His phone suddenly rang.Theodore's hand shook when he heard the jingle sounding from his phone.He sighed. He twisted the bottle cap close, and put it aside before picking up his phone.Upon seeing the name displayed on the screen, he hesitated for a few seconds before answering the call. "Hello.""Hello, Mr. Spencer. I apologize for bothering you at such a late hour."It was Aurora."It's fine. What's the matter?" Theodore lay back down stiffly on the bed like a plank of wood. His voice was flat and emotionless as he spoke."I… I do have something…I need your help for." Aurora's voice was trembling slightly, tinged with fear. Theodore's brows furrowed. Sensing that something was amiss from her voice, he sat up on the bed and leaned against the headboard."What is it?"The last time he left his number with Aurora, he had told her that she could approach him if she needed help.She never contacted him—until now.He had almost forgotten about her, but now she was suddenly
Theodore approached Aurora and asked, "Are you hurt?"She shook her tear-streaked face that was covered with sweat. "I'm not hurt. Thankfully, the police came in time."Theodore was relieved to see that she was fine.Theodore turned around and looked at the man who was nabbed by the police, and asked, "Who is this man?"Aurora wiped the tears from her face, and said, "He's my ex-boyfriend who's been harassing me. I've called the police many times, but it's useless. He'll be released after two days, and he'll come harassing me again."Theodore finally understood why she didn't call the police.Even if she did and even if the police seized her ex-boyfriend, they wouldn't be able to sentence him to a heavy punishment. At most, they would give him a lecture before releasing him, which would only worsen his behavior.Theodore had initially thought that Aurora was doing it on purpose, calling him instead of calling the police.He had come just to return her the favor.Now that he th
Theodore’s threat was clear as day.If the man dared to harass Aurora again, Theodore would cripple him.The man shuddered with fear as sweat beaded on his forehead.He was arrogant, proud, and defiant. However, facing Theodore, he was as timid as a mouse, almost peeing his pants out of fright.He immediately pleaded for mercy. “I… I was wrong! I won’t ever do that again. Mr. Spencer, please spare me. Take this woman away. She’s yours now, you can do whatever you want with her!”Theodore sent a punch flying the man’s way.The man crashed on the floor, his cheeks immediately swelling up. He covered his face with his hands, and yelped in pain.Theodore was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. His face turned cold, and his gaze was frighteningly icy.He stomped on the man’s chest, and the man could feel his insides all squashed up.He hugged Theodore’s leg, and pleaded profusely, “Sir, please spare my life! Aurora's yours now!”Theodore’s foot pressed harder into the man’s stomach.
"Don't cry."Theodore stepped forward, handing Aurora a clean handkerchief from his pocket."A man like him isn't worthy of your tears."Aurora took the handkerchief from him. It had a mild fragrance that smelled very pleasant.She couldn't bear to use it to wipe her tears, and simply held it tight in her hand."Mr. Spencer, I'm not crying for him. I just feel so glad. Thank you for coming to my aid today. I felt very anxious after calling you, but I really didn't know what to do at that point. I'm sorry, I really am, for bothering you.""Don't apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing to you for misunderstanding you in the first place. I was wondering why you didn't call the police, and thought you had called me on purpose. Please don't be angry at me for that."Theodore tried to sound as gentle as possible, but his words still pierced Aurora's heart. As it turns out, his first thought was that she was doing it on purpose.Why was this man so cold and unfeeling?Aurora
Theodore turned around at the commotion.He saw Aurora collapsed on the floor, clutching her chest and panting hard, as if she was feeling breathless.Shock registered in his face; he rushed to her side and helped her up and into his arms. "What's the matter?""I… I'm feeling breathless… I…l…"Aurora opened her mouth wide, her chest heaving and her face white as a sheet.Theodore immediately unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt before hauling her in his arms again and rushing out the door.A few hours later, Aurora gradually stirred awake. By then, it was already midnight.She opened her eyes, and saw Theodore by her side. She heaved a sigh of relief."You're awake," Theodore said, looking at her. "How do you feel?"Aurora looked out the window, her heart thumping in her chest. "Mr. Spencer, what time is it now?"Theodore glanced at his watch. "4.38 in the morning."Aurora sat up on the bed.Theodore reached out to help her pull up her sheets and prop a pillow ag
Aurora wanted to reject even that, but the cold, hard look on Theodore's face frightened her.Before she could speak, Theodore decided, "That settles it, then."It was a decision where both of them compromised and met in the middle.Aurora thought it wasn't good to reject him again, so she said, "Alright, thank you. If you ever need my help in the future, you can…"She laughed self-derisively mid-sentence."What would you need my help for? I think too highly of myself.""Don't think that way. The sky's still dark. You should get some more rest," Theodore said.Aurora looked guiltily at him. "I made you stay here with me for so long, I feel so bad. You must be exhausted."Theodore shrugged. "It's fine. I'm not that tired."Even if he didn't stay with Aurora in the hospital, it would be the same for him, lying on his bed back at home. He would be unable to fall asleep and need sleeping pills.Even until now, he still felt very awake and alert and not tired at all."No matter w
