Alia sucked in a quick breath as Matteo’s face imdiately darkened. Even Emline seed worried― and why wouldn’t she be? She had known Matteo for years, enough to know how much he yearned for his missing mother.
"Get out," Matteo growled out, his eyes glinting with vehent hatred. Catherine took a quick step back as Matteo’s shadow seed to grow wider before her very eyes.
"Why should I?" Catherine said with a huff. "I have every right to be here." She then turned to Alia, her eyes cold. "If there’s anyone who should leave, it should be this howrecker. I am your stepmother, Matteo, and the godmother of Emline. As a family mber, I have the right to keep my beloved goddaughter company."
"Howrecker?" Matteo echoed, scoffing. He coldly laughed. "You of all people have no right to speak of such things. It’s nice that you know my mother is gone― perhaps you would also like to recall why it is that she is."
Matteo then harshly glared at Doctor Jules, all but sneering in the man’s direction.
"Weren’t you taking the samples to the lab?" he asked, his tone leaving no room for the others to pipe in. "What are you doing standing around here for? Is this a theater? I didn’t realize I had joined Broadway."
"Patients are not allowed in the lab," Doctor Jules forced out the words through gritted teeth.
"Whyever not?" Matteo questioned. "Who’s the hospital director here? I am sure so arrangents can be made."
"There are records of other patients in the laboratories, and the area must be sterile. Even I wouldn’t be able to enter its premises," Doctor Jules argued. "With all due respect, Mr. Montgory, we can’t just let you in there just because you have money to throw around."
"Matteo..." Alia muttered from one side, tugging at his sleeve. When he leaned down so that her lips were closer to his ear, she whispered to him, "We could find a more discreet way of collecting her blood samples. There’s sothing fishy about this doctor."
"Of course there is," Matteo replied, keeping his voice equally low. He then cast Catherine and Emline a glare before speaking to Jules. "Then it shouldn’t be a problem if we were to tag along on your journey there, is there?"
Doctor Jules’s eye twitched. But nevertheless, he still said, "No problem at all." He turned to Catherine and Emline, his expression much more cordial and serene. "Would you ladies like to co along as well?"
"There’s no need to, Doctor," Emline said with a soft smile. Catherine held her arm, offering her support. "I trust that you will bring the samples to the lab without a single hitch."
"Of course," Doctor Jules replied.
He straightened as though he was a peacock showing off its feathers, absolutely glowing at Emline’s words. For such a beautiful and kind woman to be saddled with a possible child from this wretched man...
He turned and glared at Matteo, sneering before he said, "Let us go then."
Alia and Matteo followed Doctor Jules down a series of corridors, passing through doors and garnering the attention of patients and hospital staff alike. After everything that had happened, anyone who kept up with Solara’s celebrity news was aware of how these two people looked like― and unfortunately, they were currently the hottest news in town.
Just the thought of it made Alia feel faint. She felt her stomach gurgle uncomfortably before she tasted a wave of bitterness on her tongue.
"Are you alright?" Matteo worriedly asked when he noted how pale Alia’s face had gotten.
"I’m fine..." she said, taking in a deep breath before slowly breathing out. "I’m just―"
When she t Matteo’s eyes, the words she wanted to say were clogged in her throat. She could be worried for him — for them — but that wouldn’t be able to compare with whatever Matteo was feeling. If this ca out as a positive test, the trajectory of Matteo’s life would change forever. He would be forever tied with a child he never wanted, born from a mother who sched to get with him.
And worst of all, they had promised Emline legal immunity just to get to the truth. Yet, despite all of that, they couldn’t guarantee that it really was the truth.
"No matter what the results say, I will be here by your side as long as you want to," Alia promised. "I won’t go anywhere. Not again."
Matteo said nothing. Instead, he simply leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to Alia’s lips. There were still many eyes on them, and this was nowhere near a private venue. However, let it be known that Matteo’s feelings had never changed― nor would it even if the results ca out as positive.
"Thank you for your assistance, Doctor Jules," the lab technician said as he ca out to fetch the samples.
He turned and looked at Matteo and Alia, the smile on his face quickly dying down when he noticed there were uninvited guests present.
"Mr. Montgory and Miss Kentwood," Doctor Jules said, introducing them. "They wanted to oversee the process." When the words left his lips, Jules resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Just in case."
"We were curious," Alia said good-naturedly. She felt Matteo’s hand tighten its grip on her own.
"Curiosity killed the cat, Miss Kentwood," the lab technician said. He wore a new smile but it was more than easy to see it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
"Cats have nine lives," she very swiftly replied.
"Well," he said. "Let’s hope to see that’s the case then. It’s a pleasure."
With that said, the lab technician nodded once to Doctor Jules before taking the samples and entering the laboratory. He passed through a series of doors until eventually, he was completely out of sight.
"It’s not in my place to say it, Miss Kentwood, but if the results co out as a match, you ought to―" Doctor Jules abruptly paused when he suddenly felt a cold chill on the top of his head. He looked up just to see Matteo’s gaze, cold and cutting, glaring down at him as though he would soon be cut down on the battlefield.
"You’re right," Matteo said. "It’s not in your place."
Doctor Jules gulped, swallowing dramatically before pursing his lips. He wisely chose to change his words.
"If you’ll excuse then," he said before scurrying off.
As they watched Doctor Jules speed out of view, Alia held a hand to her chest. It had felt so heavy ever since her encounter with Catherine and Emline. In fact, this wasn’t the first ti― it had started a few days ago. Now, it got worse, though Alia assud it was because of everything that had happened.
"Perhaps we should head ho to rest," Matteo said. "The results will only co back in two or three days, a week at most."
"It’ll be the longest week yet," Alia said with a faint smile. Matteo said nothing, pressing a kiss to her temple.
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