"Really? Quick, call her," Rebecca urged gladly.Sydney's brows furrowed as she said, "Theo, are you really going to call Rose right now? She's very busy."The solemn look on his mother's face made it seem as though the sky would fall on their heads if he really called Rosalie.Instead of saying something, Theodore let Rebecca go and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He left the scene, and walked toward the door of the villa.Sydney hurried out after him and saw him scrolling through his contacts.Sydney said, "Theo, are you really going to call Rose?"If he called her out of the blue, all her efforts would go down the drain.Things would go back to what they were in the past, with the two of them entangled with each other and in pain."Are you afraid of me calling Rose?" Theo said. "No, that's not what I meant," Sydney explained. "I just don't want to see you hurting.""It's none of your business. It's my own business whether I'm hurting or not. I'm an adult, not a chil
The moment Aurora walked in, everyone's gaze landed on her.Shock registered on Sydney's face when she saw the familiar-looking face. Wesley looked as shocked as Sydney was.However, they both knew that Aurora merely looked like Rosalie, and wasn't really Rosalie.Rebecca was taking a nap on the couch.Theodore walked over, bent forward, and said, "Grandma, Rose is here."The mention of Rosalie's nickname made Rebecca immediately look up, only to see an achingly familiar face.Rebecca was stunned for a moment, then a look of doubt flashed past her eyes. She could sense that something was off.Everyone quieted down.Did Rebecca suddenly become alert? "Grandma, didn't you ask to see Rose? Look, Rose is here," Theodore spoke up again."Oh, Rose. You're all grown up," Rebecca said as she stretched a hand out. "Let me look at you."Aurora felt a little nervous as she glanced at Theodore. Theodore nodded back at her, and shot her a reassuring look.Aurora mustered up the courage
Aurora stood up. "Mr. Spencer, your grandmother has gone to rest.""I'll make a move too," Theodore said as he approached her. "Thank you so much for today. Apologies if I held you back from your plans."Aurora said with a smile, "I didn't have much on today, anyway. I'm glad I was able to help you."Theodore said, "Let me send you back."Aurora didn't want to trouble him any further, but she also wanted to spend time alone with him, so she nodded. "Alright, thank you."The two of them were about to leave when a voice stopped them."Theo. Ms. Payne."Sydney approached them.Theodore stopped in his tracks, and turned around. Sydney stopped right in front of them and shot them a smile, her gaze landing on Aurora."Hello, Ms. Payne. It's my first time meeting you today."Aurora greeted politely, "Hello, Mrs. Harper. You're so beautiful and young."She meant her words, having been blown away by Sydney's beauty the moment she saw her. Sydney looked to be only slightly over 30 yea
A black car drove steadily on the road.Theodore sat on the driver's seat, his hands firmly on the steering wheel as he kept his eyes on the road ahead.Aurora sat in the front passenger seat, her seat belt buckled in. Her hands gripped uneasily over the belt as her heart raced.She felt very nervous being in the same car as Theodore.It was perhaps nerves from liking the man that made her so tense. She was worried over even the slightest movement that might make her look awkward and embarrass herself before him.The silence in the air started feeling awkward. Aurora finally spoke up, breaking the silence."Your mother is really beautiful and your father is handsome, too. They look like a match made in heaven."Theodore said indifferently, "They just look like it."Aurora found Theodore's words strange.Did his parents not have a good relationship, too? Why did she get strange vibes from his entire family?She opened her mouth, wanting to ask further, but Theodore beat her to
After Theodore got out of the car, he saw a young man lying on the ground. The man's bag had fallen to the ground, and he was clutching his leg and groaning in pain.Theodore immediately walked up and asked, "Are you alright? Can you stand?"The person on the ground turned to look at Theodore.When Theodore saw his face, he was shocked. He had seen this person before.This was Yerick, a friend of Rosalie's. He had met Yerick at the hospital when Sebastian was hurt. Rosalie had stayed at the hospital as well to take care of Sebastian.Why was Yerick here?Yerick, seeing Theodore, seemed to recognize him as well. "Oh, it's you?"Yerick was grimacing, appearing to be in great pain. "It hurts. My whole body hurts. It feels like my bones are broken."Theodore hadn't expected to run into Yerick here, let alone hit him with his car."Can you stand? I'll take you to the hospital," Theodore offered. Aurora, who was still sitting in the passenger seat, looked through the windshield an
When Yerick heard the name "Rose", he frowned. "I'm a little curious. How did I bump into you here and end up getting hit? Do you even know how to drive?""You jaywalked, and you're blaming me for hitting you?" Theodore replied. "I have a dashcam. Want to check and see if you broke the law?""I was in a hurry," Yerick said, sounding aggrieved. "Besides, you're the one driving. Don't you know how to give way to pedestrians?"Theodore couldn't be bothered to argue with Yerick, and merely said, "I'll take you to the hospital and pay for your medical bills. The rest is on you."Yerick had darted across the street, and Theodore hadn't been able to stop in time. Even if there was any fault, it was shared equally. By getting him to the hospital and covering the costs, he had already done his part."You're so cold-hearted. No wonder Rose left you and married another man. You deserve it!"Theodore frowned, and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "What did you say?"Yerick, despite
