Mathilda’s POV
“Mathilda? Where are you? Come out.”
I wiped away the tears that had been streaming down my face for the past twenty minutes. Fredric’s voice reminded me that I had to pull myself together. No matter what drama had unfolded tonight, I needed to play my part. I couldn’t let Mrs. Rosa see me weak.
“Ah, there you are! I was so worried looking for you. What took you so long, Mathilda?”
I looked up at Fredric — it was the first time I’d ever seen him worried about me. And honestly, seeing him like that sparked a small, fragile warmth inside me.
“I’m sorry… I’m just not used to facing everyone, Mr. Fredric.”
“I can’t believe I have to say this, but you don’t need to be afraid of their words. You’ve been great today — you look incredible. Just ignore their negativity; there’s
