Chapter 186
I’m not here to send you away,” Ellana said gently. “Come over here. We need to talk.”
He hesitated, then slowly tuined around.
Seeing no bruises or signs of injury on him, Eliana figured Theodore hadn’t yet taken physical action.
After a moment of silence, she asked, “I heard you turned down Theodore’s check and the plane ticket ite
Luke lowered his eyes and muttered, “Yeah… I just didn’t want to give you another reason to think I’m worthless
Though her heart no longer trembled at his words, she couldn’t deny that Theodore had indeed made things difficult for him. She sighed softly “I’m sorry. I never thought things would spiral like this and hurt you and Mrs. Graham,”
Luke shook his head. This whole ordeal had shattered whatever lusions he had left about being the privileged son of a wealthy family
“it’s not your fault, I’m the one who’s useless. The moment my family collapsed, I realized I was nothing on my own. That’s why I didn’t even standa chance against someone like Theodore.”
Eliana pressed her lips together, “I’ll make things right for you. Soon,” she said with quiet resolve.
Luke opened his mouth to speak but paused, then asked with concern, “Don’t worry about me. Has he done anything to you?”
She shook her head. It seemed both Jayden and Luke assumed Theodore would hurt her.
But apart from giving her the cold shoulder, he hadn’t done anything. The crueler side of him, it seemed, was always saved for others.
Still, the thought made her uneasy. She gave a small, bitter smile. Theodore was becoming more terrifying than she had ever imagined.
Noticing how tired she looked, Luke said apologetically, “You didn’t have to get involved. I mean it. Even if I can’t find work, survive.”
“I’m not doing this for you,” Eliana said firmly. “I’m doing it for myself if thad let you take that check and ticket and just leave, it would’ve only confirmed everyone’s suspicions about us.”
She had never been more clear–headed. “Take care of Mrs. Graham. Don’t let her worry. I should go”
Luke didn’t try to stop her. He simply stood there, watching her walk away.
And in that moment, it finally sank in. Whatever guilt he felt about the past, what truly mattered now was not becoming another burden to her,
At 7 PM, Russell Manor
Eliana came home later than usual. She had gone to see Luke after work, and now, after everything that had happened between her and Theodore, her late return no longer mattered.
As she stepped out of her shoes in the foyer, she looked up and saw Anthony
“Anything you need?” she asked,
He offered her a considerate smile. “Eliana, I forgot to mention this yesterday. If your friend needs any help, I’d be more than happy to as
She studied him for a moment before asking “Why would you offer to help someone you’ve only met once?
Anthony gave a quiet sigh. “Let’s just say ‘m not fond of the way Theodore handles things. His methods… they can be extreme. And I speak from personal experience. I’ve been on the receiving end myself.”
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Chapter 186
Before Ellana could respond, the front door swing open behind them.
Avalce, cold and commanding, cut through the hallway. “Move”
Anthony turned, the smile still playing at his lips, “Theodore. You’re back.”
Elana stiffened. She instinctively tried to leave, but Theodore reached for her wrist and pulled her firmly to his side.
“I wasn’t talking to you, sweetheart. His eyes narrowed at Anthony with a clear message to leave.
“So it’s me.” Anthony, undeterred, gave Eliana a small, knowing smile, as if a silent understanding had passed between them. He turned and walked away without another word.
Just as unease began creeping into Eliana’s chest. Theodore’s hand turned her face sharply toward him.
His tone was deceptively light, but there was no mistaking the edge in it. “Got a little secret going on with Anthony now?”
“No,” she said coolly
She tried to free herself, but he tightened his grip instead, His lips brushed her skin not as a kiss, but as a warning “Stay away from him. He’s not what he
sccms.
“And you are?” Eliana stared straight at him, her eyes clear and calm, reflecting every shadow he carried inside.
His breath hitched, his anger flaring. He was about to silence her with a fierce kiss when a maid appeared, cheeks flushed, “Me and Mrs. Russell, dinner is ready.”
The maid nearly squealed inside. “Oh my god, he barely walked in and he’s already going for a kiss?”
Eliana used the moment of distraction to pry his fingers off her and slipped from his grasp before he could react.
Theodore’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He thought, ‘She better not go running to Anthony for help.
But Eliana had no intention of asking Anthony for anything
He was too clever and calculating. If she turned to him, she might only make things worse.
At nine o’clock in the evening, Eliana stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered
As she walked toward the bed, the phone charging on her nightstand lit up with a sudden glow.
