Chapter 398 Sorrow
Abram had given Rebecca a chance to return to Cetherland, but that chance was nothing she could ever reach. Rebecca would sooner create a time machine than get that chance. Return was nigh impossible.
Daphne went quiet. Her eyes sank low, and no one could guess what she was thinking. Preston let out a long breath and stepped close to touch her shoulder.
“Mom, I know you’re worried about Rebecca, but you don’t have to be. Even if she leaves the country, we can still call her and even fly over to see her. As long as we keep sending her money, she’ll live well wherever she is. I know what you said just now came from how upset you are. Don’t let Dad hear it, or you’re going to get hurt.”
“You’re her brother, Preston. Do it for your sister! Avenge her!” Daphne’s eyes snapped up, and she gripped his arm with both hands. Her stare was sharp with the promise of blood.
“...1…”
Preston froze where he stood. Yes. Revenge. He should want it. Tilda had dragged him through the dirt time and time again. She had torn apart his bond with Kyla. She had attacked Rebecca, filmed that vile video, crushed three of her fingers, thrown her out of Cetherland, and left her with no way to return. No one had more reason to kill Tilda than Preston.
Yet something inside him twisted. When Daphne clung to him and begged for revenge, his mind filled with the image of Tilda. She stood radiant and fierce. She was a world champion, shining under the lights as a queen adored by crowds.
That was the vision that struck him. He was refusing to take revenge on Tilda. His whole being was screaming no. The pull inside him was undeniable.
No, no, no, no, no, no. Kyla’s the one I love, not Tilda! She’s my childhood crush, and now she remains my love! That much is true! There is no way I will fall for Tilda.
Daphne saw his silence and snapped at him. “Preston, what’s happening with you? Even without your sister’s case, Tilda is still our enemy! She’s the Jensons‘ enemy!”
“Mom… we’ll talk about this later. Right now, Rebecca needs us first.”
Silence took place. Daphne stared at him like she no longer knew him. In that instant, something broke open in her mind. It was the one fear that had haunted her: that Preston might be pulled toward Tilda because she was the true daughter of the Jensons and tied to them through marriage. And if Tilda was luring him because she wanted to get a taste of the Bells’ power… Now the ground was sliding out from under Daphne’s control.
That night, Tilda walked out of the shower and reached for her phone when it buzzed.
“Mr. Parker, what’s going on?”
“Queen, listen. Your squad killed it on the Endralsia rescue. The brass are thrilled. They want to give you medals, and more than that, they want you signed on with the national cyber task force.”
He had hinted before, but she never thought it would come this soon. Tilda pressed her lips tight.
“Queen, we’re in no rush for an answer. I get that you’ll think it over. Talk it out with your crew. If you join up, the state will guard your safety and protect your info at the highest level. Maybe you don’t care about that as the dark web’s top hacker. But here’s the real deal. You’d gain access to the government’s backup data vault for missions.”
Manfred had hit her weak spot. That offer had weight. She could slip into countless databases on her own, given her skills as a top hacker. But the servers of a government were sealed like steel with no cracks to pry open. There were no holes for her to find, either. If she had access to that vault, she could uncover what no outsider could ever touch. Even she felt the burn of curiosity. With that vault, secrets of the world would no longer be sealed away.
Still…
“I’ll tell my crew about it.”
“Good. I’ll wait on your answer.”
After the call, Tilda opened the Comet chat and tagged everyone.
“Drop what you’re doing and meet me at the base tomorrow at three in the afternoon. I have big news. Don’t miss it.”
“Roger that!”
The next day at three sharp, Tilda walked into the Comet base. Jarrett, Theo, Zach, and Astrid were already waiting, whispering about what she had to announce. When they saw her, they straightened and greeted her together.
“Queen!”