On the way to the office, Heather was still thinking about what Robert said in the morning. The deep meaning in his words was food for thought. In contrast to Robert, Blake’s tricks weren’t even worth mentioning. In fact, she felt like Robert was implying something to her.
She was unsure if she was overthinking, but she could vaguely feel that Blake was just putting up a guise. It seemed like even though Robert was old, he still had a big ambition.
It appeared that Bradfort City was going to be lively in the near future. Both Locke Group and Hart Group weren’t one to be messed with, and Robert didn’t intend to get involved with any of them because he was planning to sit back and reap the benefits later.
No wonder he had been so angry today. Before this, Heather tried to get Langston Group and Hart Group to cooperate with each other, and now she was entangled with Locke Group.
At that moment, remorse welled up in her heart. She realized that she was only causing trouble to Robert. Although she didn’t want to compete with Blake for Langston Group, she still hoped that Langston Group would become stronger.
On her way, she made a decision that she was going to meet Matthias immediately to terminate that contract. She couldn’t be tied to him because of the contract, and she didn’t want to have anything to do with Locke Group anymore.
As she drove to Locke Group, she remembered what happened the last time and quickly dialed Matthias’ number. However, no one answered. She looked at the phone in her hand in distress, thinking that he must have run off again for a meeting about some important collaboration.
As such, she could only turn to Evan, who was shocked when he realized the call was from Heather. Immediately, he picked up.
From her conversation with him, she learned that Matthias had gone back to the Locke Residence at Tasnia City, and it was probably inconvenient for him to answer her call.
Frustrated, Heather stared at the phone. Meeting Matthias wasn’t an easy task. This time, he had gone a little further away than she thought, and it was unlikely that she would go straight there.
After ending the call, Evan immediately reported the matter to Matthias, who instantly replied. In fact, it wasn’t inconvenient for him to answer the phone. It was just inconvenient to answer her call at Locke Residence. After all, Heather was the female protagonist of the gossip Matthias was involved in.
“Tell Heather that I’ll be waiting for her at home in three days.” Matthias didn’t want to stay at Locke Residence any longer and was looking for an opportunity to leave.
The Locke Family had arranged an entire week worth of blind dates for him, which he felt was extremely insulting. He felt like he was being placed on the shelf like goods on a special sale. In fact, he didn’t even want to spare a glance at any of the women he was supposed to meet.
Furthermore, ever since he came back, he felt like his every move was being watched. Even going outside became a difficult task. When he wasn’t on a blind date, he would be in his room. He was even worried that they had bugged his room.
During his time at Locke Residence, he was tormented. There was no way he was going to obey them, and he didn’t have time to play games with them for a week.
Just then, Matthias, who was alone and sulking in his room, heard a knock on his door. He replied with disinterest, “Come in.” The only people who would dare to come to him at this hour were either the head of the Locke Family or the cousin whom Matthias disliked the most.
As expected, it was the head of the Locke Family. Matthias faintly glanced at him. In fact, he was the reason Matthias came back this time.
Seeing his sullen look, the head of the Locke Family comforted him. “Matthias, why didn’t you tell me that you have returned?” He still cared about Matthias and he didn’t want to force him like this, but unfortunately, he was no longer in control of the situation now.
“I can’t marry a random woman. I can’t do it,” Matthias said sullenly without looking at him.
Just then, the head of the family smiled lovingly as he approached Matthias and patted his shoulder. “I went through it too. Marriage isn’t always up to you.” He spoke as someone who had experienced the same thing.
“What a joke. The Locke Family is powerful. Do they really need this kind of alliance to be better?” Matthias looked at the head of the family with mockery in his eyes. He couldn’t agree with him at all since that was an outdated approach.
“The Locke Family does not give up any opportunity to take shortcuts,” the head of the family said profoundly. It was because of this exact trait that was causing each and every one of them to be unhappy.
Perhaps it was because life wasn’t as good as it should be, so they were all fully devoted to work. Hence, there were many workaholics in the Locke Family.
“I will never marry a woman I don’t love.” Matthias stared directly at the head of the family and emphasised each word like an oath and with determination.
The head of the Locke Family didn’t want to continue to dwell on this matter, so he said, “A man becomes independent at thirty. You should count how many years you have left. After the age of thirty, if you’re still not married, then you definitely won’t be taking over the Locke Family.”
This was one of the rules of the Locke Family, and it was also one that Matthias hated. Every head of the family abided by this rule. Of course, the leader of Locke Group must do the same as well. Sometimes, the head of the Locke Family and the leader of Locke Group were the same person, and sometimes they were two different people.
All in all, the Locke Family was a peculiar family with strict rules which Matthias disliked. As such, he was unhappy. Sometimes, he really didn’t understand why he had to be the leader of Locke Group, knowing that he had to sacrifice so much as the leader. Perhaps he thought he could turn it all around.
But as time went by, he felt like it was more and more impossible to escape the vicious cycle that was the Locke Family tradition. He feared that one day, he would be swallowed up like his elders and live without a soul.
“Are you happy now?” Matthias’ sudden questions took the head of the family by surprise. It had been a long time since he thought about this.
After properly pondering for a long time, he answered quietly, “Does it matter?” It wasn’t an answer, or perhaps the answer was too obvious and there was no need to say it out loud.
“We only have one life. Why should we live so unhappily?” Matthias spoke with intention. He was directing it to the head of the family and also to himself.
“Well said, but reality will not go as you wish. Young man, you still have a long way to go.” The head of the family gazed into Matthias’ determined eyes and gave him a caring smile. It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to persuade him for a while.
“Well, I won’t forget why I started.” At this moment, Matthias was full of confidence. Later on, he would realize that he shouldn’t be too confident because life could drive one to the edge.
The rest of the days, Matthias remained indifferent as he was dragged to the blind dates. In his eyes, those women were all the same and couldn’t be compared to Myra, or even Heather. Just then, he was surprised that he even thought of Heather. As such, he revealed a self-deprecating smile. Unknowingly, Heather had left indelible traces in his heart which would bubble up from time to time recently.
The woman sitting across from him looked at the smile on his lips and an embarrassed look crept onto her face. Meanwhile, Matthias’ cousin who was accompanying him faked a cough which snapped Matthias out of it.
Giving the woman across from him a glance, he noticed that she had a good-looking face but was uninteresting. This was not what he was looking for in a lover in any case.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m not interested in what you’re talking about at all,” he said impolitely. He didn’t want to waste his time on people or things he didn’t like.
At once, his cousin’s face darkened as he glared at Matthias, while the girl who was still admiring Matthias’ handsome face just now became displeased in an instant.
The man sure was blunt. Even if she had some feelings toward him, there was no way she would stay, not to mention that she was a pampered and spoiled young lady. She was so infuriated that she took her bag and left at once. Meanwhile, Matthias remained seated with an indifferent face.
Instead, his cousin made a point of going after the woman and apologizing to her. Matthias watched his cousin’s pretentious performance, knowing full well that this was how his cousin was. He had to let the whole world think that he was the best and most harmless one.
A beautiful name and gentlemanly manners were phony in the eyes of Matthias. After all, he could never forget what his cousin had done to hurt him. He had backstabbed Matthias countless times; after all, he was, in fact, a two-faced person. Matthias glared fiercely at his cousin who was walking toward him.
“Matthias, how could you be so rude?” his cousin questioned him. He was a slim man with little manliness and looked more feminine than a woman. So much so that Matthias even doubted his cousin’s sexual orientation. If he hadn’t gotten married before he turned thirty and gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins, Matthias would have thought that his cousin liked men.
“I’ve been sitting here and listening to her nonsense for an hour. That’s as far as my patience goes.” Matthias squinted his eyes at his cousin who was going to put up a performance anyway. As such, he didn’t mind being accused of disrespecting his elder brother.
“Matthias, you can’t go on like this. You’re turning thirty soon. Please, you have to be more serious during your blind dates. Don’t miss out on a good girl.” His cousin looked like he was concerned about Matthias, but Matthias didn’t trust him at all.
“Feelings aren’t for trading. If you like to trade your life, then that’s your business. Do not drag me down with you.” At once, Matthias rose from his seat. He had spent enough time entertaining them. He was leaving tomorrow and no one was going to be able to stop him.
“We’re going to the next spot.” His cousin sighed with a look of frustration.
The corner of Matthias’s lips curled upward. “I’ll accompany you, but I’ve booked a ticket for tomorrow afternoon at three. I do not have the time to gallivant with you for a week.” He spoke dashingly. He had already compromised a lot and he didn’t want to carry on anymore.
“What do you mean, ‘accompany’ me? This attitude of yours is very problematic. Return the tickets. You have over twenty more blind dates, and if you don’t choose a woman by the end of it, you’re not allowed to leave.” His cousin’s tone was gentle, but every sentence he spoke was pressuring Matthias. However, he wasn’t going to fall for it.
Matthias sneered in response. “Gather the rest of the women tomorrow morning. I don’t mind meeting all of them at once. I will leave on time tomorrow at three in the afternoon. Nothing is going to stop me.” His tone was decisive and left no space for any argument.
