Chapter 204 Unlucky Day
"Alright, Wade. I knew the second you dragged me to Nightingale Bar for drinks that nothing good was gonna come of it."
"Aren’t you tired of living like this? You’re just throwing your life away!"
Clive shook his head as he watched Wade. Ever since Tilda walked out onto the second-floor patio, Wade hadn’t looked anywhere else. Clive rubbed his forehead in frustration. If Wade had known it would end like this, why had he started in the first place?
Clive did admire Tilda, though. Her achievements were amazing. In Clive’s eyes, if someone had just one of Tilda’s skills, they’d already be called a genius. But Tilda? She had them all.
Ever since she cut ties with the Jensons, she had shown every bit of her talent without holding back. Sure, Clive thought Tilda was a walking jinx. Anyone who got too close to her would end up in trouble. But even he couldn’t deny one thing–she was stunning. And it wasn’t just her looks. She had this dazzling presence that made it impossible to look away.
"I know I’m throwing my life away," Wade muttered, "but I can’t help it. After watching her competition live stream today, I kept thinking how amazing it would be to see her in person. Even if I don’t deserve to stand in front of her anymore. Even if she completely hates me. I just want to sit somewhere she can’t see me, watch from a distance, and cheer for her in my heart. She won the championship. I’m really happy for her."
So Wade used the dumbest method. He didn’t really know anything about Tilda. He had no clue where she liked to hang out. The only reason he came here was because he’d run into her at Nightingale Bar several times before. So his simple idea was to rent a private booth at night and wait. The open patio on the second floor was Tilda’s favorite spot. Funny enough, it was Wade’s favorite too. From there, you could feel the cool breeze blowing off the river. Across the water, the neon glow of Slosa’s nightlife lit up the skyline. Sometimes, fancy riverboats drifted by, gliding under the bridge with their lights sparkling.
Wade was afraid that if Tilda saw him, she’d turn around and leave. And then he wouldn’t be able to look at her at all. So he pulled Clive along and hid in a booth instead. Just being able to see her like this was enough for him. He didn’t dare ask for more.
Clive let out a long sigh as he watched his friend. He never imagined Wade would turn into this. To feel this guilty over one person… it had tied his heart into a knot. And Clive had no idea how to untie it. How to bring Wade back to the carefree, arrogant guy he used to be–before Tilda.
Just then, another figure stepped into the bar. The man’s eyes instantly landed on Tilda, happily drinking and listening to music. His brows furrowed.
"Of all places… to run into this bitch here,"
Tilda felt the weight of someone’s hostile stare and turned her head.
Oh great. Preston. What a coincidence. Tilda rubbed her forehead. This was supposed to be her day to celebrate, but it suddenly felt like an unlucky day. First, all those annoying people, now him. Talk about bad vibes.
Honestly, she didn’t have much of an impression of Preston. In her past life, she and Preston had barely spoken. Back then, Kyla played the innocent act in front of the Jensons and let them crush Tilda as hard as possible. That was the trick that hurt her most. As for Preston, he was just part of the setup–engaged to Tilda on paper, but really Kyla’s backup guy. Kyla had been careful to keep Preston away from Tilda, afraid something might slip out of her control. In five years, Tilda had only met him a few times. Each time, it was either him warning her not to bully Kyla, or him flat-out saying he’d never marry her. She never cared. She told him over and over that she had zero interest in him, so he shouldn’t read too much into it. But Preston was just too full of himself to listen.
Tilda gave him a single glance, then looked away. Tonight she wanted to enjoy herself. She wasn’t about to waste time on an idiot.
Preston, on the other hand, noticed her ignoring him and felt his temper rise. He suddenly thought back to earlier that day–when he saw her laughing and talking with Alfie.
Ha. So that’s it? Playing hard to get with me?
He’d seen through her act long ago. She always pretended to be aloof, but deep down, she must’ve been drooling over the Bells‘ power. He hadn’t planned to bother with her. But then he remembered Rebecca.
At that moment, Tilda was still watching Una finish her set on stage. Preston pulled up a chair not far from her and leaned in.
"Tilda," he said, smirking, "I guess this is the first time we’re really meeting face to face…"