True Love Waits novel Chapter 1381

Teaming up with Paige in the company offices, the party tonight on the cruise ship, the evening dress and expensive jewelry... Matthew had arranged every bit of that. Not her fits of pique, of course, but everything else, surely.

He couldn't help but shake his head. 'How naive she is! If Paige hadn't gone through me first, would she have even dared to lay a finger on such an expensive jewelry set? Of course not. She knew on which side her bread was buttered.'

Matthew had made a bet inwardly. It was a private bet, and no one else was in on it. The only payout would be how right he was about how things played out.

He laid odds Erica would head to the office looking for him, particularly if she found he wasn't home. He figured she would come to him first even though she knew the four boys were at the Huo family manor.

The CEO knew how jealous she got, so he had Paige imply that he would be at the party with another woman. That was all the impetus Erica needed to show up at the party. Not only would she attend, but she would make sure everyone there knew that he was hers and hers alone.

It turned out he was right. She did show up. And she did humiliate these other women.

But she had made one error in judgement. She hadn't noticed that Sheffield and Evelyn weren't there. Why would they skip a party like that? And why would Matthew go to a party that a playboy like Sheffield didn't care about?

The only reason so many business bigwigs were there was so they could schmooze with Matthew. Many of them had never met the man before, and they figured it was just good business to go.

Erica had no clue this was all arranged. She figured she was doing what came naturally, and was unaware of Matthew's machinations. 'My wife is still so adorable.'

Thinking of this, Matthew smiled.

Seeing his smile, Erica was shocked and snapped, "You're even smiling about it! So is it true?"

"No."

"Huh?"

"I'm not smiling, and you don't know the half of it!"

Erica pinched his face heavily until it was deformed. "You are smiling, but you won't admit it!"

Looking at the woman in front of him, Matthew didn't say anything. 'I love how power and money haven't changed her! She's the same old Erica.'

Erica thought he was unhappy, so she loosened her grip on his face and stammered, "Well, it's fine if you don't want to tell me. But I have something to tell you." Speaking of this, she suddenly became very downcast. "I found it's hard for me to become a woman worthy of your love. I was gone for more than three years, and I missed you every day. I love you more than I did three years ago. I learned who I was, and what I wanted. Other than that, nothing much has changed. So don't hate me, okay?"

This time she really just wanted to settle down. That was why she came back. She wanted to just live with him and love him with all her heart.

She had been looking at him the whole time, expectation and cautiousness in her eyes.

The wary look on her face made Matthew's heart ache. He felt sorry for her.

Why did she feel she had to walk on eggshells around him?

Everyone has his or her own emotions. He hoped that she could laugh loudly when she was happy, lose her temper when she was unhappy, and cry when she was sad. She shouldn't have to feel like she couldn't express herself around him.

It was very quiet in the bedroom. No one spoke in what seemed like forever. Erica stretched out her arms and wrapped them around the man's neck. "Matthew, you know what? Life without you is like having no pepper or vinegar in hot and sour rice noodles..."

The man was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. What kind of simile was that?

"I changed my name to Erma Huo while I was away from home. Erma is a portmanteau of Erica and Matthew, and I used your surname. That's how much I love you!"

This time, Matthew finally reacted. "So you do love me?"

The woman's face suddenly turned red. She was so anxious to express herself just now that she just started blurting things out. Now that Matthew suddenly asked the question, she suddenly became shy and faltered into his arms. "You're my husband. Of course I love you. I love you, and our sons..."

Matthew grabbed her hands with one hand and forced her to look at him with the other. "Do you love me, Erica?"