Chapter 145 Mouse Facing a Cat
Damn it, even here at the bar, I still have to run into the one face I never want to see again in my life.
Right now, Tilda didn’t want to see anyone from the Jensons—especially Dominic. Just knowing they were breathing the same air made her stomach churn. She felt like she was about to throw up.
Without hesitation, Tilda got up, ready to leave Nightingale Bar. Tonight, she wanted nothing to do with them, at least not today.
Dominic and Jody were standing right at the top of the stairs on the second floor. If Tilda wanted to get out, she had to walk past them. Step by step, Tilda moved toward Dominic and Jody. She carried the faint scent of alcohol, and it was clear she’d had more than a few drinks, but she wasn’t totally wasted; her steps were steady.
At that moment, Dominic felt frozen in place, holding his breath without even realizing it. He watched his little sister—the same girl who’d once been his guiding light on the dark web, his Queen—walk right up to him. Dominic had no idea what kind of face to make. It was like all the strength had drained out of him, his mind wiped blank. He just stood there… watching Tilda come closer.
Finally, Tilda parted her lips. Her voice was icy cold, like a giant invisible hand yanking Dominic’s soul back to reality.
“Get out of the way! Move, you disgusting dog!”
Her tone was thick with disgust, like she wished he would disappear from the world, or maybe just drop dead.
The moment Tilda spoke, Dominic felt his heart—stitched together after so many wounds—get ripped open all over again. The pain was so sharp it felt like his brain would split.
Because… Tilda wasn’t some enemy Dominic wanted gone. She was his faith, his light, his mentor—his own sister! To be hated by someone so important, it felt like there would never be any connection between them again. All that was left was deep, unforgettable hatred.
Realizing that, Dominic turned pale as a ghost, barely able to stand. The person who once lit up Dominic’s dark world and brought him happiness had now turned away for good, leaving his world frozen and cold all over again.
Jody frowned slightly, not noticing Dominic’s strange reaction. He spoke in a chilly voice.
“Ms. Tilda, there’s plenty of room here. You can walk right past us—we’re not blocking you. Why do you have to be so harsh the second you open your mouth? We haven’t done anything to you!”
No matter what drama there was between Tilda and Dominic, Jody was annoyed at Tilda’s foul language and intense attitude. Why should he put up with it? He wasn’t without pride. Even though he felt a little sorry for Tilda, he was still on Dominic’s side. Dominic was his lifelong friend, and he couldn’t stand to see Tilda treat him like this.
“Haven’t done anything to me, huh?”
Tilda shot Dominic a mocking look. Dominic felt her gaze like a needle stabbing deep, painful and impossible to ignore. He instinctively stepped aside. Jody glanced at Dominic in surprise. What was going on? Dominic looked at Tilda like a mouse facing a cat—no fight left in him at all. Was this really the same Dominic Jody knew? So afraid of Tilda now?
Tilda didn’t say another word. Her face blank, she walked down the stairs.
Only after Tilda was gone did Dominic feel like he could breathe again. He gulped down fresh air, desperate for it.
“Dominic, what’s going on with you? What happened between you and your sister? Why… why are you acting like this?”
This trembling, cowardly, terrified Dominic wasn’t the proud, cold leader Jody remembered—the one who kept everything controlled and carried himself like royalty.
“I… Jody, stay here. I have to go!”
With that, Dominic gritted his teeth and hurried after Tilda. Jody was right. Why had Dominic changed so much? Dominic knew the answer better than anyone.
He had to find Tilda and get answers. Otherwise, this sadness, pain, despair, and guilt would drown him forever. He’d never be able to go back to who he was. The rest of his life would be swallowed by waves of misery.
“Hey! Dominic!”
Jody knew something was seriously wrong. Seeing Dominic chase after Tilda, Jody ran after him too, worried about his friend.
Tilda didn’t go to the bar’s basement parking lot for her car. Instead, she walked straight into the drizzle, down the tree-lined path by the river. No umbrella. Her head tilted back, watching the moon peek through the clouds.