Chapter 127: Bittersweet Farewell

"You're already breaking the agreement, and we haven't even left the courtroom. Wow. That's bold. Real bold," Andy’s voice carried a mocking edge.

"I'm not here to cause trouble…" Dominic muttered.

Just then, Russell’s voice cut in. "That's enough, Dominic."

Dominic turned to see Russell and Rose approaching. Russell shook his head at him.

Even though he understood Dominic’s curiosity–honestly, he was dying to know too. It felt like they’d never really understood Tilda, this so-called biological daughter of theirs. Not only was she connected to Andy, she’d somehow pulled Jude into this mess as well. Jude, a man as powerful and untouchable as him, had willingly cut ties with the Jensons–and taken Tilda’s side. Russell wanted nothing more than to know what kind of relationship Tilda had with Jude, but now wasn’t the time. With how guarded and sharp Tilda was, there was no way she’d just hand over that kind of information. She’d let Dominic choke on his own frustration first. In that way, she was exactly like Russell.

So, in the end, Dominic had no choice but to give up, clearly unwilling.

"Looks like you're the only one here with a functioning brain, Russell," Tilda shot back with a smirk, her words laced with sarcasm.

Then she and Andy turned and walked out of the courtroom.

Outside, the press had already gathered. Everyone knew today was the second hearing, and with the Jensons involved, the attention was massive. Even though days had passed since the initial headlines, there was still plenty of buzz left to feed off. Where there was hype, there was money. No one was about to walk away from that.

Tilda and Andy moved through the crowd of reporters effortlessly, confidently answering questions about the outcome of today’s trial. Dominic stood nearby, watching their smug, composed expressions–and he was fuming. He wanted nothing more than to rip those fake smiles off their faces. What the hell were they pretending for? This wasn’t just some legal win; this was a betrayal. Tilda had betrayed the Jensons, betrayed the family that gave birth to her, and stabbed her own father in the back. Yet there she was, standing in front of the cameras, casually talking about the case like it was no big deal, dragging the Jensons through the mud, laughing like it was nothing, like she didn’t carry Jenson blood in her veins. If she hated them so much, she should’ve just given her life back to the family.

Russell stepped beside Dominic and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's enough, Dominic. Let's go. We still have to deal with the fallout later today."

"Dad, I just don't get it. I really don't. Why does it have to be her? My sister. Your daughter. If she weren't related to us, if there wasn't that blood tie, none of this would've happened. The Jensons wouldn't have taken this kind of hit, and DY Group wouldn't have canceled our partnership. All of it is because of Tilda." What a perfect sister. What a perfect daughter.

Russell didn’t respond at first. Then he let out a heavy sigh. "We were doomed the second she walked in the door."

Once Tilda and Andy wrapped up the media questions and got into the car, Tilda finally spoke again. "Andy, donate the 2.5 million anonymously. Pick an orphanage." Tilda had zero interest in keeping the Jensons‘ money. Just touching it felt disgusting. She only took it to spite them. If she could do something decent with it, like give back to the orphanage where she’d once lived, even better.

Andy raised a brow. "Got it."

As night fell, Una and Tilda threw a send-off party for Andy at the Nightingale Bar.

Sipping her Bloody Mary, Una pouted a little. "I can’t believe you’re leaving tomorrow, Andy. Can’t you stay just a little longer?"

Andy smiled. "I really can’t. Jeselton’s been pressing hard for my return. I’ve already stayed here almost three weeks just to handle Tilda’s case. If I could stick around longer, I definitely would." Seeing how reluctant Una was, Andy reached over and gave her a light pat on the head. "Come on, Una. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again. Next time you and Tilda come to Jeselton, I’ll clear my whole schedule and show you around properly."

"Really?! That’d be awesome!"

Tilda didn’t chime in immediately. She just stood by the riverside, letting the wind brush through her hair. The rotating neon lights of Nightingale Bar shimmered across her figure, casting flashes of color that made her already striking features seem even more mysterious, like something straight out of a dream.

"Evening, everyone."

A voice cut in as Maurice strolled over, holding a bottle of wine. "As the owner of Nightingale Bar, consider this a personal gift. Hope you all come back often." He flashed a cheeky wink in Una’s direction.

Una froze. Instant goosebumps. Sure, she could admit Maurice was good-looking, but that look? Seriously? What the hell did that wink even mean? Maurice really thought that was his charm? He gave her the same weird look last time at Sky Dining too.

Tilda glanced at the bottle in his hand and instantly recognized it. "Mr. Rowse, you really don’t hold back, do you? A ten-million-dollar, ultra-rare ’82 vintage bottle of wine."

"Only the best for the best," Maurice said smoothly. Without waiting for an invite, he pulled out a chair and sat right down. Meeting Tilda’s inquisitive gaze, Maurice gave a small smile. "Relax. Jude’s not here. He’s out on a business trip in Lucien. Had something to take care of."

"Oh." Tilda managed a one-word response.