"What?" Matteo barked out. "What did he even do?"
"If I hadn’t arrived in ti, Alia might be carrying Caleb’s future child in her womb," Aiden said coldly.
Matteo grabbed Aiden’s collar and hauled him up, fear and panic warring in his eyes as he registered Aiden’s words.
"What on earth did you say?" He couldn’t believe his ears.
"Clean out your ears, or did you suddenly lose the ability to understand English?" Aiden spat out angrily. He gripped at Matteo’s hands and pried them away from his collar roughly.
Matteo caught sight of Aiden’s bruised, bleeding knuckles and his eyes widened in surprise.
"You actually got injured?" His brother was not good at anything much, but he was fantastic in a fight. Matteo was no slouch, but Aiden fought like he was born for it. It was one of the things Matteo had to reluctantly concede losing at.
Aiden scowled as he was faced with Matteo’s disbelief. "It was ten against one, I’d like to see you walk out completely unscathed. You should be on your knees thanking , after I saved Alia from a fate worse than death!"
His lips twisted into a snarl.
"Honestly, brother, you’re so careless with the people you love! Alia would be better off with if you’re going to treat her like this! Why bother showing up now? I was the one who suspected she was in trouble, I was the one who called the police, I was the one who arranged this hospital visit... your presence here is just simply extra! If you want to be useful, just go to the police station and report Caleb Walton for kidnapping and sexual assault!" Aiden yelled out, incensed.
Aiden had called ahead in the car, choosing to go to Benji Wales’ hospital because he knew they were indebted to Alia. Normally, no A&E departnt would offer such privacy, but since Alia was considered a VVIP client, they had reserved a special room with a female doctor for her, far away from any curious onlookers and fellow ergency care patients.
In Aiden’s eyes, Matteo did not deserve to be Alia’s husband, fake or otherwise. It was simply a cruel trick played by the heavens that Matteo had made the first move. If Alia was still working at that diner, he would have ensured she lacked for nothing!
anwhile, Matteo gnashed his teeth as Aiden’s words buried themselves under his skin; he didn’t have any idea what actually happened, and that was the whole issue in a nutshell. He had been too busy with his private affairs to keep a careful eye on Alia, believing that she could look after herself.
No, it was not wrong to trust Alia. Matteo decided. The problem was trusting the rest of the world to treat her kindly, and that included her scheming ex-husband.
"Caleb Walton got away?" Matteo asked, clenching his hands into fists at the thought of that scumbag being on the loose. "You didn’t secure him until the police arrived? You didn’t tell the police where you were before leaving?!"
"I had bigger things to worry about, like sending Alia to the hospital!" Aiden pointed out acerbically, channeling his mother’s disdainful tone with depressing accuracy. "I don’t want to hear criticism from soone who only shows up when everything is over."
"Besides, how was I to know that the police are actually so slow and useless?" Aiden complained, slumping back on the chairs, furious.
"They’ve always shown up quickly to arrest whenever I caused trouble. I have already beaten Caleb black and blue to the point where his mother might not recognize him, yet they still can’t catch him? You should go and destroy the entire police organization. Fucking losers."
Matteo agreed. He called the police departnt to ask for updates, and apparently, according to the officers on duty, they received two calls regarding Caleb Walton’s doings within the given tifra.
However, because they weren’t given enough information, Caleb Walton escaped with his n before they arrived at the warehouse. They were currently still searching for him, and they have posted notices online about his arrest.
As if to prove the sincerity of their words, the hospital TV blasted out a notice for his arrest.
’Caleb Walton, the heir of W&W Enterprises, is suspected of kidnapping and sexual assault. We urge the public to report news of his sightings to the police, as well as any relevant information that might help in his arrest. Now, onto the weather...’
Matteo heaved a quick sigh of relief. At least Alia’s na wasn’t ntioned in this entire debacle, but he knew that quick-witted netizens would be able to guess the identity of the woman soon enough. After all, Caleb Walton was still considered high society; if he assaulted a random regular woman, the police would hardly lift a finger to help the victim.
The fact that arrest notices were being posted online and on the news would prove that the woman in question was not ordinary in the least.
"Two calls?" Aiden frowned in confusion. "I only made one call though. Who made the other?"
"Who knows?" Matteo crossed his arms. "No matter what, he needs to be hunted down."
Before they could think it over, the door finally opened to reveal Alia, whose eyes had lost that frightened look. Her complexion was much improved, and her hair was now neatened. However, there was no concealing the yellow patch of iodine on her lips as the doctor treated her split lip, nor the bruising on her cheek. The ice pack she was given had at least reduced the swelling.
Yet, Alia finally felt more in control of herself and her emotions― and it helped that she was wearing an entirely new, plain outfit that the doctor helpfully lent her. It was a simple white blouse and a pair of washed jeans. Aiden’s jacket was on her arm, and she held a prescription in her hand.
All she had to do was to go to the pharmacist and get it filled out.
But the mont she caught sight of Matteo, her eyes began to water. Matteo rushed towards her, enveloping her in his warm, protective embrace.
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