Chapter 37: Elowen with Theron at the party.

The kiss was gentle, nothing like the heated kiss in the hall. There was no force in it, only tenderness.

Elowen clasped the edge of the sink tightly. She could have stepped away. But she didn’t.

Some unseen force seemed to hold her in her place.

Slowly, she closed her eyes. She allowed herself to stay. The walls she had built around herself weakened.

"Wifey," he whispered against her lips and held her close to his chest.

Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, the burning smell reached his nostrils. His nose wrinkled.

"Something is burning." He pulled back and turned to the stove.

The pasta was still sitting over the heat.

"Oh, shit..."

He instantly turned off the stove.

Elowen stared at the slightly scorched pasta. Then she looked at Soren.

He stood there in embarrassment, his injured hand held awkwardly at his side.

Elowen pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.

"You’ve cooked enough. Now go out, and let me take care of this."

Soren looked miserable. "I am useless. I wanted to cook dinner for us tonight. And this is what I did."

She couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping her throat. "You tried, and that’s what matters. Now go and wait."

She pushed him out of the kitchen.

Soren allowed himself to be pushed out.

"And don’t forget to put some ointment on your hand." Elowen called after him.

He turned back.

Elowen was already focused on rescuing the pasta.

A helpless smile appeared on his face. He rubbed the back of his head as he headed to the bedroom.

At the party...

Elowen arrived at the party venue with Theron. The moment she stepped into the banquet hall, her heart trembled.

The spacious hall was filled with some of the city’s most influential businessmen, investors, and CEOs. Waiters moved through the crowd with trays of drinks.

Elowen had never attended a corporate gathering like this before. Soren had never taken her to one. She had always remained outside that part of his world.

Nervous, she unconsciously clasped Theron’s arm.

Theron glanced down at her hand. Sensing how tense she was, he covered her hand with his big palm. Her fingers felt cold against his warm hand.

The sudden warmth made her look up.

He smiled at her reassuringly. "I am right here. Don’t be nervous."

His calm voice eased some of the tension inside her.

"Come on. We need to meet the investor."

She nodded and let him lead the way.

They had barely taken a few steps when a familiar figure stepped directly into their path.

Elowen’s heart skipped.

It was Alex, Soren’s close friend.

She instantly pulled her hands away from Theron’s arm and stepped back.

Alex’s gaze moved from Elowen to Theron. His features contorted with barely restrained rage.

He took a step closer to Theron and hissed through his clenched teeth, "What are you doing?" His voice was low and sharp. "You brought Elowen here?"

His fingers clasped around Theron’s wrist tightly. "Soren will be here any time. Send her away before he arrives."

Theron knew exactly what Alex was worried about. He also knew Soren would be attending the party. In fact, this was precisely why he had brought Elowen.

He wanted Soren to see that Elowen was no longer left behind alone. He wanted to show him that she had chosen him in the end.

His expression was calm as he pried Alex’s fingers from his wrist.

Alex frowned. He expected at least some hesitation from Theron. Instead, Theron smiled.

"Alex, nice to see you here," Theron said, ignoring Alex’s concern. He glanced at Elowen. "This is Alex Shaw. He is a friend of mine. He owns the largest investment firm in the country."

Elowen looked at Alex. She tried to remain composed, but her tightly curled fingers betrayed her nerves.

Theron, however, showed no sign of hesitation. "He is the investor I told you about."

Elowen swallowed. She knew Alex ran the investment firm his family owned. She also knew that the Shaw and the Vale families had maintained a long-standing business partnership. But she had never expected Alex to be the investor in the Eden District project.

If she had known that, she would have never agreed to come.

Her anxiety surged.

That night, Soren had mentioned a private dinner with the investors. He had wanted her to accompany him. But she had turned him down.

A frightening thought crossed her mind.

’What if this is the same party he was talking about?’

The air seemed to squeeze out of her lungs. If Soren walked through that door and saw her here with Theron, she had no idea what would happen.

"Elowen." Alex’s cold voice reached her ear, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Why are you here with him?"

Elowen clasped the sides of her gown instinctively.

"She is my employee," Theron said before Elowen could reply, "the chief designer of Aurevia Design and Development. As her boss, I brought her here. Do you have a problem with that?"

Alex’s nostrils flared. He yanked at Theron’s arm and pulled him away to the corner.

Elowen remained standing where she was, nervous and anxious at the same time. She could sense the tension between the two men. But she barely registered their arguments.

Her mind kept turning back to Soren.

’What am I going to tell him if he finds me here?’ Her fingers turned cold from nervousness. ’I can’t let him see me.’

She looked around the guests in the hall before slipping away to the farther corner.

Meanwhile, Alex glared at Theron.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded fiercely. "You saw how furious Soren had been that night at the club. He lost his control when you mentioned Elowen. And now you bring her here, knowing Soren will come as well. What are you planning?"

Theron jerked his arm free. The calmness in his expression vanished, replaced by annoyance.

"Elowen is the woman I love. And I’m taking her away."

"Have you lost your mind completely?" Alex looked at the entrance, checking whether Soren had arrived. When he turned back to Theron, the intensity of his rage only grew.

"She is married now. Stop chasing her. Whatever you feel for her, it’s time to let go."

Theron had not gone after her in his past life since she had married Soren. But that marriage had ended up being a disaster for her, and she had even lost her life.

Theron wouldn’t let history repeat itself.

"I am not someone who steps back once I’ve made the decision," he said fiercely. A steely resolve settled behind his eyes. "I love her. And I’ll make her mine."

"Humph..." Alex let out a bitter snort. "You claim you love her. Why didn’t you tell her sooner? If you had confessed back then, maybe she would have chosen you. But you stayed silent. Now, she is Soren’s wife. You lost your chance. Accept it, and give up already."

"I won’t," Theron snapped back instantly. "I’ll never give up on her."

Regret flashed through his eyes. "Yes, it’s my mistake that I couldn’t tell her sooner. I was a coward. I kept myself away, believing she would be happy with Soren. But that was another mistake. He doesn’t love her."

His gaze remained steady, carrying the quiet certainty of a man who had already made up his mind.

"I won’t let her suffer in that marriage any longer." With that, he stormed away.