Chapter 107
Beauty had always been Hannah’s trump card. Before leaving the office, she’d even changed into a miniskirt so short that it bordered on indecent showing off every curve. She was convinced Theodore couldn’t resist unless he wasn’t human.
But Theodore was all man, just not the shallow kind. If he cared about looks, the countless beauties who’d thrown themselves at him would’ve succeeded by now.
“Hmm. You do look older,” Theodore said.
‘What? Theodore calls me old!‘ Hannah seethed inwardly, but forced a smile and turned to Anthony. She thought, ‘Surely this guy, always wearing a gentle smile, won’t be so blunt.‘
Sensing her gaze, Anthony asked softly, “Ms. Burke, aren’t you cold in that?”
It was winter. Of course, she was freezing. But she’d braved the chill for that moment. “The heating at home is on. I’m fine.”
‘Whose home?‘ Eliana thought and shot her a sideways glance.
Anthony smiled, “Then I won’t arrange a ride for you.”
‘Ugh, both men are so dense!‘ Hannah thought.
Hannah bit her lip, plastering on a grin. “Thanks, Mr. Anthony Russell, but I drove here.”
“Good.” Anthony turned to Eliana. “Eliana, can we eat now? I’m starving.”
His almost playful tone left Hannah stunned. ‘Since when did Anthony act like this?‘ she wondered.
Theodore’s expression hardened. He could almost smell the wine on Eliana again. ‘When has Anthony grown so familiar with her?‘ he wondered.
Eliana checked her watch. “Dinner should be ready. Go fetch Ms. Powell.”
“Will do,” Anthony smiled and headed upstairs.
Just then, a gray suit jacket came flying into Eliana’s arms, carrying a chill from the owner’s presence.
She caught it reflexively and looked up at the owner.
Theodore’s expression was flat. “Take this up and put it away.”
‘Hasn’t he been giving me the silent treatment the past two days?‘ she thought.
But with Hannah there, she didn’t contradict him. Just a quiet “Okay,” and she turned to head upstairs.
Now it was just Theodore and Hannah.
Her face lit up immediately. “Mr. Theodore Russell, did you know your grandfather originally chose me to be your wife?”
That seemed to spark his interest. “So it was you.“/
Hannah stared at him intently. “Yes. If Ellie hadn’t been desperate for money, Dad never would have let her marry you instead of me.”
Theodore gave a low laugh. “So Eliana stole your chance to marry me?”
His smile was so charming it made Hannah dizzy. “Exactly. If it weren’t for Ellie, we wouldn’t have missed out.”
“But marrying a blind man–you can’t be happy with that.”
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Chapter 107
Of course, I can,” Hannah led without batting an eye. “With you, I’d be willing to put up with anything.”
That made him smile even wider. Just as Hannah was growing light headed, he asked, “Would you fight the rest of this family for a powerless blind man
like Eliana did?
*Could you clean up patiently after I knock meals onto the floor over and over?
“Would you think to install floor–to–ceiling windows when I shut myself away from the world?
“Can you promise to hold my hand forever and never let go?
“If you can’t do that, how can you possibly say ‘willing to put up with anything‘?”
Hannah didn’t hesitate. “I can do it. I can even do better than Eliana.”
Theodore let out a dry laugh. Lowering his eyes to mask the coldness, he said, “Fine. Prove your commitment. Call your boyfriend and break up with him right now.”
Hannah stared, stunned. “W–what?”
“If you can’t even do this, how can you say you’ll outdo Eliana?”
There was something hypnotic about Theodore, especially those intense eyes that seemed to draw out a person’s deepest longings.
Before Hannah realized it, she’d already dialed Nolan’s number. Hanging up was out of the question. Theodore was watching. She couldn’t afford to lose
this shot.
“Nolan, we’re over,” she said.
This kind of thing was old hat for Hannah.
She’d lured Luke away from Eliana, then ditched Luke the second the Graham family went under, quickly hooking up with Nolan.
Besides her unwavering belief in her own charm, she saw life as one big bet. She’d won twice before, so she was sure she’d win this time too.
Relationships could be tossed aside, and marriages weren’t any different. After all, rumors of Theodore and Anthony fighting over the same woman were already all over the place, so what harm would a little more gossip do?
Hannah ended the call, switched her phone to silent, then looked at Theodore with tears welling in her eyes. “Does this prove how serious I am, Mr. Theodore Russell?”
She was a pro at playing the helpless woman, turning on the waterworks as if Nolan had forced the split, guaranteed to tug at a man’s heartstrings.
Theodore gave a curt nod and said to the maid across the room, “That’ll do. See her out.”
The words “see her out” hit Hannah like a slap. She froze, then stammered, “M–Mr. Theodore Russell, what are you saying?”
“Exactly what I said.”
The color drained rapidly from Hannah’s stunning face. She stammered blankly, “But… I just broke up with my boyfriend for you!”
Theodore’s eyes turned icy. “If you can dump your boyfriend for me today, you’ll dump me tomorrow for someone better. Who would trust a woman like that?”
After being ushered out of Russell Manor, Hannah slammed her fists on the steering wheel. Then she grabbed her phone, seeing half a dozen missed call from Nolan. Her hands shaking, she called back.
“Hannah?” Nolan called.
19:72/341 14 Jun
Chapter 107
“It’s me. Nolan.” She wiped her tears, forcing calm into her voice. “I’m so sorry. I was playing Truth or Dare with friends and lost
“The punishment was to break up with my boyfriend, but it’s just a game. I couldn’t explain till it ended. Please don’t take this seriously
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