``` Chapter 84 No Way Out
Russell clenched his jaw so tightly that his teeth ached. His hatred for Tilda burned hotter.
“What do we do now, Dad? She just showed up. Maybe we should come back another time…”
But Russell cut him off. “No. Her timing’s perfect. We settle this once and for all. Your mother couldn’t get through to Andy–if I don’t try myself, I’ve got no chance at all.”
“You mean…” Howard trailed off and fell silent. He could already guess what Russell intended.
Honestly, with what Howard knew of Tilda, Russell’s plan was nothing short of walking into humiliation.
But for the sake of the Jensons’ reputation, Russell would still go through with it, even if there was only the slimmest chance.
Tilda stepped into the elevator.
Just before the doors slid shut, she caught sight of Russell and Howard heading her way.
She pulled out her phone and fired off a quick message.
“Andy, Russell and Howard just showed up at the hotel. Looks like they’re here for you. I ran right into them.”
Andy typed, “Interesting. Did it turn into a fight yet?”
Tilda then replied, “Not yet. But trust me, something even better’s about to happen. We might as well sit back, grab popcorn, and watch the show. It’s way more fun than frying under the sun outside.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
After these past days of spending time together, Tilda and Andy had grown close–practically confidants. Their views lined up perfectly.
They laughed the same, joked the same, even crashed into the same walls together.
And slowly, Andy had started to let go of that flicker of romantic feeling he once held for her.
Andy had accepted the truth in Tilda’s words that being her friend was much easier and happier than trying to be her lover.
Some things are easier said between friends. Lovers could never say them out loud.
Still, he couldn’t help the faint sting in his chest.
When Tilda reached Andy’s hotel room, she deliberately left the door open, like a trap set in plain sight.
“You really think Mr. Jenson would humiliate himself enough to walk in here?” Andy asked, skeptical.
He knew Tilda was here. And if he still came looking for Andy, that would be beyond pathetic.
Tilda sneered. “You think they mind being humiliated? When someone’s useful, they’ll grovel. The moment you’re not, they’ll turn cold and kick you to the curb. That’s the Jensons in a nutshell.”
Her lips curved into a cold, knowing smile.
And sure enough, it wasn’t long before Russell and Howard showed up outside Room 502.
Howard glanced at Russell’s stiff, stormy expression and couldn’t hold back. “Dad, maybe we should just leave and come back tomorrow. If we walk in and run straight into Tilda…”
He stopped himself, but the thought lingered. With her sharp tongue, who knew how badly she’d tear into Russell? The humiliation would be unbearable.
He didn’t dare picture it.
“We can’t leave! Tilda has already seen us and she knows where Andy is. If he packs up and checks out now, we’ll never track him down again before the trial. That door will be shut for good!”
Russell thought it through and made his decision.
Even if it meant humiliation, this was his mess. Blair had been right that he couldn’t expect anyone else to clean it up for him.
As head of the family, he had to set the example.
So he pushed forward until he was standing at Andy’s room.
Then, without hesitation, he walked inside.
Howard pressed his lips together and followed. Russell had already made up his mind.
If he couldn’t ease the burden, then at the very least, he could stand beside him. He’d take some of the fire when Tilda inevitably turned her venom on them.
When they stepped into the living room, Tilda and Andy were already there, seated casually on the couch, as if they had been waiting.
“Mr. Jenson, you must’ve walked into the wrong room. This is Andy’s room.”
Russell’s fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms. “I didn’t walk into the wrong place. You’re right, Tilda. I came here to see Andy.”
By now, he’d braced himself for her mockery. He knew it was coming.
Still, the humiliation burned. Rarely in his life had he been left so powerless, without a single retort.
And every time it happened lately, it was Tilda who forced him into it.
He must’ve owed her something in a past life, because finding this so-called daughter had made his life hell.
Tilda let out a low laugh, the contempt in her eyes impossible to hide.
To her, he and Howard looked pathetic–like fools who didn’t even realize the joke was on them.
“Andy, he says he’s here to see you. Do you want to humor him?” Tilda asked, her voice laced with mockery.
Andy didn’t even blink. “We both know why he came, Mr. Jenson. When your wife tried to stop me at the airport, I thought I made myself very clear.”
His tone sharpened. “What you’re doing now–trying to buy off opposing counsel–falls squarely under Section 1873 of the criminal code. In plain terms, that’s bribery. And if this gets out, it won’t just tarnish your name and the Jensons’ reputation. What could’ve been settled with an apology and compensation could turn into prison time.”
Andy, ever the professional, laid out the stakes in just a few sentences. He made it crystal clear and impossible to ignore. ```