Ivy said, âItâs up to you.
Moneyâs no issue if you follow my orders.
â
After hanging up, the man winced as he touched his throbbing arm.
He couldnât just do nothing.
If he could get revenge and make some cash, itâd be perfect.
But how to frighten Tilda?
As he watched the traffic, an idea began to form.
Meanwhile, Keanu locked eyes with Tilda, his question hanging in the air.
âTilda, is Ivy still giving you a hard time because her momâs backing her up?â
His gaze held a mix of sympathy and anger.
He felt sympathy for Tildaâs situation.
And his disdain for Ivy ran deep.
If it werenât for that woman, he and Tilda would be together by now!
âIâm fine.
I left home after your accident,â Tilda replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, steering the conversation away from her troubles.
âYou dealt with the man easily just now.
Have you been training in combat?â
âYep.
I have been exercising every day so that even if I encounter trouble someday, I can protect myself and the one I love,â Keanu admitted, his eyes softening as he looked at Tilda.
âIt is getting late.
I should head back.
Youâve still got work to do.
Take care,â Tilda said softly, avoiding Keanuâs gaze.
As he noticed her avoidance, Keanu hesitated, holding back the words he yearned to say about missing her.
âSure thing.
Tilda, can we exchange numbers?â he asked.
Tilda fidgeted with her fingers, uncertain.
âDonât worry, Tilda.
We can still be friends even if weâre not meant to be more,â Keanu said.
Then, recalling a recent encounter with one of their classmates, he hurriedly added, âGuess what? Ran into our class rep.
Heâs planning a reunion before the yearâs out and is reaching out to everyone.
Today, I ran into you.
I suppose itâs been a while since youâve seen our high school classmates.
Why donât we grab a meal together?â
After a moment of silence, Tilda nodded in agreement.
Though high school had its rough patches, Tilda held onto the bright moments dearly.
Reconnecting with her classmates and reminiscing felt like unlocking a treasure trove of memories.
With Tildaâs agreement, Keanuâs face lit up with joy as they swapped numbers.
âWell, I better get going,â Tilda said, stowing her phone.