A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

Hearing Ella’s murmurs, Yvan instinctively turned his head and saw Matilda and Mason sitting together, chatting animatedly with a stack of papers in their hands, seemingly deep in discussion about a contract.

Yvan remembered the times Mason had come to Matilda’s aid in the past. He turned his face away so as not to see them, the chill in his gaze seemed to drop a few degrees, and his voice carried a frosty undertone, “Let’s go, no need to bother with them.”

“Is that so?” Ella kept glancing back, intentionally or not, “Maybe we should say hi! It’s been ages since I’ve seen Mason.”

Before Yvan could collect his thoughts, Ella had already linked her arm through his and was guiding him towards the table by the window where Mason and Matilda sat engrossed in the design drafts. Just as someone nearby called out. “Mason!”

Mason looked up and saw Ella, all smiles, approaching with Yvan in tow. As they drew near, Matilda noticed their approach, and her expression froze.

Yvan, looking indifferent, was led over by Ella. When he saw Matilda, the scorn on his face was unmistakable. He didn’t speak a word, but his sarcastic gaze was enough to make Matilda tingle with pain.

Mason, on the other hand, seemed far more composed, casually taking a sip of his coffee before asking, as if offhandedly. “You’re back from abroad?”

Ella, with the innocence of a child, gave Matilda a once–over, “Yeah, is this your new girlfriend?”

The question immediately soured the mood for both Mason and Yvan. But the next second, Mason responded with a sly smile, “Ella, don’t talk nonsense; you’ll scare her off.”

“Well‘ Ella pouted, “I’ve never seen you with a lady friend before, so I thought maybe I should think she’s special”

“Ella!”

Yvan’s voice came out cold and sharp, sending a shiver through Ella.

“Why the outburst, Yvan?” Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

His gaze narrowed as he looked at Ella, “Don’t talk more than you need to.”

Ella’s eyes welled up with tears, a somewhat pitiful sight. “Are you blaming me for being nosy?”

“You could say that.”

Matilda, who had been silent until now, suddenly lifted her head with a radiant smile, looking at the girl.

Despite her apparent simplicity, the words she spoke seemed calculated to mislead Yvan. Was she to be praised for her cleverness, or was she even more cunning than her sister?

“Ella,” Matilda thought to herself, “you don’t know me, but this face of yours that resembles hers. I will never forget it, even in my dreams!”

The malice in Matilda’s eyes as she looked at Ella gave the latter a start. Ella had always found only Yvan’s anger to be terrifying, but why was she now feeling this same oppressive sensation from being stared at by this woman?

Ella had never met Matilda; she only knew that Yvan had been divorced. Even when he was married, his heart belonged to her sister.

Ella had always been overseas, and only after her sister’s passing did she start to come into Yvan’s life. She knew nothing of Matilda.

Mason, noticing the hostility Matilda held for Ella, tried to defuse the tension with a laugh, “Are you guys here for dinner? Perfect timing.”

“How about joining, us?” Unexpectedly, Yvan spoke up with an invitation, “Sitting by the window, just the two of you, must be a bit lonely, right? Why not join us in the private room?”

“No, thank you,” Matilda declined without a second thought.