She picked it up and saw a message, sent privately by a former classmate from university.
[Ellie, you won’t believe this. Luke came by my uncle’s company today to apply for a job. Said he’d take literally anything, even a security post.
[But my uncle turned him down. When I asked why, he pulled me aside and said it was because Luke had crossed Mr. Russell. Is that true?)
Her curiosity evidently unsatisfied, the girl followed up almost instantly with another message.
[Lilie, don’t tell me you still have feelings for Luke. Is that why Mr. Russell’s blacklisted him?]
Eliana pressed her lips together, unease tightening in her chest. If she let things keep spiraling, it was only a matter of time before eve and Luke still had unfinished business.
It was past ten when Theodore finally came down from the gym on the top floor and returned to the bedroom.
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believed she
rupter 186
For the past week, an unspoken hythms had developed between them he would come in around ten, and she would
But tonight, the pattern was broken. She wasn’t asleep.
She stood barefoot before the floor length windows, silhouetted by the city lights beyond. The moment the door clicked oper
hair sweeping the air in a gentle arc before falling softly against the thin fabric of her nightdress.
And tonight her nightdress was more revealing th tuspal
Something prickled at the tip of Theodore’s nose. He sensed at once it might be a carefully laid trap
He lowered his gaze, only to find it drawn to her bare feet sinking into the thick, velvety carpet, so delicate they seemed made in be cupped gently in one’s hands
That itch wasn’t just at his nose now. It had reached his chest and his pulse.
“I’ve run your bath,” she said softly
She had timed it perfectly, anticipating his usual return. And sure enough, he had walked in right on schedule.
He arched a brow, intrigued. Just as he stepped toward the wardrobe, she added, “Your robe’s in there too”
His hand froze momentarily on the wardrobe handle. ‘Is this her way of making amends he wondered.
Saying nothing, he walked into the bathroom, but the faint curl at the corner of his tips betrayed his thoughts.
When Theodore came out of the shower, he got into bed without a word, burning away from her, i anxiously. She had hinted enough. Surely, he understood what she was offering.
er, as if she were invisible. Eliana’s fingers fidgeted
Left with no choice, she reached out and gently y tugged at the blanket.
He didn’t even look back. He simply yanked it back with force, tucking it beneath him to keep her out.
She stared at the back of his head, frustration simmering beneath her skin, until at last she
she murmured, “Can we talk?”
Though his face remained stoic, a quiet satisfaction flickered within him. Still, he wasn’t ready to let her off that easily. “I’ve got an early meeting
tomorrow.”
“Fine, I won’t bother you.” And just like that, all the courage she had built up crumbled.
Theodore turned sharply, no longer bothering to hide
de his reaction. “Talk about what?”
She hesitated, then met his gaze. “I’m asking you please, let Luke:
It was as if she had struck him straight in the chest. His lungs seized, a dull pressure pressing down. “What did you say?”
“Let him go,” she repeated, hands clutching the blanket between them so tightly her knuckles turned pale…
it was then Theodore understood none of this had been about reconciliation. Everything she’d done tonight had been for Luke.
She took his silence for hesitation and gently reminded him, “You said if I asked you to, you would_*
But he cut her off coldly. “I said I’d consider it, But I never said words alone would be enough.
Eliana shut her eyes, gathered herself, then reached for his shoulders and leaned into his chest, which remained stiff beneath her touch. Her voice was low and steady. “I am asking. Like this”
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Chapter 186
She had made up her mind if this was the price, the would pay it Lathin
But after a moment’s stillness, Theodore-
Thana… do you really
ink this is what I want from you?”
His voice m
wanted, so long a
her posted he
Chana looked u startled, confusion shadowing her eyes.
He looked straight at her, every word deliberate, burning “I was going to let him go. I would have, if you’d just kept quiet and
nothing
“But you had to keep testing me, pushing further. And now this? You’d offer yourself to protect him, and you expect me to believe there’s nothing between you?”
With that, he threw the blanket aside, got out of bed, and walked straight out.
The door slammed behind him with a resounding bang. Eliaria flinched. Her shoulders trembled as the sound echoed through the slen
And only then did she truly understand there was no winning with him.
It was a trap from the start. And she had walked right into it. Now, she was out of moves
Another week shipped quietly by.
That evening as Luke walked through the door, he found Pamela sitting on the couch with a strange, unreadable look on her face. “So, how’s the job search going?”
Luke forced a smile. “Still waiting to hear back. But don’t worry, Mom, Just give me a little more time. l find something I promise.”
