Chapter 120

The cameras clicked and the crowd’s chatter slowly faded, until all that was left was the sound of Matthew’s footsteps in the hallway. He knocked on the apartment door, his voice tight and anxious. “Reese, it’s me. Are you okay?”
“Reese?”
No answer. Matthew’s stomach dropped. He called building management, got the spare key, and unlocked the door.
The apartment was silent. He frowned, listening. There was a faint rustle from the bedroom.
He turned in that direction. The bedroom door was cracked open, and Reese stood inside, looking out at him.
Matthew gently closed the front door behind him and walked over, trying not to startle her. “Reese, it’s alright now. Can you open the door? I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
Reese trembled and took a step back. Matthew pushed the door open and froze. Her eyes were red, and she held a blood-stained fruit knife in her left hand. On her right wrist, a fresh cut oozed blood, dripping from her fingertips.
Matthew’s heart squeezed painfully as he rushed forward without thinking. He grabbed the knife from her hand and pressed his palm firmly over her wound. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on ⓝovelFind.net
“Reese, why would you do this? Nothing is worth hurting yourself over.
“If you die like this, you only hurt the people who care about you and make the ones who hate you happy. Is that what you want?”
He rummaged through the nightstand for the first aid kit and cleaned her wound. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep and didn’t need stitches. He stuck on a large bandage, wrapped her wrist in gauze, and only relaxed when the bleeding stopped.
“I don’t have anyone left. No one would care if I was gone,” Reese whispered.
Matthew’s hands paused. He said quietly, “That’s not true. What about Annie? She adores you. Could you really break her heart?
“And what about the Blade project? If you weren’t here, what would happen to the team? They need you.”
A bit of life returned to Reese’s eyes. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’m just glad you’re still here,” Matthew said softly.
He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “There are reporters outside. Let’s get you back to the office first.”
“Okay.”
Reese’s legs wobbled and she almost fell, but Matthew caught her just in time.
He glanced at the bottle of antidepressants on the nightstand, worry etched across his face.
As he opened the apartment door, reporters rushed over. Cameras flashed, microphones jabbed toward Reese.
Matthew stepped in front of her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to shield her.
“Move aside,” he said sharply.
An influencer pushed in closer, phone out. “Ms. Meyer, did you really leak the info? Is what Mr. Wiles said true?”
Reese shrank away from the mic.
Matthew didn’t slow down. He pushed the woman back, and her phone hit the floor.
She glared at him, but he met her gaze with a cold, steely look. “If you want your phone fixed, bring the receipt to Blackoak. But if you harass her again, I’ll find out how you got this address.”
His icy stare made the crowd pull back, opening a path.
Matthew kept Reese close, his hand outstretched to keep her safe, careful not to overwhelm her.
“Just stay with me. Ignore them.”
They rode the elevator down to the
parking garage, where Alan was waiting by the car. Once inside Alan
noticed Reese’s pale face and
turned up the heat.
“You’re safe now. Try to hang in there. This will pass,” Alan said gently.
Matthew gave Reese’s back a reassuring pat and handed her a bottle of water.
She looked at him, and for the first time, a bit of warmth crept into her chest. Maybe, she thought, she didn’t mind having him close.
The car pulled up to BlackOak Center. Alan got out first to clear the way, while Matthew helped Reese out and guided her inside.
As soon as they entered the lobby, they spotted Sebastian and Leslie near the front desk. Leslie, dressed to perfection, was chatting with Sebastian, her arm linked through his