Ivy’s worry deepened as she observed the cloud of gloom hanging over Zack. His face was etched with sorrow, and his usual vibrant demeanor was replaced with a heavy silence.
"What’s wrong, Zack? You’ve been depressed ever since you came back from the restroom. Are you not feeling well?"
She was oblivious to the incident that had transpired in the restroom, but his demeanor and the shadows in his eyes made her suspect that it had something to do with Bella. A pang of insecurity gnawed at her as she thought about the possibility.
"Is it about Bella?" Ivy hissed, her eyes sharpening with jealousy. "Did you meet with her behind my back?"
Zack’s scowl deepened. The last thing he wanted was to be drawn into an argument about Bella, especially when his heart was already shattered into pieces. The pain was still too fresh, and Ivy’s accusations only added to his misery.
"You always bring her into everything," Zack snapped. "You know what I’ve been through since I lost Rose. But you never seem to care about how I feel. All you do is throw yourself at me, demanding things, forcing me to be something I’m not ready for. Do you think this is easy for me?"
Ivy couldn’t believe he had said that. She had been by his side through his darkest days, her family had supported him when he needed it most, and now he was accusing her of not caring. The sting of his words cut deep.
She struggled to hold back her emotions. "It’s heartbreaking that you still cling to the memory of someone who is gone, but you can’t see the person standing right in front of you—the one who is alive, who loves you," she whined. Her frustration and hurt bled into her words. "I am your fiancée." Her voice rose a little louder at the last sentence.
Ivy’s tears began to fall. She had given so much of herself to him, but all she felt now was rejection.
Gina, who had been subtly trying to eavesdrop on Zack and Ivy’s conversation, caught the word "fiancée" loud and clear. Her eyes widened in shock, a quiet gasp escaping her lips.
’She is his fiancée?’ Gina whispered to herself, her mind racing with this new revelation. A sly grin slowly spread across her face as she pieced together the implications. "This man has feelings for Bella despite being engaged. Interesting!"
Her smirk deepened, already calculating how this information could be used to further her schemes.
Meanwhile, across the room, Zack’s patience had run thin. The weight of Ivy’s accusations and his own turmoil left him drained, and he had no desire to continue the conversation.
Without uttering another word, Zack turned and walked away.
"Zack!" Desperation crept into her voice as she hurried to catch up. She finally reached him, grabbing his hand to stop him. "Where are you going? The auction is about to start."
Zack’s expression was cold, his voice detached as he replied, "I’m going home. If you want to stay for the auction, that’s up to you. But don’t expect me to stay here with you." With a firm tug, he pulled his hand free from her grasp and strode out the hall.
Ivy stood frozen, watching him disappear into the crowd, tears blurring her vision. The sudden shift in Zack’s behavior left her reeling, and her mind immediately jumped to the one person she believed could be the cause of it—Bella. Why else would Zack bring up Rose so suddenly if not because of Bella’s presence?
Anger sparked within her, igniting a fire of jealousy and frustration. Her fists clenched at her sides. "Bella, why can’t you just stay away from him?"
Outside the mansion...
The night air was cool and still. Theodore quietly slipped out the backdoor, avoiding the crowded hall inside. He had no intention of causing a scene, not with the storm brewing inside him.
The driver, already informed, had the car waiting at the exit. As soon as he saw Theodore approach, carrying Bella in his arms, he quickly opened the door.
Theodore gently placed Bella in the back seat, his movements careful but his expression unreadable. Without a word, he climbed in beside her, and the car sped away into the night, the mansion shrinking into the distance behind them.
Bella’s heart pounded as she glanced at Theodore, his face shadowed and tense. The silence between them was suffocating. She wanted to explain, to tell him that what he saw wasn’t what he thought, but fear gripped her, tightening her throat. The cold, hard look in his eyes made her cower.
Gathering every ounce of courage, Bella reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve. "Theodore..."
In an instant, he seized her hands, pinning them above her head against the seat. His face was inches from hers, his breath hot and heavy. Bella, terrified, didn’t dare to take a breath.
"Why?" That one word was laced with fury. "Why was he with you? What were you doing with him inside the restroom?"
His gaze dropped to the bite mark on her neck, and something in him snapped. His hand moved to the mark, his thumb brushing over it before pressing down hard, making her wince.
"I didn’t expect this from you, Isabella. Tell me, where else did he touch you?"
Bella whimpered in pain, her heart breaking under the weight of his accusations. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sobbed, "You’re hurting me..."
"Hurting you?" Theodore’s voice dripped with bitter irony. "How about this?" Without warning, he crushed his lips against hers, his kiss rough and punishing, more an act of possession than affection.
Bella struggled against him, the taste of his anger bitter on her lips. The violation cut deeper than anything she had ever felt before.
She had thought he would protect her, and comfort her after everything she had been through, but instead, he was tearing her apart. Desperation surged within her, and with all the strength she could muster, she pushed him away and slapped him across the face.
The sound of the slap echoed in the enclosed space, sharp and startling. Theodore froze, his cheek stinging from the blow. His eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend that she had actually hit him.
For a moment, the car was filled with nothing but the sound of their ragged breaths. Bella trembled, tears streaming down her face as she stared back at him, a mixture of fear and defiance in her eyes. Theodore, still reeling from the slap, slowly released her, his mind racing as he grappled with what had just happened.
Theodore, still reeling from the sting of Bella’s slap, mumbled in a daze. "You slapped me because of that man!" His words were laced with hurt, his emotions swirling chaotically.
"Zack saved me," she finally revealed the truth that had been trapped inside her. "I would have been raped by two wild men in the restroom if it were not for Zack."
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