Chapter 42: Elowen was the victim.

Alex’s heart twisted at the sight of his friend’s anguish.

He had known Theron for so many years. He had seen him angry, arrogant, and stubborn enough to drive everyone around him to the edge of their patience.

But he had never seen him broken like this.

"I am your friend. I won’t leave you alone."

He sat beside him, keeping the bottle away from his reach. "I am here for you tonight. Talk to me. Get it out of your system instead of trying to drown it in alcohol."

"Humph..." Theron snorted derisively. "I don’t need your pity. I don’t want your friendship. Just leave me alone."

Alex frowned. "How could you say that? We have been friends for so long..."

"Friends?" Theron chuckled bitterly. "If you were my friend, you would have stood by my side. But instead, you took Soren’s side and told me to give up on the woman I love. I don’t need this fake friendship."

"Fake friendship?" Alex snapped incredulously, losing his cool. "Do you think I am faking concern? I told you to move on because I didn’t want you to fight with Soren. I can’t watch two of my friends destroy each other over a woman."

His breathing grew uneven as frustration and concern battled within him.

"Elowen is already married. Why are you still clinging to her? Besides, she doesn’t know you love her. What do you expect her to do? Abandon her marriage and choose you instead?"

Alex breathed. "I know you are hurting. But Elowen has her own life, her own choices. No matter how Soren treats her, you can’t expect her to leave her husband and choose you."

Those words left a deep ache in Theron’s chest.

He had witnessed it with his own eyes.

Elowen hadn’t even glanced at him when Soren carried her away. She had not struggled. She had not called out for help. Instead, she had leaned into Soren’s shoulder and let him carry her out.

It was enough to send him a message that she wouldn’t leave Soren and come to him.

A hollow ache spread through his chest.

He had imagined many ways to win her heart this time. He had thought he could protect her, stand by her side, and finally tell her everything he had kept buried deep down.

But he had not expected to find himself helplessly watching her walk away with the man who had hurt her.

Theron wanted to believe Elowen was staying with Soren out of obligation, habit, or fear. He wanted to believe she was waiting for someone to rescue her.

’But what if she has truly fallen for Soren?’

That thought was unbearable.

Theron laughed suddenly. It was a broken, bitter sound, devoid of any real amusement.

"She was supposed to be mine. She should have been by my side. But I was a coward. I couldn’t tell her that I love her."

His smile trembled before fading.

"When I finally gathered my courage to confess, Soren ruined her." His expression turned stony, revealing his growing displeasure. "And that old man of the Vale family forced them to tie themselves to a marriage."

The fury he had been holding back surged through him with renewed force.

"If it hadn’t been for him, Soren and Elowen would never have married. I could have been with her. Even after what happened, I was willing to marry her and take responsibility for her. I didn’t care about the circumstances. What I wanted was to be with her."

He clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw began to ache.

"But that old man threatened my family. He made it clear that if I ever got close to Elowen, my family would pay."

His fingers curled against his knees.

"To save my family, I left. I had to give up on my love. But not anymore. I want Elowen back. And I’ll take her away, no matter what it takes."

"Hold on," Alex interrupted him, confused by the accusation. "What do you mean Soren ruined her? Soren was drugged that night. And it was Elowen who climbed onto his bed. Willingly. She slept with him because she wanted to. You can’t blame Soren for what happened."

His stare turned cold.

"He was the victim," Alex added. "He had to marry Elowen to save the family’s reputation. And Elowen got what she wanted."

Theron turned to him slowly. The anger in his eyes was so intense that Alex instinctively fell silent.

"Anyway," Alex continued after some time. "It doesn’t matter what happened back then. They are now husband and wife. You can’t change it. You need to stop thinking about her."

Theron shook his head in disbelief. "You all believed that lie," he muttered.

Alex frowned. "What lie?"

"Elowen was the victim. She was raped."

The words fell like a bomb between them.

Alex stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That day, she went to that hotel to deliver a file," Theron explained. "But Soren dragged her into a room and..."

His voice faltered, and he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. The mere thought of what had happened back then and what Elowen had gone through made his stomach twist with rage.

Alex frowned. His eyes settled on him with quiet scrutiny.

"How do you know all this?"

"Because I was waiting for her."

The words hit Alex like a blow, leaving him reeling.

"Elowen was looking for a job at the time," Theron explained. "When her application landed on my desk, I was excited. I thought it was the time to meet her again."

A nostalgic look crossed his face.

"I remembered how she had saved me. I have never forgotten her. When I saw her name on that application, I thought fate was giving me a chance to repay her kindness and tell her what she meant for me."

He paused, his eyes growing distant.

"So I called her and asked her to bring her portfolio to the hotel. I wanted to meet her there, talk to her, and confess my feelings."

Alex couldn’t say a word. He felt as though he had lost his voice. He stared at him, disbelief etched into every line of his face.

"I waited for her... the whole day." Theron’s voice grew quieter. "But she never came. I thought she had changed her mind or didn’t want to see me. I was disappointed. But I never imagined something terrible had happened to her."

He swallowed painfully.

"If only I had known sooner that she was in trouble..."