Yuvan poured Theodore a cup of water. "Mr. Spencer." He placed the cup on the table. "You haven't eaten or drank anything today. Have some water."He didn't offer Theodore coffee, for fear that it might keep him awake at night. The sky was already turning dark.Theodore glanced at the clock. "Why haven't you clocked out yet?""Mr. Spencer, you haven't left. How could I possibly do so before you?""It's fine. You can clock out now.""Alright. Oh yes," Yuvan said as a thought came to mind. "Your mother called me asking me about you."Theodore furrowed his brows. "Is that so? What did you tell her?""I told her you were well, and that there were no issues."Theodore nodded. "If she calls to ask again, just reply to her the same thing and don't tell her too much.""Alright."Theodore grabbed his jacket and left the office. He drove on the streets, unsure of where to go.What was the point of going back to that home? He was going to be all alone, lying on that huge, empty bed w
"Well," Theodore said flatly, "it's alright."He had long gotten used to things.It was impossible to not face any pressure managing such a huge company. He was only human; making mistakes and getting exhausted were inevitable.However, he used to always have Rosalie by his side, and never felt tired because of her.She would always be waiting for him at home.Things have changed now, though. The house he returned to every day was empty, with nothing for him to look forward to. He found it exhausting, even without going to work.Theodore's physical fatigue was nothing compared to his mental fatigue."Mr. Spencer, I can tell that you're a responsible man, but no matter what, you need a healthy balance between work and rest. You have to take care of your own body," Aurora said. Theodore nodded. "I will."Aurora shifted, looking rather uncomfortable.Theodore asked, "What's the matter? Do you feel unwell again?"Aurora smiled awkwardly. "I've been lying on the bed for too long
Rosalie hurriedly handed the baby to Theodore.She was at her wits' end. What exactly was going on?Perhaps this was because they were truly father and son. Sometimes, there were no explanations for things that were simply amazing and mysterious.Theodore felt energized looking at the baby. Rosalie, on the other hand, was exhausted."Rose, why don't I stay here and coax the baby to sleep? You can go to bed first.""How can I make you do that? You need to rest early.""But Steve cries each time I put him down. If he keeps crying, it'll disturb you and Justin, or even our neighbors.""Well…" Rosalie didn't know what to do."How about this," Theodore suggested, "I'll give you Steve. If he doesn't cry, I'll leave. If he cries, then do as I say. I'll stay to coax him to sleep and I'll leave once he's asleep, okay?"Rosalie pondered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, then."She stretched her arms out to receive the baby.The moment Theodore put the baby in Rosalie's arms, the bab
Rosalie stood at the door, watching Theodore coaxing Steve. She paused in her steps.It didn't take long for Theodore to calm Steve down. When he saw Steve stop crying, a gentle smile appeared on his face."I'm leaving now. I won't disturb you. You and your mom should go to sleep early."He carefully placed Steve on the bed, but as soon as he let go, Steve started crying again.Theodore quickly picked him up again and soothed him. "What's wrong, baby?"After coaxing Steve for a while, Steve stopped crying and began giggling. "Steve, be a good boy and sleep, okay?"At that moment, Rosalie walked forward. "Theo."Hearing her voice, Theodore immediately came back to his senses and realized that he had overstepped his boundaries."Sorry, I rushed in as soon as I heard him cry. Here, I'll give him back to you."He wasn't sure why, but when he heard Steve cry, he felt sad. He had an urge to comfort Steve, almost as if it were a responsibility.Theodore stepped forward and handed Steve to Ros
Rosalie's heart trembled. She rushed forward and covered Theodore's mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with intense panic. "Don't say such things."He had a son now, but he was speaking of an end to his lineage. She also didn't want Theodore to die a terrible death.Theodore grabbed her wrist and suddenly pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her lips.Rosalie's eyes widened, and her mind felt like it exploded in that instant. In a panic, she stretched out both hands to push him away, trying to resist—but he wouldn't budge.Rosalie dared not struggle or shout too hard, fearing that Justin might hear. Justin would certainly come out to stop them. He was injured and running a fever; his body couldn't handle such an ordeal. He definitely wouldn't be a match for Theodore. Rosalie had no choice but to helplessly close her eyes, allowing him to kiss her.After a long while, Theodore finally let her go. He cupped the back of her head with one hand and held her waist with the
