A tremor ran through Phoebe’s heart, not stirred by any profound sentiment in his words, but rather by the simple phrase, “You are my wife,” which seemed to have etched itself onto her soul. “If I were really violated, would you divorce me?” Phoebe asked.

Theodore’s lips tightened, the mere thought of Phoebe being harmed was unthinkable, a scenario that could potentially drive him to the brink of madness.”No, such a reality will never exist,” he declared.

Phoebe closed her eyes, comprehending the gravity of his words. How could he ever accept such a fate, when he held her purity in such high esteem? She shifted her gaze, “I’m a bit hungry. Could you fetch me something to eat?” “Sure.” Theodore replied, releasing her and rising to his feet. He moved towards the door, pausing at the threshold to cast a lingering glance back at her. “Phoebe, it’s all in the past. Don’t dwell on it.””Okay.”

The room returned to its tranquil state once he departed. Phoebe lifted the blanket, slid out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and made her way to the bathroom.

A large mirror adorned the bathroom wall, instantly reflecting her image. She hardly recognized herself! Her cheeks were flushed, marred by bruises that bore testimony to her ordeal.

Tompson, in his rage, had shown no restraint, nearly beating her to death. She reached up to touch the scab at the corner of her mouth, her gaze shadowed with darkness.”Phoebe?” John’s voice echoed from beyond the door. Phoebe lowered her arm. She had intended to call him, but his arrival was unexpectedly prompt. She glanced at her swollen reflection one last time before turning to open the door.

John stood in the center of the room, his heart aching at the sight of her battered and bruised face.”Phoebe, why are you up?” he asked as she approached. She had never appeared so disheveled before. She mustered a weak smile, “Do I look hideous now?” she attempted to inject some levity into the situation.

John tried to reciprocate the smile, but it wouldn’t come. “Phoebe, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t let you go ahead, perhaps none of this would have happened.”

Phoebe merely smiled in response, choosing not to return to the bed. After lying down for so long, she was exhausted. She wandered over to the window, gazing down at the garden below.”John, it’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself,” she reassured him. If someone was determined to harm her, evading them once wouldn’t prevent future attempts. Until the root of the problem was eradicated, she would never know peace.

John joined her at the window, his gaze lingering on the bruises marring her face. Despite the improvement over the past two days, the sight was still shocking. He gritted his teeth, “Phoebe, Tompson is now incapacitated. Theodore has seen to it that he can no longer harm anyone.”

Phoebe had always wanted to ask, “What did Theodore do to him?””I heard that after Theodore arrived that day, screams could be heard emanating from the private room for a full five minutes. Later, Tompson was rushed to the hospital by his assistant. It’s said that aside from his life, his entire body suffered soft tissue injuries, and there wasn’t a single patch of unscathed flesh.” Even so, it was difficult to quell his anger.

Phoebe closed her eyes momentarily, allowing the sunlight streaming through the window to warm her face, but it did little to lift the gloom in her heart.”John, investigate Vanessa’s involvement in this matter,” she instructed.”You suspect Miss Fitzroy was involved?” John queried. “It’s not a suspicion. I’m certain she had a hand in this. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Tompson contacted me just before I left and you were conveniently called back?” All the coincidences could only be contrived!

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