Chapter 244 True Colors

Chapter 244 True Colors

Today he wore a white casual shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, head bent as he fiddled with something.

Hearing footsteps, Gavin turned around.

"Morning."

He strode over quickly, holding something out to Matilda.

It was a red rose, glistening with dew.

The petals were vibrant, in full, gorgeous bloom.

Matilda stopped mid-step, her gaze dropping to the flower. Last night she'd thought Gavin was just drunk and talking nonsense.

Apparently, he'd been serious.

"I passed a flower shop and thought this would suit you, so I bought one."

Gavin extended the flower a bit further, his smile bright and sunny.

"Go on, take it. Just think of it as a good morning gift from an ordinary friend. No pressure."

Matilda stared at the flower, unsure whether to accept it.

As she hesitated, the bed-and-breakfast's half-closed front door was suddenly pushed open from outside.

The person who walked in was a woman.

She looked refined, strikingly beautiful.

Matilda hadn't wanted to take the flower anyway, so she used this opportunity to step back half a pace, putting distance between herself and Gavin.

"Looks like someone's here."

Thinking it was a new guest, she turned to head upstairs.

"Well, well."

Just then, a woman's voice rang out across the courtyard.

The woman stood in the doorway, her eyes fixed on the red rose in Gavin's hand. She let out a cold laugh.

"You've already got a new target?"

Matilda stopped in her tracks.

She turned her head, her gaze shifting between the woman and Gavin.

Gavin had his back to the door. Hearing that voice, his body went rigid.

He turned around.

The gentle smile that had been on his face vanished instantly.

In its place was a kind of guilty panic.

He glanced at Matilda, nearly dropping the red rose in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Gavin's voice dropped low, his tone dripping with barely suppressed fury.

The woman took two steps forward.

"What am I doing here? You've got some nerve asking me that." She twisted her lips into a sneer, her face full of mockery. "Gavin, you sure ran fast. Phone turned off, contacts blocked—did you really think hiding out in Meadowbrook City meant I wouldn't find you?"

Matilda stood on the steps, her brow furrowing bit by bit.

These two not only knew each other—judging by that tone, their entanglement ran deep.

Gavin stepped forward, trying to grab the woman's arm.

"Let's talk outside."

"Don't touch me!" The woman yanked her arm away violently, her voice shooting up. "We'll talk right here! Outside? What for? Afraid your little lover will hear?"

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Gavin's face darkened, his voice sharp with frustration. "We're already over! Why are you still clinging to me!"

"Over?"

The woman laughed coldly, reaching out to grab Gavin by the collar.

"Then give me my money back! That three hundred thousand dollars you borrowed from me—you haven't paid back a single cent. You call that 'over'?"

Matilda stood a few steps away. Hearing that figure, her heart stirred slightly.

Gavin's expression twisted.

Ignoring his ugly look, the woman shoved him aside and turned toward Matilda.

She looked Matilda up and down, her gaze pausing for a second on the watch around Matilda's wrist.

"From the looks of it, you've got money, right?"

Matilda didn't respond.

The woman took another step forward, pointing a finger at Gavin's nose.

"Let me be straight with you—he specifically targets rich women like you. This time of year, anyone who travels all the way to Meadowbrook City is either single or nursing a fresh heartbreak. He camps out at this bed-and-breakfast every day, picking targets like clockwork."

The woman snorted, her voice growing sharper.

"First, he plays the sunny, easygoing guy—understanding, chatty. He acts as your guide, sends you little gifts, orchestrates romantic moments. Once you've let your guard down completely, he feeds you some tragic backstory to win your sympathy. Then, once you're together, he asks to borrow money. After that? Cold shoulder. Ghosting. Don't let him fool you!"

As Matilda listened, her mind flashed through Gavin's behavior over the past few days.

Starting conversations with her. Helping rush Thomas to the hospital. Buying meals. Taking her to the market. And last night's perfectly timed confession.

Everything had been so seamless.

So seamless there wasn't a single flaw to pick at.

She'd thought Gavin was just an enthusiastic travel companion—at most, someone with a bit of a crush on her.

Now it was clear: this had been a carefully orchestrated hunt all along.

And she was the prey.

Gavin's expression changed in an instant.

The harmless mask he'd worn shattered completely, his features contorting with rage and guilt into something grotesque.

"Shut your mouth!"

He roared at the woman, veins bulging on his forehead, lunging forward to cover her mouth with his hand.

"I didn't scam anyone! I was in a real relationship! Stop slandering me!"

The woman wasn't afraid of him at all. She dodged sideways and thrust her palm out toward him.

"You didn't scam anyone? Fine. Then give me back my three hundred thousand dollars first! Pay up!"

Gavin clenched his jaw, his face dark, unable to force out a single word.

The woman turned back to Matilda.

"Did he tell you he's a lawyer?"

Matilda nodded slightly.

The woman spat, her face full of contempt. "He's nothing but a pathetic gambling addict!"

She pointed at Gavin's nose, ruthlessly exposing his past.

"Two years ago, he worked at a law firm. Got hooked on online gambling, lost everything—even embezzled client funds. If he hadn't run, he'd be in jail by now! Now he drifts around, using this scam to con women out of money to feed that bottomless pit!"

Hearing all this, Matilda felt her stomach churn.

She stepped back, putting more distance between herself and Gavin.

These descriptions were nothing like the Gavin she'd known. He'd been that good an actor.

Exposed like this, Gavin was in a state of extreme agitation.

He stared at the woman, his fists clenched so tight they cracked audibly.

"I told you to shut up! Don't you understand!"

Gavin suddenly exploded, raising his hand and swinging a slap toward the woman's face.

The woman didn't dodge in time. The slap landed squarely, sending her stumbling backward until she fell hard onto the courtyard ground.

"You dare hit me!" The woman clutched her face, screaming, and grabbed an empty bottle nearby, hurling it at Gavin.

The bottle struck Gavin's shoulder before clattering to the ground.

Gavin completely lost it. He lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of the woman's hair, lifting his foot to kick her stomach.

"I'll kill you, you bitch! Ruining my score!"

Matilda's scalp prickled. Without thinking, she grabbed a broom leaning nearby and swung it hard at Gavin's back.

"Stop it!"

The broom handle slammed into Gavin's back with a dull thud.

Gavin grunted in pain, his movements jerking to a halt.