Theodore's eyes narrow, his features contort with a mix of anger and worry. The standoff between them intensifies, emotions spiralling out of control. His mind races, torn between breaking down the door to ensure Irene's safety and respecting her desire for privacy."Enough! I won't leave until you open this door and let me in. I can't bear the thought of you hurt and in pain," Theodore's voice cracks, his words dripping with desperation and genuine concern.Inside the bathroom, Irene's resolve wavers. His words strike a chord deep within her, a reminder of the genuine care he holds for her well-being. But pride and a desire for independence still linger, creating a tumultuous inner struggle.A heavy silence descends upon them, each grappling with their own emotions and the weight of the situation. The atmosphere crackles with tension, their connection hanging in the balance.Minutes stretch into an eternity as they stand on opposite sides of the door, locked in a battle of wills. In
"I don't believe so," Theodore replied calmly, his voice tinged with an air of confidence. "You need to inquire about my identity. Deep down, we both acknowledge my right to be here. It is unquestionable because, my dear, I am now part of the family. You included in today"Drawing nearer to Irene, Theodore positioned himself directly in front of her. Tenderly, he took hold of her delicate hand with his larger one. Meanwhile, Irene made a feeble attempt to conceal her exposed décolletage(cleavage), a reflex action triggered by the touch of his fingers grazing her bare skin. The sensation sent shivers down her spine, leaving her in a state of partial numbness."Or perhaps you desire a reminder of who I truly am," Theodore murmured, his eyes smouldering with a mixture of desire and longing. With a single touch, Irene had the power to ignite a blazing inferno within him.Irene's breath caught in her throat at the unexpected mention of "sister-in-law." She could never have fathomed him add
Theodore could feel Irene's distress, her eyes revealing inner turmoil as she sat on the floor. His heart ached seeing her like this. "Please, tell me what happened. Why are you so upset?" he asked, genuinely concerned.Irene remained silent, clearly unhappy and uncomfortable with him invading her personal space, especially in the bathroom."I've already told you, I'm not going to say," she replied, her frustration evident in her voice.Theodore stood his ground, refusing to back down despite her resistance. "I need to know.""Please, just leave me alone. Today is really not my day, and this marriage messes everything up. Your forceful intrusion into my house isn't helping either," Irene's voice trembled as she struggled to maintain composure.Theodore felt agitated upon learning about the forced marriage and her professors threatening to cancel her scholarship. Irene's tears made it all the more painful for him.Irene had never cried in front of anyone, but this guy had brought so muc
Irene was acutely aware of Lily's unwavering support and non-judgmental nature. Their friendship had blossomed since their kindergarten days, when Irene's own parents seemed oblivious to her existence. Lily had always been there for her, offering a comforting shoulder to cry on and unwavering support.Given their history, Irene wasn't surprised by Lily's hyperactive reaction to the current situation. Lily had always been animated when it came to anything involving Irene, and Irene had grown accustomed to it."Let's continue this conversation in the canteen," Irene suggested, tugging at her hoodie in an attempt to conceal her anxiety. The thought of drawing more attention to herself was overwhelming.Irene had always kept herself hidden, both in her choice of clothing and her reluctance to reveal her true identity as a member of the Jones family. None of her university peers knew about her family background, and she had no intention of exposing herself to unnecessary scrutiny. The idea
"Who cares about their plans? If you keep overthinking their actions, things won't work out. Just go with the flow, girl. Stand up to Cyril and make sure he never bothers you again. You always act too softly, and that's why everyone tries to push your buttons. But don't let people like him affect you, Irene. This is not how you should handle it," Lily said empathetically.Lily understood her friend well. No matter how hard Irene tried to be strong, things always ended up in chaos. Lily tried to make her see that it wasn't the right approach. Irene was always scared of disappointing her family, or maybe she just desperately craved their love.Lily couldn't fully grasp it, as her own family was always supportive. She had seen Irene cry and beg for her parents' love countless times, but they never gave it."You know I can't, and the marriage is already done. It's not like that's going to change anything here," Irene replied with resignation.Lily reached out and gently held Irene's hands
After a busy day, Irene returned to her apartment, with Lily insisting on coming along to live with her. However, Irene declined, not wanting to drag Lily into the mess she was already dealing with. She dreaded the thought of Cyril showing up and causing trouble, especially in front of her friend or anyone, given her last ounce of self-respect.Entering her apartment, Irene felt an eerie atmosphere. It was not an easy situation; she was irritated by what was going on."Who's here?" she asked, hearing commotion inside her place. She hoped it wouldn't be the worst-case scenario, as living alone was already frightening enough."You came back?" a voice asked, sending shivers down her spine."Who?" Irene asked again, feeling scared."It's your dear big sister," Misha stepped forward, shocking Irene even more. It had been a whole year since anyone from Jones' family had entered her house, making her feel unsafe.Perhaps there were more bombs yet to be thrown at her, and she had no idea how
