Chapter 522


    Heather pondered on her qualities. While she liked to consider herself as well-aplished and an


    example of the perfect woman, she shuddered at the thought of being romantically pursued by


    someone whom she knew actively hated her. She briefly wondered if Matthias had suffered head


    damage from the ident, because it was the only logical exnation behind his feelings for her.


    “I like the challenge of turning the impossible into reality,” Matthias said defiantly even after his pleading


    was to no avail. He knew that Heather wanted more than just a lover—she wanted someone who could


    thrive in the same league as her own.


    “Stop grinning like that. It’s freaking me out.” She eyed him warily, recoiling at the wicked smile that


    yed on his lips.


    If that grin on his face was anything to go by, he looked like he was more than eager to take up the


    challenge of romantically pursuing her. She bristled and began to question what it was about her that


    spurred him on. Then, as her mind raced to figure out his, a sudden thought seized her.


    “Do you actually like me or do you like the idea of conquering me?” She stared at him, willing him to


    answer.


    “The former,” he replied with firm assurance.


    “Men are all liars,” she said pointedly as she shot him a displeased look. She thought about asking


    Myra for her opinion on this. It would do her no good to dwell on suchplex matters without another


    woman’s insight.


    In the end, Heather announced imperiously, “Drive me home now. I don’t want this date to go on, so


    let’s just call it a day.” Truthfully, she was worried that one thing might lead to another if they were to


    carry on with this date. What if he gets some weird idea and wants to take things to the next level?


    She shuddered, then tossed aside the strange and unwarranted thought as soon as it popped up in her


    mind. Stop thinking about how it would feel if he kisses you, she chided herself, repressing the urge to


    retch.


    “I hate to break it to you, but this road is strictly one-way so I can’t turn the car around,” Matthias


    pointed out in resignation. To a certain extent, he had aplished his mission for the day, having


    made his feelings known to her. No, you didn’t, the voice in his head countered sadistically.


    “Did you really drop by the Langston Residence today so you could talk about the business


    partnership?” Heather asked. In retrospect, the reason for his visit earlier today had been rather


    suspicious and she wanted to talk to Robert about it, having noticed his odd behavior during Matthias’


    visit.


    “Of course. Believe me, I was equally surprised when Old Master Langston called me up this morning.”


    In all honesty, Matthias couldn’t quite grasp the situation just yet. All he knew was that the old master


    had had a change of heart and called him up that morning with the prospect of a partnership.


    She scoffed upon hearing his answer. “I thought perhaps you might have made some shady backdoor


    deal with him.” By that, she meant that she had been inclined to believe that Robert sold her off to


    Matthias but as it turned out, she was reading too much into the situation.


    “Seems a bit inappropriate to talk about your grandfather that way, don’t you think?” Matthias berated


    gently, though he secretly envied the bond she shared with Robert.


    “It’s none of your business how I describe my grandfather. Can you please drop me home now? I don’t


    want to see you for a moment longer than necessary,” she snapped irritably and without thought. Then,


    upon recollecting herself, she peered at him worriedly from the corner of her eye and saw that his


    expression had darkened considerably.


    However, he sounded cid as he replied, “Fine, I shall drive you home this instant. Wouldn’t want you


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    to have to see this repulsive face of mine for the rest of the day.”


    Heather’s heart twisted with guilt as she lowered her head. It was as if all the sophistication


    disappeared from her lexicon whenever she was in his presence. She felt bad for saying such hurtful


    things to him and she knew she sounded like a spoiled and unreasonable aristocratic brat.


    Regardless of how wounded he might be, Matthias was still a man of his word. He stepped on the


    elerator as they cruised down the road and when she saw the speed at which he was driving, she


    began to worry that they might run into trouble with the traffic police.


    After a while, she noticed that he was still angry and the car was gaining speed under his maneuver.


    Matthias’ sullenness tranted into reckless driving, and there were even a few times when they were


    inches away from bumping into the other cars on the road.


