Chapter 17 : Chapter 17 : 95 55 vouchers Allen and Matilda instinctively reached out at the same time , grabbing each other's shoulders in reflex . Their eyes met , and both froze for a moment . Matilda recovered first . " Dr. Saunders , I've got something to do . Let's talk next time ." Before Allen could answer , her shoulder slipped from his hand . He looked up just in time to see her striding toward the V - ward . At Saints International Hospital , the regular rooms were all singles , but the V - ward suites were downright luxurious . Shelby's room had its double doors thrown wide open , like it was waiting for someone . Matilda walked through the living room area and stepped inside . Shelby was half - sitting on the hospital bed , with Brandon and Zack on either side of her . All three of them stared at Matilda the moment she walked in , following her with their eyes as she came to the foot of the bed . Matilda dropped her bag at Brandon's feet with a heavy thud . Without a word , she started unbuttoning her blouse . Her hands moved fast and sharp , without the slightest hesitation . In an instant , Brandon realized what she was doing . His rage shot up , and he stormed over , grabbing her wrists , the muscles in his face twitching . " Addicted to stripping now ? How shameless can you get ? " " Let me go . You're just making Tessa's life hell to get back at me for Shelby , right ? Fine . I'm here to give you what you want . I'll strip - strip down to nothing . " Zack , if you've got guts , don't shut your eyes . Pull out your phone and record it . " Matilda jerked her hands free and went back to unbuttoning . Zack suddenly panicked , his eyes darting away , not knowing where to look . His whole plan had been to make Matilda bow her head and admit defeat . He hadn't expected her to throw the rules out the window and rather strip naked than apologize . Brandon finally exploded . " Enough ! Outside ! Now ! " He yanked Matilda out of the room . His grip was so strong it felt like he was crushing her bones . Matilda struggled , but he only pulled tighter . In the living area , Brandon slammed her against the wall with brutal force . " You think you look good naked , huh ? " Matilda sneered , " Not as good as Shelby . Didn't you sneak in a few extra looks ? " " Matilda , I really misjudged you . You're rotten enough to use filth like this to hurt her . You just want to ruin 9:17 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 17 : .. ༣ ( ༡5 ) 55 55 vouchers Shelby , right ? " Brandon roared . Matilda turned her face away , cold and expressionless . She couldn't even bother wasting an emotion on him -he wasn't worth it . " All I did was strip her clothes . I didn't try to kill her . If she doesn't want to live , that's on her , not me . " " What about Tessa ? Doesn't she matter to you either ? " Brandon shot back . That struck her like a hand around her throat . For a long moment , she couldn't speak . Finally , she spat out , " I was the one who misjudged you . You bastards . Besides threats , what else can you do ? " " Methods don't matter . Results do . Matilda , is this your first day knowing me ? " Brandon's voice was ice - cold . " If it was , and I saw what you really were beneath the surface , I wouldn't have spared you a single glance , " Matilda shouted . Inside the ward , Shelby stretched her neck , trying to see . She couldn't make out what Brandon and Matilda were saying , but she could hear their voices . Still , they weren't yelling as fiercely anymore . That wasn't what Shelby wanted . " Zack , I don't want to see Matilda . Can you make her leave ? Please , get her out of here , " Shelby said , putting on an upset act . Zack softened his tone . " If we just let her walk away like this , then all that trouble with Tessa would've been for nothing . Don't worry - Matilda values loyalty . She'll come in and give you an explanation ." Shelby glanced toward the door , uneasy . She worried Matilda might blurt out that she hadn't completely stripped her - just left her with two pieces of clothing . As her anxiety grew , Brandon came back in . The fury in his eyes had faded , replaced with a cold emptiness . Matilda's white blouse , lace trim and all , was buttoned all the way up again . She walked in on high heels and picked up her bag . Then she looked Zack straight in the eye . " Mr. Maxwell , you've outdone yourself again today . Making things hard for your own wife just to side with an outsider - you really don't know who's close and who's not . " Zack gave a crooked grin . " Sharp tongue , sure . But you still showed up , didn't you ? I'm teaching you to recognize reality . Without Brandon backing you , you're nothing " Matilda tuned him out . None of it mattered . All she asked herself was whether she could swallow her pride once for Tessa's sake . The answer was yes . It wasn't about proving she was noble or righteous . It was because Tessa had opened her heart to her , seen her at her lowest , and still comforted and encouraged her without complaint . " Tell me , what do I have to do for you to stop making things hard for Tessa ? " Matilda said flatly . 9:17 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 17 Zack tossed the decision to Brandon . " Brandon , you call it ." Shelby's eyes filled with tears as she looked at him , afraid he might go soft . Brandon gave her a look that said , " Don't worry . I've got you . " Then he turned to Matilda , his face unreadable . " Post an apology on your social media . " a 95 65 vouchers Up until now , Matilda had never admitted fault in any of the scandals . If she apologized publicly , it'd be like admitting to lies she hadn't committed . Shelby smirked , pleased . " I'll do whatever you say , Brandon ." Zack pressed harder , " Matilda , I know your pride runs deep , but will you or won't you ? " Matilda reminded herself that the moment she walked in that room , she should've lowered her head- especially since Tessa was paying the price for her . She was about to agree when she caught Shelby's mocking smile , taunting her weakness . The words on her lips twisted into something else . " I can apologize online , but I'll need a day to draft it . And from now on , there's to be no more harassment of Tessa . " " Brandon ? " Shelby tugged his sleeve , not wanting him to give Matilda extra time . Brandon understood . " It's noon now . You've got eight hours . Matilda , you're in no place to bargain . " Matilda turned and stormed out . Rage and humiliation surged in her chest . She slammed the double doors behind her - two deafening bangs that echoed like the end of the world . She spun around and froze . Not far away , Allen stood holding test results . His whole body shook . 曲 AD Comment Send gift No Ads 9:17 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 18 Chapter 18