"Are you correcting what I'm saying?" The man was displeased. "I don't like others correcting me, because I'm always right."Sebastian was about to retort when Theodore turned and said, "Stop it. Rose is still in his hands. Can we please stay calm?""You…" Sebastian was unwilling; upon reflection, if he argued with Theodore here, it would only validate Theodore's point.So, he had to swallow his anger for now.He turned to look at the speaker, which had a microphone on top. Speaking into the microphone, he asked, "Where’s Rose?""Unlock the tablet."Theodore immediately unlocked the tablet. On the screen was a play button. He clicked it, and the tablet showed a video of Rosalie tied to a pole. There was a lot of blood on the ground.Seeing this, both men's emotions instantly unraveled."Damn it! What have you done to her?" Sebastian shouted."What can I do? Just what you see," the man replied slowly and unhurriedly, in stark contrast to Sebastian's fury.Sebastian's eyes turn
Rosalie's chin was grasped by a large hand, lifting her head. The man then took out his phone, and held it up in front of Rosalie. "Do you see? Both of those men came to save you."Rosalie panicked upon seeing the men on the screen. "What do you want to do?""Good question. I want to know which one of them is more important to you.""Neither of them is important," Rosalie said."Oh, is that so?" The man laughed. "Then how about I kill them both? I've set up a mechanism. As soon as I press this button, I can immediately shoot through their heads.""Don't!" Rosalie said urgently. "I'm already in your hands. There's no need for this.""So nervous!" the man said. "Didn't you say they're not important to you? If they're not important, why do you care?""I'm begging you. Please tell me what you really want to do.""I've told you. I want to know who is more important to you. One is your ex-husband whom you loved deeply, and the other is your husband. Do you love him?"Rosalie closed
“What about the injured one? Will you kill him?” Rosalie asked.“He’s already injured. Why should I kill him?” The man picked up his phone. “The left button is Theodore Spencer, and the right button is Sebastian Carter. The bottom-most button is for both of them dead. Which button should I press? Should I injure one of them, or should I just kill them both? Why don’t you tell me?”“No, I can’t make the choice! None of them should get hurt or die. I’m begging you, let them go! I’ll play whatever games you want, just let them go!”The man was losing his patience. “I’ll give you ten seconds to choose one, or both will die.” With that, he started counting down. “Ten, nine…”“How badly injured will the injured one be?” Rosalie asked anxiously.“Eight, seven, six…”“Answer me, or how am I going to choose?”“Five, four…”“I’m begging you, don’t be like this!”“Three, two, one.”“I choose Theodore Spencer!”Rosalie was forced to make a choice in a moment of desperation.The man s
“No! You’re talking nonsense!” Theodore said with every ounce of strength he had left. “She wouldn’t let me get injured, she wouldn’t!”“Really? I’ll let you see it for yourself!”An image was projected on the wall.“I choose Theodore Spencer!”Rosalie could be seen clearly in the projection.The abductor’s voice could be heard in the video, saying, “So, you chose Theodore. Does that mean you want Sebastian to be injured?”The man’s finger shifted to the button on the right as he spoke.“No, no,” Rosalie said in a trembling voice. “I meant that I choose for Theodore…to be injured.”The video ended abruptly and the projection stopped, leaving them staring at a mottled and peeling wall.Theodore slumped to the ground, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular, as if all his energy had been sucked out of him. He looked as if his soul had been yanked out of his body, and didn’t even have the strength to struggle.‘No…’ he thought despondently. ‘How could Rose treat me like
Sebastian drove following the directions the masked man gave him, and found a building.He got out of the car and rushed inside, only to find a person tied to a pillar, crying sadly.Rosalie heard the footsteps, and looked up to see Sebastian rushing toward her.“Rose!” He rushed up to her, and cupped her face in his hands. “Rose, I finally found you! Are you hurt?”He brushed her fringe off her forehead, and found an abrasion on her forehead. The sight broke his heart and filled him with rage.Rosalie looked dazed, and immediately asked while looking behind Sebastian, “Where is Theo? Where is he?”The masked man showed her a video, in which she saw Sebastian and Theodore heading here together.Hearing Rosalie show such concern to Theodore displeased Sebastian greatly. He immediately untied her from the pillar. Rosalie’s legs were sore; she collapsed backward, her body unable to stand it any longer.Sebastian held her at once. “Rose, I’ll take you home. I’ll protect you, and I’
“Where did you come from?” Rosalie asked. “I know you came with Theo. Where is he now?”Sebastian’s brows furrowed as irritation built up inside him. He wasn’t irritated with Rosalie, but with her overwhelming concern for Theodore’s life and death. It made him very uncomfortable.“Rose, it’s not safe here. Let me take you home first, alright? We’ll talk once we get home. Come on.”He grabbed her wrist.“I’m not going!” Rosalie shook his hand off. “If I don’t see Theo today, I won’t go anywhere. If you’re not telling me, I’ll go find him myself!”“What are you going to find him for?” Sebastian finally yelled, unable to hold himself in any longer. “I’m your husband. I came here risking my life to save you, but all you’re concerned with is Theodore Spencer! You know how dangerous this place is and that we might find ourselves in trouble anytime, but all you care about is him! Aren’t you worried that something might happen to me, too?”“I’ve already chosen you, what else do you want?
