Meanwhile, standing near the door, Willow felt her heart sink as she watched the heartbreaking scene unfold. She knew Theodore needed to know about this. Quietly, she slipped out of the room and pulled out her phone, dialing his number.
"Theo," she whispered as soon as he picked up. "Bella had another episode. The doctor had to sedate her."
She told him everything that had happened.
There was silence on the other end for a moment before Theodore’s voice came through. "Is she okay now?"
"She is asleep," Willow answered. "But Theo... this isn’t going to be easy. It’s worse than we thought."
On the other end, Theodore grew solemn. "Nothing in my life has ever been easy. But I won’t give up. Bella might have forgotten me—forgotten us—but I haven’t. I remember every moment, every promise. And if she doesn’t remember our love, I’ll remind her. If our past is lost to her, I’ll build a new future. I’ll make her fall in love with me all over again."
The conviction in his voice brought relief to Willow. That was the Theodore she knew—relentless, devoted, unwavering.
"That’s the spirit," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. "So what if she doesn’t remember the past? We’ll create new memories. We’ll give her reasons to love you again."
"Of course."
The call ended, and Willow lowered her phone, tucking it into her bag. She squared her shoulders and turned the corner—only to come face to face with Philip.
Her steps faltered, and her expression froze momentarily. But she quickly masked her surprise, her gaze turning cold. She still hadn’t forgotten what he had done—how he had accused her brother.
Bitterness surged through her, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Holding her chin high, she walked past him without a word.
"Willow," Philip called out. "Can we talk?"
Willow came to an abrupt halt, her body rigid with tension. She had buried her resentment deep within her heart, trying to ignore the sting of Philip’s past words, but now, standing before him, her composure was beginning to crack.
Philip licked his lips nervously, his fingers twitching at his sides as he stepped closer. "I’ve been wanting to talk to you these past few days." His voice was softer than usual. "Can we sit down somewhere? Maybe have a coffee together?"
Willow inhaled deeply, forcing herself to remain calm. She had no patience for this. "We have nothing to talk about," she said icily. "Don’t bother." Without another glance, she walked away.
"Wait, please." He hurried forward, stepping into her path. Their eyes met, and for a moment, he fell silent, his resolve wavering under the intensity of her glare.
"Move aside," she snarled.
"No." He stood tall, his stance resolute. The hesitation in his eyes faded, replaced with determination. "Let’s talk first."
"What do you want?" she spat.
"I know you’re upset with me. I was angry that day, and I said things I shouldn’t have. But I regret it. I realized my mistakes, and I—I don’t want you to keep treating me like this."
A sharp, humorless chuckle escaped Willow’s lips. "Treat you like what? Who am I to you? We’re not close. How I treat you shouldn’t matter."
She walked past him, but this time, he reached out, his hand wrapping gently around her wrist.
"It bothers me when you act like I’m nothing to you." Looking straight into her eyes, he stated honestly. "I don’t want to be just some stranger in your life. I want to be close to you. I want to be someone special to you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Willow’s heart skipped a beat. Philip was the man she had secretly wished to be with, but she had never dared to acknowledge those feelings, not even to herself. There were too many complications—too many reasons why she had to push him away. And now, after everything that had happened between him and Theodore, she couldn’t afford to let her emotions cloud her judgment.
Philip had hurt Theodore with his words. Since then, Theodore had been maintaining a distance from the Waltons. At this point, she needed to stay by her brother’s side. She wouldn’t do anything that might upset Theodore.
With a swift motion, she jerked her arm free from his grasp, her expression hardening. "Not interested," she said coldly, turning away.
Philip stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Why? Are you still mad at me?"
His dark eyes searched hers, desperate for an explanation.
Willow let out a bitter laugh, folding her arms across her chest. "I just don’t want you. Is that so hard to accept?"
Philip felt a sharp pang in his chest. He had never been the kind of man to chase after women—he never needed to. Countless women had thrown themselves at him, yet none had ever caught his attention the way Willow had.
He had tried to stay away from her, to erase the memory of the night they had spent together, but no matter how hard he tried, she remained in his thoughts.
And now, she was rejecting him outright.
For the first time, he felt heartache. "Why?" he pressed. "Do you love someone else?"
"None of your business," she shot back.
Something snapped in Philip at her response. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as his mind raced with irrational thoughts. If it wasn’t him, then who?
"Who is it? Tell me," he demanded. "Is it Theodore?"
"What?" Willow exclaimed with disbelief.
His expression darkened, stormy with misplaced fury. "I know you’re close to him. You work for him, you’re always by his side—but don’t forget, he is married to my sister. I won’t let you come between them."
Before she could react, his hands gripped her shoulders tightly, his fingers pressing into her skin.
Willow gasped at the force, a sharp sting shooting through her arms. "Let me go!" she hissed, wincing. She shoved him away, her glare burning with a mix of anger and disappointment. "You really think that low of me? You’re unbelievable."
Philip took a step toward her, but she held up a hand, stopping him.
"Don’t come near me again," she warned. And with that, she stormed away.
"Willow, wait..." He chased her down, but Willow stumbled upon someone. He halted in his tracks, his fists clenching at his sides.
Willow lifted her head and met a familiar pair of eyes. "Skyler!" she breathed.
Skyler’s wide eyes flickered between her and Philip. "What’s going on?" he asked, surprised.
"Skyler, darling." Willow pouted as she tugged at his arm. "This man is harassing me. Can you teach him a lesson?" She blinked innocently.
’Darling?’ Skyler’s throat went dry as the word echoed in his head. What on earth had happened to this woman? Was she planning to get him killed? 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Philip’s hands balled into fists at his sides. His entire body radiated tension, barely holding back the storm of emotions raging inside him. His gaze flickered to Skyler before returning to Willow.
"What is your relationship with him?" Philip roared, his eyes ablaze in fury.
Skyler opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say a word, Willow declared, "He is my boyfriend." She linked her arm with Skyler’s and threw a challenging look at Philip. "Do you have a problem?"
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