Yerick's heart skipped a beat. "Fine, I'll stop. You don't have to be so fierce! Rose scared away by you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone abroad."Suddenly, Theodore furrowed his brows and looked at him with suspicion. "You know she went abroad?"Yerick replied, "Of course, I know. I even know where she is. I keep in touch with her frequently."Theodore clenched his fists. They frequently kept in touch?A surge of frustration rose in his chest as Theodore turned to leave. However, his feet felt like they had turned to heavy stones, making it impossible to move.Seeing this, Yerick asked, "Weren't you about to leave? Why haven't you gone yet? Are you reluctant to leave me, or do you want to apologize?"Theodore turned around and asked, "Are you really that close to her?""Of course! My relationship with Rose is great. I see her as my sister, and she sees me as her brother. Even though we're far apart now, we're still in touch often.""What's the matter? Are you jealous?" Yeric
"I love you, I really love you. Please don't leave me, I truly love you. Why did you have to leave?"With a loud bang, the door to the ward was suddenly kicked open. Theodore entered with a cold expression on his face.Yerick was singing, completely lost in the moment. He was wearing headphones, and his eyes were closed. He was fully immersed in the music, oblivious to anyone coming in."You've finally become someone else's woman, and I've finally lost you!" Yerick sang with deep emotion.Hearing these lyrics, Theodore frowned. Singing this song at such a time was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.Theodore grabbed Yerick's headphones, and yanked them off.Yerick was startled, and almost screamed. When he saw Theodore, he asked in surprise, "Y-You came back? Didn't you leave?""You said you frequently chat with Rose. What do you talk about?" Theodore didn't even know why he was feeling this surge of impulse, but the more he thought about it, the harder it was to let it go. So,
In the deep of the night, Rosalie dreamt of Justin once again.They were walking down the red carpet, filled with joy—but the next moment, a bullet pierced mercilessly through his heart, snatching his life from him. She saw him lying in a pool of blood.She screamed and struggled with all her might, but she was helpless. Nightmares haunted her night after night."Justin, Justin! Don't die! I'm begging you, don't die! Don't kill Justin, I'm begging you, don't kill him, don't! Ahhh!" Rosalie screamed as her eyes flew open.In the next second, she found herself in a warm embrace. "Rose, I'm here. It's just a nightmare, a nightmare."Although it was a nightmare, it really did happen.Rosalie felt the warmth of his arms and burst out crying."I caused Justin's death, I harmed him! If…if I made him leave, if I didn't go to the airport to find him, he would still be alive and well. Why did I go and find him? Sebastian was right, everyone who loves me ends up in a terrible plight. I cau
Rosalie held the rings tightly in her hands and put them at her chest, sobbing, "Justin, Justin…"She collapsed on the bed, dissolving into tears."Rose, I know you're in a lot of pain, but I want you to know that you still have me and your son. Don't you want to see Steve? He really missed you."The mention of Steve made Rosalie come alive, but only for a split second.She gripped her collar tight. "I need some time to be alone. I don't want him seeing me like this."She didn't want to scare her son. She was afraid that she might break down before Steve."Okay. If you need me to be by your side, just call me."Rosalie shut her eyes and curled up into a ball, ignoring Theodore's offer.Theodore sighed and pulled the sheets up over her before leaving the room.When he was walking down the corridor, his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered the call."Mr. Spencer, we've dealt with Sebastian's corpse."Theodore clenched his fists so ti
It was like a long, long nightmare.Rosalie didn't know how much time had passed. All she could remember was herself walking in the desert for a long, long time. She felt tired, thirsty, and hot. She saw no end to the desert and she seemed to be looking for something, although she had forgotten who she was.Just as she fell from tripping over a stone and found herself unable to crawl back up, a man appeared before her.Rosalie looked up, and tears welled up in her eyes the moment she saw who it was.She suddenly remembered who she was and she reached out a trembling hand, calling out, "Justin… Justin…!"Her voice was hoarse.Justin crouched down. "Rose.He reached his hand out, as tender as before.Rosalie felt as though she had found her lifeline. Yet right before their hands touched, a loud gunshot sounded as she saw a bullet pierce mercilessly through Justin's chest. Blood trickled down the wound.Justin collapsed to the ground."No…no, no!"Rosalie yelled at the top of h
