Chapter 74: The aggression

The question caught both Alaric and Charlotte off guard. They hadn’t been prepared for this.

Beside them, Theron stiffened. Every muscle of his body coiled like a live wire.

Even Elowen was surprised. She hadn’t expected him to bring up such a sensitive topic so bluntly.

Charlotte forced a smile. "We would certainly like to see him settle down. But he has always been so busy with work. We don’t want to pressure him. So..."

"I can help you find a suitable partner for him," Soren said, interrupting her.

"I don’t need your help," Theron snapped, completely losing his patience. "I’ve got someone I love. I’ll only marry her, no one else."

The sudden outburst silenced the entire table.

His parents gaped at him. Elowen’s eyes widened. But Soren remained calm as if he had expected this reaction.

Seraphina, on the other end, flinched at his loud voice and dropped the fork.

"It’s okay, little bird." Soren patted her back, soothing her. "Uncle just lost his temper. He didn’t mean to scare you."

Theron’s expression faltered when he noticed the fear in Seraphina’s eyes. He felt guilty. His action had terrified the little girl.

But that guilt only made his frustration worse. He couldn’t bear the feeling of losing his cool in his own house.

He shoved his chair back. The legs scraped harshly against the floor.

Without a word, he stormed out of the house.

"Theron," Charlotte called out, rising from her seat.

She was about to follow him when Alaric caught her wrist and urged her to sit back.

"Let him go now," he said. "He needs to calm down."

Charlotte looked at the doorway, worry written all over her face

"I’m sorry, Uncle, Aunt," Soren apologized, pretending he had done nothing to provoke Theron. "I didn’t realize he’d react so strongly."

He sounded perfectly sincere.

Charlotte let out a strained sigh.

"Don’t apologize," Alaric said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He’ll be fine."

"I’ll go talk to him." Soren rose from his chair and walked out of the house.

Silence that descended in the room was heavy and tense.

Charlotte glanced at Elowen, embarrassed. "I’m sorry, dear. We never intended for the evening to turn out like this."

"Please, Mrs. Knox, don’t say sorry. It wasn’t your fault. And the food was really good. I enjoyed it. And Sera certainly liked the cake."

Her smile eased some of the tension in the room.

But Charlotte still looked troubled. "Theron rarely loses his cool like this. I’ve hardly seen him behave that way. But tonight..." Her chest caved as she let out a weary sigh. "He shouldn’t have left the table like that."

"Let him be," Alaric said. "Soren has gone after him. They will talk things out."

Elowen, however, didn’t think the problem would be solved easily.

She had seen the hostility between Soren and Theron. She knew her husband was jealous, and she also knew that he had purposefully brought up the topic of Theron’s marriage to provoke him.

Her gaze moved to the door from which Soren had just walked out.

She had come here expecting a simple dinner with her boss and his parents. Instead, she had found herself caught between the two men whose hostility toward each other seemed to have roots far deeper than she understood.

’Soren, don’t do anything that you’ll regret later.’

Outside the house...

When Soren stepped onto the porch, he noticed Theron standing in the driveway, smoking. His lips curled into a triumphant smile as he approached him.

"You should seriously consider finding yourself a suitable partner," Soren remarked, his tone mocking. "It would be better to use your time than to pursue a married woman."

Theron glanced at him and blew out a cloud of smoke. "Scared?" he scoffed. "You looked desperate in there, Soren. And you should be. After all, I’m your competitor. You know how much I love accepting challenges. And I am the only one who can defeat you."

The smirk vanished from Soren’s face. A dangerous light flashed in his eyes as he grabbed his collar.

"She is no longer the woman you wanted. She is mine now."

Theron didn’t flinch. He held Soren’s furious gaze without trying to free himself.

"She is still the woman I want. I don’t care who she is married to. All that matters is that I love her. And this time, I’m determined to make her mine. Stop me if you can."

Soren was on the verge of losing his cool. "Try it, and I’ll destroy you before you get anywhere near her," he said, gritting his teeth.

"Destroy me?" Theron snorted. The next moment, his expression hardened, and he pushed him away.

Soren staggered backward, almost losing his balance from the force. He somehow managed to steady himself. He straightened and shot him a murderous glare.

"You are delusional, Soren. You don’t know me yet." Theron’s face twisted with hatred. "I destroyed you once. And I’d love to do that again."

Soren, caught off guard, took involuntary steps backward. "What did you say?"

He wondered if he heard it correctly.

Theron didn’t give him time to process his words. He charged toward him, his anger spilling out.

"You never liked her," he roared. "You made her life miserable. You hurt her for years. Why can’t you let her go?"

He shoved him again.

Soren barely registered the force of the blow. His mind remained fixed on Theron’s words: ’I destroyed you once.’

’What the hell does he mean by that?’

Lost in his thoughts, Soren failed to defend himself as Theron continued his tirade.

"You will never give her the love she deserves," Theron continued. "I’m the only one who can love her endlessly. I can give her the life she has always wanted. With you, all she will ever know is suffering."

Soren finally tried to retaliate, but before he could speak, another powerful shove from Theron pushed him back.

"Your family has never accepted her," Theron added fiercely. "Your mother hates her. She is all set to break your marriage and marry you off to Tahlia. What kind of life could Elowen possibly have in the Vale family? Nothing but misery."

He stepped toward him, his eyes burning with conviction.

"But my family is different. My parents love her already. They will never treat her like an outsider. She will be happier with me than she could ever be with you."

He crossed the remaining distance between them in two long strides. "Leave her alone. Let her be with me. Or you will end up getting her killed."

Theron seized Soren’s collar and yanked him forward. "Get out of her life. Give her back to me. She was supposed to be mine from the beginning. You stole her from me."

Soren finally regained his composure. He ripped Theron’s hands away and shoved them aside. "You bastard. Take her name one more time, and I’ll kill you right here."

He lifted his fist to hit him.

"Soren!" Elowen’s voice pierced the air. "What are you doing?"