As Irene stepped out of the class, her mind was finally at ease after completing her last exam. The semester had been a whirlwind of stress and hard work, but now she could finally breathe. However, her moment of relaxation was interrupted by the sight of Josh, the new guy who had recently joined their faculty. She couldn't help but wonder why he enrolled in the final exams instead of waiting for the next semester.He had a presence that was hard to miss – the tall, well-built frame and chiselled features gave him a striking appearance, earning him the nickname "Greek god" among their peers. Irene had noticed that he seemed to be popular, and she often found him trying to start conversations with her, even though they didn't know each other well.As Josh approached her, Irene greeted him with a curious expression. "What happened, Josh?"He seemed a bit nervous, his usually confident demeanour faltering slightly. "Uh, well... I was wondering if you could help me out with some notes. I m
Irene's frustration reached its peak, and she realised she couldn't tolerate him anymore. Her patience had run out, and she no longer had the will to compromise. Though Irene wished to speak these words directly to his face, she knew he would completely ignore her and proceed with his absurd plan to frighten her by using her husband's name, which was nothing short of a complete disaster. "Don't worry too much; I won't do anything harmful... yet," Theodore chuckled, amused by Irene's behaviour. Even though she tried to hide her face, it was evident how repulsed she was, to the point of wanting to kick him out. Her expression mirrored her disgust. The disguise as Cyril gave Theodore a sense of satisfaction. It was a clever strategy he used whenever he wanted to wander incognito. Not many people knew his cousin Cyril, who lived overseas. This anonymity provided a comforting shield. "Cyril, it would be best if you left. This doesn't feel right. My landlord won't allow a guy to stay h
"Huh?" Irene was confused, unable to comprehend what he found romantic in any case. It was certainly beyond her understanding.There was nothing remotely romantic about this situation, which was quite perplexing. It seemed like he had some strange notion in his mind, making it impossible for him to grasp something as ordinary as this."I said this is so romantic, the way you challenge me. I would love to see how you handle challenges in bed though," Theodore deliberately commented, a mischievous glint in his eyes.Irene felt her cheeks flush at the sensation of his words, which were clearly evident."Drop the act. There is no romance here, and if you think I would ever be in your bed, you're delusional and daydreaming," Irene retorted, growing tired of his nonsensical and idiotic questions that made no sense to her."I believe you should never say never, especially when you have a handsome man like me. Men like me don't even spare a glance at ugly women like you," Theodore said, playf
"I hope you just disappear from my life before I need you to witness something," Irene said, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her dress while giving him a death glare."I don't know if wishes come true, but I swear Irene, this one is too good to be true. That much I know," Theodore replied, smiling at her.If Irene thinks she can escape from this situation, she must be lost in her own hallucinations. It seems like he wanted this, not her."I need to go. You've already wasted enough of my time," Irene answered, turning away and limping with pain in her feet. She had endured enough dragging and standing for her liking."Of course we've wasted time. I need to meet your friends too," Theodore replied, quickly following her and walking beside her."Huh?" Irene looked at him, confused. It was as if she had heard something wrong or her ears were playing tricks on her. This was too hellish to even imagine.She knew he was mentally unstable, but this was beyond her comprehension. He had no
Irene's mind buzzed with disbelief as he casually uttered those words, as if it wasn't the most shameless thing anyone could say.For him, it clearly didn't matter. He had the audacity to speak such words before her wedding day, a day that was supposed to be one of the happiest in her life. Which, It was not due to the whole Forced marriage thing. But to make it worse, his words would forever echo in her mind.And now he had the nerve to claim that he would leave her if she slept with him.What was the issue here? Irene felt completely unstable, unable to comprehend the situation.In one moment, he would call her ugly, and in the next, he would act crazy, showering her with unexpected kisses and talking about sleeping together.He made it sound like she was the ugliest woman alive on this planet, and she couldn't argue with that. After all, she was pale and plain-looking. But of course, that's all he saw.At least she wasn't ugly on the inside. The entire Jones family, including this C