    “Slow down, Matthias. Getting into an ident is not part of my to-do list,” she snapped, once again


    hurting him with her sharp choice of words.


    “I highly doubt being a safe road-user is on your to-do list either, seeing as you’ve crashed your car into


    mine twice before this,” he retorted sarcastically, unable to help his sour mood. She’s being brash with


    me because she thinks I like her too much to put her in her ce.


    Frustrated by his sudden change in temperament, Heather sputtered, “Are you serious? This is no time


    for you to be sassy, Matthias!” What did I do to him this time?


    This only seemed to spur him on. He stepped on the elerator and the sports car revved as it sped


    down the road. Fear shed in Heather’s eyes as she felt inertia pushing her into her seat. The vehicle


    mighte with state-of-the-art safety features, but that doesn’t mean he can be so reckless with our


    lives!


    “Unless I’ve misunderstood your instructions, I’m just doing what you told me to,” he countered, not


    backing down. One could hardly reason with him when he was being stubborn like this, and this


    probably had something to do with Heather injuring his pride.


    Heather grew terrified when she saw how maniacal he was and she quickly surrendered. “Okay, okay


    —I’m the one who’s in the wrong, not you. I’m sorry. Can you please slow down before we crash?”


    It wasn’t until he had calmed down that she retracted her piteous gaze. She had to admit that he easily


    outdid her when it came to being ruthless.


    She got down from the car when it finally rolled to a steady stop outside the Langston Residence.


    Then, she turned to address him somberly, “You have obsessive tendencies and I’m far too stubborn—


    the both of us would only anger each other. I suggest you think about it before you delude yourself into


    believing we could ever work out.”


    There was a certain truth to her words that even Matthias could not deny. He did have strong obsessive


    tendencies that bordered on a personality disorder, but he had always brushed those off as part of his


    character. He remembered Evan urging him to see a therapist but he had unfortunately paid no heed to


    that suggestion, either.


    At the rate at which Matthias was going, it would only be a matter of time before he bit off more than he


    could chew. However, he did not think of the consequences that mighte and was instead focused


    on getting Heather to reciprocate his feelings. He wanted her to look back at him and give him the


    assurance he craved.


    The regret leftover from his pursuit of Myra seemed to weigh on his feelings for Heather. Seeing as he


    had missed his chance with the former, he was adamant to make things work with thetter.


    It was no easy feat for him to fall in love with someone and when he did, he would not so much as


    spare other women a second look.


    Sometimes, Matthias wondered if his feelings of affection came from the constant interaction between


    himself and the woman he loved, be it Heather or Myra. However, as he dwelled on the likelihood of


    this theory, Lara’s presence disproved it.


    Given that she was his assistant in the workce, his interaction with her was on a daily basis, yet he


    had never seemed to develop any romantic feelings for her. On the contrary, he saw her as nothing


    more than a loyal subordinate or an endearing younger sibling.


    He thought about how these years had gone by. Affection and sentiments were empirical in their


    existence and there was little use in trying to rationalize them. He could say that Myra was the source


    of his determination up to this day, but it was much more urate to admit that Heather was the


    reason for his present glory.


    Heather had asked him why he had note to Bradfort City much earlier and instead chose to move


    over with the rest of the Locke Group. Had he not anticipated for Myra to fall in love with someone


    else? Why would he gamble on that prospect and decide to only move into the city after he had


    reached the peak of his sess?


    More importantly, he had chosen to relocate to Bradfort City before Heather’s return, and it was clear


    that she was the intended audience for his magnificenteback. Just then, a bold presumption came


    to Matthias’ mind—perhaps Heather was the one he had fallen for from the very beginning and he had


    merely been too scared to admit it.


    Maybe his residual attachment to Myra’s warmth had misled him into thinking he had actual feelings for


    her, but Heather had always been the one who amazed him and try as he might, he could never get her


    out of his mind.


    Matthias spent the days and nights that followed this realization thinking about Heather’s haughty


    expression more than he did Myra’s warm smile.


