Chapter 188 An Unexpected Encounter
Some of the unusual yet highly effective prescriptions Tilda had suggested were ones Rick had never even seen before. She had outshined her mentor. Those so-called geniuses might have been smug, but in front of a true prodigy, they didn’t even stand a chance.
There’s always someone stronger, someone smarter. Before meeting Tilda, Rick had been narrow-minded, proud of his own small achievements, never realizing how limited his world really was. Now that he had met Tilda, Rick finally realized just how wrong he had been. She was only 19, already the top hacker of the dark web, with medical skills that seemed almost impossible for her age, and countless identities hidden up her sleeve. It was hard to even imagine what she would become as she continued to grow.
He couldn’t help but long to meet Tilda’s legendary mysterious mentor–the one capable of producing both Tilda and Dane, two geniuses so extraordinary they defied logic. Truly remarkable.
After some polite chatter, River drove Tilda to the airport. She stepped out of the car with her suitcase.
“This is where we part. Thank you, River.”
River gave her a quick hand gesture. “Queen, if you ever come back to Hetsa to see Professor Kerringan, just say the word. I’ll be here to pick you up anytime.”
After these days together, he had come to respect her deeply. Everything Tilda did was straightforward, never contrived. If a spy could fake sincerity that convincingly, River thought he would honestly have to admire it.
Tilda left without looking back. She dragged her suitcase into the departure hall. She pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to Dane.
“Dane, I’m at the airport now, about to board. You’d better behave and stick to the treatments.”
“Alright. Have a safe journey home,” Dane replied.
Just as Tilda was still warmed by Dane’s message, a disbelieving voice cut through the air.
“Tilda?”
Perfect. She must have picked the wrong day to travel. The day had been fine enough, but of course she had to run into a mad dog again.
Tilda stood, ignoring the speaker entirely, and dragged her suitcase the other way.
“Tilda! I’m talking to you! Why are you ignoring me? And what did you do to Rebecca? She’s losing her mind because of you!”
Seeing her brush him off only made Howard’s anger explode. He charged forward, ready to grab her. But before he could, Tilda suddenly shouted, “Help! Pervert!”
Howard froze, completely stunned. This scene felt strangely familiar. The airport was crowded, bustling with travelers, and security officers were patrolling nearby. The moment Tilda cried out, every head turned in their direction.
The guards rushed over. “What’s going on here?”
Tilda darted behind one of them, her face the picture of fright. “Help! He’s a pervert! He tried to molest me!”
In an instant, every suspicious glare zeroed in on Howard. No one would have guessed that this buff man, who looked so proper, could be a molester. Now it proved that appearances meant nothing.
“Tilda, what nonsense are you spouting?” Howard’s voice cracked with rage. “Officer, I know this woman. She’s setting me up—”
A bystander interrupted. “Officer, I can vouch for her. I saw it. The young lady was just walking ahead, and this man came chasing after her like he was about to pounce. Looked like he was going to eat her alive.”
“Yes, yes, I saw it too. Maybe he really is a creep? Big guy like that–it’s terrifying.”
“I was so worried for this young lady. If this creep had laid a hand on her, how could a fragile young lady like her fight back?”
A group of retirees from a passing tour chimed in one after another, loudly siding with Tilda. Howard nearly exploded with rage. Were these bystanders seriously calling Tilda fragile? This was the same woman who had once kicked a group of thugs flying, and even flattened him with ease. Fragile? If she counted as fragile, then no one on earth could be called strong.
“You… you’re all fooled by her looks! She’s not-”
Before he could finish, Tilda lowered her gaze. A soft, broken sob slipped from her lips, her voice rough and trembling with helplessness.
“Thank you… thank you, everyone. I was so scared. I really was…. Right now, the only person I can count on is the officer. Please, help me….”
Anyone could play the victim when they had to. And with Kyla, a natural-born actress who could’ve won an award for her fake fragility, she, as a lifelong example, gave plenty of material for Tilda to draw from. She’d watched Kyla play the delicate act for years. Even if she hadn’t performed it herself before, she knew the moves. So when Tilda put on the act, she played it flawlessly, down to the last trembling word.
The crowd instantly melted with sympathy. Her frail act only made Howard look more vile, more dangerous, in their eyes.
Howard was speechless. Why did the way she spoke sound exactly like Kyla? The worst part was, Howard knew he wasn’t a pervert. Tilda was flat-out lying. So why did everyone believe her?
And then it hit him. Every time Kyla pulled the same stunt, they had believed her too.