Chapter 183 You Don't Understand Men
Actually, the sirens were Nason's doing.
After seeing Wentworth leave, Nason immediately contacted some of his connections, who helped him find a few desperate types willing to do anything for cash. He paid top dollar to get them to follow his lead, and he'd also tracked his own phone's signal. The signal had stopped at this abandoned factory for over a minute. No doubt about it - Wentworth had to be here.
He didn't know why those thugs hadn't checked Wentworth's car. Maybe they had, but just missed the phone - it had probably gotten wedged under the seat when it fell, easy to overlook unless you really searched. He'd called the cops too, but he'd made sure to get here first with his hired muscle, sneaking in quietly.
He showed them Matilda's photo and told them if they saw her, they had to get her out. So even though the guys he'd hired weren't exactly skilled assassins, his whole bluff worked - Konbu and his crew had bolted.
Whether there'd be payback later? Nason hadn't thought that far ahead. He found Matilda unconscious on the floor and got her out with the others.
...
Nason didn't take Matilda back to the nursing home. Instead, he brought her to a hotel he usually stayed at during business trips and hired over a dozen bodyguards to protect them.
By evening, Matilda woke up. She opened her eyes to a fancy crystal chandelier hanging overhead. Thinking of Wentworth, she bolted upright. She was about to get out of bed when Nason walked in.
"Where's Wentworth?" Matilda asked immediately.
"I heard he's been taken to the hospital." He'd already called back using Zoey's phone to confirm. Right after he got Matilda out, the cops had arrived and found Wentworth with the abdominal wound.
"What about those guys?" Matilda asked.
"There's a nationwide manhunt. Whether they'll even make it out of Europe is anyone's guess."
"I need to see Wentworth," Matilda said.
"But you're still really weak," Nason said.
"I don't care. I have to see him. I need to know if he's okay." Tears spilled down Matilda's cheeks.
Nason had no choice but to take her. Besides, Zoey had been blowing up his phone - over a dozen calls. Once she knew he had Matilda, she'd kept pushing him to bring her over, insisting it was safe now. He couldn't keep Matilda holed up here forever anyway.
On the way to the hospital, Nason couldn't stop talking himself up. He went through the whole story - how his phone ended up in Wentworth's car, how he'd tracked the signal, called the cops, and ultimately saved them both. "You two owe me big time. I'm basically your knight in shining armor," Nason said.
Matilda looked at him. "Thank you. Your timing was perfect." But her mind was clearly on Wentworth's injuries. Gratitude flickered across her face, but it was fleeting.
Nason felt a pang of disappointment.
"Wait, what about Juliana?" Matilda knew she'd been released. Even though Wentworth had chosen to save her first, Matilda didn't hold any resentment. Wentworth was just repaying a debt. That had to be it.
"Juliana? Haven't heard anything about her coming back. Zoey said the police haven't found her yet."
"She was dumped in the woods. She still hasn't made it out?"
Nason asked curiously, "Why would those guys dump her in the woods but keep you upstairs? Weren't they worried she'd call the cops once she got out?"
Matilda filled him in on everything that had happened after they were kidnapped.
"So you're telling me Wentworth chose to save Juliana first?" Nason's voice rose with indignation.
"He was repaying a debt."
"Then you don't understand men at all. This was life or death. If I were Wentworth, you're the one I'd want to survive."
Matilda's heart gave a painful thump.
"Good thing you're not him then."
"Look, it doesn't matter who. It's like when there's danger - one kid is yours, one isn't. If you're the mother, which kid do you want to survive? Obviously your own kid. You don't even have to think about it - it's pure instinct. Don't give me that melodramatic TV nonsense about letting your rival live while you die with your loved one. That's complete BS. Life's too precious - who wants to die? You've seen Titanic, right? Why didn't Jack die with Rose? He chose to let her live because she could see the world for him. He could die, but the person he loved couldn't!"
Matilda's chest tightened. But she forced herself not to overthink it. Don't go there. Just don't.
"Maybe Wentworth was just confident he could save me too."
"But how'd that work out? I'm the one who rescued you, aren't I?" Nason gave a dry laugh.
They arrived at the hospital.
Matilda didn't have time to dwell on it. When she learned Wentworth was still in surgery, she immediately rushed toward the operating room. Zoey and Charles were waiting outside the OR, along with a bunch of Charles's bodyguards.
When Zoey saw Matilda, she rushed over and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Matilda, you're finally back!" Tears streamed down her face.
"Zoey, how is Wentworth doing?"
"The doctor said the bullet didn't hit any vital organs and it's not too deep. Once they remove it, he'll be fine. Don't worry."
"They still haven't found Juliana?" Matilda asked.
"We've sent people to search, and so have the police. I'm sure they'll find her soon." Zoey looked at Matilda with concern. "Matilda, it's only been a few days and you've already lost so much weight!"
After Matilda had passed out, Nason had someone reset her shoulder, clean her up, and change her clothes. But she still looked haggard, and the bruises from being beaten hadn't fully faded from her face. It was easy to imagine what kind of hell she'd been through.
"I'm fine. Finding Juliana should be the priority." As a doctor, saving lives was always Matilda's first concern.
"Where's Mom?" Matilda meant her mother-in-law, Amelia.
"All this back-to-back stress was too much for her. She's fainted several times already. She's upstairs in the inpatient ward now - don't worry, we've got people watching her," Zoey said.
Charles walked over to Nason. "Really appreciate what you did. If it weren't for you, they'd still be in danger."
"So you think I'm pretty impressive, huh? Rescued people you couldn't?" Nason asked.
Charles nodded. "Absolutely."
Nason felt pretty damn pleased with himself. For once in all these years, he'd actually outdone the Gonzaga brothers. At the very least, he'd saved Wentworth's life.
Charles continued earnestly, "I've already sent people to look for Juliana, but no luck yet. You've got more connections around here - could you help us find her?"
Charles's praise had Nason riding high. He figured he couldn't do much here anyway, so he might as well help search for Juliana.