Chapter 139 Meeting Her Apprentice
People laughed and shouted happily around the café. Even Tilda felt a spark of excitement. She rested her chin in her hand, eyes shining with anticipation. She was about to meet her apprentice. She had to see if they would recognize each other right away.
Tilda showed up at Cornerstone Café but didn’t text DJ. She wanted to test something. She wanted to see if their connection as master and apprentice was real. She wanted to know if they could find each other immediately in this bustling café.
They’d missed each other in their past lives, but maybe this time things would finally click. Maybe she’d gain a real friend she could talk to.
Just then, the café doorbell chimed. Someone stepped in. Tilda’s eyes shifted toward the entrance. She hoped it was DJ. But no—it wasn’t her apprentice. It was someone she did not want to see. Dominic.
Her good mood cracked the second she saw him. She took several slow breaths and told herself to stay calm. She had sworn she wouldn’t let the Jensons get under her skin this time. Taking slow sips of her coffee, she waited patiently for her apprentice to show up.
Dominic scanned the café as he entered. The moment his eyes landed on Tilda, his expression turned cold. Why the hell is she here?! Damn it! Still, with Queen on the way, he forced himself to stay calm instead of tossing Tilda out. Starting drama now wasn’t worth it.
The baristas at Cornerstone Café knew Dominic well–he was tight with the owner and dropped by all the time. “Mr. Jenson, your usual?” one of them asked.
“Yeah,” he answered flatly.
“Right away,” the barista replied. He soon brought over an orange peel civet coffee with extra care. Dominic took it and chose a seat far from Tilda. The last thing he wanted was to look at her. Still, he had to keep watch on the café. He couldn’t risk missing Queen’s arrival. He’d already checked out everyone in the café. Besides that irritating Tilda, no one gave him the feeling that they were Queen.
As the top hacker on the dark web, Queen knew how to vanish into a crowd. But Dominic trusted his instincts–he’d recognize her presence no matter what. Queen had made her name in the dark, turning into a legend among hackers everywhere. No matter what, she could never erase her presence completely. Even the slightest hint would have been enough for Dominic to spot. Anyone who laid eyes on her would be struck, unable to turn away. At the moment, nobody in the café gave Dominic that vibe.
Dominic sat quietly, sipping his coffee. The trouble at Jenson Group had finally passed, and life was settling down again. The only sore spot was the fallout with DY Group–it still bothered him. Today, Dominic cleared his calendar and took the whole day off. Everything was for meeting Queen, his mentor. She was the most important person in his life.
Minutes passed quickly. Soon, it was 3 p.m. People flowed in and out of the café, but Dominic still did not see anyone that could be Queen. He frowned. Queen was already an hour late. And she hadn’t sent him a single message. That wasn’t like her. She would never leave him hanging. If something came up, she’d tell him.
Maybe she was already here. Did Dominic really miss her? The thought made him tense up–he shot to his feet and began looking around. His eyes moved from one woman to the next. Not a single one had the striking presence Queen was supposed to carry. Instead, plenty of them turned red and squealed quietly as the good-looking, confident guy glanced their way.
No way… There was no way he wouldn’t recognize her. She’d been his mentor for three years. She had guided him through everything.
Then—Dominic’s eyes shifted toward Tilda. She didn’t seem all that cheerful either. Her attention kept drifting to her watch. It was almost like she was expecting somebody. Then Tilda pulled out her phone and started typing. A second later, Dominic’s phone vibrated. That was the unique alert tone from the dark web.