Pamela studied him for a long moment, then, to his surprise, tears began to well in her eyes. “How long do you plan to keep lying to me
“Mom?” Luke rushed forward, his voice tightening with guilt as he reached out to console her. “Please don’t cry. This is all on me. I hate that I’ve made
you worry.
But Pamela gently took his face in her hands and asked, very quiefly, “It’s because of Ellie’s husband, isn’t it? He’s the one keeping doors shut in your
face.”
Luke’s heart skipped, his expression hardened. “Who told you that?” he demanded.
Pamela answered calmly. “Our family may have fallen from grace, but we’re not completely without connections. I’ve watched you struggle for over two weeks now. I was going to call in a favor, try to get you placed somewhere.
“But every time, people hesitated and made excuses. I knew something was off. So I pressed, and someone finally told me the truth. It was Theodore, He
the order.
Luke’s face darkened. The two women he cared about most, Eliana and Pamela, both knew just how far he’d fallen. And still, he was powerless to change
anything
Pamela hesitated, then asked, “Tell me honestly Have you been seeing Elle again?”
“No, Mom. I swear to God, there’s nothing going on between us!”
“Then why is Theodore going after you like this? Weren’t you two keeping your distance
Left with no choice, Luke finally explained what had happened at the Valentine’s Day reunion. “I just went to return her phone, I didn’t expect Theodore
Chapter 186
to show up out of nowhine. He kow us together and
(Pamela didn’t need to hear the rest. She understood.
“A cursed entanglement, she lighed. “It was doomed from the start”
Luke added. “Lille sald she would try to find a way
Pamela shook her head with weary clarity. “If she could, you’d already be working somewhere indland, you’re mill duck hark And Horse SEE before.” She lacked at him with a steady gain, not unkind, but unflinchingly mealistic.
“Staying in this town will only y bring more trouble to her doorstep
Because in the face of the colossal force that was the Russell family, the Burke name meant next to nothing.
No matter how much Theodore might care for Eliana, he was still a man accustomed to power and control. That kind of man didn’t yield, not we Eliana was no match for him, not on this battlefield.
Luke froze. The question hung in the air like ash. “You think. I should’ve taken Theodore’s money? Used his check and plane ticket to get us out of
here
To do that would be to admit total defeat.
Pamela shook her head slowly. “We don’t need his money. We’ll sell the house. Find a new city. Start over.”
“Mom….” Luke’s voice cracked as his eyes reddened.
When the debt collectors came, she had stood in the doorway to protect it with her life. She refused to let go, not even when things were at their worst She’d always said she wanted his father to have a home to return to, should he ever come back.
But now, she was willing to give it all up for him, for a son who had brought her nothing but heartbreak.
He was young. Starting over might be hard, but it wasn’t impossible. But she had spent most of her life in this town Covenhill wasn’t just a place. It was home. And she was preparing to rip herself away from it, root and all.
Luke was overwhelmed by a sorrow he couldn’t put into words,
Pamela, however, reached for his hand and gave him a firm look. “If you really feel sorry for me, then make something of yourself Prove to me that didn’t make that sacrifice for nothing”
A few days later, Eliana received a call at work from Luke.
“Ellie, my mom and I are leaving Covenhill”
“What?” Eliana shot to her feet, the legs of her chair dragging across the floor with a piercing screech.
“Don’t worry,” he said, almost lightly “This isn’t Theodore’s doing. We’re leaving because we chose to. I didn’t take his check.”
He said it with a smile in his voice, but to Eliana, it only deepened the knot in her chest. It didn’t reassure her. On the contrary, it frightened her.
She thought, “Has Theodore done something again?
“It’s a shame,” Luke continued, and in the background she could hear an airport announcement echoing through the receiver. “Would’ve liked to see you one more time before we boarded. But if fate allows, maybe we’ll run into each other again.”
The line went dead.
Chapter 1861
Eliana stared blankly at the phone in her hand, her mind spinning. It wasn’t until moments later that she realized she hadn’t even asked wh going
At Russell Group, Stanley set down the phone and turned to Theodore
“Mr. Russell,” be reported, “our men confirmed they’ve boarded the flight.”
Theodore’s pen paused over the contract he was signing. “Is that so?”
Stanley hesitated. “Shall we still
But Theodore was already thinking of the night Eliana had pleaded with him. His instincts urged him to finish what he started. But reason reminded him of the promise he had made to her. “No. Let it go. As long as he stays out of Covenhill, that’s enough.”
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