There was blood on the ground, and the air was eerily quiet.Rosalie stumbled upon the pool of blood, and collapsed on the ground. “Where is he? Where is he?”Sebastian saw the blood on the ground, and his brows furrowed.He had seen with his own eyes how Theodore was pierced through the chest with an arrow. He wasn’t able to call for help in time, either. Where could Theodore be?Under such circumstances, Theodore couldn’t have left by himself. Did someone come to rescue him?Uneasiness crept up Sebastian’s heart. It would be terrible if Theodore were still alive!Rosalie stood up, and ran toward Sebastian. She grabbed his collar and shrieked, “Where’s Theo? Where is he? Where is he?”“I don’t know,” Sebastian said. “He was here when I left to find you.”Rosalie was stunned when she heard Sebastian’s words. She turned around, and stared at the pool of blood at her feet. “You mean, you left him here with such a terrible injury and did nothing for him?!”Sebastian’s heart leape
Rosalie was still despondent when Sebastian brought her home.The moment they arrived home, Rosalie immediately called Theodore.She knew Theo’s number. Every digit was seared in her memory.Displeasure flashed past Sebastian’s eyes when he saw how Rosalie knew Theodore’s number by heart.However, he knew she wouldn’t be able to get through to Theodore by phone.As he had expected, when Rosalie put her phone to her ear, the call refused to go through. She tried it again and things remained the same.Theodore’s phone remained unresponsive.“Rose,” Sebastian said as he stepped forward. “I know you’re worried about him, but you have to protect yourself first. You’re still pregnant. I’ll call for a doctor to check on you. You and the baby come first, okay?”“The baby…” Rosalie said as she caressed her belly, and tears streamed down her face again. “The baby…is mine and Theo’s child. I have to tell him that I’m pregnant. I must tell him that.”Sebastian stood behind her, his eyes c
Meanwhile, Theodore testified as Aurora's alibi and bailed her out. By the time they left the police station, the sky had turned dark.The night air felt chilly, and Aurora shivered in the cold. Theodore took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders."The police said that he died two weeks ago," Theodore said. "You were the last person he saw before he died."Aurora's eyes were still red, her face etched with fatigue. "I have no idea. He did look for me then, and even beat me up. You know that, too. He offended way too many people, and all of them want him dead. He asked me for money the day he looked for me because he truly was at his wits' end." Theodore was silent. Seeing that, Aurora exclaimed in shock, "Theo, do you really think I killed him? I did not! How could I possibly do it? I…""There's no need to explain," Theodore said, cutting her off. "I didn't say that you killed him, or I wouldn't have testified for you.""Theo, I have no idea how or why he died. No wo
Theodore was about to stand up to stop Rosalie when someone knocked on the door.His secretary walked in. "Mr. Spencer, two policemen are here, asking to see you."Right after she said that, two policemen walked in. "Mr. Spencer."Theodore approached them, asking, "What's the matter?""Do you know Aurora Payne?""I do. What's wrong?""She's suspected to be involved in a murder case. According to our investigations, she was with you for a while previously. We want to know more.""Involved in a murder case?" Theodore asked. "Who died?""Her ex-boyfriend, Calvin Zabel. His corpse was fished out of the river, and he's been dead for around two weeks. According to our investigations thus far, Aurora Payne was the last person he saw before his death. However, she claims to be with you around two weeks ago."Theodore instinctively turned to glance at Rosalie.Rosalie had nothing to say about Aurora and Theodore being together. She had no reason to be jealous since she and Theodore we
At their last encounter, every word Rosalie said to Theodore was piercing. Now that she was calm after not seeing him for a while, she realized Theodore's state seemed to be deteriorating.She bore a grudge against him, but seeing him like this instinctively made her sentimental about their past.Theodore heard Rosalie's words and looked at her, stunned. After a long silence, he murmured, "Live for myself?"He suddenly chuckled. "I am living for myself. I'm doing well, don't worry."He spoke with a tinge of panic, betraying his true mental state.He looked as though he was trying to hide something, and Rosalie knew that she wouldn't be able to pry it from his lips. She nodded instead. "I certainly hope so.""Rose, you and Justin…"Theodore paused for a moment, his breathing suddenly erratic as he felt a twinge of pain in his heart."Theo," Rosalie said, "my life is my own and your life is yours. It's good enough that we lead our own lives peacefully. Don't bother yourself w
