Standing Before Love (Myra and Sean) novel Chapter 436

The thunderstorm had been raging for the better part of the night. Heather tossed and turned in bed, the premonition that something bad would happen creeping beneath her ribcage like an itch that would not go away. She bolted upright in bed as the thunder rumbled overhead and in the violent flicker of lightnight, she remembered a specific moment of her childhood in which she had braced the horrors of a storm alone.

She got down from bed and pulled on her robe before shuffling over to the window. Upon drawing back a fraction of the curtain, she saw that the scene she once thought was terrifying no longer scared her, but her heart clenched with her old, inexplicable fear of thunderstorms.

Heather wondered how the weather would look and whether all would go well tomorrow. Gazing out the window absentmindedly, she suddenly felt fatigue wash over her as she thought about how things had turned sour within the short span of time since her return home.

A hard look passed over her face. She didn’t know if fate was challenging or toying with her, but she couldn’t recall the last time she had tasted defeat. It was ironic how everyone else around her thought she had it easy.

Alas, who was fortunate enough to say that life was a cabaret? In the past, she had chosen to take the easy way out as long as she had the results she wanted. After all, why should she endure the veritable hardship in order to achieve anything?

It had been a while since she evaluated herself. The phobia that had cast its roots deep within her was her dirty secret that threatened to consume her.

She had been careful to keep it under wraps, terrified that someone else could find out—not even Myra knew, although there was a time when she had asked about it. Heather had been far too proud to show so much as a crack in her perfect facade, so she never told the other girl about the secret that was eating away at her.

There were many memories that Heather hated to recall. No one knew about the bullet holes she bore in her past or how imperfect she truly was. As she burrowed back into bed, she mused at how frequently she had been revisiting her past. Nostalgia marks the aging of the soul.

Indeed, she was no longer the young woman she used to be. Now, she barreled toward one of her many first crises in adult life and along with it came melancholia. Her old self would have been occupied with a schedule that was planned down to the last minute, but things were different now. She was beginning to understand the importance of keeping oneself busy—it was the only way to suppress all unnecessary thoughts.

The next morning, she hurried to Safford House after breakfast and was pleasantly surprised to find Matthias standing outside the entrance. Time management was something that she deemed important and it was clear to see that he had abided by this notion.

Matthias, on the other hand, had been waiting for her by the front door and upon seeing her, he quickly paced over to greet her. It was only then that she began to second-guess her decision to bring him along to this meeting without first giving a heads-up to the Saffords. She wondered whether they would think poorly of his sudden appearance.

“Shall we go in?” he asked as he gestured toward the humble-looking villa. He had seen the look of hesitation that flickered over her features.

“Remember—to them, you are my business partner,” Heather said sternly. She wasn’t sure how things would turn out if he truly were to assume such an identity.

“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll be invested in my role,” Matthias replied assuringly.

However, unbeknownst to her, he had already prepared for the visit beforehand. Josiah was someone whom Matthias knew extremely well, even more so than Heather. Coincidentally, Josiah had owed the Locke Family a favor and he would have to return it today.

At the thought of this arrangement, Matthias grinned wickedly. Josiah had agreed to collude with him after their phone conversation earlier that morning, although something like this would naturally be kept secret from her.

He would have to put up an act alongside Josiah during the meeting later. There was nothing he would not do and no effort that he would not put in, just to get what he wanted.

Being fresh out of campus, Heather was not as well-versed in such tactics as Matthias was. She was completely oblivious to what he had done behind her back while he had taken every precaution against her and did everything he could to make sure things would work out in his favor.

The both of them then stepped forward and Matthias was the first to ring the doorbell, which was chivalrous of him. He was dressed in a meticulous white suit today, looking like the perfect picture of kindness.

He could easily deceive anyone with that pretty face of his for as long as his wicked smile was kept at bay. Heather was used to seeing his devious, roguish side and now she was taken aback by how innocent he looked.

If she had to draw comparisons, his features were just as handsome as Tony’s, although he carried himself differently from the latter. While the majority preferred Tony’s masculinity, Matthias’ delicate, boyish charm would undoubtedly become irresistible to girls who liked a challenge.

After all, he had a strong chin and a delicately chiseled face that made him look as though he had stepped out from a painting. The longer one took in his features, the better they looked. While she had never appraised him too closely, she couldn’t help but sneak a couple more glances now that they were standing side by side.

When he turned to look at her, he flashed a smile that reminded her of warm sunshine, making it hard for her to break her gaze. He had always seemed so menacing and devious, but now he looked every bit the golden boy and she swore she could feel the warmth radiating from him.

The door then creaked open to reveal Paige standing on the other side of the threshold. Heather was mildly surprised to see her, but she shrugged it off when she realized that it was the weekend. Matthias, on the other hand, maintained a courteous smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Paige was surprised to see the both of them standing on the doorstep. She had only just read about their alleged scandal in the paper yesterday, and now they were right before her.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Heather said politely.

“That’s alright. Come on in,” Paige replied enthusiastically and beckoned her in. She did not dare to look at Matthias. He was much more handsome in person than she had imagined.