    It was not too far of a stretch to say that he could pick Heather out of a crowd, and this was the case


    when he had been in Italy all those years ago. He had been on stage then, and one look was all it took


    for him to spot her among the audience. However, he had felt inferior to her back then and dared not


    reveal himself to her, which made him even more resolved to only show up in front of her once he could


    lord his superiority over her.


    “Give me ten more minutes,” he pleaded now, hastily getting down from the car and reaching out to


    grab her hand. When Heather saw how earnest and serious he was about this, she relented.


    “Fine, but we can’t be seen dawdling outside the house.” With that, she began to shove him back into


    the vehicle. “We’ll talk inside the car.”


    That was a close call. If anyone in the house saw us… Heather gazed out the window uneasily.


    Matthias, on the other hand, was watching her from where he sat behind the wheel while his brain tried


    to rpose his words into something coherent.


    “Well, what is it that you wanted to tell me? Come right out with it,” she demanded incredulously as she


    felt the sudden urge to throttle him.


    Is he doing this purpose? Did he n on putting on some mboyant show in front of the Langston


    Residence? She couldn’t think straight right now and her mind was in chaos.


    “My falling for you could very well be love at first sight,” he murmured slowly, not wanting to be too


    forting.


    Upon hearing this, Heather stiffened and for a moment it was as if her brain had imploded—the words


    “love at first sight” echoed in her headspace. She found herself growing exasperated and helpless that


    he would spring something like this on her just as they were about to part ways.


    Her words came out in a flurry as she retorted, “I don’t want to hear your exnation nor anything else


    you have to say.”


    Despite being met with cold rebuff, Matthias continued, wanting to rify all that he was feeling at the


    moment, “I admit that I was infatuated with Myra and her gentlepassion. I liked how her smile


    could light up an entire room.” He paused, seemingly entranced by the memory, then went on to say, “I


    saw her as my saving grace.”


    “Yes, yes; I know, and I was the devil who split the both of you up with my wicked schemes,” she


    interjected impatiently. A chill ran down her spine when she saw his lips curve up in a peculiar smile.


    “No, you were a beautiful angel—the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen.” It was as if Matthias was


    transported back into their younger days and even the smile on his face a wistful one.


    Heather had been about to get down from the car when she heard this. No longer sure if he was telling


    her the truth, she asked in a flustered tone, “I’m sorry, but is your memory warped? I was ‘an angel’ and


    ‘the most gorgeous girl you’ve ever seen’?”


    “I thought it was pathetic of me to have fallen for you back then. Do you remember how you used to


    look at me? You treated me like I was some foul-smelling beggar or an ugly street cat.” There was a


    sour note in Matthias’ voice as he recounted this. If only Heather had shown him somepassion,


    maybe he wouldn’t have felt so unworthy and been terrified of confessing his love for her.


    He sounded like his reasonable self once more as he further borated, “I’ve been thinking about it for


    a while, and I had this epiphany that maybe I was never in love with Myra at all. Maybe I’ve only ever


    loved how warm and kind she was to me. I don’t even know what she’s like as a person nor have I


    seen her dark side—or any other side, for that matter.” If he did not know her well back in those days,


    then it was impossible for him to im he was anything other than clueless about her now.


    Presently, the only person he wanted to know was Heather. In fact, he wanted to get to know her better,


    so that he might touch the deepest part of her soul.


    “And how about me? Do you know me at all? Have you seen all sides of me, especially the darkest


    ones? You don’t have to know someone to fall in love with them,” Heather argued. She still couldn’t


    at first sight.


    He dared not look her in the eye any longer and he tore his gaze away. Seeing this, Heather thought


    that she might have finally cracked his pretense and she waited for the chance to catch him out.


    However, Matthias was intive as he said, “Looks like I was wrong—I’m still not worthy enough to


    confess my love for you and I should have kept my pathetic thoughts to myself.” The light in his eyes


    dimmed at that moment and as it turned out, today was yet another miserable day for him.