Chapter 209
On the other side, Matilda was freaking out after realizing Chloe ad vanished without a trace. She was
so worried that she considered calling the cops. But after a brief visit to the station, they told her it was
too soon to file a missing person’s report and advised her to just go home and wait.
Later that night, deep into the witching hour, Matilda’s phone rang with Chloe’s number.
Matilda answered in a panic, “Where the heck have you been after settling the bill? You scared the life
out of me! I thought someone had snatched you!”
‘I’m downstairs. Let me in when you can.”
Chloe’s voice was hoarse, devoid of her usual bubbly demeanor. Five minutester, Matilda opened
the door to find Chloe standing there, ghostly pale.
Tears clung to her eyes. “Mat, I…”
The sight of the angry bruises marring her neck sent a jolt of pain through Matilda. Without a word, she
wrapped Chloe in a tight embrace, whispering, “It’s okay. It’s all okay now. You’re safe, you’re home. I
was terrified you’d be someone’s captive.”
Chloe buried her face in Matilda’s shoulder and sobbed. By this time, Logan had long since retired to
his room, and Chloe’s return was sote that Matilda, too, was worn out from waiting. She guided
Chloe to her room, and they huddled together under the covers, Chloe’s tears flowing ceaselessly.
“Enough now,” Matilda said with a heavy heart, “Forget about it, Chloe. Hey, how about we both head
out to a new city?”
Chloe looked up, her eyes a sea of confusion. “It’s impossible. Den won’t let me go…”
“I made it through the tough times,” Matilda said, looking into her friend’s face, “and so can you.”
Chloe stared nkly at Matilda for a long time. “Once we wrap up the studio project, let’s quit and leave
this ce.”
Run away. Escape this city that harbors the men they fear.
Matilda nodded firmly. “Deal! You’re a whiz at admin, and I’ve got the design chops. We’ll never go
hungry, wherever we go. No need to suffer over Den anymore.”
Chloe’s tears started anew, “Mat, can feelings reallyst a lifetime in this world?”
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Matilda met her gaze and said softly, “Feelings are the most fickle things on earth. If you keep your
heart in check, it won’t hurt.”
Chloe’s resolve seemed to harden, “But I can’t ept this. I want Den to suffer… Just like I hope
you can tame Yvan, despite him being a jerk. I want him to be consumed by the
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agony of the unattainable.”
To suffer endlessly, craving what he can never have.
Matilda chuckled lightly, “Alright, let’s not talk about that now. Den will regret his actions eventually,
just like Yvan will.”
Clutching each other’s hands, the two women foundfort and warmth in each other’spany.
Chloe’s eyshes trembled as she spoke with a chilling resolve.
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“I want them to lose everything, to live in misery and insignificance, penniless and haunted by
memories of our goodness!”
In that moment, a fearsome hatred flickered in Chloe’s eyes. “Matilda, help me, please help
me!”
Matilda looked at her steadfastly. “If ever you find yourself at rock bottom, needing someone to reach
out to, it won’t be Den. It will be me.”
The studio’s “Love Evolution” game had been on the market for a week and quickly garnered rave
reviews from countless young women. A Facebook group even popped up dedicated to the game, with
people sharing their gamey experiences. The romantic storylines satisfied their yearning for love,
attracting even the most reclusive gamers, with burly men downloading the game and swooning over
the male leads.
“Dude, that CEO character is a total stud!”
“I’m going all out to win over the doctor!”
“Shoot, that cop looks so hot in his uniform. Talk about uniform appeal!”
Amid the tidal wave of positive feedback, Matilda felt a surge of pride. However, a dark
cloud loomed over another corner of the studio.
That cloud came in the form of a departure–a final one.
Chloe was gone. Gone for good.