Chapter 240: The Crazy Nova

Matthew was about to step aside when Nova, with a sly smile, threw out a threat.

"Your mom's in there, right? She's had a rough year, and it's not her first time in the hospital. If you don't want me to say something that'll upset her, don't ignore me."

Matthew's brows furrowed, and he froze in place, her words hitting him hard.

He stared at the grinning Nova in front of him, feeling like he didn't know her at all.

The Nova he remembered was never like this. She used to be lively, bright, and sensible—the most capable person on his team.

That's why, back in Solterra, Matthew had given her a high status and a lot of authority. But now, it seemed like Nova had become increasingly arrogant, to the point where she could say something like this.

He glared at Nova, wishing he could just reach out and strangle her. His words of confrontation were forced out through gritted teeth.

"When you became an orphan, my mom took care of you for so long. No matter where you were, she always cared for you like her own daughter."

"She gave you everything you wanted—money, material things. How can you say something like this?"

Nova's gaze turned icy as she stared at Matthew, then suddenly let out a mocking laugh.

The garden was lit by a few street lamps, their light harsh and glaring.

Nova leaned in close to Matthew's ear and whispered, "You wouldn't understand. After Ethan died, you're the only person I care about in this world."

"I don't care what others think of me. As long as I can stay by your side for even a moment longer, I'd kill an innocent person if I had to."

Nova had changed into a tight red dress on her way here. Now, with her movements, her soft skin was exposed.

She brazenly pushed her chest forward, her eyes full of admiration and expectation.

The strong smell of alcohol hit Matthew, making him feel nauseous.

Nova's nearly insane words left Matthew so shocked he didn't know what to say.

He had watched Nova grow up bit by bit. Except for the brief impact of her brother's death, she had always been a carefree little princess.

How did Nova become like this? Matthew couldn't understand.

Even though Nova kept threatening him, he still pushed her away without hesitation, his gaze cold as he warned her.

"Don't think that saying these things will make me let you get close. Whatever self-destructive things you want to do have nothing to do with me!"

"Today, I'm warning you again. Don't ever appear in front of me or my mom. If I find out you dare to disturb her, I have a hundred ways to kill you!"

The lights flickered a few times. Nova had wanted to steal a kiss from Matthew but was directly avoided.

The atmosphere was tense. Matthew's men wanted to intervene but were stopped by a single look from him.

Nova seemed oblivious, her gaze almost obsessive.

Seeing that Matthew hadn't left yet, she mistakenly thought it was a good time to confess and moved closer.

"Do you know how much I like you? I..."

Before she could finish, Matthew grabbed her by the neck, cutting off her words.

A loud noise echoed in the quiet garden.

Matthew pinned her to the ground with such force it seemed like he would break her neck. Listening to her struggling cries, his grip tightened.

He was truly furious.

When Nova realized this, her eyes widened in terror. She instinctively tried to pry Matthew's hand off, her legs kicking frantically.

Her carefully applied makeup was ruined, her dress covered in dirt, her high heels scraping the ground with a harsh sound, and her face quickly turned red from lack of air.

After a while, Nova managed to squeeze out a few words.

"Please... let me go..."

"Don't you get it?" Matthew leaned in, his voice low and cold. "I really want you dead."

A soft cough came from the second-floor balcony. It was Claire.

She had been watching the whole scene, taking in everything that had happened.

Matthew understood Claire's meaning and abruptly let go.

Nova collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, coughing violently and greedily sucking in air.

The alcohol had gone to her head, making her dizzy and her vision blurry.

Unable to hold it in, Nova vomited right there, spilling everything she had eaten and drunk that night.

The once beautiful garden was now a mess, utterly disgusting.

Claire turned away, disheartened, not wanting to deal with the repulsive Nova. If she hadn't been on the second floor, she might not have recognized Nova's true nature so quickly.

Matthew also found this version of Nova repulsive. He turned and walked away, coldly instructing the servants in the garden.

"Clean this up and throw Nova out."

"And inform the parking lot that Nova is no longer allowed to enter the estate!"

Without another glance at her, Matthew adjusted his cuff and left.

Nova struggled to lift her head from the ground, tears streaming uncontrollably as she shouted at him.

"Do you know how loyal I am to you? When Francis came to me for a partnership, I refused him without hesitation and even mocked him for you!"

"I love you so much, and you treat me like this?"

It was too much to bear!

But Matthew acted as if he hadn't heard, not even pausing his steps.

Matthew's subordinate, Tom Brown, had witnessed the whole scene. He looked at the cold and unfeeling Matthew, sweating with anxiety.

Though he shouldn't interfere in Matthew's personal affairs, as someone who had been with him since Solterra, Tom couldn't stand it.

He never believed Nova was a bad person, just a girl seeking true love. Matthew was being too heartless.