Out of the Shadows: Tilda’s Brilliant Second Life

Chapter 206 Ditch Him

“You sang great. Alright, if nothing else is going on, let’s get out of here. Time to switch places.”

“What? Why so sudden?”

Una blinked in surprise, then her eyes fell on Preston.

Preston instinctively straightened his back and locked eyes with her. He tried his best to look proud, noble, and flawless–like some priceless treasure Tilda should admire, not the ‘inflated ego’ she had just called him.

But then…

“Tilda, did this guy just hit on you? And look at him, acting all smug and confident. Guys with inflated egos are the worst.”

Una’s voice wasn’t loud, but Preston heard every single word.

“Hahaha! Una, you’re so right. You really are my best friend. We see the world the same!” Tilda laughed and patted Una’s head with approval. Even Una could see what kind of man Preston was at a glance.

“We need to protect our lives and stay far, far away from men like this. Come on, Tilda, let’s ditch him.” She and Tilda were totally on the same page.

Sure, Una didn’t know who Preston really was or what kind of history he had with Tilda, but just looking at his fake, pretentious pose made her want to gag.

At that moment, Preston was standing with his chin lifted toward the ceiling, like he was some brooding model. Oh, please. What century do you think this is? Dream on.

If Una didn’t have such good self-control, she would’ve already socked him in the face. She didn’t want to ruin Tilda’s good mood tonight, though. Even if Preston got himself thrown out by security, it would still sour the vibe. Better to just leave first.

“Fine, let’s take my car and drive up the mountain to look at the stars.” Tilda grabbed Una’s hand and headed for the door.

Preston couldn’t believe it. They insult me and then try to run? No way!

He shot to his feet and blocked their path.

“Move, jerk. Get out of the way!” Una snapped, her voice sharp with anger. She just knew this type. Guys like Preston never gave up. She was sure he was only here because he was drooling over Tilda’s beauty.

“Tilda, you and this girl just kept insulting me. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Preston clenched his teeth, fighting to control his temper. The noble upbringing in his blood told him not to lose control, not to scream, but his words still came out sharp with rage, like fire spilling out with nowhere to go.

“Insulting you?” Tilda laughed. “You love putting yourself in the spotlight, huh?”

“You… what do you mean by that? You just…”

“I never said your name, did I? Preston, you’re a Bell–why would you automatically assume I was talking about you?” Her words hit him like a whip. Preston froze, unable to fire back, because she wasn’t wrong. She hadn’t said his name. When she called someone an ‘inflated ego,’ everyone knew who she meant–but she hadn’t said it out loud.

If he kept pressing her now, then he’d be admitting he was exactly that guy. And since Tilda was popular here at Nightingale Bar, people nearby were already turning to watch. The place wasn’t crowded, but enough folks were listening.

“Hey, Wade, looks like Tilda’s fighting with Preston down there… hey?” Clive was still enjoying the show, but by the time he turned, Wade had already bolted out of the booth, heading straight downstairs. Clive couldn’t stop him.

“This idiot running straight into trouble again,” Clive muttered, helpless. Even if Wade jumped in to help, Tilda would probably just throw his kindness back in his face, maybe even mock him. After all, Wade owed her too much. Clive had no choice but to follow in case things got ugly.

Una scoffed, “The Bells? Tilda, you sure you’re not mistaken? You’re saying this guy is from the Bells? No way. He’s nothing like Jude.” She’d seen Jude before, even if she didn’t know him well. Compared to Jude, Preston was like a pile of crap in a public bathroom–disgusting, smelly, and hard as a rock. Not even in the same universe.

“You!” Preston’s jaw could’ve almost cracked from how hard he was clenching it. Nothing enraged him more than being compared to Jude–especially when the comparison made him look worse. And coming from some random girl he didn’t even know? That was the last straw. What the hell does this have to do with you?

“Preston!” A voice cut in.

Wade stormed over and stood in front of Tilda and Una, shielding them, his eyes locked on Preston like a predator.

“What are you doing here?”

“Wade? Why the hell are you here?”