Chapter 203: Emotional Crisis

Louis used to admire Nova. Despite her tough background, she stuck with Matthew through thick and thin, enduring all kinds of hardships and injuries to get where she was today.

But then Elizabeth showed up and exposed Nova's true nature.

If someone like her married into the Moore family, it would be total chaos.

Louis turned and walked away without a second thought.

"Don't contact me again, or you'll regret it."

Nova wiped her tears, watching him leave through blurry eyes, and let out a bitter laugh.

"What makes Elizabeth so special that she can get both of you wrapped around her finger?"

Louis stopped dead in his tracks. He turned back, his face dark, and gave her a stern look.

"She's not someone you can talk about like that. Watch your mouth."

Nova bit her lip, closing her mouth, her lips twitching with anger.

As Louis walked away without looking back, she laughed bitterly.

She thought, 'Well, Elizabeth must be something special.'

Even someone as confident as Nova had to admit Elizabeth's knack for winning over men, especially since Louis was so protective of her.

But in the end, Elizabeth was just a young girl, and Nova had plenty of ways to deal with her.

It was late at night, and Nova sat by the roadside, making a phone call.

She talked for a long time, and after hanging up, she smiled with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who had been pretending to sleep, slowly opened her eyes.

Matthew was also awake, and the two stared at each other in silence.

After a while, Elizabeth casually lifted his chin and smirked.

"Who would've thought Mr. Moore has such a way with women? Did you hang up the phone in front of me only to secretly call her once I fell asleep?"

Matthew heard the sarcasm in her voice and knew she was upset. He quickly hugged her and handed over his phone.

"No, I only like you. I won't get involved with any other woman. If Nova's bothering you, just say the word, and I'll get rid of her."

Elizabeth glanced at the phone but simply shook her head, turning away from him without a word.

She was genuinely annoyed by Nova, who seemed impossible to shake off.

Matthew could easily make Nova's life miserable if he wanted to, but despite all this time, Nova was still around, wasting Elizabeth's time.

Matthew let Elizabeth think quietly for a while before hugging her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, and resting his chin on her shoulder.

He pressed close to her back, speaking softly to soothe her.

"My situation with Nova is complicated. Give me some time, and I'll make sure she's out of our lives for good."

Elizabeth asked, "How long?"

Matthew hesitated, unable to give a precise date, sounding somewhat vague.

"A month. I'll sort it out within a month, and then I'll explain everything to you."

A month was enough time for Elizabeth to accomplish many things. With the situation in Skyhaven City nearing its end, she didn't want to waste time with him.

But remembering all the difficulties they had overcome together, she decided to give him a chance.

"Alright, I trust you."

Matthew finally relaxed, holding her tightly.

That night, they remained peaceful.

The next morning, Elizabeth woke up early despite not sleeping well. She borrowed Matthew's study for a quick online meeting.

Matthew, unable to sleep, stared at the early morning sunlight for a long time before getting up.

As he picked up his phone, a text message came through.

Before he could see the sender's name, a few glaring words caught his eye.

His expression turned serious, his face growing stern.

The message wasn't from Nova but from a friend of Matthew's: [Don't forget how Nova's brother died all those years ago, and why her family background is so tragic.]

After reading it, Matthew put down his phone and remained silent for a long time.

Feeling stifled, he went to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and smoked quietly.

When Elizabeth returned to the bedroom after handling her business, the room was filled with thick smoke.

She disliked the strong smell, her mood souring as she looked at the figure on the balcony.

"What is happening? If you want to smoke, do it outside."

Her mood had been good earlier, planning to nap after finishing her work, but now even the bed was tainted with smoke.

She was annoyed.

Matthew realized his mistake, quickly extinguishing the cigarette and opening the window to air out the room.

He looked at Elizabeth, feeling awkward and unsure.

"Sorry, I won't do it again. If you're still tired, I'll take you to the guest room..."

Elizabeth refused outright. "No need. I'm not tired anymore. This is your home; I'll pack my things and leave."

After last night's argument about Nova, Elizabeth expected Matthew to cling to her as he usually did.

She had grown accustomed to their close interactions, so his sudden coldness today felt unsettling.

Something was off with him.

But since he didn't speak up, Elizabeth didn't ask.

Seeing her about to leave, Matthew panicked and grabbed her hand, leading her to the guest room.

"No, you need to rest. I'll clean up and then take you home."

Elizabeth pulled her hand away, frowning and sighing.

"Your attitude is strange today. What's wrong?"