In the days that followed, Clarisse returned to her routines, throwing herself into music and the upcoming
competitions.
Theodore never showed up again, as if he had finally left for good.
Relief settled in. The tension that had been gripping her for so long began to ease, allowing her to focus
fully on her career.
But peace, as always, was just the calm before the storm.
It was a quiet evening. Clarisse had just finished rehearsal and was heading home alone. The area around
her apartment was silent, the only light coming from a flickering streetlamp by the curb.
As she stepped through the front doors of the building, a hand reached out from the dark and clamped
over her mouth and nose. A sharp scent flooded her senses. She barely had time to let out a muffled cry
before everything went black.
When she came to, she was lying on a cold, metallic table. Panic surged through her chest.
Before she could scream, a deep, familiar voice whispered in her ear, “You’re awake?”
She jerked her head toward the sound and saw Theodore standing right beside her.
He was still wearing that white suit. But his eyes were no longer the ones she remembered. There was
madness and obsession in them now.
“Theodore Brooke! What the hell are you doing?” she cried. “We’re divorced! This is abduction!”
“Clarisse, don’t be scared,” he hushed.
He leaned down to touch her face, but she flinched and turned away in horror. His hand froze in midair.
A flicker of hurt crossed his face before it hardened into an obsession and madness far more disturbing.
“Clarisse, I just want to start over. Let’s forget everything that happened! We can go back to the way things were!”
Clarisse stared at him in disbelief, but he turned from her and gave a slight nod to the man in a white lab
coat beside him.
Terror surged in her chest.
“Let me go! Theodore, you’re insane!” Clarisse thrashed wildly, but her wrists and ankles were strapped tightly to the table.
Just before her vision went black again, she heard Theodore’s unhinged voice echoing in her ears.
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“Clarisse, forget all those terrible memories. This time, I’m never letting you walk away from me again.”
Chapter 20
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Chap
