Chapter 184
Upstairs, in the second floor bathmom, Eliana was changing when a loud crash jolted her. Someone had slammed the door open
Still buttoning up her blouse, she instinctively turned toward the noise, startin
When she saw Theodore standing there, her face immediately darkened. “Out” she said sharply, her voice brocking no argument.
Theodore’s eyes were bloodshot, his whole presence seething with aggression. “You really just left me there. That’s cold, even for you!
Eliana frowned. “I have no interest in talking to a drunk. Out!”
The very thought of him spending the night at the Gilded Ford, possibly entangled in someone else’s arms, filled her with disgust,
He was always so quick to impose rules on her, yet he himself roamed as he pleased, staying out without a word.
Theodore’s gaze dropped, lingering for a second on the slight opening of her collar. That brief glimpse of skin made something stir in him. But the look ini her eyes, sharp and full of contempt, hit him like a slap. He felt like something filthy.
Almost as if to retaliate, he stepped forward instead of backing off, forcing her toward the tub. His voice was low, accusatory. “Tell- fun? Sneaking off to see your ex?”
Mrs. Pussell, WE
Without hesitation, Eliana turned on the faucet, grabbed the showerhead, and sprayed him in the face. “Whatever was between me and Luke ended a long time ago. You should sober up and stop acting like a child.”
At Russell Group, the senior executives had been waiting in the boardroom since early morning.
Stanley glanced once more at the clock, frowning, “Where is Mr. Russell?”
Around the table, the murmuring began,
“Didn’t he say there’d be an early meeting today?”
“Yeah, and I’ve got a whole project waiting on his final approval.”
“Maybe Mr. Russell had a very good night with
th his wife and couldn’t get out of bed.”
A few chuckles rippled through the room.
“Then I’d say he’s in a very agreeable mood today. Now’s the time to pitch whatever approvals you’ve been waiting on.
“Right Strike while the iron’s hot.”
Half an hour later, Theodore walked in.
Everyone straightened their backs, energized by the assumption that he was in good spirits. There was no other reason he’d be late on a weekday, they figured, unless the previous night had been especially sweet.
But before they could gain any traction, Theodore dismissed their suggestions one by one with icy finality
“No.”
“No, that’s not happening”
“Let’s not waste time on this.”
Chapter 104
Confusion rippled through the room.
The look on his face made it clear that this wasn’t just a bad mood. Something bigger was brewing.
The meeting adjourned under a suffocating silence.
One by one, the executives filed out, defeated and dispirited, until only Theodore and Stanley remained.
Stanley kept his head down, quietly gathering the meeting notes. Even he, who usually joked with ease, didn’t dare to speak out of turn today
“What the hell happened?‘ he wondered. “Last night when Mr. Russell left the office, he seemed perfectly fine
Just then, Theodore’s voice broke the silence. “Come here.”
Stanley straightened immediately and walked over. “Yes, Mr. Russell, What can I do for you?”
“Find out what this man is doing now.” With that, Theodore tossed a folder onto the desk.
Stanley picked it up and opened it. Inside was a blown–up photograph, with a name printed below.
“Luke Graham?” he read aloud. Then, glancing up, asked cautiously, “Sir, who is he? And why do you want to look into him?”
A cold, deliberate smile crept across Theodore’s face. “Because I’m going to ruin him.”
In the northern part of the city, at a dusty construction site, the foreman wandered through the scaffolding and equipment until he spotted Luke.
“There you are,” he called out. “Come over for a minute.”
Luke unloaded the last stack of bricks from his wheelbarrow, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and walked over. “What’s up, Chuck?”
Chuck Brown gave a forced smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “Listen work’s drying up on site. Might be a good time for you to take some time off Head home for a bit.”
Luke’s expression stiffened. “You’re kidding, right? Just yesterday you said you were short on hands.”
Chuck hesitated, then shrugged. “I was just saying that. To keep morale up, you know, Anyway, I’ve tallied your wages for the month. Here’s your payslip.”
Only now did it sink in that Chuck wasn’t joking, Luke felt the breath catch in his chest. “Chuck,” he said, voice rising in urgency, “why? Did I slack off? Did I mess something up?”
“No, you’ve been solid,” Chuck replied with a heavy sigh. “Honestly? I like having you here. But someone above has it in for you. And if I push back, I’m next. I’m sorry.”
Luke’s fingers clenched tightly around the payslip. One name flashed through his mind as only one person had the power and motive to pull strings like
this.
It had to be Theodore. No one else in his life had that kind of reach. And no one else had a reason,
Fury surged through him like a lit fuse, but he forced it down. The days when he could fight recklessly were long gone. He wasn’t that privileged kid anymore.
Now, he had a broken home to hold together. He didn’t have the luxury of throwing punches anymore, not when he was barely staying afloat.
Chapter 184
One week later, at the Russell Group.
A commotion broke out just outside the office. “Let go of met I’m going in!
Hearing the noise, Stanley card a glance at Theodore, then calmly walked out and opened the door “Who’s making all that noiss
Held firmly by two security guards, Luke shouted, his voice raw. “Theodoretin you. Do whatever the hell you want.”
- the parne you wanted? Well, here I am. I’m stand
Stanley’s tone was dry. “That’s enough. Mr. Russell is working. You don’t get to see him just because you show up
Luke scoffed. “If he didn’t want to see me, there’s no way I’d have gotten this far. This was his plan all along
p screaming
“He wanted to make a point. That no matter how close I get to the finish line, all it takes is a word from him to shut
Stanley gave a small nod. “Not bad. At least you’re not entirely clueless”
Then, after a brief pause, he told the guards, “Let him go.”
Once Luke was released, Stanley
y turned to him. “Follow me.”
As Luke stepped into Theodore’s office, he was immediately enveloped by an atmosphere of cold authority, austere and oppress it was a silent but undeniable reminder that this was Theodore’s domain, Here, Luke was small, powerless, irrelevant.
Yet when his eyes met Theodore’s, the frustration he’d been suppressing for the past week surged forward. Every job he’d applied for had turned away, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. Anger drove him past hesitation. “What do you want from me, Theodore?”
Theodore leaned back in his chair, studying the man before him with calm detachment. “I just wanted to see for myself, what kind of man once caught Eliana’s eye. Whether there was anything worth noticing”
Luke took a slow breath and forced out the words. T’ll admit it, I was never good enough for Ellie.”
It wasn’t easy to say. After all, the man sitting in front of him was his rival in love
Theodore tapped a finger lightly on the desk, then murmured, “If you know you’re not worthy of her, why are you still here?”
AD
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