The man’s face, sharp and angular, bore a gentle smile as he held her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He wrapped his arm around her waist and spoke softly, “I can’t bear to be without you by my side.”
Caught off guard by his confession, Veronica Murphy smiled knowingly and looked up at him. “Really?”
Matthew Kings leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I ‘truly miss’ you right now. What should I do?”
Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. Since Veronica Murphy joined the cast, this had been the longest period of time they had spent apart. Naturally, Matthew Kings missed her every day.
“Christmas is approaching, and we’ll be on vacation. Let’s visit the kids afterwards. It’s been so long since we last saw them, and I miss them dearly,” Veronica Murphy said as she reached up to fix his collar.
Although she would video call her parents and see the kids after work, video calls alone couldn’t alleviate the longing in her heart.
“Whatever you say.”
Matthew Kings raised his hand and brushed her hair off her shoulder. He leaned in and sniffed near her nose, his gaze filled with tenderness as he looked at Veronica Murphy.
Suddenly, his phone rang from his pocket. He released her dark hair and took out his phone to answer the call. “What’s the matter?”
Veronica Murphy couldn’t hear the conversation on the other end of the phone, but she could tell from Matthew Kings’ furrowed brow that something significant had occurred.
“Alright, you handle it first. I’ll come over as soon as possible.”
Matthew Kings ended the call. Before he could say anything, Veronica Murphy anxiously asked, “What happened?”
Matthew Kings tightly gripped his phone, but his serious expression softened when he met Veronica Murphy’s gaze. He forced a smile and said, “There’s a minor issue at the company, and I need to go back.”
Naturally, Veronica Murphy didn’t believe his words. “Really?” Veronica Murphy held his hand and said, “Don’t lie to me.”
Matthew Kings returned his phone to his coat pocket and gently tapped her nose with his finger, sounding indulgent. “You’re my wife. How could I lie to you?”
Seeing that he didn’t want to elaborate, Veronica Murphy stopped questioning. Since she met Matthew Kings, he had always been the type to share good news but keep the bad to himself. Veronica Murphy understood.
Hand in hand, they turned and headed back to the patient ward. Standing in the lobby, they watched as the people in front pressed the “up” button and waited outside the elevator.
Observing the two elevators descending from the 20th floor, Veronica Murphy lowered her head and interlocked her fingers with Matthew Kings’, absentmindedly rubbing her thumb against his fingers, lost in her own thoughts.
After waiting for a while, there was a ding sound, and the elevator in front of them opened. People gradually exited the elevator, and Veronica Murphy and Matthew Kings stood on the left, making way for the departing passengers.
Once everyone had exited, Matthew Kings took her hand and said, “Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Veronica Murphy nodded in agreement.
At that moment, the adjacent elevator opened, and Veronica Murphy instinctively looked over upon hearing the sound. However, before she could clearly see the person inside, she was pushed into the elevator from behind.
“Hey…”
Veronica Murphy tried to get out, but there were many people blocking her way, and she couldn’t reach Ben. Matthew Kings noticed something was amiss and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I think I just saw Shirley Wilson.” Veronica Murphy wasn’t sure if she had mistaken the person because the individual was wearing a mask and a hat, only revealing a pair of eyes.
The two exchanged a glance, and Matthew Kings understood Veronica Murphy’s anxiety. He suggested, “Let’s go down and take a look after we reach the third floor.”
“Okay.”
Veronica Murphy agreed.
Ding-
They arrived at the third floor, and the elevator stopped. Veronica Murphy politely said, “Excuse me, please let us through. Thank you.”
She and Matthew Kings squeezed out of the crowd and quickly descended the stairs.
