Theodore had just gotten off the plane when he received a photo from Madison. One look and he frowned.

It was the second time he saw Phoebe smiling so brightly at another man.

Theodore stared at the screen, not even realizing he had stopped walking. It had been ages since he saw Phoebe smile. Lawton noticed and reminded him, “Mr. Reynolds, we’re blocking the way.”

Theodore clenched his phone and strode out of the jet bridge. Lawton sensed his boss’s mood had turned even colder. Lawton scratched his head and quickly followed.

On the way back to the Imperial Apartment, the car’s atmosphere was tense. Neither Lawton nor the driver dared to breathe loudly. After dropping Theodore off and watching him enter the elevator, they both sighed in relief. The driver asked, “Mr. Brown, was the trip rough? Mr. Reynolds looked ready to bite someone’s head off.”

Lawton shrugged, “Guess this is the new normal. Let’s just stay out of trouble.”

As the car drove out of the underground parking lot, Lawton looked at the dark night and sighed, recalling the scene at Lindell Harbor Hospital that morning.

Theodore clearly had feelings for Phoebe, yet he kept pushing her away. He remembered the look on Phoebe’s face as she left the hospital room.

What kind of expression was that? Pure heartbreak.

Theodore opened the apartment door to darkness, making his heart sink. He carried his suitcase inside, and the entrance light flicked on.

He vaguely saw someone on the living room sofa, which startled him. He turned on the light and snapped, “Why didn’t you turn on the light? Trying to scare someone to death?”

The sudden light made Phoebe squint. It took her a moment to adjust.

Phoebe didn’t expect Theodore back so soon. She stood up, surprised to see him changing into slippers and walking in. Whether it was the chill of the night or something else, he looked even colder. Phoebe pressed her lips together. “Why are you back?”

Vanessa hadn’t even been discharged yet, and Theodore was already back. Unbelievable!

Theodore threw his suitcase next to the sofa, his cold gaze on her. Phoebe’s face was blank, but he thought of the photo where she was smiling at Evan, and his heart ached.

As Theodore stepped forward to question her, he noticed a piece of paper on the coffee table. The bold words ‘Divorce Agreement’ stung his eyes.

“What is this?” Theodore pointed at the paper, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Phoebe calmly looked at him. “Divorce agreement.”

They locked eyes silently. Suddenly, he grabbed the divorce agreement. With one sheet of paper, she wanted to end their three-year marriage. Phoebe must be dreaming! Holding the paper, he asked, “Phoebe, do you want a divorce?”

Theodore was very calm, but the more relaxed he was, the more terrifying it became. Phoebe instinctively felt fear.

She gritted her teeth and said, “Yes!”

Theodore’s grip on the divorce agreement tightened. For a moment, Phoebe felt like he was squeezing her neck, making it hard to breathe.

“Phoebe, have you forgotten what you still owe me?” Theodore asked coldly.

Phoebe’s hand clenched into a fist. She suppressed her fear and said, “I don’t owe you anything, Theodore. You have someone else in your heart, so why hold on to me?”

Theodore laughed angrily. “Do you dare to say that? Just because I haven’t mentioned it for a while, do you think I’ve forgotten?”

Phoebe’s heart ached. “I have no obligation to give you a child. Besides, I can’t have one. Find someone else.”

“No obligation?” Theodore suddenly tore the paper into pieces. He raised his hand, and the fragments scattered like snowflakes.

Phoebe looked up at the paper fragments and said, “Tear it up if you want. I can print another one until you sign it.”

Theodore was furious. He grabbed Phoebe by the neck and pushed her onto the sofa. He pinned her down, his hot breath mixed with anger spraying on her neck. “Phoebe, you just need a good fuck!” Phoebe struggled desperately, kicking, biting, and screaming, “Theodore, are you even a man? What else can you do besides use violence?”

“What, after being a doormat for over three years, don’t you know if I’m a man?” Theodore pinned her hands above her head with one hand and leaned down.

His violence quickly subdued Phoebe. She cried out hoarsely. “Theodore, I hate you so much.”

Her tears fell onto Theodore’s hand, the heat seeping into his heart, making him shudder.

He lowered his head and bit her neck hard, leaving a bleeding bite mark. “It’s better than leaving nothing behind after three years.”

Phoebe closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She cried like a fool.

She thought, ‘Why does Theodore torture me when he obviously doesn’t love me?’

A few hours later, Theodore rolled off Phoebe. He was wearing a black shirt that exposed his muscular chest.

Theodore’s chest was covered in scratches and bite marks, a brutal sight.

He sat on the carpet, took a cigarette from the table, and lit it. The sound of burning tobacco was particularly clear in the silent night. Theodore leaned against the sofa, exhaling smoke slowly, his voice suppressed and sexy.

“Phoebe, what is it about me that makes you always want to escape?” Theodore asked in a low voice, his tone filled with loss and despair. Phoebe raised her arm to cover her eyes and didn’t speak for a long time.

Theodore was perfect in every way, except he didn’t love her. She struggled to sit up, her body feeling as if it had been taken apart and reassembled. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and got off the sofa.

Theodore watched Phoebe’s stubborn back as she staggered towards the bedroom. He raised his hand, wanting to grab her.

Their airborne fingertips were missed. He froze, then watched Phoebe disappear down the corridor.

Theodore lingered over his suspended hand before forcing a desolate smile.

Theodore admitted that a beast lived inside him, usually dormant, but whenever Phoebe touched his bottom line, the beast would come out.

It devoured him and her.

Theodore muttered, “Phoebe, I love you. Don’t you know? I can allow you not to love me, but I can’t allow you to leave me!”

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