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Chapter 11
Theodore sat behind the desk in his office. Documents spread open before him, yet he could not take in a single word.
He had assumed that once Clarisse cooled off, she would reach out. But five days had passed, and her phone was still off. Every message he sent vanished into the void.
A suffocating frustration simmered in his chest. They had agreed–once he came back, he would take her on a trip to relax. In the end, she walked away without a word, clearly expecting him to coax her back.
Everything that had happened recently was her fault to begin with. She was too jealous to accept Bianca
and Caleb.
All Clarisse had to do was keep calm and wait for him to finish his duty. Then, he would send the two of them away, and life would return to how it was. But she refused to learn and kept making the same
mistakes over and over.
If he really gave in and went after her this time, would that not make her think she could always get away with this? She would just get even more immature and more spoiled.
Theodore was determined. This time, Clarisse had to be the one to back down first.
Suddenly, his phone rang. A flicker of hope flashed in his eyes. Had she finally come to her senses?
He picked it up, only to see an unfamiliar number on the screen.
The hope in his eyes faded just as quickly. Irritated, he answered, “Hello?”
“Greetings, is this Mr. Theodore Brooke? I’m outside the villa with a package from Ms. Clarisse Hart. It requires a signature.”
A package from Clarisse!
Joy bloomed within Theodore’s chest.
He knew it. She was just being a little difficult. Deep down, she still cared for him. Even on her trip, she
had thought of him and sent him a gift. He only regretted that his gift had not reached her yet. He could already picture her face lighting up when she opened it.
“Let the butler sign for it,” Theodore replied, the corners of his mouth unable to hide the smile spreading
through them.
“Alright, Mr. Brooke.”
Theodore hung up the call and bolted downstairs, grabbing his car keys on the way. He floored the gas back to the villa, running nine red lights.
If Clarisse was willing to be the first to make peace, then he would not keep her waiting. Tomorrow–no, now–he would book a flight and go to her.
The moment he stepped into the villa, he spotted a document envelope sitting on the entryway table.
A document envelope?
Confused, he hesitated. Was the gift from Clarisse a postcard?
Then, he remembered those 99 love letters he had once written to her. Could it be that she was sending
him one?
Warmth and anticipation welled up in his chest.
Just as he reached for the envelope, a voice carried from behind the ajar master bedroom door. It was
Blanca, her tone low and deliberate, like she was on a call with someone,
“Even with the baby. Theo still can’t stop thinking about that Clarisse. If she hadn’t shown up, I would’ve
been married to him already and become the rightful Mrs. Brooke.
The really did love her. I drugged him and slept with him, but once he sobered up, he still refused to be with me!ll was so pissed. I went and found a guy who looked kind of like him. Guess what? I ended up
pregnant
thought bringing the kid to him would change everything, but he’d rather let his father beat him to a pulp than let us stay! What a fool! Thank God you gave me an idea. I moved the kid into a house overflowing
with formaldehyde and let him breathe it in till he got leukemia.
That finally gave me a way back into Theo’s life. Once this baby gets further along, I’ll figure out a way to get rid of Caleb. He’s not even Theo’s, after all. It’s too risky to keep him around. We can’t afford to let the
touth sip ou
Theodore froze in place like he had been struck by lightning.
Caleb was never his child? Bianca had deliberately made Caleb get leukemia, just to get close to him
A woman that evil and twisted…
He suddenly began to question everything that had happened lately. Had it all been part of Bianca’s
twisted plan?
His car keys slipped from his hand and hit the floor. The sharp sound cut through the house, and silence
fell behind the bedroom door.
A second later, Blanca burst out in a panic, face devoid of color. Her eyes widened the moment she saw
him. Terror was written all over her face.
She forced out a stiff smile and stammered, “Theo? Aren’t you supposed to be at work? W–Why are you
Theodore remained quiet. He just stared at her coldly. There was a fury in his eyes that Bianca had never
seen before.
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A chill sent her shivering. She realized he had heard everything.
“Theo, wait–let me explain. That was just me… just me talking nonsense! I-” Her voice broke from fear. She lunged forward, trying to grab his arm, her mind racing to come up with a lie.
“Explain?” His roar thundered. The veins at his temples throbbed.
Bianca stumbled backward, crashing into the doorframe. Her eyes were wide with horror.
“Explain how you drugged me? Explain how you tricked me with that bastard child? Explain how you framed Clarisse? Bianca, you vicious, disgusting woman!”
His hand lifted high, fury driving him to the edge. For a moment, he wanted to strike her across the face.
Each word hit like a hammer, shattering the last scraps of hope inside Bianca. Her face turned the color
of paper. She dropped to the floor, shaking uncontrollably.
Clutching the hem of his pants, she sobbed desperately, “No… No, it’s not true. You misunderstood. I only
did it because… because I loved you too much! I didn’t know what else to do!
“Theo, we grew up together! I’ve loved you since we were kids, and my biggest dream was to marry you!
Why won’t you ever look at me?
“Why is it always that bitch Clarisse!”
“Don’t you dare say her name!” Theodore roared. His eyes blazed with rage and regret, veins bulging
around them. “If it weren’t for you, Clarisse wouldn’t be mad at me. She wouldn’t be disappointed in me.
“She’s so gentle and understanding! It’s you, you twisted witch, stepping between us with your schemes
and lies!”
Clarisse’s pale and exhausted face surfaced in his mind. The empty, broken eyes and all her feelings he chose to ignore all burned through him like red–hot metal, suffocating him with the pain.
How could he have been so blind? How could he hurt the one woman he swore to protect, over and over again, for someone like Bianca?
Guilt and remorse crashed over him like a tidal wave. His hand rose again, ready to strike that vile face
that disgusted him.
“Bad Daddy! Don’t hit Mommy!”
A tiny figure rushed out from the nursery, crying.
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Chapter 12
