"No way he's got the guts to do that," Matthew scoffed inwardly. However, he couldn't openly say so, especially not in front of this sincere-looking woman.
His usually stoic expression was even more guarded than usual. After a moment's hesitation, he finally replied through gritted teeth, "Fine."
At Grant Group, Charles had never seen such a conflicted expression on Matthew's face. Matthew had seemed perfectly fine the previous day, but his demeanor had dramatically shifted by the next morning. It was clear to Charles that Miss Warren must have done something to elicit this reaction. Charles found himself increasingly intrigued by and admiring of Valerie, and he became more determined than ever to win her favor.
Since they were at the office, Charles didn't dare delve into Matthew's personal matters. Shifting to a more pressing issue, he reported, "Mr. Grant, I received word from the butler last night. Mrs. Sophia has been found."
Matthew's expression softened slightly. "That's relieving to hear."
"Would you like to call her to check on her?" Charles asked.
Matthew continued working steadily as he replied, "No need. Whenever I speak with Grandma, it tends to be an unpleasant exchange. Whether I can console her or not, I might only aggravate the situation further. Just instruct the butler to get two more bodyguards to protect her."
Sophia's singular focus was on pushing for marriage arrangements. If she didn't get her way, she would throw a private tantrum. Matthew had long grown weary of her theatrics.
"But" Charles hesitated. "The butler also mentioned she almost had an accident yesterday. She's been on edge since returning and tossed and turned all night. Mr. Grant, why don't you contact her and see how she's doing?"
At the mention of his grandmother's near-accident, Matthew furrowed his brows with worry. The pen in his hand stopped moving as he urgently said, "Get my phone."
Charles hurried to retrieve the phone.
At that moment, they heard the CEO's private elevator opening outside the office. A kind yet authoritative voice called from the hallway, "Well, look who's finally checking up on me! Color me surprised."
Matthew's expression shifted dramatically as he quickly rose to greet the visitor—the grumpy Sophia, supported by Nathan, who stormed in.
"Grandma, what brings you here?" Matthew began, but Sophia cut him off, dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, Mr. Grant, so you do still remember you have a grandmother! Shocking, I know, considering you haven't visited me in over a month. I figured you'd forgotten all about me. If I hadn't come here today, I bet you wouldn't have given me a second thought!"
Matthew replied in a solemn voice, "Grandma, you should know why I don't want to go home."
He hated being pressured into marriage. More precisely, he hated anyone interfering in his personal affairs.
Sophia was taken aback, and a hint of resentment immediately crossed her face. Noticing this, Nathan quickly intervened. "Easy, Matthew. You might want to cool it. Grandma's been through a lot since yesterday, so cut her some slack and show her a little love, okay?"
Matthew finally composed himself. His expression turned grave as he asked with concern, "What happened yesterday?"
"Grandma heard you were meeting at Newtown Tower. It had been over a month since she last saw you, so she wanted to surprise you. But she almost got hit by a car on the way," Nathan explained.
"What?!" Matthew's face fell, concern washing over him. He immediately turned to Sophia, relieved to see she was physically unharmed, but worry remained etched on his features. "So what the heck are the bodyguards doing? How are they not keeping a tighter watch?"
The Grant family employed numerous bodyguards, yet they couldn't protect the one person who needed it most.
Seeing the tension rise, Sophia jumped in with her usual dramatic flair. She puckered her lips and whined, "The weather was awful yesterday. Even at nine o'clock, the roads were socked in with fog. I waited forever at the intersection for the light to change. But as soon as I started to cross, a huge truck came barreling towards me without braking. My old bones couldn't react, but thankfully a young girl pulled me out of the way. You boys would have had to scrape me off the pavement if she hadn't been there!"