Chapter 368:

The assistant's phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked it, his eyebrows rising as he read the message: “Elyse has been dismissed.” Theo frowned. He’d been away on business for only a few days. How had Elyse been dismissed? What had happened? He drummed his fingers on the desk.

The assistant hesitated. “Apparently, she was targeted,” he explained. “Her talent rubbed some people the wrong way, so the orchestra's higher-ups found a reason to dismiss her.” He paused. “But something else must have happened. My source says she didn’t report to the orchestra on time, giving them a reason to fire her.”

“Didn’t report on time? That’s not like her,” Theo mused. Leaning forward, he instructed, “Keep digging. If you can’t find anything directly about her, investigate the people around her. There’s got to be a clue.”

The assistant nodded and quietly left, closing the door behind him.

Just as Theo returned to his work, the receptionist called. He answered sharply, “What is it?”

Sounding uneasy, she replied, “Mr. Ward, Kaelyn Bennett is here again. She insists on seeing you.”

His annoyance flared. “Again? She’s been coming every day.”

“You were away on your trip, sir, but yes, she arrives 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 end it, focusing on his work until around 10 p.m.

When he finally finished and headed to the parking garage, he opened his car door, only to have a figure dart out and block him from closing it.

“Theo, I’ve finally caught up with you,” Kaelyn said, her face lit up with joy and something more intense.

“You’ve lost your mind! Let go!” Theo shouted repeatedly, but she wouldn’t move. She gripped the door tightly, determined to prevent him from leaving.

Exhausted from a long day, Theo’s impatience grew. His frustration edged 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 at the mention of Elyse, her expression darkening. “Do you really miss her that much? What’s so special about Elyse that you can’t let her go?”

Theo’s irritation boiled over. He hadn’t realized how relentless Kaelyn could be; she seemed almost unhinged. “How many times do I have to tell you? Elyse is my one and only. You can’t compare.”

He took a deep breath, sighing wearily. “Can you please stop coming around? I don’t want Elyse to get the wrong idea and think there’s anything between us. It’ll hurt her.”

Kaelyn’s eyes welled with tears as she saw his protectiveness toward Elyse and his concern for 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 past mistakes, confused about his wants and needs. He refused to admit his past naiveté, making him feel foolish for failing to recognize his own emotions.

Seeing no desired response, Kaelyn pressed 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’t come near me again. I don’t want to see you.”

She stumbled and fell, 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 screamed.

Theo hesitated, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean by that?”

Kaelyn’s laughter, wild and mocking, echoed through the parking garage.

(The final ellipses are removed as they don't add anything to the cleaned-up text.)