“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
Christopher’s brows were knitted even tighter after listening to Sebastian recount the incident.“So Rose chose for you to remain safe at the most critical moment.”“Yes.”Although Sebastian was happy when he first heard about Rosalie choosing to keep him safe, he was filled with frustration right now.Seeing Sebastian right now, Christopher asked, “Since Rose chose you, it’s clear that you’re more important to her than Theodore is. Why are you still upset? You look like someone owes you a huge sum.”Sebastian smacked the teacup hard on the table.“Rose kicked up a fuss, wanting to find Theodore. How can I be happy about that? Although she chose me, I’d rather she picked me to get injured when I see her like this right now. That way, she might be concerned for me. She’d be kicking up a fuss to find me instead.”Christopher said with a frown, “Don’t throw a tantrum. It’s most important that you’re safe. If you were to get injured, you might just die there.”Upon hearing Christop
“Theo, Theo! Where are you?” Rosalie stood in pitch-black darkness, so much so that she couldn’t even see her fingers. She started to run for her life, but the end was nowhere in sight.“Theo, where are you?”Suddenly, she saw a blinding flash of white light. There Theodore was, standing right before her.The moment she saw Theodore, her anxious face gave way to joy. “Theo!”She ran toward him with all the energy she could muster—but she realized that the faster she ran, the further Theodore seemed to be from her. She couldn’t close the gap between them.“Theo, what’s going on? Don’t move, will you? Let me go to you, please!”Rosalie continued running toward him, but as she did so, Theodore started fading away and the darkness returned.“Theo, where are you? Where did you go? Where are you? Theo, make some noise, won’t you? Theo!”“Rosalie Young.”Suddenly, a voice came from behind; Rosalie turned around, to see Theodore standing around ten meters behind her. “Theo.”She
“Rose, you’re awake. How do you feel?” Vonnie said. When Rosalie opened her eyes, her mind was a complete blank. She looked like she was in a daze; when she turned to see the person seated by her bedside, she seemed to have forgotten who it was.She didn’t seem to recognize anyone, and finally snapped back to reality after a long time. “You’re…you’re…”Hearing Rosalie stutter through her confusion, Yvonne felt worried. “Rose, do you not remember me?” Did she lose her memories like Sebastian did?Rosalie immediately sat up on the bed and looked around anxiously, as if looking for something.“Theo… Where is Theo?”The mention of his name made Yvonne furrow her brows. “He isn’t here.”“Then where is he?” Rosalie grabbed Yvonne’s shoulders. “Where’s Theo? I’ve got to find him. I must find him!”She tried getting out of bed, anxious, but Yvonne pressed her back down. “Rose, don’t be like this. Calm down!”“No, I’m going to find him!” Rosalie struggled with all her might. “Let
'Why?! Why are you doing this to me? What's so good about Rosalie Young? Why are you like this? She's another man's wife!' she cried inwardly.Aurora clutched her chest and stumbled back to her ward. 'Theodore Spencer, how could you stomp on my feelings so cruelly?'Aurora shut her eyes, overwhelmed by pain. She felt as though her world had turned dark. All she could see was black and white. Colors no longer existed in her life.That was all there was to life. Where was its beauty? Only lies and schemes existed between people, even between kin and loved ones.Aurora suddenly thought of something and pulled out a pill from her pocket. It was the pill Yerick gave her last night.'Should I really take it? What if I die?' she thought.However, if that man really wanted to kill her, he would have done it long ago. There was no need for him to do it in such a roundabout manner.Aside from getting a heart transplant, there was no way around her heart disease.However, if she were
When Aurora arrived, she noticed Theodore leaving the ward.She hurriedly hid behind a corner as he walked forward. At first, she wanted to call out to him. Then a thought came to mind, and she followed him in secret. Theodore left the hospital to buy breakfast from a nearby store. Who was he buying breakfast for? Was it for her?Aurora saw a glimmer of hope.Since Theodore stayed with Rosalie for an entire night last night, was he buying breakfast for her out of guilt?She saw Theodore buying two portions of breakfast in two boxes before returning.Aurora quickly hid herself again. She continued following Theodore, and saw him walking back into Rosalie's ward with breakfast in hand.Her world imploded before her eyes. Was Theodore going to have breakfast with Rosalie, too? He had already spent the entire night with her!'Oh Theo, what do you see me as? Am I not your girlfriend? Why are you keeping your ex-wife company?' Aurora thought, anguished. Gritting her teeth, she p
"You'll…you'll help me get a new heart? How will you do that?" Aurora asked."Why not? You can choose not to believe me, but once you miss this chance, it's gone," Yerick said. "The pill is right here. Eat it when you feel like it. If you really don't want it, you can throw it away—but that's akin to throwing away an opportunity."Yerick released his hand. "It's late. Go to sleep."Aurora looked coldly at the pill in her hand. "How can I possibly fall asleep?"She couldn't eat or sleep knowing that Theodore was with Rosalie. Hatred filled her heart right now.Suddenly, a pocket watch appeared before her and started swinging. Yerick's voice drifted into her ears as he fixed his gaze upon her. "Go to sleep."The pocket watch swung before her for around ten seconds. Aurora suddenly felt dizzy; she then collapsed on the bed, falling into a deep sleep.Yerick looked coldly at her as he kept the pocket watch away. He reached out to pull the sheets over her. "Good night, Ms. Payne.
