A Journey from Bitterness to Truth (Matilda and Yvan) novel Chapter 268

From that day forward, the dynamic between Matilda and Orson was as if a layer of frost had formed, invisible yet palpable to all. Though no one spoke of the chill in the air, it was as clear as day to everyone around them.

Even their friends couldn't help but notice that something was off with Matilda and Orson. They had a certain... awkwardness brewing between them.

Orson used to brew a pot of coffee and always make sure to pour a cup for Matilda. But now, he made his coffee solo. In the group chat, it was usually Matilda who would quickly chime in after Orson. But not anymore. She left his jokes hanging, and the whole group felt the cold silence.

One day, in the break room, Luna whispered to Hala, "Did they have a fight or something?"

Hala, ever the gossip hound, had an inkling. "My guess? Orson's being a stubborn mule, and Matilda's just letting him be. So here we are."

"Should we... should we play Cupid and get them back together?" Yoshi, who had overheard, joined the conspiracy corner. The two women and one dinosaur huddled together, an amusing sight to behold.

Then, out of nowhere, the boss of the studio—Baxter, a former world champion gamer—caught wind of the hushed conversations and dove into the fray like a jungler ambushing in League of Legends. "What's the gossip, folks? Count me in."

"Holy smokes, boss!" Yoshi cursed, startled by his sudden appearance. "You scared the bejesus outta me."

"Big deal. If you're that jumpy, you don't need me to scare you," Baxter rolled his eyes, then turned to Luna. "What's this secret plan? Trying to get Matilda and Orson back to their old selves?"

"Spot on," Hala said with admiration. "Baxter's got the eyes of a hawk."

Baxter, sipping his coffee as if it was a fine wine, mused, "Here's what we do, according to this old sage—get them both plastered and toss them in a bed together. Problems solved, right?"

"Man, that's wicked," Yoshi laughed. "That's a devilish plan... pure genius!"

Luna clapped her hands excitedly. "Brilliant! We get Matilda drunk, knock Orson out, book an upscale hotel suite, and lock them in. Come morning, it'll be sunshine and rainbows."

Hala smirked, "I'll buy the aphrodisiac."

The woman's face in the photos was the spitting image of Matilda, and thanks to recent media interviews, the public knew her well. Seeing that face in such compromising images, there was no mistaking it for anyone else.

The lewd comments piled up below the photos—remarks about her figure and insinuations about her private life.

When the studio crew saw the photos, they were livid, tripping over their words with rage. At first, Orson was clueless, but when he noticed everyone glued to their phones, his curiosity peaked. And there it was—photos of Matilda in bed.

For the first time, Orson's usually stoic facade cracked.

The face in those frontal shots was undeniably Matilda's...

Matilda herself was ashen, the comments on Facebook now a battleground with Mia's fans joining in to kick her while she was down, their gloating merciless.