Chapter 32
Eliana frowned and asked in confusion, “But why? I think Anthony seems like a decent person.”
She didn’t mean to provoke Theodore. It was just that he wouldn’t tell her anything, so she had to form her own opinion.
“Decent?” Theodore’s voice turned sharp, his whole body bristling with a cold fury. “It’s only been a few days, and you’re already smitten with him?”
Eliana was startled for a second. Her brows drew together as she asked, “What’s that
supposed to mean?”
The joy on her face drained away completely. Seeing this, Theodore felt a flicker of regret, but his tone remained harsh. “He’s not as nice as you think. Don’t let yourself get fooled by him.”
But Eliana, still stung by the earlier accusation, felt a twinge of inexplicable resentment. She snapped back, almost out of spite, “I don’t know what happened between you guys, but based on how you treat others, Anthony’s miles ahead of you.”
Hearing that, Theodore shot to his feet. Taking a few long strides, he stood in front of her and scoffed, “Stupid woman, if someone sells you off, you’d probably help them count the money.”
Eliana, still fuming, retorted without thinking, “I’ve already been sold once, haven’t I?” She hadn’t noticed the subtle strength and stability in his steps.
The next second, his fingers clamped firmly around her chin. Leaning in, Theodore whispered a chilling warning by her ear, “My grandpa bought you to take care of me. I said stay away from Anthony. Do you hear me?”
Eliana complained in her mind, ‘This guy is so damn unreasonable.
Tilting her chin upward, she protested, “But this is a work assignment. If I don’t take it seriously, it could hurt my chances of getting a raise or even a promotion.”
Theodore’s brows furrowed at her defiance. “Is money really that important to you?”
“Absolutely, Eliana answered without hesitation.
Eliana wasn’t like Hannah, who grew up pampered and protected. Everything Eliana wanted, she had to fight for it. Everything she wanted to hold on to, she had to earn it herself.
Hearing this, Theodore let go of her, scoffing with disdain, “Shallow woman.”
Eliana stepped back, now standing near the doorway. Her voice was calm but cutting. “If I weren’t shallow, I wouldn’t have married you.”
The implication that she had married him for money landed like ice water to the face. Theodore’s expression turned glacial, and he growled, “E–li–ana!”
But Eliana was quicker. She slipped out the door before he had a chance to explode.
Outside the room, Eliana pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling disoriented. She muttered to herself, “I literally told myself this morning to stay calm, but the way he keeps questioning me is unbearable.
‘And for some reason, it hurts even more when it comes from Theodore. Why does it feel so suffocating?”
She shook her head, brushed away the intrusive emotion, and made her way to the small kitchen. She sighed in her mind, We can argue all we want, but let him go hungry? That’s a consequence I’m not ready to face!
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Wed,
Chapter 32
Later, Eliana returned with a tray of freshly prepared food and reached for their bedroom, only to find it locked.
She muttered under her breath, “This man is unreasonable. Didn’t he just agree to let me stay here this morning?‘
With no choice, she knocked on the door and said, “Dinner’s ready.”
However, Theodore didn’t
her a reply.
Feeling a sudden urge to use the bathroom, she blurted out a compromise, “Okay then, I’ll just leave the food here by the door. Make sure you come out and get it.”
With that, she turned around and hurried toward the guest room, intent on solving her more pressing need.
Inside the room, Theodore lay still with his eyes closed. But his ears were sharply attuned. Hearing her voice trail off after just a few sentences, he couldn’t help but think, “That’s it? She really just left?‘
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