Theodore grabbed Adeline's hands without even caring that eyes were on them. His teeth were gritted as he glared deep into her eyes while she mirrored his look.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded.
"Will you let go of me?" She yanked her hands back, embarrassment crawling through her skin when she noticed the stares the other guests were giving them.
Darien watched them in silence.
"That doesn't answer my question. What are you doing here with…" He looked up at Darien whose eyes had been on him the entire time. "…Him." He said the last word with so much venom in his voice but Darien didn't look offended even one.
"That's none of your business," Adeline said through gritted teeth. This was a huge party for influential people. She should have thought about Theodore or anyone familiar being present but that thought had completely failed to come through.
Theodore became even more irritated by her response. He grabbed her hand and she winced in pain.
"That's my plus one, Mr. Westwood and I would appreciate it if you stopped manhandling her," Darien suddenly said, earning him a glare from Theodore but he was completely unfazed by the look.
"She's my wife," he responded with so much authority.
Darien was aware of that. Adeline has been married to the man before him for years now, but it was also obvious that there seemed to be some kind of tension between them.
"But she didn't come here with you, now did she?" Darien questioned, his tone calm yet chilling to the skin.
Adeline was stuck between the two.
One she needed to please so she could get out of the hands of the other who seemed to be going to cause trouble.
Left with no other choice, she interrupted.
"Please, Mr. Hawthorne. I'll be right back," she said with a curt nod.
Darien's eyes were on her while Theodore's dark and unsettling ones were on him.
Theodore snorted triumphantly, as if he'd just won an argument.
He pulled Adeline with him, heading to a corner while Darien's gaze was on them until they disappeared.
Theodore was not happy to find Adeline coming to this party with Darien of all people.
His mind was filled with questions, heavy questions as something nicked inside of him.
"Why were you together with Darien?" He demanded that they be far away from where people would overhear their conversations.
"Why do you want to know?" She questioned back. Her grandfather had not mentioned anything about the challenge which meant he didn't want Theodore or anyone finding out about it.
"I'm your husband," he claimed, which only earned him a mocking scoff.
"You're not my husband, Theodore. Maybe by law you're my husband, but after cheating on me, I don't see you as such anymore," she said through gritted teeth.
He had such temerity to act like he could claim her after hurting her.
"And whatever I do is none of your business." She almost yelled, her throat clenching and trembling, begging to snap at him. Seeing his face triggered her because it wasn't easy to unlove someone you once loved.
After Theodore's betrayal, he'd made it clear that he never had feelings for her and she was simply being delusional.
To think he wanted to talk it out after she caught him balls deep in his secretary's hole.
She chuckled, amused by whatever impudence he was high on.
Theodore certainly didn't like her reply or sharp tone. So when she was about to leave, thinking she had gotten her marriage across, he pulled her, slamming her back against the wall hard with his hand against her chin, his grip tight.
The movement was too fast for Adeline to catch what was going on and the next thing, the hands on her chin were too tight she felt they were going to snap in half.
"Listen to me," Theodore said, his breath hot against her face. It smelled like mint, the expired type that made her stomach churn. "I don't want to see you anywhere around Darien you hear me? In fact, I don't want to see you in public, especially at events like this. And most importantly, I don't want to see you with another man."
Adeline wanted to laugh but she couldn't because of his hand that was over her face.
"I've told you to come back home several times so we can sort this out. I gave you several calls, but you never answered either of them. Why's that?" He asked. Then he leaned forward, inhaling her scent while his eyes rolled back. "You belong to me, Adeline. And if you think that I'm going to let you out of my grasp just because of one mistake, then you're solely mistaken."
His other words were funny enough to make her heart chuckle, but this one wasn't funny at all.
It almost seemed like a promise. A promise to make her life a living hell as long as she was married to him. She didn't want that.
She thought that two months were enough, but thinking about it, two months were far too long to endure bearing his boorishness.
"Do you understand me, sweetie? You are mine." Then he rubbed his face all over hers like a psychopathic person.
This behavior was new, and although Adeline had a lot to say, she decided to swallow all her words.
She'd seen the way he manhandled Lina in everyone's presence without caring.
They were alone right now, and she wouldn't want to anger him.
When Theodore didn't get any response from her, his gaze darkened.
"Do you understand me?!" He yelled right into her face, his grip tightening, making the pain unbearable.
She managed to nod, and his expression melted into a softened smile.
He stared down at her lips, feeling the urge.
His intentions were written all over his face, but Adeline knew how much she could tolerate.
Right when he was about to capture her lips, she drove her heels right into his groin and he roared in pain.