Chapter 442: Jude’s Weakness
Alfie’s eyes flickered as he glanced toward Tilda, standing not far away.
“You know Tilda too? Wait–she didn’t come here because of you, did she?”
“She’s Jude’s girl.”
Stephen froze, his breath quickening.
For a moment, it was as if he’d discovered something unbelievable. He turned his head around and sneaked several more looks at Tilda.
As a seasoned businessman, Stephen had seen countless storms, so it didn’t take long for him to calm down.
“Never thought Jude would actually fall for someone… No wonder. I always felt Tilda is special.” He let out a low whistle. “Right now, the Jensons no longer deserve her.”
The Jensons carried weight in Slosa; that was true. But compared to the Bells, they were still small-time.
The Bells were untouchable, the kind of people even the Woodwards wouldn’t dare to cross.
“Right?”
Alfie smirked as he secretly snapped a few pictures of Tilda on his phone.
He sent them straight to Jude.
Stephen gave him a questioning look. Alfie shrugged. “I want to discuss a deal with Jude. Sending him some pretty shots of Tilda first makes it easier to get things moving.”
Stephen nearly fainted. “Kiddo, if Tilda finds out, she’ll knock you flat! That girl has a fiery temper.”
He sighed, rubbing his forehead, not knowing what else to say.
Alfie just grinned. “Uncle Stephen, this is called knowing your audience. Jude always gets everything handed to him. The only weak spot he has is Tilda. See? He already replied.”
Alfie flashed Jude’s message at Stephen and walked away with a smile.
Stephen just stood there speechless.
Sigh! Young people these days. I couldn’t keep up anymore.
By then, Alfie had already struck a deal with Jude.
He texted, “Thanks, Jude. I’ll sneak a few more great shots of Tilda for you. Kiss emoji.”
Jude fired back. “Do that again and I’ll cancel the deal–and come after you! Mad emoji. Tilda is my girl. How dare you secretly take her pictures? Are you asking for trouble?”
Alfie teased. “But Jude, don’t you think there are sides of Tilda you’ve never seen? Smiling cutely emoji.”
Jude fell silent.
He scrolled through the pictures Alfie had sent.
Fine. He had to admit there were some sides of Tilda that were ones he had never seen.
But he hated the thought of another man snapping those photos.
For the first time in his life, Jude found himself torn.
He didn’t know what to choose.
Jude knotted his brows deeply.
“Alright, enough jokes,” Alfie finally said. “But today I figured something out. You and Tilda really do fit each other.”
“What makes you say that?”
Alfie told Jude what had happened between Tilda and Kayden at the resort.
“Two lonely souls finally crossed paths. What you feel for each other isn’t just the pull of that Omega bloodline, right?”
Jude went quiet.
Alfie sighed. “Honestly, I just wish Tilda’s family wasn’t such a mess. She deserves a life with more happiness and joy.”
Jude closed his eyes.
He knew that feeling–growing up without a family’s care and even facing their hate.
Jude understood that all too well.
That was his life from the very start.
Unlike Tilda, though, Jude still had his grandmother.
She had no one.
Her mentor was important, but he wasn’t blood.
Being treated with cold cruelty by her family and forced to cut every tie—there was no way she hadn’t suffered, no matter how calm she looked.
“I know your temper,” Alfie said quietly. “Once you decide on something, you’ll never change. But as your buddy, I still have to tell you this. Treat her well. Tilda is a good woman. Don’t ever hurt her.”
As Alfie replied to the text, his eyes drifted to where Tilda stood a short distance away, laughing softly with Una.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Alfie. In this life, I will never let Tilda down. Only my death would stop me."
Kayden didn’t return home until almost eleven at night.
The place was pitch black. No lights, no sound.
No one was home.
Maybe that was better.
After watching Tilda walk away so decisively, Kayden had no idea how to face the rest of his family.
He didn’t feel like showering or sleeping. Instead, he went straight to the music room.
Kayden flipped on the light, tossed his jacket aside, and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor.
Sitting down, he laid his fingers on the piano keys.
His mind was chaos.
The only way to release it was to play–fast, wild, and hard.
Notes came like a storm, the rhythm sharp and frantic, buzzing like a swarm of bees.
His fingers blurred across the black and white keys, so fast they left shadows. He played until his chest burned, until everything inside him broke loose.
At some point, Justin appeared at the doorway.
He didn’t say a word. He just watched as Kayden, eyes shut, played like a man possessed.
Only when the last note faded did Kayden vent all of his pain.
His hands slipped, his body slid down, and he fell to the floor like the air had been punched out of him.