But now that she thought about it, if she had really done that, Theodore would surely have found out."Let's go back to your ward first. I'll tell you what to do," Yerick said, extending his hand.Aurora took his hand, following him back to the room in a daze. Once inside, she sat on the bed and burst into tears."Theodore lied to me! Why did he lie to me? How could he do this to me?" She clutched her chest, struggling to catch her breath.Yerick's lips curled into a cruel smile, and he said seriously, "With your frail health, how can you compete with Rosalie?""What should I do, then? It's not my fault that I have bad health! I have no other choice."Yerick raised an eyebrow. "What if I told you that you do have a choice?""What do you mean? Can you help me?" She grabbed his arm, her voice trembling with emotion. "You can help me, right? Please think of a way for me! I can't lose Theo. I've fallen deeply in love with him. If I have to leave him now, I'll go crazy. I'd rather die!"Th
Aurora collapsed onto the bed and gripped the sheets tightly, tears streaming down her face. "What do you want from me? What do you want?""Welcome to my game, Aurora. What I want is random, based on my mood. Before this, all of you were players in my game. The rules are set by me."Aurora lifted her head, finally realizing that she had walked straight into a trap. Yet now, she had no choice. If she told Theodore, it would prove that she had been lying to him. She had saved Theodore not by accident, but by deliberate design.Aurora wiped the tears from her face. "Are you going to hurt Theodore?""That depends on how cooperative you are. When the game's over, if you listen well, maybe I'll let you both grow old together. After all, I was the one who made you two go from strangers to being acquainted, to being in bed together. My abilities are greater than you think."Yerick's eyes gleamed with confident amusement. Aurora knew she was no match for him, so she could only resign herself a
"Aurora, you still haven't seen the thing that will break your heart even more. If you saw it, you wouldn't be saying this," Yerick countered."I still don't know your name," Aurora said. "You've been telling me you're Theo's friend, but he never mentioned he had such a friend.""He certainly wouldn't mention me, because things between him and I are very strained."Aurora was rendered speechless. He had told her that they had severed ties."By the way, Aurora, did he go back?" Yerick asked.Aurora nodded. "Yes. He originally wanted to stay and take care of me, but I was worried he'd get tired, so I told him to go back and rest. He'll come to see me again tomorrow.""Did he really go back?""I'm absolutely sure," Aurora said. "I told him to go back. Otherwise, where else could he go?""Have you thought about the possibility that he went to find Rosalie?""Rosalie! Are you saying he's with Rosalie now? No, that's impossible! Theodore wouldn't do that," Aurora protested."Why not? Didn't
"Next time, I'll make sure to not leave evidence behind." Sebastian gently caressed Steve's face."Steve, Daddy will win in the end. Just wait and see. When you grow up, you'll be like Daddy, always winning. We'll never lose." Sebastian laughed, his eyes bloodshot.Steve seemed startled, fear beginning to show on his face. He seemed like he was about to cry.-In the middle of the night…A peaceful atmosphere filled the ward, with the soft light of the night lamp casting a warm glow on Aurora's pale face. She lay alone in bed, her body seemingly blending into the silent night.Through the window, the night scenery appeared calm. Moonlight shone on the curtains, casting shadows in her room. Stars adorned the sky like diamonds, flickering as if silently telling tales of endless loneliness and thoughts.The door creaked open, and a man in black quietly entered the room. He was slender, and walked lightly. He blended into the shadows of the darkness. His gaze was sharp, like a star in th
Theodore gripped the magazine tightly in his hands, flipping through the pages. In truth, he didn't absorb a single word.Rosalie felt like she was suffocating. She couldn't continue speaking to Sebastian. "Seb, I'll hang up now. I'm going to rest."She was afraid that if she kept talking, she would lose control."Alright," Sebastian said, gently waving Steve's hand. "Steve, say goodbye to Mommy.""Goodbye, darling." Rosalie waved at the camera.Thinking about Steve made her heart ache deeply. This whole situation was just absurd. Steve's biological father was right next to her, but he could only remain invisible.After a while, Rosalie ended the video call with Sebastian. She set her phone aside and covered her mouth, crying.She was deeply upset. So many things had happened recently.On one hand, Theodore suddenly appeared in Melrine with his pregnant girlfriend. On the other hand, there was Justin. And then, Sebastian had done something terrible and lied to her. Now, he had returned
Rosalie asked this on purpose as she wanted to hear Sebastian's response. Had he truly returned to the country out of guilt, or was everything just a coincidence and the company issues had truly forced him back?"Actually, Rose," Sebastian said, "after I came back, I realized the situation is worse than I thought, so I won't be going to Melrine anytime soon. I just can't find the time.""I see." Rosalie lowered her gaze, a little disappointed.It just so happened that he returned to the country now, but it seemed that he also didn't dare to come back to Melrine. Was he really avoiding the authorities?But who had tipped Sebastian off? Could Sebastian have planted someone around Theodore? Who could it be?Rosalie forced a smile. "Alright then, I hope you sort out the company's matters at home. Don't worry about things here in Melrine. I'll come back as soon as I finish my studies.""Okay. Rose, why don't you talk to Steve for a bit?"Rosalie looked at the child on the screen, her eyes f