Chapter 112
Pearl was still worrying when she saw Chloe's bright eyes lock onto her.
Her heart tightened.
"Chloe, this is adult business. It's complicated."
"How about I tell your mommy and let her handle it?"
Chloe shook her head vigorously. "What if the mean woman takes the handsome mister away? We have to go right now!"
Pearl's face scrunched up.
Adam already didn't like this man. If she let Chloe go...
"Chloe, I can't let you get involved in this. If your mother finds out, she'll never forgive me."
"Pearl, I'm sorry." Chloe suddenly looked at her seriously.
A bad feeling rose in Pearl's heart.
"I don't want to hurt you, but this is really urgent."
"You have to take me right now, or I'll tell Mommy..."
"When we first came back to the country, you were walking with me and fell, and I slipped out of your hands!"
"I rolled down that grassy slope for ages and ages, and almost cracked my head open!"
Pearl was helpless.
What "ages and ages"? She'd jumped up instantly and caught Chloe!
Chloe hadn't even gotten a speck of grass on her.
"What do you think will happen if Great-grandma finds out? Great-grandma's always been so strict..." Chloe tilted her head, looking innocent.
Pearl was on the verge of tears. "Chloe, what do you want me to do?"
"Take me to see the handsome mister. I need to save him! He's a good person, and I still want to treat him to dinner!"
Pearl was completely falling apart.
She carried Chloe, face bitter, toward where Matthew was waiting.
Matthew's figure stood out in the crowd.
Chloe spotted him immediately and waved her little hand. "Handsome mister!"
Matthew turned his head. Seeing her, the corners of his pressed lips curved slightly.
Pearl set Chloe down and watched him walk over, crouch down, and ruffle Chloe's hair.
"So? Did your family agree?"
"Mommy's busy and has to go back to work, so she can't have dinner with us."
"This time, let me take you to dinner! I have lots of money!"
Chloe patted her little chest, looking magnanimous.
Matthew was somewhat skeptical. Were the Sinclair family adults that relaxed about their child?
Just a nanny along, and she could go eat with strangers?
He remembered the previous two times he'd encountered Chloe, his handsome brows knitting together.
But Chloe didn't know what he was thinking.
She gripped Matthew's arm tightly, looking around.
Good—the mean woman hadn't appeared yet.
She couldn't tell the handsome mister about the mean woman's scheme. Mommy said the mean woman was someone the handsome mister liked, so if she told him, he might not believe her.
Chloe decided to just take the handsome mister away directly!
"Handsome mister, let's go eat quickly. I'm hungry!" she said in her sweet voice, pulling Matthew's arm toward the parking lot.
Matthew found it amusing but went along with her.
"Handsome mister, where's your car?" Chloe looked up and asked, urgency on her little face, acting like she was starving.
Matthew scooped her up and strode toward his car.
Pearl watched that retreating figure, bit her lip, and followed.
Today, she could only go along with Chloe's antics.
Like an ostrich playing dead, she didn't dare think about how Adam would react.
Meanwhile, Evelyn waited and waited but Pearl and Chloe never appeared.
An uneasy feeling crept over her, and she immediately called Pearl.
Pearl was already sitting anxiously in the car when the urgent ringtone nearly made her throw her phone.
"It's... like this... Chloe has already gone to dinner with the gentleman who bought the paintings."
She stammered, "O-okay, I'll have Chloe take the call."
Pearl handed the phone to Chloe.
"Mommy," Chloe spoke in her sweet little voice, completely unfazed.
"What did Mommy just say?" Evelyn's voice was low.
"Mommy, my tummy is so hungry." Chloe dodged the question.
Evelyn fell silent for a moment. "Do you like that handsome mister that much?"
"Yes!" Chloe nodded emphatically. "The handsome mister is a good person! I really like him!"
Evelyn was silent again. "Then come home right after dinner. Don't tell him about family matters, understand?"
"I know! Thank you, Mommy!" Chloe swung her little feet happily. Mommy had agreed.
Evelyn sighed helplessly, had Chloe pass the phone to Pearl for a few more instructions, then hung up.
"Let's go," she told the driver.
The car slowly pulled out of the parking lot.
"Chloe still went with him?" Monica asked softly.
Evelyn nodded, eyes downcast, her fingers unconsciously clenching tight.
Just imagining Matthew and Sloane taking Chloe to dinner made her chest ache.
Panic and helplessness washed over her.
Once Matthew learned the truth, he'd spare no effort to take Chloe away.
And Sloane would become Chloe's stepmother.
She would never allow that to happen!
Even if it cost her life, she would protect these two children.
If Matthew and Sloane dared do anything to Chloe, she'd make sure they had no place to be buried.
On the other side, Matthew hadn't heard clearly what was said on the phone, but he'd seen Pearl and Chloe's reactions.
Those doubts rose in his mind again.
"Chloe." He lowered his head, looking seriously into her eyes. "Did your family really agree?"
He'd seen it—Pearl's face was more bitter than a gourd.
"Yes, really agreed." Chloe nodded confidently.
They didn't agree before, but now they really did, Chloe muttered to herself.
"Really?" Matthew still didn't believe it.
"Really!" Seeing his doubt, Chloe added another sentence. "Mommy was just worried that having dinner with you would interrupt your date with the ba— with the person you like."
Close call—she'd almost blurted out "mean woman."
Hearing "the person you like," Matthew froze, his expression suddenly darkening for an instant.
He collected himself and smiled at Chloe. "That lady is just my colleague. She's not the person I like."
"Really?" Now it was Chloe's turn to ask.
She was practically overjoyed—the handsome mister didn't like the mean woman! Wonderful!
"Really." Matthew was utterly candid.
Chloe's lips curved up as she looked cheerfully at Pearl, as if to say: Pearl, see? Good thing I saved the handsome mister, right?
Pearl's whole being was still in chaos.
Just then, Matthew's phone rang.
"Matthew, I can't find you..." Sloane's voice came through.
"I'm having dinner with Chloe. The exhibition's over. Go home on your own."
Sloane, on the other end, went silent for a moment, then her voice grew louder—loud enough that even Chloe could hear. "Then let me come find you. Send me the address. It's my birthday today. I want to have dinner with you, okay?"
Chloe instinctively bit her fingernail, staring unblinkingly at Matthew.
What now? Would the handsome mister agree to the mean woman's request?