Two weeks passed by in a flash.Life was a living hell for Theodore without his medication. The sleeping pills did help him sleep, but they couldn't soothe his nerves.He went to the doctor again, who told him this was a withdrawal symptom and he tried to counsel Theodore about it.Without the support of medication, Theodore found himself spiraling.Back at home, he was tortured by insomnia. Even the pills failed to help him sleep. In the day, he couldn't concentrate at work no matter how hard he tried. He became even more hot-tempered, irritated by anyone who crossed his path.In the CEO's office…Theodore flew into a rage, throwing documents on the floor and scolding some of the senior executives of his team."What in the world are you doing?! Useless bums! You can't even do something so minor!"They were all frightened by Theodore's outburst. He was seldom so bad-tempered and always behaved very respectably. Even if his subordinates did something wrong, he wouldn't flare u
Theodore took his original pills to a pharmaceutical quality testing laboratory. He knew someone from there who did a composition analysis on the pills.The results showed that it was a legitimate psychoactive drug prescribed by the hospital and there were no issues with it.Theodore wanted to test the pills because he suspected that someone switched out the pills, but based on the test results, the pills were exactly what the doctor had previously prescribed.Perhaps he was overthinking.He had been exceeding the dosage during this period. The doctor had reminded him about the strong side effects of the pill and warned him to strictly follow his instructions, but he didn't heed the doctor's orders. He deserved whatever happened to him.For a long time, he had been relying on medication to maintain his mental state, which was hanging by a thread. Otherwise, the thought of death was always haunting him. Theodore drove back home.Upon hearing his car, Aurora immediately ran out.
Theodore spoke fiercely, and Aurora seemed to be frightened by it. She sat up on the bed and wrapped the sheets around her body, shivering."I suddenly remembered the places that my ex-boyfriend might be hiding and wanted to tell you about it, but the moment I stepped into your room, you pushed me onto the bed," Aurora said, biting her lip and lowering her head as tears trickled down her cheeks.Theodore tried hard to recall what happened last night based on Aurora's claims, but he felt as though he lost a part of his memories last night. He couldn't imagine himself doing what Aurora claimed."You mean that I forced myself upon you?""I…I didn't mean that," Aurora said, gripping the sheets tightly. "Theo, you wanted me and I was certainly willing to give myself to you. You didn't force me to do anything. I thought you wanted me last night. I didn't expect you to question me the moment you woke up. What happened? Did I do something wrong?"Theodore recalled that he seemed to have l
The two of them sat around the dining table, eating dinner as they chatted.Theodore looked disinterested as he chatted with Aurora. She could sense that as well, so she went silent and didn't bother him much.After dinner, he told her to do whatever she pleased before returning to his room. He never came out and Aurora wondered what he was doing inside.Aurora hovered outside Theodore's room, pacing back and forth many times. She wanted to knock on the door and talk to him, but she stopped herself many times for fear that he might be annoyed with her.Yerick said that he could make her get pregnant with Theodore's child.Although she managed to move to Theodore's place, he wasn't passionate with her at all, unlike in the past. He would never touch her.Aurora put her hand gently on the door as she whispered, "Theo, I'll do anything for you. I really love you."In the deep of the night, Theodore tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep.He pulled out a drawer and ret
Theodore sighed. "Rest and recuperate well. I'll send someone to find your ex-boyfriend. When I do, I'll use my network to make sure he sits in jail for a few years. I'm sure he's committed multiple crimes.""Thank you. If you really manage to find him, putting him behind bars is enough. But what should I do before you find him? He could come to me anytime. He said he'll never set me free and will kill me. He looked like he had gone mad.""I'll send someone to protect you. Don't worry.""Theo, can I…""What?" Theodore could sense that Aurora had something to say. "Just speak your mind. Don't beat around the bush.""Theo, I'm really scared. Can I stay with you before you find him? Don't worry, if you don't want me disturbing you, I won't. I'm just so scared to be by myself… I have nightmares when I sleep."Afraid that he might misunderstand, Aurora hurriedly added, "Don't worry, once he's found and put behind bars, I'll move out immediately. I'm just so scared right now. Please, I
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm