?<strong>Chapter 368:</strong>
The assistant felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked it, his eyebrows lifting as he read the message: “Elyse has been dismissed.” Theo’s frown deepened. He’d only been away on business for a few days. How did Elyse end up getting dismissed? Dismissed? What happened? He drummed his fingers on the desk.
The assistant hesitated before exining, “Apparently, she was targeted. Her talent rubbed some people the wrong way, so the orchestra higher-ups found a reason to dismiss her.” He paused, then continued, “But something must have happened to her. My source says she didn’t report to the orchestra on time, giving them a reason to push her out.”
“Didn’t report on time? That’s not like her,” Theo mulled it over. “Keep digging,” he leaned forward, adding, “If you can’t get anything directly on her, investigate the people around her. There’s got to be a clue.”
The assistant nodded and left the office, closing the door softly behind him.
Just as Theo returned to his work, the receptionist called. He answered with an edge to his voice, “What is it?”
Sounding uneasy, she replied, “Mr. Ward, Kaelyn Bet is here again. She insists on seeing you.”
His annoyance grew. “What do you mean, again? She’s beening every day.”
“You were away on your trip, sir, but yes, she shows up around this time daily. Today, she heard you were in and said she needs to speak with you.”
“Tell her to leave,” Theo snapped and hung up. He hoped that would put an end to it, focusing on his work until around 10 pm.
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When he finally wrapped up and headed to the parking garage, he opened the car door, only for a figure to dart out and block him from closing it.
“Theo, I’ve finally caught up with you,” Kaelyn’s face lit up with joy and a hint of something more intense.
“You’ve lost your mind! Let go!” Theo called out to Kaelyn several times, but she wouldn’t budge. She gripped the door tightly, determined to keep him from leaving.
Exhausted from a long day at work, Theo grew more impatient with every passing second. His frustration crept into his voice, “I’ve told you not to show up in front of me. Unless you can make Elyse divorce her husband, stay out of my sight.”
Kaelyn’s affectionate gaze faltered when she heard Elyse’s name, her expression darkening. “Do you really miss her that much? What’s so special about Elyse that you can’t let her go?”
Theo felt his irritation boiling over. He hadn’t realized just how relentless Kaelyn could be; she seemed almost unhinged. “How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? Elyse is my one and only. You can’t evenpare.”
He took a deep breath, exhaling with a weary sigh. “Can you stoping around? I don’t want Elyse to get the wrong idea and think there’s anything between us. It’ll just hurt her.”
Kaelyn’s eyes welled with tears as she saw how protective he was of Elyse and how much he valued her feelings. “But why did you respond to me, help me, and make me think you still cared? You were so good to me before. I don’t believe your loyalty is that fragile.”
Theo rubbed his temples in frustration. He knew he’d made mistakes in the past, confused about what he wanted and needed. He refused to acknowledge that he had once been naive, which made him feel foolish for failing to recognize his own emotions.
Seeing no answer that she wanted to hear, Kaelyn pushed further. “Admit it. Say you still have feelings for me. You wouldn’t have been so good to me otherwise.”
Theo shoved her back. “No, I only care about Elyse. There’s nothing left between us. Don’te near me again. I don’t want to see you.”
She stumbled and fell to the ground, clutching her hip in pain as tears streamed down her face.
“You want to be with Elyse? Then think carefully. You may never see her again!” she suddenly screamed.
Theo hesitated with his hand on the car door, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean by that?”
Kaelyn’sughter echoed through the parking garage, wild and mocking.
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