“Clare, hold your horses. The media is irresponsibly using a clickbait title to attract readers.”
Clarissa replied plainly, “Putting that aside, did you really meet someone in secret?”
Matthew rubbed his forehead. “Clare, don’t use such language.”
“Then what should I use?”
“Anything but that. When I attended the dinner, Donnie and a few other colleagues were there too. Besides, we were there to discuss work.”
“Fine. I won’t inquire as to why you would need to go a hotel for that. But tell me, who is that girl? She looks awfully familiar.”
Staring at Clarissa, Matthew lifted her hands to kiss them.
“Clare, she is the company’s new spokesperson and also a new signing from the entertainment division. Her father has business ties with us too. He was also at the dinner that evening. His intention was for us to give his daughter special treatment. Given that he is a close associate of mine, I couldn’t turn him down. Clare, you have to believe me.”
When Matthew finished, Clarissa gave him a serious look before snorting in laughter.
The moment she smiled, Matthew heaved a sigh of relief.
“Hahaha… What are you being so nervous about? I have never seen you so worried before. Why would I not trust you?”
“You naughty gal…”
Matthew pinched her on her cheeks. Given that she was pregnant and had been living the good life, Clarissa had put on some weight. Hence, he found the sensation his fingers felt to be satisfying.
“Given that you’re pregnant, I’m just worried that it will upset you.”
Clarissa snorted. “All you care about is the child.”
“I’m concerned about it but even more worried about you. So, don’t misconstrue my intentions…”
Clarissa laughed as she reached out her arms for Matthew to hug her.
“Alright now, I’m just kidding. It’s been extremely boring staying at home all the time. Hence, I needed some entertainment.”
Matthew looked at her affectionately. “Have you had your fill of fun? Can we go eat now? Childish gal?”
“Haha, so what if I’m childish?”
“Nothing. You’re adorable behaving that way.”
Just as Clarissa beamed, Matthew swept her off her feet and carried her to the dining room.
In his arms, Clarissa lifted her gaze at him. “I’ve put on a lot of weight. Aren’t I heavy now?”
“Not at all. You’re light as a feather.”
Matthew naturally knew what to answer when faced with such a question.
Hence, Clarissa pecked him on his cheeks to show her satisfaction. She replied with a smile, “Hubby, that’s the perfect answer!”
Matthew grinned in response. Before they knew it, they had arrived in the dining room and Matthew put her down. He even tousled her hair instead.
“Are you testing me every day?”
Clarissa smiled smugly. “No, I’m not. I’m just fooling around. So, don’t take it seriously.”
With that, Matthew took his seat as both of them ate together. During dinner, he asked her about her day even though they had video called each other during the course of the day. Nevertheless, he didn’t mind hearing it again as he enjoyed listening to her.
After dinner, their routine was to go for a walk for half an hour together. Although the weather was warmer now, the temperature in the evenings was pleasant. Holding each other’s hands, they chatted as they strolled within Zen Highlands’ beautiful landscape.
“Haha… you are of no help to Henry at all!”
“I’m not! At the very least, I managed to say something while Henry didn’t even dare open his mouth. In the end, am I not the one to pick up after him? Moreover, when I asked about having children, Ms. Zaha replied that she would let fate decide. It obviously meant that she was open to the idea. Therefore, Henry should work harder on that. Wouldn’t the problem be solved then?”
Matthew raised his eyebrows when Clarissa finished. “Clare, you’re brilliant! I must inform Henry later. If it works, he will be eternally grateful to you.”
Clarissa was delighted by Matthew’s compliments.
When she raised her chin, Matthew couldn’t resist but stroke it.
She pouted in annoyance. “Do you take me for a pet? Or do I have a double chin?”
Lowering her head on purpose, she tried to stroke her own chin to check. Amused by her adorable gesture, Matthew couldn’t help but laugh.
Clarissa furrowed her eyebrows in response. “What are you laughing at?”
“Hmm, you’re irresistibly cute.”
Unable to resist, he lowered his head to kiss her on her lips. And that was how the half-an-hour walk ended taking longer than it was supposed to.
In truth, this was a common occurrence. Their walks always ended in tender loving moments.
Inside the living room, Catherine looked out from the window, smiling. The sight of them simply warmed her heart.
After having gone through so much, Catherine felt remorseful over her decision to take a harsh stand against Matthew in the early days.
Luckily, they had reunited and were now happily married. With that, she knew she could finally die in peace.
“Mrs. Quigley, you are really blessed.”
Catherine smiled slightly. “That’s true. I’m lucky to have a granddaughter like Clare.”
