Chapter 134 Juliana
"So you've never been able to beat him, can't do anything about it, so you come here to push me around instead? Classic bully move—pick on the softest target, right?"
Nason let out another cold laugh, then looked at her with an expression like he wanted to devour her whole.
Matilda wasn't afraid of him.
"Whatever you're planning to do to me just shows how pathetic you are. If you really had any guts, you'd use legitimate means to go after Charles and Wentworth, compete with them fair and square. Then I'd respect you as a man."
Nason laughed again. "You're adorably naive." He stepped closer, invading her personal space, then raised an eyebrow. "I just love stealing things from Wentworth. Anything that's his—good or bad—I want to take it."
...
After her shift, Matilda headed to the parking garage to get her car. With all these society people showing up to see her lately, she'd been on high alert, especially in places like underground parking garages. She had to watch out for anyone who might suddenly appear.
Her time at the border had probably honed her vigilance. Right now, she could feel someone watching her from somewhere in the garage. She couldn't let her guard down, but she also couldn't look too scared.
After pulling out her keys, she did a quick sweep around her car, checking for anything suspicious. Just as she rounded the back bumper, a hand suddenly landed on her back.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the hand and executed a perfect shoulder throw.
Nason let out a yelp of pain. He hit the ground hard and lay there clutching his lower back, staring up at Matilda in disbelief.
Matilda knew better than to stick around. She jumped in her car, started the engine, and took off.
Nason watched the white Range Rover speed away. He couldn't help letting out a derisive laugh. This woman was actually kind of interesting.
...
That weekend, Matilda got a call from Amelia saying there were guests at the house and she needed to come home to meet them.
Matilda was extremely reluctant. Sure, after that party, the upper crust all knew about Matilda's existence, but Amelia still didn't want to acknowledge her status as a daughter-in-law. If she was calling Matilda back now, she definitely had an agenda. Probably just another way to put her down.
Still, they hadn't completely torn off the masks yet. Amelia was still technically her mother-in-law. Matilda had to give her at least that much face.
Just as she was about to head to the Gonzaga estate, Zoey called. She'd gotten the summons too. As the bride-to-be, Zoey also had to show up. Zoey had a driver and suggested Matilda skip driving herself—they could ride together and chat on the way.
Half an hour later, Matilda climbed into Zoey's car. Zoey seemed a bit down, quieter than usual.
Matilda couldn't help asking, "What's wrong? You're getting married at the end of the month. What's got you so bummed?"
Zoey leaned against Matilda's shoulder. "I just feel like Charles doesn't actually want to marry me."
Matilda laughed. "If he didn't want to marry you, why would he make such a big production of proposing at your house? You've already sent out the wedding invitations, right? The Gonzagas are planning the whole thing. Look at my wedding—I got nothing."
Zoey sighed. "I just feel like Charles and I don't act like people who are about to get married. Every couple about to tie the knot is all lovey-dovey, practically glued to each other twenty-four-seven, right?"
"Charles runs an entire corporation. If he spent twenty-four hours a day stuck to you, who'd sign the paychecks for all those employees? You?"
Zoey shook her head. "It's not that I need him attached to me all the time. It's just this feeling—like he's going through the motions, doing this out of obligation."
"But are you happy about marrying him?"
Zoey said earnestly, "Of course I'm happy! I'm going to be the best wife ever."
"Well, there you go. What you're feeling is probably just pre-wedding jitters—you know, what they talk about online."
Zoey considered this. "Maybe you're right."
Once Matilda had talked her off the ledge, they started discussing the real purpose of today's visit to the Gonzaga estate.
"Mrs. Gonzaga said she wants us to meet a guest. Any idea who it could be?" Zoey asked.
Matilda shook her head. "No clue."
"If she's making us come all the way back for this, the guest must be really important to her."
"We'll find out soon enough."
...
At the Gonzaga estate, Matilda and Zoey arrived in the living room to find Amelia sitting with a young woman.
It wasn't Jessica—she'd already gone back to England.
The woman looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall and slender with porcelain skin. She had this mixed-race vibe—classic yet striking, absolutely dazzling.
The moment Matilda saw her, she felt completely outclassed.
"Mrs. Gonzaga, is this your guest?" Zoey went over to greet them first.
Amelia smiled and pulled Zoey close. "You and Charles are getting married so soon—you should call me Mom now."
Zoey called out shyly, "Mom!"
"Good girl."
Matilda also approached and said, "Mom."
Amelia just gave her a cool glance. "Sit."
Once they were all seated, Amelia gestured toward the stunning mixed-race woman. "This is Juliana. Her mother's from Phoenix City, her father's foreign. We met when I was abroad. During that time, we got along wonderfully—like mother and daughter. Her mother and I are best friends."
Juliana gave Matilda and Zoey a gracious wave—that counted as a greeting.
Matilda thought Juliana had that leading-lady quality you see in movies.
She vaguely remembered that a couple years ago, when Amelia had pressured her to leave Wentworth, Amelia had hinted at having an ideal daughter-in-law candidate in mind. This must be her—Juliana.
"Mom, are you introducing us to Juliana so we can show her around Phoenix City? Have you been here before, Juliana?" Zoey asked.
"I rarely come to Phoenix City, but I have relatives here. I'm staying with them now," Juliana replied.
Amelia smiled. "It took quite a bit of convincing to get Juliana to come back to the country. She's an Oxford graduate, speaks ten languages, and just finished her doctorate."
Then Amelia turned to Juliana. "Juliana, if you're not in a rush to start working, you could spend a month or two exploring opportunities here. I'm really hoping you'll decide to develop your career domestically."
Juliana smiled. "I'll try."
The group chatted for a while, but it was mostly them talking. Matilda barely said a word. She hadn't traveled much, was just a small-time doctor—the things they discussed were completely foreign to her. She had nothing to contribute.
Besides, Amelia's purpose in calling her here was painfully obvious: she wanted Matilda to know exactly what her ideal daughter-in-law looked like.