Chapter 615 A Daughter’s Choice
“Tilda is still my daughter,” Russell said firmly. “She carries my blood. No matter how bad things get between us, it’s none of your business! For the sake of our 20 years of friendship, I’ll let this go. But hear me, Malcom–don’t you dare push this any further!”
“Don’t worry,” Malcom replied coldly. “Tilda already refused me. She made it clear she would never become my adopted daughter.”
Russell didn’t answer. He simply hung up.
Beep, beep, beep.
Malcom’s hand tightened around his phone. Then he spun and slammed it to the floor.
The screen shattered into pieces.
Yes, he could understand why Russell was furious. But who did the Jensons think they were? The Crown Group he led was stronger than the Jenson Group now. They used to stand alongside giants like DY Group. And yet Russell dared to hang up on him? To yell at him? To treat him like dirt? Disrespect him?
Father and daughter really were cut from the same cloth. No manners. No respect. No wonder they were both so irritating.
Back in the Jenson Villa, Russell let out a long breath. “Blair, you heard it. Tilda turned him down.”
“Good… good…” Blair pressed her hand to her chest, relief flooding her face. The tightness in her expression eased at last. If Tilda had really agreed to be Malcom’s adopted daughter, Blair thought her heart would have broken into pieces. It would have been like the world shouting: Look–because of your family’s mess, you drove away such a gifted daughter. Now she’d rather become the heiress of the Crown Group than come home to you.
Blair knew she had no right to regret. She had prepared herself for the day Tilda would never forgive them. But when it came down to it–her child, her flesh and blood, becoming another family’s daughter–she couldn’t bear it.
“If only we could talk to Tilda again,” Blair said softly, biting her lip and speaking genuinely. “After all this, I realize it’s not just guilt we carry. What I can’t stand is the thought of her getting tied to someone else’s family. It would break my heart. I’ll be in such pain that I can’t breathe.”
“Blair…”
Russell’s chest tightened as he looked at her. The image of that night flashed back—the night Tilda humiliated him. He hadn’t been able to fight back at all. The last time Tilda showed up, he had practically tricked her into visiting Blair in the hospital. That was pure luck. Hoping for another chance now to sit down and have a real talk with her felt impossible. Russell loved his wife more than life itself. But even as he watched her sink into sadness, he couldn’t bring himself to promise her that he could bring Tilda back for another conversation.
In the living room, Darell and the others waited anxiously. Kyla stood silently in the corner. No one knew what she was thinking. Inside, Kyla felt torn. Part of her wanted Tilda to become Malcom’s adopted daughter; part of her didn’t. If Tilda did, her family’s attention would be pulled in all directions. They might fall into chaos, and no one would be watching Kyla. That would give her the chance to slip in unnoticed. During her recovery over the last few months, Kyla had thought about stealing company secrets and selling them to Tobias for money. But Darell, Justin, and Kayden had pushed aside all their work to stay home and take care of Blair. Bit by bit, Kyla could feel it–they didn’t trust her anymore. Trying to get her hands on any valuable information had become far harder than before.
And yet, if Tilda didn’t become Malcom’s adopted daughter, Kyla wouldn’t feel so jealous either.
As she wrestled with these thoughts, Russell pushed Blair’s wheelchair into the living room. Justin rushed over. “How’s it going?”
Russell smiled with relief. “Tilda refused Malcom. She didn’t become his adopted daughter.”
The weight lifted instantly. Darell and the others all let out a long breath. For them, the idea of Tilda turning to another family was more painful than death itself.
Kyla rolled her eyes. A strange, twisting feeling rose inside her. Kyla couldn’t tell if it was joy or disappointment. But then she thought, It’s fine. Tilda didn’t become Malcom’s daughter. That leaves her with the higher status. She remained as the only daughter of the Jensons. Opportunities would come, sooner or later. She just had to wait.
“Alright,” Blair said with a bright smile, “tonight let’s all go to Sky Dining. It’s been so long since we’ve had a meal out together. Dinner’s on me.”
“Sounds great!” The others chimed in.
Seeing Blair’s happy, glowing face stabbed at Kyla’s heart. The sting was sharp enough to make her turn away. She slipped out of the living room quietly, and not a single person noticed her leave.