Chapter 361 Making It Official
Tilda guessed right away what Una wanted to say. Earlier, Jude had messaged her, and Una happened to see it. But Tilda didn’t feel like she needed to hide anything from Una.
“We’re not exactly together… not officially. We’re still in that early spark stage. I guess there’s a chance we’ll end up together.”
“Tilda, I don’t get it. Can you break it down a little more for me?”
“It’s more than friendship, but not quite a full-on romance. We’re almost there, but not quite.”
Tilda herself felt lost at the moment. After all that’s happened, it would be a lie to say she hadn’t fallen for Jude. She wasn’t the type to lead someone on. She wouldn’t have kissed Jude on Christmas if her feelings weren’t real. But making it official was a big step, and there was a lot to consider. Jude was always certain about being together with her. He never wavered. Tilda felt like she really needed to make up her mind soon. She couldn’t just keep stringing Jude along and become the kind of person she always looked down on.
“I see…”
“Tilda, maybe I’m worrying too much, but the Bells are so complicated. They’re not like regular families. I just hope you really think it through before making any decisions. Once you marry Mr. Bell, there’s no going back.”
Knowing what Jude was like, he’d never let Tilda go easily. Una was worried that being together would end up hurting them both. Nobody wanted to see that.
“Don’t worry, Una. I’ll handle it. And honestly… since when do I need dating advice from a pure, innocent college girl like you? You’ve never even been in love before! You should go find yourself a boyfriend and gain some experience before giving me any tips!”
“Tilda! You’re so mean! You’re bullying me again!”
Just then, someone else walked into the shop.
The man in the lead wore sunglasses and a suit that looked expensive. On his wrist was a Rolex Daytona, worth half a million dollars. The manager spotted him and hurried over. “Boss.”
“I’m here with my cousin for dinner. Get us a table.”
Nathan Bell took off his sunglasses and put them away. He then called out to the man behind him, who was still looking at his phone, “Jarrett, hurry up and get in here.”
“Oh…”
Jarrett finished texting and put his phone away. He was actually sending a message to his parents. Nathan was the son of his eldest uncle, Marcus Bell. As luck would have it, Jarrett’s house had lost power earlier. Even the backup generator was out of fuel. Jarrett was the type who couldn’t survive without the internet. No one else was free today, not even Zach. So he ended up coming out alone, planning to hang out in a café until the power came back. He never expected to run into Nathan. Nathan insisted on bringing Jarrett to his new Cajun boil shop for dinner, and Jarrett had no way to refuse. When it came to Marcus’s side of the family, Jarrett always kept his distance. Marcus was a cunning man, and as his son, Nathan was just as sly. They were the last people Jarrett wanted to mess with.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar face.
“Tilda, what are you doing here?”
He ran over, all smiles. Tilda and Una were happily eating cajun boil. Seeing Jarrett, Tilda was a bit surprised, too. “What are you doing here, Jarrett?”
Jarrett explained, “This is my cousin’s fondue shop. I hadn’t eaten yet, so he brought me over.”
Nathan soon walked over as well.
“Jarrett, is this your friend? Hmm… Miss, have we met before?”
Nathan’s gaze landed right on Tilda. He looked at her like a predator sizing up its prey. That made Tilda’s eyes go cold with annoyance. At the same time, she was running through everything she knew about Nathan in her head.
If I remember correctly, this guy is the eldest son of Jude’s uncle, Marcus.
“Oh, I remember now. You’re the world champion who made headlines all over the internet–Tilda Jenson. You’ve made Cetherlanders proud. I really enjoyed the art you created on the Motrar Girl Forum back when you went by Alias X. I’m actually a fan of yours. It’s an honor to meet you here, Ms. Tilda.”
Nathan extended his hand to Tilda. Tilda didn’t even glance at him. She just replied lightly, “Thanks.” She made no move to shake his hand. Nathan got the cold shoulder, but he didn’t seem bothered. He smiled and said, “Ms. Tilda, you really do have a strong personality. I like that.” He didn’t say those three words out loud, but his eyes made it perfectly clear.
Una picked up on it and leaned in to whisper to Tilda. “This Nathan… he must be one of the Bells, right? It looks like he’s interested in you. I think you’d better steer clear of him.”
Right now, Tilda and Jude were on the verge of becoming a couple. If Nathan started hovering around and stirred up trouble between her and Jude, things could get messy.
“There are plenty of people interested in me. I don’t really care, anyway.”