The cost
58

Chapter 58

"Yeah. Got it all on tape," Eliot smiled slightly with a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes. He pondered, 'I see now why Ms. Reed went out of her way to give Ryan white lilies. She knew he had a bad temper and used reverse psychology to reveal his true colors. She planned to use the recorded video as a way to give him a taste of his own medicine.

When Ryan heard the question, he froze for a moment but quickly reacted, cursing. "You bitch. How dare you set me up?"

Mia smirked mockingly and sneered, "You're just realizing it now? How dumb can you

be?

Her cutting words struck him like a punch to the gut. He was so livid that he felt like he might explode. He wanted nothing more than to leap out of the hospital bed and tear her apart.

"You damn bitch! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have Matthew backing you," he shouted hysterically, his eyes full of vicious hatred, his finger pointing at Mia. "I won't let you get away with this..."

"It's not like I'd let you get away with this either," she replied, her tone playful but her voice ice-cold. She curled her lips into a smirk and decisively turned around, leaving a striking silhouette behind as she swayed away.

Mia was in a great mood. Her face lit up with a satisfied smile. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Just as she stepped out the door, she bumped into Matthew.

As soon as she locked eyes with Matthew's intense gaze, she instinctively stepped back. But some inconsiderate person had spilled water on the ground. Her heel slipped when she stepped on the puddle, and she began to fall backward. She grumbled inwardly, 'Nothing good ever happens when I run into him!"

Mia swiftly steadied herself. Having trained in dance and judo for many years, this little mishap was nothing to her. Yet Matthew, ever the busybody, had a flash of concern in his eyes and quickly stretched out his hand, gripping her waist tightly with his warm, large hand. Immediately after, a familiar scent wafted toward him.

Matthew was so strong that he pulled her entire body off balance. Her delicate frame fell uncontrollably into his arms. Fortunately, there was no accidental kiss like in the dramas

Mia, being much shorter than Matthew, bumped her mouth directly against his collarbone. His white shirt under the black suit now bore a suggestive red lipstick mark. Immediately after, his fresh scent of pine and cedar, tinged with traces of their memories, overwhelmed her senses. She thought irritably, 'Why does this guy always show up out of nowhere?' Her teeth ached from the impact. Enduring the pain, she steadied herself and shoved him away.

"Mind your own business," Mia grumbled before finally turning to look at him. With a piercing gaze, she said, "I didn't know you had a habit of stalking people, Mr. Blackwood." His constant appearances left her with no choice but to wonder.

"You're overthinking it," Matthew replied with a stern face and a deep voice. "I came here to...."

Elizabeth, who had been watching from a distance for a long while, finally couldn't hold back when she saw Mia and Matthew's intimate interaction. She fumed inwardly, 'I can't believe Matt would actually stalk Mia! What is so special about that bitch anyway? Is Matt going soft just because she's pregnant? No way. I will not let anyone steal Matt from

me 

After considering for a moment, Elizabeth held back her urge to skin Mia alive and walked over to them slowly. When she got close, she casually and affectionately took Matthew's arm, saying, "Matt came with me for my checkup." "Beth, why are you... His eyes grew cold and sharp. But before he could finish speaking, Elizabeth whined. "I've never been to this area before, Matt... I got lost just now. I just happened to see you chatting with Mia, so I came over." Mia couldn't resist rolling her eyes and said bluntly, "Do we know each other that well! Please, Ms. Blackwood, call me Ms. Reed." She furned inwardly, thinking that no one would want to know such an annoying person anyway. Elizabeth quickly put on her poor, innocent act that only Matthew would fall for. She said, "It was all my fault before,

10.57 AM  Chapter 38

Mia. Please don't be mad anymore...

Mia found it utterly cringeworthy to watch. She pulled a face, making no effort to conceal her disgust. From the moment she divorced Matthew, she no longer had to demean herself to gain Elizabeth and his favor for the sake of love anymore. Mia said, "Ms. Blackwood, let's just pretend we never knew each other. With that one sentence, she completely dismissed the five years of her and Matthew's past. She thought that all the effort of those five years was as good as wasted. Matthew's lips were tightly pressed together as he wished that Elizabeth's apology could rekindle some spark in Mia's deadened heart. Unfortunately, it had no effect.

"Excuse me. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay and chat, Ms. Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood," Mia remarked before leaving with Eliot.

Matthew's mind was in turmoil as he stared at her graceful departing figure. Elizabeth saw it clearly from the side and couldn't resist calling out to him, "Matt..." She was shocked that he would show such an expression. He snapped out of his thoughts and gently patted her shoulder, saying, "Let's go for the checkup first."

An hour later, the head of Kensington Hospital's inpatient department personally welcomed the CEO of the Blackwood Group, Matthew. Facing such a resolute and assertive businessman, the director remained composed. "Mr. Blackwood, based on the current examination reports, Ms. Blackwood's condition has stabilized."