Chapter 22
Bennett’s face went ashen as if he couldn’t believe what was unfolding before him. His eyes widened in shock, the disbelief etched across his handsome features. He stared at Matilda as if trying to peer into her very soul.
Sadly for him, Matilda had long since been devoid of hers. With a laugh, she leaned against his shoulder. “Can’t believe it, huh? Yes, it’s me, Matilda, the very same Ms. Thompson who was branded a murderer five years ago… Yvan’s ex–wife.”
The truth hit Bennett like a freight train. His hands trembled as he held her. “You… are you joking with me?”
“What’s there to joke about?” Matilda’s warmth faded swiftly as she stepped back and poured herself a glass of wine, her laugh now a seductive purr. “Don’t recognize me? Surely you haven’t forgotten this face, Mr. Fuller. My name was quite the buzz in our circles five years
ago.”
Bennett’s breathing quickened. Usually, he wouldn’t give a second look to a woman with a history like hers – divorced and a jailbird? Who would want such a woman
But this was Matilda, the high society belle whose scandal rocked the elit
He gazed at her, his throat suddenly parched, unsure of why. “Why would Yvan send you to keep me company?”
If it was true, then Matilda was Yvan’s ex. Why would Yvan send his former flame to… do this?
Matilda gave him a mischievous wink. “Since we’re divorced, you don’t have to think of me as anyone’s anything.”
Right, she was never Yvan’s anything, not five years ago, not now. She never had a place in Yvan’s heart.
Their conversation was abruptly cut off as Yvan strode forward and, to the gasps of those around, hoisted Matilda onto his shoulder.
Startled by his sudden action, Matilda shivered, then began to pound on his back. “What are you doing? Put me down!”
Yvan sneered. “Put you down? To let you flirt with others?”
The room was stunned by Yvan’s behavior.
Bennett, rooted to his spot on the couch, stammered, “C–can we talk this out?”
“Sorry, Mr. Fuller, she’s with me tonight. Let’s catch up some other time!”
Bennett clutched his drink and howled, “Yvan, you’re a beast! You bring me a lady only to hoard her for yourself!”
Matilda’s cheeks flushed with humiliation. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it felt like a
1/2
public shaming. She fought back tears, “Yvan, let me go!”
“What if I refuse?”
“You’re drunk!”
“Yes, I am!”
Ignoring the audience’s entertained stares, Yvan marched out with Matilda still on his shoulder. She was dizzy with anger. “Let go of me! Jerk! Scumbag! To hell with you!”
“Nice words, you’ve got quite the talent. A degree from Evergreen University does give one a rich vocabulary.”
“You wanted me to drink with others, and now you’re backing out!” Matilda yelled, “Have the guts to let someone else take me! Loser! I did five years for you. What more do you fucking want from me?”
Her outburst changed the atmosphere. Her declaration of serving time pierced everyone’s ears, halting their movements as they finally remembered who she was.
The
beautiful and intelligent daughter of the Thompson family, Matilda Thompson!
The murderer who spent five years locked away!
Matilda suddenly chuckled to herself, then burst into tears, her vision a blur. She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t help it. Fate was cruel, striking just when she thought she’d escaped. reminding her that she could never outrun her past.
Yvan set her down only to pull her close again, pinning her against the wall. With everyone watching, he gripped her chin. “Feeling aggrieved, huh?”
Matilda’s eyes narrowed into slits as she spat out her words with venomous resolve. “Aggrieved? I got what I deserved; I earned this!”
Yvan couldn’t stand her tone.
Grasping her neck tightly, someone screamed from behind, “Mr. Boyd… please, don’t be
violent!”
Bennett was shaken by the sudden turn, shouting, “Yvan! Calm down!”
Chase was already on the phone, calling for backup. “Yvan’s lost it.”
As Yvan’s grip tightened, the air in Matilda’s lungs dwindled, and her eyes closed as she fainted in his grasp.
“Oh my God! She’s… she’s dead!”
Yvan’s hand trembled violently, withdrawing his hold. Impossible, he couldn’t have killed her. He was just infuriated, not intending to murder her in front of everyone.
As she slipped into unconsciousness, Matilda heard the chaotic screams fading away, and everything… everything drifted away from her.
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