Thea winced in pain, letting out a small sound as she tried to pull away. "Who am I?" Nicolas repeated, his tone stubborn, refusing to release his grip.
"You're Nic—" Thea began, but urgent knocking interrupted them. Darwin entered. "Mr. Hendrix, the doctor is here," he announced.
Nicolas instantly retreated into his usual cold demeanor. His chest rose and fell twice before he released Thea's hand, his face dark as he opened the door. Seeing several buttons torn from Nicolas' shirt, Darwin broke into a cold sweat. What the hell! I arrived at the worst possible time, he thought.
Nicolas grabbed his coat, his voice frigid. "Let the doctor attend to this. I'm leaving."
The next morning, Thea awoke with a foggy head. She quickly checked her clothes, remembering Liam's drugging the previous night. Thankfully, everything was intact. But what had happened afterward? She tried to recall, but her memory was blank.
The door opened, and Nicolas entered. Thea sat up. "Mr. Hendrix? Why are you here?" she asked.
Nicolas' expression was unreadable. "You don't remember last night?"
Thea shook her head. She wanted to ask what happened, but Nicolas' slightly displeased expression dissuaded her. He tossed a set of clothes onto the bed. "Get dressed. We're returning to Key Biscayne."
"Okay," Thea replied.
Watching him leave, she felt uneasy. Why is he in such a bad mood? she wondered.
On the way back, Darwin explained that someone had noticed something amiss between Thea and Liam, intervened, and called the police. Thea had been taken to the hospital. Liam had been expelled from the Virtuex Group and was in custody.
Thea sighed in relief, but noticed Darwin's strange look. "Ms. Rowland, you really don't remember anything from last night?" he asked.
Thea shook her head. Liam's drug must have been potent. Any attempt to recall the events triggered a splitting headache. Since she'd been rescued and Liam punished, the details didn't matter.
Darwin coughed awkwardly, feeling sorry for his boss. Poor guy was taken advantage of, and she doesn't even remember. Truly pitiful, he thought.
That afternoon, they arrived in Key Biscayne. Thea planned to visit Nicolas' place first, but the hotel front desk called, informing her she'd left something behind. As she reached the lobby, she was surrounded by bodyguards.
Max approached, his face furious. "So, you knew you did something wrong and tried to hide? Do you think I can't find you?"
Thea's expression hardened. "What do you want?"
Max's tone was harsh. "Do you have any idea how much damage your reckless actions have caused the Rowland Group? You know Emmalie's innocent, so why are you targeting her? She's the face of the Rowland Group too. Are you trying to ruin us all?"
Thea laughed coldly. "You better have proof. When did I ever target Emmalie? I'm defending myself. If she hadn't provoked me, I wouldn't have bothered with her."
Max grabbed her and pulled her toward a car.
"Let go!" Thea struggled, but she was no match for him. He shoved her inside.
"Come with me. You must apologize to Emmalie," he ordered.
Thea's chest heaved. "You could have easily investigated Emmalie's actions. But you blame me instantly. Max, I'm your sister too. Why?"
Seeing her tears, Max hesitated, but the image of Emmalie's distress hardened his resolve.
"Did you bring in Celeste? Is Emmalie's engagement to Nicolas ruined because of you? Deny it, and I'll believe you," he demanded.
Thea laughed bitterly. "Yes, it was all me. But why do you only see what I did to Emmalie? Why not what she did to me? If she hadn't sabotaged the Virtuex and Aurelia University collaboration, would I have retaliated?"
"Stubborn!" Max snapped, losing his patience. He sped off, but instead of the Rowland estate, they arrived at a photography studio teeming with people.
Emmalie, nestled against Ivy, sobbed. Seeing Thea, she trembled. Ivy's expression was livid. She wanted to slap Thea but restrained herself, aware of the media.
Ivy's voice was cold. "Explain everything. Admit it was your fault. Emmalie had nothing to do with it."
Thea scoffed. "A forced confession? You want a false statement to clear her name?"
Emmalie looked up, tearful. "Thea, how can you say that? I just want you to clear things up. I'm not holding you accountable for what you did to me, but you know how important the piano is to me. Do you really want to destroy me, to drive me to death, just to make yourself happy?"
Ivy, unable to contain herself, grabbed Thea's hand, her eyes red with anger and helplessness. "Emmalie is your sister. Do you know what she's been through? She can't eat, she can't sleep, she's lost so much weight. How can you, as her older sister, be so heartless?"
Thea coldly pulled her hand away. "Mom, you worry about Emmalie not eating or sleeping, but why not me? The Aurelia University deal was almost finalized, and then Emmalie spread rumors about me. Do you think she only hurt me? Do you think Nicolas is a fool? This has damaged both the Rowland and Hendrix families!"
Ivy was speechless. Emmalie spoke again. "Thea, I know you're upset your personal matters became public. But secrets can't be kept forever. I've tried to cover for you. If you'd married into the Hendrix family and stayed out of the spotlight, no one would have remembered what you did. You were the one eager for attention, and now you're recognized for it. That's not my fault."
Ivy hardened her expression. "Emmalie is right. You brought this on yourself, making fools of us all. If you hadn't done those shameful things, would anyone have anything to spread? Blame yourself. You did those disgraceful things, and now you have the nerve to blame your sister?"