Chapter 147: The Person Behind Adrian Cole
"It was you... wasn’t it?"
Theo’s voice was low, steady, but the weight behind it pressed heavy in the air. He shifted his gaze sideways, locking onto Liam who stood beside him.
Liam’s smirk had already slipped away, replaced by a hardened expression. "Can you ask straightforwardly? I don’t understand your words." His tone was flat, clipped and none of his usual mockery showed, his mood still soured since Aurora had walked off.
Theo didn’t flinch. His eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. "The one who hid them. The one who helped with their house. Their business. It was you, wasn’t it?"
Liam’s jaw ticked, the corner of his mouth twitching like he might laugh, but no sound came. He exhaled slowly through his nose, shoulders squaring as his hands sank deeper into his pockets.
"And if it was?" he said at last, his voice low, dangerous.
Theo scoffed, the sound raw, almost a laugh but stripped of any humor. "You know how desperate I was... trying to look for her..." His voice cracked under the weight of it, his chest rising hard and fast. Then his eyes cut back to Liam, burning. "And you did what?"
Liam’s gaze didn’t waver. His expression was unreadable, carved in stone, but there was no smirk, no shield of mockery to hide behind this time. He stood silent for a long moment, then tilted his head slightly, voice too calm.
"I kept her alive."
The words landed heavy, neither an apology nor an excuse, just a cold fact.
Theo’s chest heaved, frustration clawing its way up his throat. His lips parted, words forming but breaking before they could leave. His body was still weak, every breath dragging, but his eyes stayed locked on Liam with raw anger.
Before he could speak, Liam’s voice cut clean through the air, sharp as a blade.
"Why are you this angry?" he asked, his tone steady, almost mocking in its calm. "You left her for months. You, of all people, with your noble excuses... ’I need time to heal.’" Liam’s gaze narrowed, unflinching. "So tell me... what makes you better than me? I’m just trying to help her... and what is wrong with that?"
The silence that followed was suffocating, pressing between them like a wall neither wanted to break first.
Theo’s jaw clenched, breath shallow. "I guess nothing is wrong with that. It’s just me... a dumbass, couldn’t even think that it was you..." His voice cracked with disbelief, his fists tightening at his sides.
Liam tilted his head, studying him in silence for a beat before his lips curved faintly. "You should thank me, you know. Daisy wouldn’t have lasted that long on her own. Neither would Aurora." His tone darkened, carrying a private edge that Theo didn’t miss. "But of course, my reasons for helping... weren’t as saintly as yours."
Theo’s head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by that?"
Liam met his glare without a flinch, his voice low and deliberate. "Let’s just say... I used your wife."
Theo stiffened, his chest rising sharply as fury flickered in his eyes. "I heard almost everything earlier, Liam. This..." his voice cracked with restrained anger, "this is not supposed to happen. You are playing with women’s hearts... it needs to stop. The reason behind it, even if I try to understand, I still can’t wave away the way you..." His words faltered, swallowed by the raw frustration boiling in his chest. "Whatever deal you struck with her, it needs to be stopped."
Liam tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. For once, there was no mocking curve to his lips, no lazy smirk. Only a quiet, dangerous calm, "And what’s that got to do with you?" His voice was low, deliberate, each word carrying steel. "I never cared about your business, Theo, so don’t you dare stick your nose in mine."
Theo’s hands curled into fists at his sides, his knuckles bone-white. "It has everything to do with me... because she is like everything to Daisy." His tone was clipped, his breathing shallow, but his eyes burned, refusing to back down.
Liam scoffed, a sharp edge in his laugh. "Ah... this is really boring. Cringe, even." Turning away, he strode toward the corridor. "Just get some rest and get back to the company. I was never meant for corporate life anyway."
He paused at the elevator, casting Theo a glance over his shoulder, his voice calm but laced with finality. "And don’t worry... I think I’ve lost interest in her. So yeah... your wife’s best friend is safe."
The words echoed long after the elevator doors slid shut, leaving Theo standing rigid in the hallway. A long sigh escaped him, his chest heavy. Despite all the bravado, a quiet worry for Liam tugged at him. He knew his brother, raised mostly on his own, hardened by things no one ever fully understood. In truth, Liam was good in almost every way that mattered... sharp, dependable, strong. If not for his reckless flings and that playboy streak, no one would ever have cause to doubt him.
Sighing again, Theo turned, only to notice Daisy shifting on the bed, the sheets rustling softly.
He rushed to her side, his voice low but urgent. "Are you okay?"
Daisy’s lashes fluttered open, her brows knitting together as her gaze searched his face. Her voice was groggy, but laced with worry. "Are you okay? Where are we?"
"Ah..." Theo scratched the back of his head, the awkward gesture betraying his nerves. "Hospital." He forced a small, feeble smile, lowering his eyes for a moment. "Both of us weren’t in the best shape yesterday, so they admitted us. But I’m fine now... really."
Her frown deepened, concern sharper than his reassurance. "You don’t look fine..." she murmured, her hand brushing weakly against his forehead. Relief softened her features. "Hmm... thank God, it’s not hot anymore..." Slowly, she tried to sit up.
Theo leaned forward to help, steadying her carefully. But once she was upright, the air between them turned heavy again, silence stretching as their eyes met.
"Ahem..." Theo cleared his throat, breaking away first. "I’ll get you a glass of water."
Daisy nodded, but just as he started to rise, her fingers closed gently around his hand. "Wait..."
He turned back, surprised by the urgency in her gaze. Her voice was soft but firm, leaving no room for retreat. "I think our talk is long overdue... we really need to settle this now."