Chapter 387 Not Surprised

Justin and Kayden stood frozen without a word.

"Is that supposed to surprise us?"

Tilda had beaten Santiago, the genius who lived and breathed games. She had taken the very program he built with years of effort. The blows she delivered never stopped. They even wondered if the blood test had been wrong. She didn’t feel like a part of them anymore, given the extent of her skills.

Her strength no longer looked human. She moved like something born beyond reason. As her brothers, guilt dug into their skin.

The sons of the Jensons were raised as bright stars, yet next to Tilda they looked like broken glass scattered on the ground.

“I stayed out of the family chat. I felt crushed by her, just like Howard once did. When Dominic said she saved him and Mom, I couldn’t breathe. Gratitude and hate both tore at me. Sometimes I wish I had never known she lived. Then I could thank her without this pain.”

Santiago’s voice struck a chord in both Justin and Kayden. They carried the same burden.

The three brothers smoked in silence and let the bitterness burn away with each exhale. The blood bond with Tilda was a shackle. They could not break it. They could not flee from it. They could only face it. And after facing it, nothing remained. They couldn’t do anything about it. The road ahead dimmed.

The light was swallowed whole. The future blurred like fog.

Kyla hid nearby, her jaw locked so hard she thought her teeth might crack. She was watching them. And she heard everything. She had gone into the room planning to win Blair and Dominic’s trust. She wanted to try and tend to their needs.

But… every word circled back to Tilda. Tilda, Tilda, Tilda. That was all they wanted to talk about. Tilda used to be nothing. She was despicable. She wasn’t even worth a single strand of Kyla’s hair. Kyla had been the one who ruled every room. Tilda was nothing but background. Now, less than a year after Tilda cut ties with the family, the balance had turned upside down.

What the hell is going on?

Rage spread through Kyla’s chest. She longed to rip Tilda apart with her bare hands.

A hand landed on her shoulder. Her fury snapped, and fear clawed through her as if her soul leapt free. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She turned to scream, but a hand pressed her mouth.

“It’s me.”

Tobias’ eyes met hers, sharp and blazing, and her heart skipped. His beauty struck like a weapon meant for ruin. Any woman would be sucked into that appearance and lose herself. None could escape him. His glance told her this was no place for talk. He guided her down the hall. They slipped into the women’s restroom, locked the door, and vanished from every camera’s eye.

Of course, they made sure they were not noticed by anyone or anything on the way, either.

Kyla drifted in his presence until she realized she was trapped with him. Her lips trembled. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you forget? I was caught in the Hotel Morloss disaster too. You only cared about your family. You forgot about me." His gaze turned soft, wounded, and his voice sank like a plea that pressed against her skin.

Kyla’s pride rose high. With her name, her body, and her beauty, it made sense that a man like Tobias, a man equal even to Jude, would kneel at her feet.

Yes, Yes. This was how the world should be. This was the life she deserved. Great men should live for her smiles and tears, not gather around Tilda as if she mattered more than her. No. Kyla would not allow these men to ignore her!

A smug glow touched her face, yet frost glimmered deep in Tobias’s eyes. She was too easy to read. The Jensons had spoiled a bomb and handed her their deepest secrets without a care in the world.

They’re nothing but fools.

That such a family grew into a giant in Slosa only proved how weak the rest were. Only Jude stood apart. The others were hollow shells.

Ah well, Kyla made his job easy. Tobias could control her without breaking a sweat. That was excellent. Through her, he would strip the Jensons’ secrets bare and give Malcom his prize in record time.

“I… I didn’t forget about you. You’re mistaken, Mr. Lowell.”

“The fact you’re calling me Mr. Lowell proves you’ve forgotten about me. Just call me Tobias. I told you that, remember?”