Chapter 35 Their Family Business
Inside, class was still going on. Through the window, Wade scanned the room. He froze when he realized Tilda wasn’t there.
“Oh, hey, Wade. Professor Manning, Wade’s outside!” A younger student spotted him and called out, and the class immediately stirred with noise.
Today, Tilda was hands-down the star of Orica University. Even Shaun wouldn’t stop bragging about her. He’d even posted online that Tilda was his most remarkable student in decades.
And it wasn’t just that she’d broken a record–she had smashed Wade’s. And the best part? The two of them were siblings. No wonder the gossip was blowing up. It was drama on top of drama.
“Quiet down. Self-study for now.” Shaun hushed the room and stepped into the hallway. “Wade, whatever you want, wait until after class.”
Shaun still had full faith in Wade. He was his prized student, after all. Even if Tilda had burst onto the scene out of nowhere, Shaun wasn’t about to turn his back on Wade.
“Professor Manning, where’s Tilda?” Wade’s voice was sharp, urgent.
“You forgot? Anyone who can fix my program doesn’t have to come to class anymore. She’s done. She left.”
“L–left where?” Wade’s head buzzed with questions he needed to ask her.
Why? Why has Tilda hidden such a huge talent? Why has she never once shown it to me?
“Wade, isn’t she your sister? Everyone knows she’s the Jensons’ real daughter, the one who got brought back. Don’t tell me you don’t even have her number.”
The words were stuck in his throat. Because it was true. He didn’t have it. He didn’t even want the number of his sister, who was finally found after 19 years. To be honest, part of him had wished she’d stayed gone, or that she’d never even been born. He felt it would be best if she were lost for good or dead. He wished she would never show up again or be found by the Jensons. He wished she wouldn’t come back to steal Kyla’s spot in the family.
His cold, sharp disgust toward Tilda had always been like a spear. Any warmth in her heart would’ve been stabbed straight through and ripped apart, left bleeding and broken.
“Wade?” Shaun frowned slightly, sensing something off in his expression. But he couldn’t put his finger on it. “Sorry, Professor Manning, I shouldn’t interrupt your class. I–I’ll go look for her.”
Wade knew that if he really found Tilda now, things would get ugly, messy, and humiliating, but he still needed answers. Computer programming had always been his passion, his dream, and his future. From AI to robotics, from rockets to airplanes to microchips, every modern machine depended on code. And Wade had always known he was gifted. But he’d never gotten cocky. He worked like crazy, studied hard, and pushed himself nonstop. Talent alone wasn’t special. Even talented and hardworking people weren’t rare. The world was full of stronger people–his older brothers alone proved that. But here, at Orica University, in this field? Nobody could beat Wade. Nobody.
Until now.
Tilda’s record-breaking 48 minutes had crushed his pride. Tilda solving the program in 48 minutes meant she had pure confidence. She didn’t need luck, like Wade had. Wade had never thought it was possible. Someone had surpassed him in the field that used to be his pride and future. And the person who beat him was Tilda, the same sister he had hated, ignored, and written off as useless.
“I won’t let you go near her!”
The angry voice snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Una. Her eyes were blazing. “If you dare hurt Tilda, I swear you’ll regret it.” The second she saw Wade, she knew trouble was coming. Tilda breaking the record was a direct slap in his face. And knowing the Jensons’ cold attitude toward Tilda, Una was sure Wade had come to make things worse. Even if Tilda acted like she didn’t care, Una knew better. Tilda hated being alone. She hated the cold and hated being abandoned. More than anyone, she wanted warmth, hugs, and love. But after finally being found, all she got was pain that felt worse than death. Her strong front was just a mask. Inside, she’d already been broken long ago–so broken that there was nothing left to break.
Una couldn’t let Wade cut her deeper.
Wade pressed his lips together. He knew Una was Tilda’s closest friend. He didn’t bother to explain. He just turned to leave.
“Stop right there!”
Una lunged after him, but Shaun blocked her. “Una, class is still going on. Go back to your seat. This is their family business. I know you’re close with Tilda, but this isn’t for you to step into.”
“But Professor Manning, Tilda’s already-” Una bit down hard on the words, stopping herself.