Chapter 586 A Bridge Between Us

"So… shouldn’t I get a reward?"

Jude leaned closer.

His deep, magnetic voice was tempting.

“And… what kind of reward do you want?”

Tilda finished her drink.

“Tilda, you know. Don’t torture me.”

His eyes locked on her lips.

Earlier, she’d only kissed his cheek, and it hadn’t been enough.

He kept wondering how sweet her lips would taste.

His throat tightened.

A kiss, with the warmth of breath and the taste of each other, was the most intoxicating thing.

Tilda touched her finger to her lips. “Say something nice to make me happy, then I’ll kiss you.”

Jude’s voice dropped low. “Once, I read a line from a writer. Back then, I didn’t care about it at all. I even thought it was foolish. But after meeting you, I looked it up again and felt it differently. I want to tell you.

“In the middle of the hills and streams, I want to hold your hand and walk across this bridge. On the bridge are blossoms and green leaves, and beneath it are families by the water. One end of the bridge is youth with dark hair. The other end is old age with silver strands.”

Tilda’s heart skipped. “Are you using words from A Bridge Between Us to win me over?”

Jude didn’t answer. He just held her hand and, with his other hand, brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

Then his lips came down on hers without hesitation.

The taste was so sweet he couldn’t resist.

In an instant, he was lost in the whirlpool of her kiss.

Under the moonlight, the two of them were wrapped in romance.

“Alright, I really have to find Dane before he worries. Jude, you can go have fun by yourself for now.”

Jude’s mouth tightened. “Worry about what? You’re an adult. It’s not like you’re going to disappear…”

He hated how she cared about another man.

He wanted her whole heart, all to himself.

“Jude, don’t be stubborn. Life is long. I’ll have plenty of time to keep watching you.”

“Fine.”

He would try to set aside his possessiveness, to be more patient and accepting of the people around Tilda.

But…

That was hard. It meant changing his very nature.

Still, for Tilda, Jude was willing to try.

At that moment, Wade came upstairs to get some air.

He had just graduated, and this was his first time attending such a high-end party.

Talking with the older businessmen–men who were shrewd, guarded, and full of hidden meanings–was stressful.

He was terrified of saying the wrong thing, or missing something important, and creating trouble for Russell.

“So this is what Dominic went through back then… I really am a newbie. All I did before was hide behind Dominic’s protection while I chased my own dreams.

“I was way too selfish. Tilda was right.”

He gave a bitter smile.

Wade always thought about helping his family.

But in reality, his family had been silently protecting him instead.

Just standing next to Russell at a gathering like this made Wade feel so pressured that he could hardly breathe.

So how much more must Dominic have carried, as the eldest son, all these years?

And yet, Dominic never said a word about it.

He always protected them, always stood tall as the reliable big brother who could handle anything.

The Jensons weren’t like other wealthy families. They didn’t fight tooth and nail for power or tear each other apart for the chairman’s seat.

Now Wade realized he didn’t just owe Tilda–he owed so many people.

He suddenly wanted a cigarette, just to let out the frustration in his chest.

But as he reached for one, movement caught his eye.

His gaze sharpened.

Two figures in the shadows.

He couldn’t make out one of them.

But the other figure–he knew without a doubt.

Tilda.

Seeing how close the two of them were, Wade’s mind immediately jumped to one thought.

That man… is it Jude?

Is my bad feeling about to come true?

As Wade’s thoughts churned, Tilda and Jude finally separated.

And the first to walk toward him was Jude.

Jude narrowed his eyes. A dangerous aura radiated off him.

Just his presence–dark, overwhelming, like a king descending into someone else’s world–crushed the air out of Wade’s lungs.

It felt like invisible hands were squeezing his heart.

Every nerve in his body screamed the same warning:

This man was someone he could never afford to provoke.

Compared to Jude, Dominic’s danger level wasn’t even close.