Chapter 35
Matilda deleted the message without hesitation. Her face didn’t change as she walked back to Building 3, took a calm shower, and changed her clothes.
After doing her makeup, she headed to the restaurant for breakfast, acting as if Brandon waiting at the gate didn’t even exist.
Jolene came rushing over like a whirlwind and hugged Matilda’s leg. “Matilda!”
Seeing Jolene full of energy again made Matilda’s heart soften.
“Daddy fixed my camera yesterday. He even backed up the photos of us feeding the swans before, so nothing got lost,” Jolene said with a big smile.
“Oh, really?” Matilda glanced at Allen. “Your daddy is pretty amazing.”
Allen chuckled modestly. “Not as amazing as you-you make chips.”
Matilda smiled back. “You’re a doctor. You save lives.”
Allen said, “And you push the world forward.”
The two kept praising each other, and Jolene covered her mouth, giggling. The mood around the table couldn’t have been
better.
Matilda and Jolene picked a window seat, and Allen went to grab food he knew both of them liked.
Matilda’s gaze fell on the pink camera hanging from Jolene’s neck, and for a moment, she drifted off in thought.
Back when people used film cameras or camcorders, they had to wait hours, even a whole day, before they could see the pictures.
If something went wrong with the equipment, like it did with Jolene yesterday, everything could disappear in an instant.
Matilda started wondering if she could design a chip that not only improved photo quality but also instantly uploaded pictures to the cloud.
“What’s on your mind?” Allen returned with a plate of Domburgh dishes and tacos.
Matilda’s thoughts snapped back, and her eyes lit up when she saw the food. She answered casually, “Just thinking about. work.”
“Why’s there Domburgh food today?” She quickly picked up her fork with excitement.
“A new chef from Domburgh just arrived,” Allen explained with a smile.
“Then I’m in luck.” Matilda started eating happily.
Allen’s lips curved slightly, and he reached out to brush away a strand of hair from her forehead.
Matilda paused mid-bite, and Allen froze too. Their eyes met, and for a second, the world went quiet.
Jolene snickered under her breath, and the spell broke. Both Matilda and Allen went back to acting as if nothing had happened.
After breakfast, Jolene had to head off to school.
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Matilda shook her head quickly. “No need. Brandon is waiting for me at the cast gain,
Allen hesitated but gave a faint smile. “Alright.”
“Bye-bye!” Jolene waved as she left.
The sky was still heavy with gray clouds, as if it could pour again any minute. The air felt suffocating.
Brandon’s black Bentley was parked by the roadside, and he leaned against the door, cigarette in hand.
Maple Heights management had blacklisted him, and no matter what he said, they refused to let him in. He had no choice but to wait outside.
He’d been there since six o’clock. Now it was seven-thirty, and Matilda still hadn’t shown up. His patience was wearing thin.
Back when they were dating, Matilda was doing her PhD, spending her days buried in experiments. He could wait all day for her without batting an eye.
But now, after just an hour and a half, he was already irritated.
He stubbed out his cigarette and dialed Matilda’s number. The call rang once, then got cut off.
Just as he started dialing again, a white Land Rover pulled up in front of him.
The window rolled down, and Allen looked at him with a faint smile. “Mr. Grimes, waiting for Matilda?”
Brandon’s irritation spiked, and his eyes darkened. He wanted to hear what Allen had to say.
“Matilda is enjoying some hometown food. She’s in a good mood. Sorry for keeping you waiting,” Allen said lightly.
Brandon’s temper flared. “I’m waiting for my wife. It doesn’t matter how long I wait. But Dr. Saunders, the way you talk-it’s like you don’t see yourself as an outsider.”
Jolene rolled her window down, curious to see Matilda’s husband.
As soon as her little head popped out, Brandon’s sharp gaze swept over her. Jolene’s shoulders flinched in fear.
His eyes looked fierce to her-just like Lola’s.
Something in Brandon’s chest tightened, making him uncomfortable. He quickly looked away from the little girl.
When his eyes returned to Allen, he noticed Allen’s left hand resting on the window. A watch with a gray dial caught his attention-it looked exactly like the one Matilda had bought at Grandhaven Mall a few days ago.
“Dr. Saunders, that’s quite a watch you’ve got there,” Brandon said coldly.
Allen casually lifted his wrist. “This?”
He looked at the watch with a rare softness, his eyes flashing with satisfaction. “Matilda gave it to me.”
Brandon’s hands clenched into fists, his face turning dark.
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u with himself.
Just uien, Matilda walked over in black heels, dressed in a fitted business suit and skirt that showed off her long legs. Her clear eyes landed on Brandon’s stormy face. Seeing how upset he was actually made her feel a little lighter inside.
Brandon strode up to her and demanded, “You gave him a watch, huh?”
Matilda thought for a second before realizing “him” had to mean Allen.
He had just taken Jolene to school. Coming up from the underground garage, he should’ve used the south gate.
But if he showed up at the main gate, it was on purpose-to rile Brandon up. Allen always seemed to know exactly what would please her.
Matilda curved her lips into a faint smile. “You only noticed the watch I gave him, huh? What about my heart?” Brandon almost choked on his anger. He grabbed her wrist. “Don’t try to provoke me. Do you think I actually care?” “I don’t care whether you care or not. Brandon, you’re not important to me anymore,” Matilda said flatly. Brandon’s chest tightened sharply, the pain hitting almost like it was real.
He refused to believe it. He convinced himself Matilda was just throwing a tantrum, waiting for him to give her a way out like before.
“Where’s the contract? Give it to me-I’ll sign it.” Matilda flipped through the papers one by one. Her face stayed calm, though her lashes trembled slightly as she stared at her own name in the transferor column.
She didn’t
cry, didn’t argue, didn’t ask questions-just silence.
Brandon studied her carefully and finally felt something was off. With her temper, seeing him give Rose Villa—the one he’d once given her-to Shelby, she should’ve exploded in curses.
But remembering how she said he wasn’t important anymore, for the first time, Brandon felt a creeping fear. Maybe this time, Matilda really wouldn’t turn back.
