The room was cloaked in a stifling darkness, the heavy curtains shutting out the brightness of the day. Outside, the city buzzed with life, but within these four walls, time seemed frozen. Theodore lay slumped, leaning against the bed, his body limp and unkempt. His head lolled to the side.
Empty beer cans littered the floor around him, the stale smell of alcohol thick in the air. He had drunk all night and couldn’t even tell when he had fallen asleep.
A phone beside him chimed incessantly, cutting through the oppressive silence. But he remained still, not even flexing a muscle.
As soon as the phone stopped ringing, the door banged loudly. "Are you okay there? Open the door?"
Theodore’s eyebrows twitched, the noise sending a jolt of pain through his throbbing skull. He groaned, pressing his fingers to the sides of his head as if trying to hold it together. The pounding in his ears grew worse with every knock.
"Can you hear me?" the voice called again, louder this time, almost frantic. "Open the door, Theo, or I’ll break it down!"
Theodore winced, his groggy mind struggling to piece together what was happening. The muffled shouting outside felt distant, like a dream—or perhaps a nightmare. He groaned again, but he made no effort to move.
On the other side of the door, Willow stood tense, her brow furrowed with growing concern. She pressed her ear against the door, listening intently, but there was no response—just an unsettling silence. Her chest tightened as worry gave way to full-blown anxiety.
’What if something is wrong with him? What if he is hurt?’ The thought propelled her into action. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
She turned to the man standing beside her. "Break the door, Skyler," she commanded.
Without hesitation, Skyler stepped back and threw his shoulder into the door. The lock splintered with a loud crack, and the door swung open, slamming into the wall. Skyler stumbled forward, almost losing his balance, but caught himself at the last second. The pungent stench of stale alcohol hit him like a wave, making him recoil.
Willow stepped in, her eyes scanning the room. When her gaze finally landed on Theodore, her heart sank. Theodore sat slumped on the floor, his body hunched, elbows resting on his knees, and hands cradling his head. Empty beer cans were strewn everywhere.
"How much did you drink?" Willow muttered with disbelief as she took in the disheveled state of the man she once knew to be composed. The sight was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the Theodore she was familiar with.
Skyler stood by the doorstep, watching Theodore with growing concern.
Carefully stepping over the scattered cans, Willow made her way to the curtains. She pulled them aside, flooding the room with harsh sunlight. Theodore wince and squeeze his eyes shut in discomfort.
Willow turned back to him, frustration evident in her scowl. "What’s wrong with you, Theo?" she demanded. "Drinking yourself into oblivion? I called you so many times, and you didn’t even bother to answer. Grandpa was worried sick—he called me and asked me to check on you!"
Theodore didn’t move, didn’t even look up. He remained in the same position, his head bowed, fingers clutching the sides of his aching skull.
Willow’s scowl deepened as she took a step closer, her worry now mingled with anger. "Do you think you can find Bella by keeping yourself immersed in alcohol?"
"Stop shouting," Theodore groaned, Willow’s sharp voice grating on his nerves. "My head hurts."
Willow’s mouth contorted in annoyance. "Skyler, take him to the bathroom and throw him into the bathtub."
Skyler hesitated, his gaze moving between Willow and Theodore.
"What are you looking at?" Willow snapped. "Take him to the bathroom."
Skyler approached Theodore hesitantly, but his movements paused when he met his boss’s stern glare.
"Touch me and I’ll break your hand," Theodore warned.
Skyler stepped back.
"Don’t threaten him," Willow snapped. "Do you know how much you make us worried? You didn’t reply to our calls."
"Because I didn’t want to talk to anyone else," Theodore snapped back, but he didn’t meet her eyes. Though he was annoyed by the sudden disturbance, he couldn’t ignore the guilt nagging at his heart. "Can’t you leave me alone?"
Willow shrugged, a disdainful look crossing her face. "Alright, we’ll leave you alone. You don’t care about Bella, but I can’t sit doing nothing. I won’t waste my time seeking comfort from alcohol. I’ll go and look for her. Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you." She stormed toward the door. "Come with me, Skyler."
"Wait," Theodore snarled, scowling at her. "What did you say just now?" He stood up, his head pounding. But he ignored the throbbing pain and glared at her. "You mean I don’t care about Bella? I’m trying hard to find her. I interrogated the man who had caused the accident. I even questioned Claudia and Keith. None of them know anything about Bella."
Willow turned back to him, regarding him with a squint.
"It’s frustrating," Theodore added with a grimace on his face. "I was sad at the same time."
"I know you are disturbed," Willow said, her tone as cold as before. "But have you thought about her mother? Did you call and check on her?"
Theodore’s face fell, his heart sinking under the weight of guilt. He was so absorbed in his own pain that he hadn’t thought about Bella’s mother.
"You don’t even know Bella’s biological father is in town," Willow dropped a bomb. "He announced one million prize money if anyone finds her and gives information about her."
"What did you say?" Theodore exclaimed, stunned. "Bella’s biological father?" His surprised gaze moved to Skyler. "Why didn’t I know anything about it?"
"I also didn’t have a clue about it until I saw the news this morning," Skyler replied. He held up his phone and showed him the news. "Alan Walton is Bella’s father. He had already filed a missing report. He even urged the netizen to help him find his daughter and announced a hefty price money."
Theodore snatched the phone and read the news, his eyes narrowing. "Alan Walton, one of the richest men in the nation, is Bella’s father," he mused.
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