start anything. Their wedding night needed to be perfect, memorable for all the right reasons. If it went badly, she might develop an aversion to the whole thing.
After spending a chaste night in each other's arms, Wentworth sighed the next morning. "The conditions here are too rough."
"Tell me about it," Matilda agreed with obvious regret.
They'd already opened their hearts to each other. All that was missing was consummating their marriage.
"I think I've been overlooking something important," Wentworth said.
"What's that?" Matilda sat up and nestled against him.
He pulled her close. "I've been so focused on defending the border that I've neglected the infrastructure here."
Matilda wasn't sure what he meant specifically, but he'd already pulled out his phone to call Charles.
The signal was good at this hour. Charles picked up quickly.
"What's up? I'm in a meeting."
Wentworth got straight to the point. "Charles, I want to invest in building a hospital for Stoneford Town. Can you put together a plan?"
Matilda's eyes went wide.
Invest in a hospital?
But Charles agreed without hesitation. "Sure. I'll handle it."
Then he hung up.
Wentworth put away his phone and looked down at Matilda's shocked expression. Worried she might object, he explained, "Being born into a wealthy family isn't something I chose. Since I have the resources, I might as well do something good for society."
Matilda smiled. "I'm not upset."
She'd already decided to be with him, which meant accepting everything about him—including the fact that he was rich. As for herself, she'd stick to her principles and spend only what she earned.
Of course, she'd probably benefit indirectly in ways she couldn't avoid—like that vehicle the authorities had approved, or Mrs. MacAllister's surgery.
As long as it came from his genuine heart, she'd accept it quietly.
"Wentworth, I need to get to work." She kissed him softly on the lips.
He kissed her back with considerably more intensity.
...
Phoenix City.
After his meeting, Charles told Kai about funding the hospital.
"Our company has a branch in that area," Kai said immediately. "I'll start coordinating the investment right away."
"How long will it take to complete the hospital?" Charles asked.
"From application to approval to construction to final operation... if we move fast, maybe six months."
Charles frowned. "Can it be done in two months?"
Kai paused, then replied, "Yes, sir!"
When the CEO gave an order, you made it happen—impossible or not.
"Mr. Gonzaga, there's an investment conference this afternoon that requires your attendance," Kai added.
"I know. I'll be there."
...
The investment conference was held at a luxury hotel in Phoenix City, with guests from around the world.
Zoey had tagged along with Mr. Turner to get in.
Just thinking about seeing Charles soon made her almost giddy with excitement.
Watching his daughter act like a lovesick fool, Mr. Turner said helplessly, "You're wasting your time coming here. Why would Mr. Gonzaga be interested in a silly girl like you?"
"I believe in persistence. Even if he's made of stone, I can wear him down. Besides, I can tell Charles has a soft side deep down."
"How can you possibly tell that?" Mr. Turner certainly couldn't see it. In his experience, Charles was cold and ruthless—a human business machine.
"From how he treats his brother, obviously," Zoey said.
Mr. Turner continued deflating his daughter's hopes. "That's his brother—of course he's good to him. But with you? He probably can't even be bothered to reply to your messages."
"You don't believe me? Watch—I'll send him a message and he'll definitely reply."
"Go ahead then," Mr. Turner challenged.
Zoey first took a selfie, striking a cute pose, then sent it to Charles with a message: [Mr. Gonzaga, I heard you'll be here today. What a coincidence—I'm at the venue too!]
Ten minutes passed. No response from Charles.
Mr. Turner scoffed. "See? He can't be bothered with you."
"He's busy," Zoey protested. "He's a CEO—of course he won't reply right away. I should tell him not to rush, that his work comes first."
She typed another message: [Charles, if you're busy, take your time. I'm not in a hurry.]
When she hit send, she discovered he'd blocked her again.
Mr. Turner burst out laughing so loudly that several nearby people turned to look at them.