A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

Chapter 163

Matilda let out a laugh, her eyes sparkling with humor. “Wouldn’t it be great if you were my boyfriend?”

“I suppose I’d reluctantly agree to that,” Chloe quipped, flicking her crimson lip gloss. “Matilda’s my girl. Anyone who tries to mess with her has to deal with me!”

“Cut the crap, you’re in a rush, aren’t you? Get going,” Matilda nudged Chloe playfully. “We’ll come back next week, and be careful on your way.”

With a confident stride in her heels, Chloe made her exit, and just like that, the fun seemed to drain from the room. Criss and Matilda didn’t linger much longer over their meal before getting up to pay, only to find out someone had already covered their tab.

Matilda’s gaze immediately found Adrian, who was squeezing a credit card in his hand as he walked away from the front desk.

A frown creased her brow. She had wanted to pretend she hadn’t seen him, but Adrian turned back toward the front desk and started walking directly toward her with an unmistakable

presence.

Matilda instinctively stepped back, standing close to Criss for support.

“Finished eating?” Adrian’s voice, laced with an unspoken challenge, demanded attention.

quick “Yep” and

I’m not some kind of monster, and I’m certainly not Yvan. How scared of me

poking at her

“Mr. Simpson, you and I aren’t exactly

had become quite the

by your

of everything. When a person has nothing

noticed their exchange at the front desk and approached. Matilda hadn’t seen

open her heart to Mason once, only to have her sincerity met with his suspicion, turning all

saw her as just another woman trying

cared about how Mason saw her.

10:52

Chapter 163

friends seemed to drift away, but she had come to understand that true friends never part, and those who leave are merely

she simply gave him a cool “Hello,

Adrian called out to