"Theodore Grant, Felix and I just ran into each other by chance. You don’t have to be so cruel."
She wasn’t exactly nervous.
She just felt deeply humiliated.
She knew Theodore had misunderstood.
She truly hadn’t expected such a coincidence.
"Theodore, Natalie and I were just..."
Before Felix could finish, Theodore’s dark, hostile gaze swept over to him. "’Were just’ what? Felix Finch, are you determined to steal my wife?"
He straightened up, raised his chin arrogantly, and looked down on the two of them before reaching out to grab Natalie Morgan’s wrist.
He gave a light tug, and she staggered to her feet.
"Theodore..."
Felix Finch quickly stood up and grabbed Theodore Grant’s arm. "Even if soone’s at fault, it’s . Why must you always take it out on her? It’s her birthday today."
"It’s my wife’s birthday, so of course I’m the one who should be with her." He pulled the woman in front of him, gripped her shoulder tightly, and leaned in close to her ear. "Isn’t that right, Mrs. Grant?"
’What could Natalie say?’
’Theodore was furious.’
’Saying one more word would only earn her his most vicious retaliation.’
After he’d dragged her away, Serena Sutton returned.
She saw Felix Finch sitting there, lost in a daze. "Dr. Finch?"
"Claire."
"Where’s Natalie?" she asked, scanning the restaurant.
"Theodore Grant took her away." Felix Finch wrung his fingers anxiously. "Claire, I’m so sorry. I just..."
Felix wanted to explain.
But he didn’t know how.
Serena Sutton understood the half-sentence he couldn’t finish. "Dr. Finch, this isn’t your fault. Theodore Grant would have gone crazy even if it were any other man. He’s a lunatic."
"But he... he shouldn’t treat Natalie like that."
’What should be and what shouldn’t be?’
’Theodore Grant had done countless things he shouldn’t have. But as long as he thought it was right, then it was right.’
’They never had any control.’
「The Grant Residence.」
The music box from Felix Finch was placed in front of Natalie Morgan.
The guzheng lody, "High Mountains and Flowing Water," was like a trickling stream, soothing the soul.
The figurine of a little girl playing the guzheng slowly twirled to the music.
"Do you like it?" Theodore Grant picked up the music box, toying with it in his palm. "I have to admit, my childhood friend here is pretty good at picking gifts to win a girl’s heart. Even a grown man like likes it."
Natalie Morgan swallowed all the explanations that rose to her lips with disgust and helplessness.
’She didn’t want to say a single word.’
He reached out and grabbed her delicate chin, his gaze roving over her features. "My dear Mrs. Grant, you really know how to seduce n."
"Theodore Grant, are you done yet?" ’He doesn’t even love her, so why is he pretending to be jealous?’ "I’ll say this one last ti: there’s nothing sordid going on between Felix and . I was eting Claire at the restaurant today, and we ran into Felix later, just like how you suddenly showed up."
’She hadn’t wanted to explain.’
’But if she didn’t, he would just assu she was guilty.’
"You think I’d believe you?"
Natalie Morgan laughed faintly, despair clouding her eyes. "You don’t believe . Isn’t that perfectly normal? Why would you ever believe ? If you believed , you wouldn’t think I was the one who set the fire at the Lynch Residence. Theodore Grant, neither of us trusts the other. It’s actually better this way."
She smiled, but it was a bitter, strained expression.
’He was tornting her purely for the sake of it.’
’He didn’t really need a reason. He could have just shown up whenever he felt like it.’
’But he just had to pick her birthday of all days.’
’She hadn’t celebrated her birthday for so many years.’
’She had thought...’
’Forget it.’
"Not happy anymore?" He curled his lip in a mocking, taunting smile. "If I hadn’t shown up, would my dear Mrs. Grant be playing the sweet little ga of feeding cake to Dr. Finch right now?"
"What’s the point of keeping score like this?" Her eyes were rimd with red.
He raised an eyebrow. "Keeping score? Isn’t it a fact?"
"Fact?" Natalie laughed. "The fact is that you, Mr. Grant, once rented an entire villa to celebrate Wanda Lynch’s birthday. How am I supposed to compete with that?"
That day, she’d stood in the rain for two hours before he’d reluctantly accepted the al she brought him.
’Did he think she had forgotten?’
’If they were really going to keep score, his offenses would outweigh hers by a thousand, no, ten thousand tis over.’
"Mr. Grant, after the birthday party ended, did you also happen to hop into bed with Wanda Lynch?"
"Mr. Grant, didn’t you also give Wanda Lynch expensive jewelry, tokens of your affection that were far more precious than this music box?"
"And isn’t Mr. Grant the one who goes off to be with another woman on his own wife’s birthday?"
In their two years of marriage.
Every ti it was Wanda Lynch’s birthday, he would disappear.
He’d leave brazenly.
’Did he ever once consider that her birthday was on the sa day as Wanda Lynch’s?’
’After a while, she stopped celebrating her birthday on that day.’
’She started celebrating her lunar birthday instead.’
’Because on that day, there was no one to compete with, no one to steal him away.’
Theodore Grant didn’t speak for a long ti.
For a full two minutes, she had no idea what was going through his mind.
Just as she was about to put her gift away and go upstairs to sleep,
she suddenly felt herself being lifted into the air, hoisted onto his shoulder.
"Theodore Grant, put down!"
"Since Mrs. Grant has so many complaints, I’ll have to fuck you good and proper. Can’t have you getting sick from being so thirsty, body and soul."
He practically threw her onto the large bed.
Natalie Morgan tried to get up and resist, only to be pushed back down.
"Gotten used to being treated so gently by your dear senior, have you? Forgotten my strength?" He grabbed her collar and tore it with a simple tug, leaving her utterly humiliated.
Natalie hurriedly raised her hands to cover herself, her eyes filling with tears. "Theodore Grant, can you please act like a human being?"
"Natalie Morgan, you’re the one who wronged . Whether or not I act like a human depends entirely on how you please next." He ripped the rest of her clothes away, his large hand landing gently on her waist.
’It was strange.’
’He didn’t love her, yet he adored her body.’
’He was even jealous of anyone else trying to claim it.’
Her long hair fanned out across the pillow.
He had deliberately turned on the brightest light, just to scrutinize her.
His gaze was so bold and direct that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
Her eyelashes trembled as she reached for the blanket, but he tossed it all to the floor.
"Tell , where did Felix Finch touch you?" His large hand road wantonly over her sensitive spots. "Here? Or here?"
"Theodore Grant, if you’re going to do it, just do it. I’ve never asked you which parts of you Wanda Lynch has used."
Her body trembled slightly.
She trembled even more violently where his hand had just caressed her.
"Feeling it now?" His hand gripped her waist as he flipped her over, his chest pressing tightly against her smooth, pale back. He nibbled the soft flesh behind her ear. "Natalie Morgan, tell , how should I deal with Felix Finch? Hmm?"
She trembled more violently.
’She wasn’t turned on at all. She was just scared—terrified of his depravity.’
She bit her lip hard. "Nothing ever happened between us. You’re just the one who won’t believe ."
"How am I supposed to believe you? He was celebrating your birthday with you! He was so gentle. The Felix Finch I know has never looked at any woman with such tenderness. So you tell , how am I supposed to believe you?"
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