Theodore Conscience sneered as he observed Irene, who appeared to be a complete mess compared to before when her mother was dragging her. Her face was flushed, and she struggled to catch her breath after the forceful kiss. Her lips were swollen and stained with her own blood, a sight that strangely appealed to Theodore."You look like a complete disaster now," Theodore commented softly, unsure if the words were his own. Irene's presence made it difficult for him to maintain control, as his desire surged within him."Why the hell did you have to kiss me? Don't you understand that I am married to your own brother?" Irene's eyes turned red as she blinked her eyelashes, attempting to meet his gaze. His green eyes showed no remorse, only a wicked intention that made it clear he didn't care about the consequences.Him kissing her? It was a trivial matter. With his looks, he could have any woman he desired, day and night. But Irene was different. She believed that certain intimate acts were
"Yes, my dear," Theodore whispered, his voice dripping with affection. "You exude such innocence and charm, regardless of what you may think of me and my brother. However, I must confess that I harbour some rather impure thoughts about you." Without hesitation, he withdrew his thumb from her delicate lips and replaced it with his warm, eager mouth.Irene was taken aback by the suddenness of the kiss, especially considering they were in the hospital hallway where anyone could stumble upon them. Even if no one were to witness their indiscretion, she couldn't fathom how he could dare to kiss her so brazenly. It was utterly absurd.She began to struggle, but Theodore's hand, firmly grasping her cheek, tightened its grip, causing her to gasp into his mouth. This gave him the opportunity to explore her mouth with his tongue, engaging in a passionate dance while his lips hungrily devoured hers."Mhmmm," Irene whimpered, her voice muffled by the forceful kiss. The roughness of it caused her t
Irene responded firmly, locking eyes with him as he gently held her cheek, his thumb caressing her lips."Is that so?" Theodore tried to suppress a smile, hearing her passionately defend him without even knowing what he looks like.He never regretted his decision, but he found himself enjoying this charade as Cyril more than he had anticipated. He rarely revealed his true identity, only doing so when necessary, while keeping his face hidden from the world.But with Irene, it felt like the right choice. He could see that she wasn't trying to win him over, despite knowing he was Cyril Myers. She had the opportunity to ask for numerous favors, yet she chose to defend her husband whom she had never met."Yes, I don't need any validation from you," Irene blinked, shrugging her shoulders to show that she didn't care about his opinion.Irene didn't know what her husband looked like or how terrible he could be because they had never met. However, she despised people who lacked empathy and made
Theodore questioned, taken aback by the fact that she was speaking. He knew she thought he hated her, but that was a different story for him. He hated all Jones, but Irene was a different case; things were just over the top for her.He had an overbearing nature. There was nothing to it, but with Irene, it was all the way."You already heard me, why do I need to repeat myself?" Irene's expressions turned sour as she questioned.She felt like whatever she said went above his head, and he cared less about what she was doing or saying, which was surely a thing."Don't be so hasty with things, it's not like I need to do something to shut your mouth, little one. Or do I?" Theodore started walking and got closer to her.He placed his hand on her soft cheek, rubbing his thumb on her pink, juicy lips. He couldn't forget how his first kiss tasted, having her as his first kiss.He was just over the moon to have her as his first kiss. It was replaying in his head again and again, like a tape recor
"Childhood friend," Irene replied. She didn't understand why he was so interested in her, but given her current situation, she knew it was better to comply with him.He was intimidating, and she could sense his power. There was no way she wanted to test him."Then why did you lie? If you came here for a friend, what is there to hide? Or are you having an extramarital affair?" Theodore asked, unable to comprehend why she would hide anything if she had come here for a friend.Anger surged through Theodore's veins at the thought of Irene having an affair. He couldn't understand why, but he didn't believe it. From the moment he first met her, when she denied him and claimed to be married, he had his doubts.Even though he was her own husband, he had encountered her under the guise of Cyril. And when he had asked to sleep with her, she had pushed him away. Of course, he had never intended to sleep with any woman, and it wasn't part of his plan. He simply wanted to gauge his replacement br
Irene's senses were instantly heightened when Theodore commanded everyone to leave. Within minutes, the hallway emptied, a clear indication that things were not going well for her. Helplessness washed over her as she took deep breaths, unsure of what to expect. The cold wind brushed against her, intensifying her awareness of the situation. Despite her best efforts to remain calm, the look Theodore gave her made it difficult."I'm going to ask you one last time," Theodore's face contorted as he spoke, "if you lied, I'm going to humiliate you right here in this hallway."Hearing the dangerous tone in his voice and seeing the emotionless expression on his face, which was different from his usual insulting demeanour, Irene instinctively took a few steps back. The fear she felt from his menacing presence was overwhelming, but his words were even more terrifying.He had the power to evoke a myriad of emotions within her, leaving her frozen in place. Though every fibre of her being screamed