Chapter 597 A Promise from Sheldon

Sheldon grew more and more excited as he spoke, drifting off topic.

Tilda could already guess what this was about. She cut in before he rambled further.

“Mr. Oliveson, I admit I did it. But I never wanted anything in return. Mr. Parker brought me the job. Back then, Hotel Morloss was caught in the middle, with so many national industries being impacted by the incident. Considering all the sacrifices you have made for the country, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

She gave a small shake of her head. “If you want to thank me, you don’t need to. I understand.”

Sheldon fell quiet when he saw how calm Tilda was, without a trace of selfishness in her words. He stopped his rambling, and his respect for Tilda grew. “Ms. Tilda, you amaze me. You pulled off something so huge, but you walked away without asking for credit. You even gave up putting your name on the lithography project. People like you… there are far too few in this world.”

Tilda shook her head lightly. “I only did what I felt was my duty. That machine was the result of years of hard work from Dane and his team. I would never claim their glory. If you came here just to thank me, I’ve already heard it, Mr. Oliveson. Please, don’t carry it on your mind.”

She leaned back and added, her voice steady, “If every choice in life had to serve a purpose, wouldn’t that be exhausting? I’m no saint, just an ordinary person. Yes, many things I do have reasons behind them. But not everything. Sometimes, I act simply because I want to. Whether I succeed or fail, as long as I feel at peace afterward, that’s enough.”

Her words struck Sheldon deeply. He straightened, his tone solemn. “Now I understand. Ms. Tilda, I was shallow. I’ve truly learned something today. But I didn’t come only to thank you. More importantly–I want to give you a promise.”

Tilda raised an eyebrow. “A promise?”

“Yes.” His voice grew firm. “You’ve helped me more than I can say. If living by your own will is your way, then mine is this–I never leave a debt unpaid. I owe you, and I must repay it.”

“I know you’re smart, experienced, and have plenty of connections,” Sheldon said. “But I’ve lived sixty years, and I didn’t waste them. If the day ever comes when you need my help, just say the word. I’ll give it everything I’ve got, no questions asked.”

Tilda was quiet for a moment.

Then she nodded.

“Thank you, Mr. Oliveson.”

It was a reward she hadn’t asked for, yet it cost her nothing to accept. And who knew–one day, it might come in handy.

For Tilda, there was nothing to lose–only something to gain.

After the conversation ended, Sheldon offered to send someone to take Tilda back. She refused.

Tilda hailed a cab herself. She got out on a quiet street near the hotel, wanting to take a short walk before heading back.

Tomorrow, Dane would lead the team to Jeselton to handle countless details.

Manfred had already taken on the heaviest share of the workload, but there was still much left.

Even though Dane didn’t want to, there was no choice. They were the team that had built the nation’s first 4nm chip lithography machine.

Too many meetings and too much business waited for them.

Once the party ended, Dane had to rest. Liam stayed close to him to help with his recovery.

Mystro had an art exhibition in two days and would be flying out tomorrow.

After this short reunion, everyone was pulled back to their own lives.

The moments from today still played clearly in Tilda’s mind.

Her heart felt warm.

Even if they had to part ways, she understood something deeply: their hearts were still connected.

As long as that bond stayed true, no matter where life took them, they would always be tied together by an invisible thread. A thread that would never break.

As she walked toward the hotel, a figure suddenly stepped into her path.

Tilda didn’t expect to see him here.

“You?” Her face turned cold.

Why was Russell here?

She knew he had attended yesterday and today. That didn’t matter–she couldn’t stop him, so she ignored it.

But her hotel? How could he possibly know she was staying there?

Unless… he had followed her?

Knowing the Jensons, with their shameless and underhanded ways, Tilda had no doubt they were capable of something like that.

When Russell first heard her voice, he thought his ears were playing tricks.

“Tilda… you? What are you doing here?”

He wondered if it was the alcohol. Maybe he was too happy today, drank too much, and was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes hard.

Otherwise, how could it be possible to bump into Tilda on the street?

Earlier today, people had mocked him because of Tilda’s glory.