It was late, and the Noria Group conference room meeting was still in progress. The group had already presented their plans for the new quarter, but some disgruntled shareholders disrupted the meeting to pursue their own interests. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Matthew entered, sharply dressed in a black suit. He sat in the main chair, his commanding presence silencing everyone.
"I've set the new plan, and if you have a problem with it, you can talk to me," Matthew said.
The shareholders exchanged glances but remained silent.
"No? Then it's settled."
Many shareholders had worked at the company for years and had been subordinates of Matthew's uncle, Lincoln Grant. They weren't inclined to blindly follow Matthew, but he was a decisive leader, and they were afraid to challenge him.
After the meeting, Nathan Hoffman dismissed the shareholders and hurried to Matthew. "Perfect timing, Matthew. Those old-timers were unreasonable. I almost didn't know what to do. Thank you for saving the day with your poker face," he said.
Matthew rubbed his nose. "Shut up," he replied. He asked Charles about his schedule and learned he had a free evening. He planned to go to Green Hill Villa to rest, but then remembered he hadn't been to Grant Manor in a while. He frowned at the thought of his grandfather and mother urging him to marry.
As he hesitated, Nathan asked curiously, "I saw your Porsche dented in the parking lot. What happened, Matthew?"
Matthew's hand paused. He remembered the car accident and Valerie. "Damn it, I forgot I'm married," he muttered to himself. He decided to go home after work and headed out.
"Where are you going, Matthew? Wait a minute! What are you doing, Charles?" Nathan, who planned to have a drink with Matthew, started to chase after him, but Charles stopped him.
Charles smiled knowingly. "Mr. Hoffman, trust me, you don't want to be a third wheel, considering he's newly married."
Nathan was confused as Matthew took the elevator to the parking lot. He instructed Charles to send the Porsche to the service center and drove his Chevrolet Mini home. The drive was still agonizing.
Fortunately, Slotmond Estate wasn't far. After a half-hour drive, Matthew arrived home. He entered his password, but it was wrong.
"Wrong? How come? It was right last night! That woman must have changed the password!" he thought angrily.
Exhausted from work and annoyed by others interfering in his life – from food to clothing to living habits – he'd already altered his driving and eating habits for Valerie, and she locked him out! First, she blocked him, and now this! He was furious.
He knocked, but no one answered. He tried to text her, remembering she'd blocked him on WhatsApp. He'd never been so angry.
After a moment, he dialed another number. "Send me Valerie's phone number in three minutes."
"Yes, Mr. Grant," Charles replied, stunned. He'd been Matthew's assistant for three years and knew this meant serious trouble. He worried that Matthew might divorce Valerie that very night.