One month later, the weather was sweltering hot, and the temperature was no longer comfortable.
Despite Matthew’s repeated advice, it fell upon deaf ears.
He had no choice but to take Clarissa, in her pregnant state, to the cinema for the movie premiere.
Their earlier supposition had come true. Shermaine’s movie, which was rushed through production, had premiered earlier than theirs. Furthermore, the theme of the movie was based on Shermaine’s relationship. Hence, it would certainly garner some attention as she was involved with Matthew in the early days.
Consequently, many went to see the movie. However, after watching it, they felt cheated and heavily criticized it.
And that was how Clarissa’s prediction had become reality.
Shermaine had just made a fool of herself.
Furthermore, it was finally the day of the premiere of Clarissa & Matthew. Given the hype surrounding the movie, many were looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, the novel flew off the shelves and was on its way to becoming one of the bestsellers of the year. After all, in this day and age, selling out a physical book was by itself an accomplishment.
At the same time, the movie garnered just as much attention. Given the industry heavyweights involved such as Ryler and Justin, plus the fact that Clarissa had directed a small part of it, many of the audiences were waiting in anticipation. Furthermore, the recent incidents involving Clarissa, her relationship status with Matthew, and the fact that they were expecting a second child simply added to the hype.
Since it was a romantic movie, it didn’t need a huge budget. Hence, with the amount of buzz they had, the movie would definitely turn a profit.
Clarissa waited for the movie to start before entering the cinema. With Matthew’s help, they navigated the darkness to find a seat. With the audiences’ attention on the movie, no one noticed their presence.
Instead, when the people around them saw a pregnant lady, they admired her enthusiasm. Despite having a huge belly, she braved the scorching heat just to watch the movie.
After the advertisements, the movie began with Roxanne disembarking from a plane after having arrived in D City. Looking up at the sky, she let out a helpless sigh.
Nevertheless, her beautiful features and attractive figure captured the imagination of many.
When Clarissa saw the clothes Roxanne was wearing, she realized that they followed the novel to the dot.
It was a bare shoulder dress which revealed her slender neck and sexy collar bone.
At one point of time, Matthew was jealous because of it.
As the movie played on, Roxanne and Ryler met.
Interestingly, the moment Ryler caught a glimpse of Roxanne’s collarbone, his fingers fidgeted in reflex. When she was wearing a navel revealing top while exposing her slender thighs, Ryler’s expression reminded Clarissa of how Matthew reacted then.
After that, Ryler tried his best to gain her attention but Roxanne foolishly assumed that he had no feelings for her.
Only when they kissed was she made aware of his intentions.
During the movie, there were some humorous scenes which the audience chuckled to. When Ryler was turning on the charm, the ladies in the audience gasped.
From the looks of it, the movie seemed to be well received. In response, Clarissa’s eyes began to water.
Watching the movie, she was filled with both sweet and painful memories. Anxious to know how it was going to end, emotions simply overwhelmed her.
To her, it wasn’t just a movie. Instead, it was a journey through her memories together with Matthew.
Finally, the movie ended with Ryler and Roxanne getting married on an island. By then, Clarissa could no longer hold back her tears.
Having predicted that she would cry, Matthew had prepared tissues. The moment he realized everyone was about to leave, he hurriedly led Clarissa out.
He didn’t care if anyone recognized them as his priority was to get her someplace safe.
Luckily, nothing untoward happened. When they got into the car, Clarissa leaned on Matthew and began to sob.
“Clare, are you happy that it was a great movie, or were you moved by it?”
“Probably both.”
Pinching her nose, Clarissa explained, “Director Yates did an excellent job. I didn’t expect him to be so good at making romantic movies too.”
“That’s all?”
Clarissa shook her head. “Of course not. I’m both touched and delighted. Did you see how much the audience enjoyed the movie? It’s looking good, isn’t it?”
That night, the first thing Clarissa came home to do was to check the movie reviews.
There were two kinds of responses.
Ordinary folks loved the movie. The actors were on spot while the story wasn’t overdramatized. It was a simple love story with a happy ending. Everyone enjoyed the movie and were touched by it.
As for the movie critics, they ridiculed it for not having any substance at all. Nevertheless, they acknowledged the beautiful cinematography and the actors’ sublime skills. In their opinion, it was still an entertaining movie to watch as a pastime.
Clarissa was delighted when she read the comments. Does this mean the movie is doing well?
With that, she could hardly sleep due to her excitement. Meanwhile, someone else had trouble sleeping due to jealousy.
