Glancing at the screen, she saw it was Lucia.
As she answered the call, Lucia’s soft, familiar voice filled her ears. “Stella, Waldo is being discharged today. If you’re free, could you and Matthew come pick us up?”
Stella understood that Lucia had always been thoughtful about not intruding on her and Matthew’s private life as a couple. However, now that Lucia had taken the initiative to call, it was evident she wanted to create more opportunities for them to spend time together.
Recalling Matthew’s cold and dissatisfied demeanor that morning, Stella hesitated before responding, “Lucia, Matthew is very busy today. I’ll go pick up Waldo myself.”
When Lucia heard that Matthew couldn’t make it, she immediately replied, “If you’re both busy, just focus on your work. There’s no need to come over. If you’re free tonight, come back to our house for dinner.”
From Lucia’s tone, Stella could tell she was probably unaware that Lindsay had a medical check-up scheduled at the hospital that day.
After a moment of thought, Stella said, “Lucia, a foreign doctor is visiting Seamarsh today to examine Lindsay. If the timing works out, we’ll come by tonight.”
“Then I want to go see how Lindsay’s check-up goes,” Lucia said, sounding a bit concerned.
Stella quickly intervened, advising, “Lucia, your health hasn’t been great lately, and you’ve been busy taking care of Waldo. You should go back home and rest. Matthew and I can handle everything here. I’ll let you know as soon as we have the results.”
After Stella’s gentle persuasion, Lucia finally relented. “Alright then, thank you for your hard work,” she said before hanging up the phone.
Stella put down her phone and paced back and forth in the office.
After thinking it over, she decided to head to the hospital.
At the hospital…
Lindsay had managed to calm herself on the way there. Looking at Matthew with soft, apologetic eyes, she murmured, “Matthew, please don’t be upset. Stella didn’t say anything harsh to me. I was just being overly sensitive and ended up worrying you both.”
Matthew’s expression darkened as he frowned slightly. “You shouldn’t have gone to Prosper Bay on your own today.”
Lindsay froze, startled by his sharp tone. A flicker of hurt crossed her face, but she quickly masked it. “It’s my fault,” she said quietly. “I was so anxious last night that I couldn’t sleep. I thought seeing you might help calm me down, so I acted impulsively. Matthew, I promise I won’t do it again. I’ll stay away from Prosper Bay, and I’ll avoid Stella too. I don’t want to make things harder for you anymore.”
Matthew listened to her, realizing she had completely misunderstood his intentions. He wanted to clarify, but the real reason for his concern wasn’t something he could explain. His silence lingered, and to Lindsay, it felt like a quiet confirmation of her words.
Her chest tightened as irritation bubbled up inside her. She recalled seeing Matthew and Stella in an intimate embrace that morning. The image gnawed at her, fueling a jealousy she couldn’t suppress.
Gathering her courage, she asked tentatively, her voice tinged with vulnerability, “Matthew. have you regained your memory?”
Matthew replied calmly, “No.”
Lindsay secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She wanted to ask about the events of last nmight-why Stella and Matthew seemed so close. The image of their embrace lingered in her mind, a thorn that pricked at her heart with every thought.
But she knew Matthew wouldn’t provide the answers she sought. Worse, he might even resent her for prying. So, she swallowed her questions, burying them deep.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Fernando stepped in respectfully and said, “Mr. Clark, Dr. Watts has arrived and is waiting in the consultation room.”