Chapter 619 A Risky Bet

A flashy green limited-edition Lamborghini Poison screeched to a stop outside Sky Dining.

Theo jumped out of the driver’s seat. He tossed the keys to the valet without a second thought and hurried to open the back door for Tilda and Astrid.

“Queen, I heard Sky Dining hired a new chef. They’re trying out some new Flonche-style dishes. I brought you here to taste them. See? I treat you right.”

“Too bad Jarrett and Zach couldn’t come,” Theo sighed. “They had stuff to do. Missing this dinner is their loss.”

He grumbled as he tried to score points through his gentleman act with Tilda.

Tilda stepped out of the car, hands in her pockets, and raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t think a little sweet talk gets you out of my tests. You four spent months training at the Jeselton base under Mr. Benedict. By now, you should’ve learned plenty. Next time, I’ll make the challenge harder. If you fail…” She tilted her head. “That’s on you.”

“Haha! Queen, I’m not scared of your trials anymore,” Theo grinned. “After training with you and all those top dogs, I’ve leveled up. I’m only doing this because I admire you, not because I’m trying to dodge a test.”

He rubbed his hands together, pouting dramatically like a wronged husband, his eyes full of fake sorrow.

Hmph! What a bully! She just doesn’t get me. She thinks I’m sweet-talking to dodge the test. It hurts!

Tilda smirked. “Since you’re so confident, fine. But if you fail, I want you running around the base naked—for two miles.”

The words hit like a thunderbolt. Theo’s brain completely short-circuited.

Astrid burst out laughing. She held onto Tilda’s arm and teased, “Yes! That’s perfect, Queen!”

Theo looked like he might cry. “Wait, Queen, isn’t that a bit extreme? You’re not trying to embarrass me on purpose with some impossible challenge, right?”

He was confident in his skills, sure. He’d just boasted like crazy in front of her.

But what if he failed? Running two miles naked around the base?

As the tall, handsome heir of the Woodwards, people would definitely crowd around, snap pictures, and blast it all over the news.

It wouldn’t just embarrass him—his family would probably strangle him for shaming them like that.

“Don’t worry,” Tilda said coolly. “The tests are the same for all four of you. I treat everyone equally.”

Theo patted his chest in relief. “Phew. Sounds good. I’m ready, Queen. Ask me anything.”

The group chatted and laughed as they took the elevator up to the top floor of Sky Dining.

The host at the entrance spotted Theo right away and greeted him respectfully. “Mr. Theo, your table’s ready. It’s in Section C, table 21. Should we start serving now?”

“Of course. I’m starving.”

Tilda and her friends had just reached their reserved table.

They were about to sit down when a loud crash came from behind them.

Crash!

“N–no way! Tilda, what are you doing here?!”

A voice, irritating and out of place, echoed through the air.

Tilda turned her eyes mechanically and saw Kyla standing there, wide-eyed in shock.

She was speechless.

Seriously? Did I step out today under the worst luck imaginable? Or had I run into something cursed? This is the second time I bumped into Kyla in one day. The first was at Twilight Tea Room. Now the second—here, at Sky Dining. Oh, great. What if the whole family is here too?

“What’s going on?”

Russell, hearing the crash, had no choice but to come over and check, even though he hated the idea of Kyla causing another scene.

The moment his eyes landed on Tilda, they widened in shock. “It’s you… Tilda.”

Tilda rubbed her forehead in frustration.

Of course. Just like the saying—speak of the devil, and he appears. The very last people she wanted to see had shown up.

Theo knew how messy Tilda’s history with her family was, so he kept his mouth shut. This wasn’t his fight. Still, he stood firm at Tilda’s side, his face cold and steady, a silent shield at her back.

His presence said it all. If Tilda gives the word, he’ll throw himself into the fight for her without hesitation.

“Uncle Russell…”

Even Astrid hadn’t expected to run into Russell and his family here.

It felt like fate—a twisted fate that tied back to Tilda.

“Astrid, you’re here too?”

Russell’s eyes stung like something sharp had struck him.

Astrid was family—Tilda’s cousin. Yet here she stood at Tilda’s side like real family, not just cousins who shared blood.