Chapter 421
Posted on September 29, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Out of the Shadows: Tilda's Brilliant Second Life

Chapter 42: Photos

Tilda swirled her wine glass slowly, propping her chin on her hand while watching the boats glide across the river. The city lights sparkled everywhere, making the whole view look unreal.

โ€œTilda, the holidays are almost here. Want to head to Jeselton and hang out with Andy?โ€

โ€œWeโ€™ve been talking about going forever, but we never do. Next month is the winter holiday. If we donโ€™t go now, weโ€™ll miss our chance.โ€

โ€œThat sounds perfect! I miss Andy, too.โ€

โ€œThen itโ€™s settled. Oh, check this out!โ€

Una pulled a few photos from her bag.

Tilda glanced at them. Two were photos she once uploaded to the Motrar Girl Forum under her alias "X." The other two were shots of the painting that won her the world title.

โ€œUna, whatโ€™s all this?โ€

Una laughed. โ€œMy whole family is obsessed with you. Knowing I was meeting you today, they dug out these photos, begging me to get your autograph.

โ€œIt turns out my brothers are die-hard fans of X. When they found out it was you, they freaked, but theyโ€™re too chicken to meet you. Theyโ€™re worried theyโ€™ll embarrass themselves and leave a bad impression. Come on, youโ€™ve visited my house many times!โ€

Thinking about her two brothers, who always acted tough, Una rolled her eyes hard.

Who knew her best friend could actually keep those two in check?

She couldnโ€™t help being impressed.

โ€œNo big deal.โ€

Tilda smiled knowingly and signed her name across the photos.

Then, she pulled a USB stick from her pocket. โ€œHere, this is for you.โ€

โ€œTilda, whatโ€™s inside?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s my updated game design program. Didnโ€™t you always dream of esports and designing games? With this, youโ€™ll crush it.

โ€œI even wrote down all the steps for you. If you get stuck, just call me. Iโ€™ll help.โ€

โ€œNo way! Tilda, youโ€™re a genius! My good luck charm!โ€

Una snatched the USB like it was gold, her eyes lighting up.

She couldnโ€™t help herself, jumped up, and kissed Tildaโ€™s cheek.

Tilda winked. โ€œCareful, Una. If you fall for me, youโ€™ll regret it.โ€

โ€œUgh! Finding out youโ€™re not a guy already broke my heart! If I were a dude, Iโ€™d marry you in a second!โ€

The more she said it, the sadder she looked.

No way!

She downed her drink in one gulp. Fueled by alcohol and heartbreak, she dashed to the karaoke stage.

Grabbing the mic, she started singing at the top of her lungs:

โ€œYouโ€™re getting married, but Iโ€™m not the groomโ€ฆ

โ€œLetโ€™s split with some dignityโ€ฆ Donโ€™t bother saying sorryโ€ฆ

โ€œThanks for letting me witness your loveโ€ฆ Maybe Iโ€™m just fated to be the guestโ€ฆ.โ€

Tilda almost smacked her forehead.

Oh my god.

Since Una increased her drinking tolerance, Tilda hadnโ€™t seen her act that crazy for a long time.

And weirdly, when Una was drunk, her voice dropped lower and turned rougher.

She actually sounded much better singing drunk than when she was sober.

But she loved to freestyle and couldnโ€™t hold herself back.

The crowd was loving it, shocked faces everywhere, cheering her on.

Since Una wasnโ€™t totally wasted yet, Tilda let her burn off the energy.

Then, someone stumbled over, barely able to stand.

โ€œMr. Preston, pull it together!โ€

โ€œGeez, how much did he drink?โ€

โ€œSomebody stop him!โ€

โ€œI tried! He smacked me so hard! My cheek is still red!โ€

โ€œWhen Mr. Prestonโ€™s drunk, he doesnโ€™t know his own strength. Better leave him alone for now?โ€

Preston reeked of booze, his shirt half-open and his hair a mess.

Even looking wrecked, he still had that perfect geneโ€”tall, handsome, and impossible to ignore. At over six feet, he made every girl in the bar swoon.

And he wasnโ€™t just any random guyโ€”he was from the Bells.

If anyone got his attention, it didnโ€™t matter how successful they were in Slosa. Theyโ€™d instantly level up!

It was unusual to see Preston so bewildered and unconcerned about his image. He must have been deeply hurt.

What he needed was a woman.

Right on cue, a stunning girl in clothes way too skimpy for January sauntered over. She fluttered her fake-colored contacts, then โ€œaccidentallyโ€ bumped into him, spilling her drink all over.

Preston felt the cold liquid soak his pants. He frowned but barely reacted.

โ€œOh no! Sir, are you okay? Iโ€™m so sorry. Iโ€™m so clumsy. I spilled it all over your pants!

โ€œLet me clean it up. If theyโ€™re ruined, Iโ€™ll pay you backโ€ฆโ€

Thinking her trick was working, the woman grabbed napkins and started wiping the inside of Prestonโ€™s thigh.


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