Chapter 19
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“Brandon, I dreamed someone was bullying you. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t do anything. How can I help you? How can I protect you?” Shelby covered her face with both hands and sobbed.
The thought of Brandon being bullied tore her apart a thousand, ten thousand times worse than it did him.
Facing a woman who cared about him that much, Brandon couldn’t bring himself to blame her.
He felt that if Matilda hadn’t attacked Shelby first, Shelby never would’ve fought back in a way that hurt both sides. She couldn’t just sit there and take the beating without defending herself.
Brandon gently pulled Shelby’s head against his chest. “From now on, I’ll be more careful. I’ll protect you so you don’t get hurt again.”
But his words didn’t match what was in his heart. All he could think about was the look of pure hatred Matilda had given him. A wave of irritation clogged his chest.
*****
At eight that night, Zack called and asked, “Why haven’t there been any updates on Matilda’s social media?”
Brandon answered darkly, “It’s over. Don’t bring it up again.”
Zack was stunned. “Just let it go like that? No wonder you’ve been strung along for six years—you’re too soft.”
Brandon ignored him, still thinking about Matilda. The outfit she’d worn today was high–quality and not cheap. He wondered where she’d gotten the money.
“Did Tessa give her the funds?” Brandon asked.
“No way,” Zack replied without hesitation. “I know every cent Tessa has.”
That didn’t add up. Matilda married Brandon right after college. Everything they owned was bought during the marriage, and she hadn’t taken a thing when she left–not even shoes, clothes, or bags. She didn’t have a job either.
There were only seven or eight famous chip companies in the country, and he had already warned them all- hiring Matilda meant going up against Crossen Technology,
Foreign companies were out too. Six years ago, Matilda hadn’t gone abroad because of his proposal. And now, with Lola in the picture, she was even less likely to go.
If she wanted to return to her field, there was only one option–come back to his side,
By his plan, after six days away from home, Matilda should’ve been down and out.
But instead, she looked strong, dressed well, not the least bit panicked. Brandon couldn’t figure out what had
gone wrong.
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Chapter 19
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He was lost in thought when Zack’s startled voice snapped him back. “Brandon, Matilda just posted. Damn, you need to see this.”
Brandon opened her account. She had uploaded three posts in a row.
The first: [Tell me, what kind of family relationship is this?]–with surveillance footage from Rose Villa attached.
Brandon was shown reading while Shelby lay on his back. Then another clip of him stepping out of the shower, Shelby clinging to his arm as they walked back into the room together.
The second was the raw video of the argument in the study.
The third was a five–minute audio recording.
So that day when Matilda had called the police, it had been to force Shelby to admit she’d maliciously edited the video.
Shelby called in a panic, her voice hoarse. “Brandon, Matilda tricked us both. She’s twisting everything–we’re finished if this gets out.”
Brandon’s cool fingers clenched around the phone. He thought Matilda was still being unrealistic.
*****
On her end, Matilda was glued to her account’s stats.
Brandon moved faster than she’d expected. Within ten minutes, the platform flagged her posts: [Violation of laws, regulations, and behavioral norms. Content involves harmful values and will no longer be promoted.]
She’d known it was coming. Against power, ordinary people were like cars with no gas–no matter how determined they were to move forward, they couldn’t even push past a finger of those in control.
Matilda craved a smoke, but her hotel room was non–smoking. So she went downstairs, sat by the fountain plaza, and bit down on her cigarette like she wanted to tear into someone’s throat.
Then a pair of spotless white sneakers stepped into her line of sight.
Matilda slowly lifted her head, squinting her tired eyes at the newcomer.
Allen sat down beside her. Matilda pulled the cigarette from her lips, turned away as she exhaled, and stubbed
it out.
She preferred smoking alone, in silence. With company, the numbing effect lost its edge. “Dr. Saunders, what are you doing here?”
Allen answered evenly, “Jolene isn’t home, and I don’t have many friends in Itera City. So I figured I’d try my luck finding you.”
His gaze held a quiet warmth. “Seems like my luck isn’t bad.”
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Chapter 19
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Matilda tried to smile politely but couldn’t. “Dr. Saunders, you’d better not come looking for me. Might end up with bad luck instead.”
Her head lowered, her back slightly hunched, eyes wet but still stubbornly holding back.
Allen saw everything. The urge to kill Brandon nearly boiled over. He said gently, “Sometimes, too much good luck turns into bad. I’ll give you half of mine.”
As he said it, he lifted his right hand and set it lightly on her shoulder. Whether to comfort her or really share his luck, it didn’t matter.
His palm was warm. Matilda felt the heat spread from her shoulder through her whole body, like it was reigniting every deadened part of her.
Allen pulled his hand back, his voice mysterious. “You’ll have good luck very soon.”
Matilda was amused by his childish act. She laughed softly, her gaze drifting toward the lights across the city.
Allen watched her. “Have you looked at houses in Maple Heights?”
Matilda shook her head. She knew the money from Mr. S would have to be repaid one day. Not knowing his true intentions, she had already spent enough–she didn’t dare think about Maple Heights.
“The agent is still looking into suitable neighborhoods,” she said.
Allen understood. Since it wasn’t her own money, she would stay cautious. He needed to come up with another way.
After sitting together for about half an hour, Allen said he needed to drive back.
Matilda looked at the dark night sky and worried he’d get lost. His daughter had said that he was hopeless with directions–he couldn’t even follow GPS.
Allen read her mind, his eyes unusually soft. “Don’t worry. I’ve memorized the way to you.”
Matilda’s expression stayed calm, but inside, it felt like something fragile had popped. She ignored the feeling and turned to leave first.
Allen called after her and tossed something.
Matilda caught it with one hand. It was a golden bell.
“Shake it, and good things will happen,” Allen said.
Before bed, Matilda picked up the bell with unexpected reverence. She even whispered a prayer, “Please, bless me. Let all my wishes come true.”
She shook the bell hard several times. With trembling fingers, she opened her app–her trattic had exploded.
9:17 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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