Chapter 195 Her Confidence
“Kyla, don’t worry. That damn Tilda must’ve used some cheap tricks to charm Professor Linscott and steal your spot. I won’t let her get away with it. That slot was rightfully yours!” Preston’s voice hardened. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she seduced him. How else would the professor hand over your spot so decisively?"
“Luckily, the Bells are sponsoring this event too. I’ve got an invitation and a say in the judging. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Tilda pays.”
He had brought Kyla here for one purpose–to make her sit in the front row and watch Tilda crash and burn, and also, to avenge his sister Rebecca. He wanted Tilda to finally realize she had picked the wrong person to mess with.
“Preston, don’t be like this. Tilda already hates me enough. This is all my fault. If it weren’t for me being in the family, with Dad and the others favoring me… after all, Tilda was missing for so many years and finally came back, of course, she’d feel jealous. Things shouldn’t have turned out like this. I should’ve died back then and never been brought back to the family, or none of this would’ve happened. Tilda wouldn’t have degraded herself so badly–even giving up her innocence just to embarrass me…”
The self-blame, the tears, and the delicate act melted Preston’s heart on the spot. His chest tightened painfully just hearing her cry.
“Kyla, stop. Don’t cry out here where people can see.” He pulled her into his arms, his voice gentle but filled with fire. “You’re so kind and innocent–I won’t allow that vile woman to bully you. I’ll make things right for you, no matter what.”
Behind his soft tone, his eyes burned with rage. If Tilda were standing in front of him right now, Preston swore he would burn her to ashes. No one could make the woman he loved cry and get away with it.
Meanwhile, Tilda had no clue about the little performance Preston and Kyla were putting on outside. If she did, she might have regretted missing such a good show. Inside, she sat with Professor Linscott and Alfie, who leaned over with a grin.
“Tilda, want to hear something interesting? It’s about Jude.”
She shot him a look. “Can you not sound so weird when you talk?”
“Fine, fine,” Alfie smirked. “So, this competition isn’t just sponsored by my family. The Bells threw in money too. Normally, for something on a college level, a family like that would just send some random rep to show face. But today…” He paused for effect. “It’s Preston, fresh back from Sirango. He had asked for a spot way back then. Isn’t this strange?”
He tapped his chin. “And if I’m not mistaken, Preston’s mother is Daphne, right? Didn’t you clash with her before at Sky Dining? She’s close with your family too. No way this isn’t targeted at you.”
Alfie studied Tilda’s reaction carefully. He wanted to see how Tilda would react after hearing this news. After all, she was the woman Jude had his eyes on. He was curious just how much brilliance Tilda was hiding, to make a man of Jude’s stature hold her in the palm of his hand, afraid she might slip away. News like this–surely Tilda must have known about it in advance.
But instead of bristling, Tilda only gave a dismissive snort. “Oh, so Preston came back just to deal with me? How boring. Wasting his time like this. Honestly, aside from Jude, the Bells are already circling the drain. Nothing to worry about.”
Her tone was so casual, like she was not talking about one of the most powerful families in the country whose name alone could shake the business world.
Alfie blinked, then broke into a grin. Maybe he finally understood what Jude saw in her. Her confidence was not because of Jude’s backing–it was her own. It came from the strength she had earned herself, a self-assurance so deep she could laugh at a family like the Bells. After all, she was the one who could make Andy, the most sought-after lawyer in the country, drop everything and fly in just because she asked. Clearly, Tilda had layers no one had even begun to uncover.
What Alfie did not know was what she had already done to the Bells’ second branch. She slapped Daphne so many times that her face swelled up like a pig’s head. With just a few sharp words, she forced Daphne into silence, too scared to fight back. She even made Rebecca kneel, bark like a dog, and lick shoes on video.