Chapter 211
On that fateful day, Matilda walked into her home only to find it hollow, a void left by Chloe’s departure. Now it was just her and Logan, rattling around in the silence.
Whenever Logan’s innocent eyes sought answers about where Chloe had gone, Matilda couldn’t bring herself to utter the painful truth.
She’d simply tell him, ‘It’ll be alright soon,” and Logan would nod, a knowing patience in his gaze as if he understood they were bracing for some impending event.
But that evening, an unexpected knock shattered the calm. The door swung open to reveal Yvan, and Matilda’s world spun for a heartbeat.
“You…” Words failed her, and in a knee–jerk reaction, she tried slamming the door shut. Top late–Yvan’s hand was wedged between the door and the frame!
Matilda inhaled sharply, sure she’d hurt him, but she couldn’t care less. She didn’t want to see Yvan, she wanted him out.
Yvan forced the door open, cradling his injured hand. No sign of pain crossed his chiseled features as he sneered at her, “If I wanted to come in, your flimsy door and a dozen locks wouldn’t stop me,” he said, his voice so cold it sent shivers down Matilda’s spine.
“What do you want?” she demanded, eyeing him through the crack.
“Open the door,” Yvan insisted.
“No way!”
“Don’t make me bring a bulldozer from the construction site to tear this door down.”
Matilda trembled with anger. “Go ahead! If you’re so tough, do it now!”
She was determined to shut him out, but with a grunt, Yvan pried the door wider, and Matilda stumbled backward as the door flung open.
“Don’t come in!” she roared. “Get out!”
Yvan’s heart chilled when he met her furious gaze. How deeply had he driven her away?
“Matilda, we need to talk,” he said, his voice low.
*About what? There’s nothing to talk about!”
Matilda backed away. “Are you here for Logan? Let me tell you, I won’t hand him over to you again. You let him be kidnapped, and pushed him to the brink! You’re not fit to be a father.”
Yvan felt as if his chest had been sliced open, raw and bleeding.
“… I came to talk about last time…” He wanted to say he was wrong, that the real villain
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was Ella, whom he had overlooked again and again. He longed to tell Matilda that he was just there to apologize, but now he feared forcing her and Logan’s hatred and rejection.
Facing Matilda, who seemed like a cornered animal, Yvan’s words choked in his throat. His usual cold, decisive demeanor was gone, replaced by a hint of panic. “About the kidnapping… I wanted to say…”
Before he could finish, Matilda cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it. Please leave.”
Those words were enough to condemn him.
“Matilda, can’t you listen to my explanation?” Yvan pleaded.
“Your explanation?” Matilda laughed bitterly. “Did you listen when I told you it wasn’t me five years ago? Yvan, you don’t have the right to claim innocence!”