"Sebastian Carter, dare you kill me? Hahaha…!" Rosalie laughed.Her scornful laughter was akin to blades that pierced Sebastian's heart. He knew his time was up and all forms of pretense were useless.Although he refused to concede defeat, he had no other choice.Anyone who loved this woman was bound to end up in a horrible plight.Out of the blue, he asked, "Theodore, do you love Rose?" "Of course I do, but I'm not as perverted as you are," Theodore spat."Yes, I'm perverted while your love is noble and dignified. At the very least, Rose loved you once, but what about me? She has never loved me." Sebastian chuckled bitterly, tears filling his eyes. "I just want her to love me! What wrong have I done? I just don't want to lose the woman I love. How is that wrong?"Until now, Sebastian refused to admit his wrongdoings. He might know it in his heart, but he refused to admit it outright.Tears of indignation rolled down his cheeks as he bawled like a child. "The only wrong I di
Sebastian gritted his teeth as he vented his overwhelming wrath on Rosalie's body.Rosalie shut her eyes and bit down on her lips hard, bearing with the pain. She didn't cry out for fear that the people outside would hear her and realize the indecency that was going on.The men outside were shouting anxiously. Just then, one of their members ran over with an electric drill in hand. "I found this! Let's try it."A loud drilling sound came from the door. A few minutes later, the door lock finally came loose.The door was kicked open with a loud bang and Theodore barged in with his men. Sebastian and Rosalie were seated by the bedside, with Sebastian holding a gun pointed at Rosalie's temple.Rosalie's hair was in a mess, with tears streaming down her face. Her sleep gown was all tattered and torn.Fire burned in Theodore's eyes when he saw the scene before him. "Sebastian Carter, what did you do?!""I did everything you can imagine! If you don't believe me, just watch." Sebast
Rosalie was sound asleep when she heard a commotion from outside.Then, shrieks pierced the air.At that moment, the door to her room was locked open and the lights were switched on. Rosalie felt the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against her temple.Sebastian's face was dark with fury as he yanked Rosalie out of the bed."What happened?" she asked.She saw his sweat-beaded brow and knew something serious had happened.Sebastian yanked the rope in his hand and Rosalie tumbled into his arms. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pointed a gun at her forehead with another.Rosalie panted hard. "Sebastian Carter, are you going to kill me? Just shoot me!""Theodore's here. Do you want to see him?""What did you say?" Rosalie was shell-shocked. "He's here?""What, are you very happy?"A flurry of gunshots sounded outside the room."Do you hear that? He's here to rescue you," Sebastian said with a smirk.Rosalie took a deep breath and said, "Why aren't you making a run for it? If
Before his departure, Theodore carried Steve in his arms for a long time, saying many things to him."Stevie, I'm so sorry. If anything were to happen to Daddy, I can't take care of you anymore. I know I should be doing that and that I shouldn't be so selfish, but I can't help it. I have to go save Mommy. If I don't come back, you must listen to Grandpa and Grandma. They will take care of you."Theodore kissed his cheek. "I left you many videos, enough to last you till you turn 18. Remember to watch one every year on your birthday. I want you to know that I'll remember you forever."He started tearing up. "I'm sorry, Daddy needs to go. I'll protect myself and your mommy as best as I can. We'll definitely find a way back home."Theodore put Steve back into his cot."Dada…" Steve leaned against the edge of the cot and blinked innocently at Theodore."I'm sorry. Daddy's leaving." He planted a final kiss on Steve's cheek and left, his heart breaking.Steve plopped onto the mattr
They were thirty hours away from the launch of the rescue operation.Theodore called Sydney and Wesley over for a talk in the living room. With his solemn expression, the atmosphere was very tense."I called you two over because I have something very important to tell you.""What is it?" Wesley asked."If I were to die, please take good care of Steve."Shock registered on both their faces when they heard Theodore's words."Theo, what do you mean by that?" Sydney asked. "What happened? You've been acting so secretively as of late. I don't see you and can't even reach you. In fact, I can't reach Rose, either."She sensed that something major had happened, but no one was telling her what it was. She even tried contacting Christopher to understand what was going on, but he refused to breathe a word about it.The rescue operation had to be kept under wraps. Theodore and Christopher hid it from everyone else for fear of unnecessary complications and information leaks. They couldn't a
In the dark, silent night, moonlight flitted about in the night sky like a weak flame on a candle in the endless darkness.Clouds covered the sky and the night breeze felt chilly, like a sneaky thief drawing close under the cover of the night.The office was a mess, the darkness outside melting into the tense atmosphere in the room.There were many computers laid out on the large table, information and data blinking rapidly on the screen like the stars in the night sky, piercing through one's nerves.Theodore was leading the pack, walking around the periphery of the table amidst the tense atmosphere, his attention completely drawn toward the computer screens. Everyone was involved in this extremely dangerous and challenging rescue operation. They were now at the stage of planning for the rescue operation.Christopher was involved, as well. Half of the men in the office room were working under him.Theodore placed the report he received on the table and said to Christopher, "Vel