Theodore walked in, and Rosalie passed by him directly. She found a thermometer and went back into the room to take Justin's temperature. The thermometer read 104 degrees."Justin, you have a fever. We need to go to the hospital."Rosalie tried to help him sit up, but Justin grabbed her wrist. "I can't go to the hospital. I'll be fine after one night of rest.""No, your temperature is too high, and you're injured. Your wound is definitely inflamed.""I'm really fine, don't worry. Do you have any fever medicine here?"Seeing Rosalie's anxious expression, Theodore closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the anger within him. He walked over and said, "I can call a doctor to treat him."Rosalie turned to him and asked, "Will they talk about it?""I guarantee they won't. I know people who are professionals in secret treatments. They will not reveal a thing."Rosalie thought for a moment, then looked at Justin. "Can we call the doctor? Please? Otherwise, your life will be at risk
After Theodore hung up the phone, he walked to the liquor cabinet and opened a bottle of whiskey, pouring it into a glass.Just as he was about to take a sip, he suddenly thought of his stomach and put the glass aside. He had promised Rosalie many times that he would stop drinking. If he drank now, he would feel guilty.He walked over to the window, gazing blankly at the night sky. The city was especially bright, shimmering with light, as if the stars were hovering on earth.Why was Justin at Rosalie's place at this hour? Was he really sick? Or was it just an excuse?Furthermore, what was Justin's sudden arrival in Blencalgo about? With his status, he could only bring trouble and danger to Rosalie.Theodore became more and more troubled as he thought about it.He walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and took out his coat.-Rosalie was lying in bed, unable to sleep. She gently held Steve and stared at his face, thinking, 'Steve, if your grandmother wakes up, I will tell Theodore that you
Aurora tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.She turned over and asked, "Angie, how did Rebecca react after the injection?"Angie was holding her phone, reading a novel online. Hearing Aurora's question, she turned to her and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?""How could I sleep?""She didn't have any reaction," Angie replied.Aurora recalled what Yerick had told her. The solution was provided by Yerick, who had said that there wouldn't be any special reaction once it was administered. They just needed to wait. Aurora didn't know if the solution would work.She turned her head and saw that Angie was still absorbed in reading, as if nothing had happened."Angie, how can you still read a novel? After what happened, can you still concentrate?""What's so hard to handle? It's just a dead old woman. Nothing to worry about."Angie lay back on the bed. She started cursing again while reading a novel. "The female lead is such a saint, but now she's acting so promiscuously. Don't blame t
Rosalie helped Justin onto the bed, and he lay down. "Rest well. You can stay here as long as you need to recover."She took the blanket and put it over him."Justin, how long were you waiting outside my door?"Justin smiled faintly. "Not too long."In reality, he had waited for several hours. However, knowing she was busy, he didn't want to disturb her, so he waited quietly on his own."Why didn't you call me beforehand? If you had, I would have come back earlier."Despite his injuries, he had been waiting at her door. She felt he must have waited for quite a while."I planned to come after my wound healed, but I wasn't sure how long that would take. I wanted to tell you about this as soon as possible because I was worried about you. I needed you to think about whether there was anyone suspicious around you.""I can't think of anyone suspicious… Oh, by the way, Theodore lied to me earlier, saying he had stomach cancer. I really believed him. Later, I received an email with his medica
"It's clearly not! Look at you. Don't move, I'll grab the first-aid kit."Rosalie got up, went to the cabinet, and retrieved a medical kit before rushing back. Thankfully, she had a medical kit on hand."Lie down here. I'll help you treat it."She had treated Justin's injuries before, so she was a bit more experienced now.Justin didn't resist this time, allowing Rosalie to undo the bandages on his shoulder. When she saw the wound, she was shocked. The blood stains on it had already blackened."How did it get like this? We need to go to the hospital!""It's fine, Rose. Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."Justin opened the medical kit and pulled out the necessary supplies. Then, he used a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic to clean the wound."Justin, let me do it," Rosalie said, taking the tweezers from his hand. "Lie still."She understood his reluctance to go to the hospital, likely to avoid further complications. So, she stopped urging him to go to the hospital. For now, she would tr
"Something came up suddenly, so I had to deal with it. Sorry about standing you up last time," Justin said.Rosalie wanted to say more, but realizing they were still standing at the door, she quickly said, "Let's head inside."She entered the password and opened the door. Justin followed her inside.Rosalie carefully laid the sleeping baby on the bed before closing the door and heading into the living room."Justin, why didn't you let me know you were coming?"After she found the apartment, she had sent him a message with her new address. She hadn't expected him to show up unannounced."Sorry. I should've informed you beforehand. I'll leave now," Justin said, looking a bit embarrassed as he turned to go.Rosalie quickly stopped him. "That's not what I meant. I just didn't expect you to come suddenly. It's not that I don't want you here. I'm happy to see you—I was worried something had happened to you."Justin gave a faint, bitter smile. His pale face looked somber. "Rose, if… One day s