Chapter 100

Theodore's chest felt broad and radiated warmth, and as Marissa moved closer, a faint aroma of cedar mixed with the clean, sharp scent of mnedicinal herbs drifted from him.

His attire was flawless, tailored to perfection, and since Marissa didn't have the luxury of x-ray vision, she couldn't discern where he might be hurt. He didn't move like a man in pain either, and that made her hesitate. For a brief second, she considered slipping her hand away from his grasp-but after a pause, she decided against it.

Since fate had already tied her to Theodore, he belonged to her.

So what harm was there in a simple hug?

Surely, it would be too dull to have only a title while living a restrained, overly proper life.

For Marissa, once she desired something, she made sure it became hers.

Luckily for her, Theodore didn't resist. He wasn't the kind of man who needed to be coaxed or cornered;he yielded willingly to her touch.

From his position in the corner, Farris watched the scene unfold, jealousy eating away at him.

His earlier comments hadn't been entirely false; he truly had developed feelings for Marissa. She was exactly his type. She was cool on the surface and soft underneath. All his past girlfriends had shared that same dual nature-cold at first glance, but tender and compliant once you got close.

Years of romantic experience had sharpened Farris's ability to read women, and he was certain Theodore's woman fit that mold perfectly.

The contrast in her nature only made her more appealing, especially now, nestled sweetly against Theodore's chest. She was even more his kind of temptation.

And he had a particular weakness for women who already belonged to someone else. With a flicker of mischief in his eyes, Farris lowered his gaze and tapped out a message to his friends, telling them to bring a few girls along... and a little something extra,too.

"Do you want to go downstairs for a bit?" Theodore's low voice broke the silence. Tilting his head slightly, he looked down at her, his hand still resting on her shoulder as he drew her subtly closer.

"It's rather dull here," Marissa admitted, her tone tinged with regret.

Looking back, she thought she would have been better off staying in the lab a little longer. Or she could have gone to the Fletcher Group to settle a few pending matters instead of wasting time at this social event.

Hearing her reply, Theodore gently steered her toward the lounge. "Then let's get out of here," he suggested.

Just as Marissa was about to agree, her phone rang-a video call from Corrine.

She didn't release Theodore's hand, and when they sat on the sofa, she remained tucked comfortably in his arms while answering the call.

On the screen, Corrine appeared beside Andrew.

"Mom. Andrew." Marissa greeted them politely.

"Marissa." Corrine smiled, though her expression shifted as her gaze caught sight of the hand draped over Marissa's shoulder.

It was a man's hand!

From Corrine's perspective, she could only make out the man's strong jawline and his naturally commanding presence.

Her daughter had a boyfriend?

Corrine hesitated, pretending not to.notice while silently preparing herself to bring up the idea of ending the engagement. Thankfuly, she hadn't officially mentioned the arrangement to Marissa yet.

She exhaled softly. Truth be told, she had always admired Theodore for his maturity, his composure, and the fact he never messed around with other women.

Part of her didn't want him to marry someone else.

Not even Holley had been her first choice. Even when Holley had pleaded tearfully that she couldn't live without Theodore,Corrine had remained firm in her stance.

Lost in her thoughts, Corrine suddenly heard a calm, familiar male voice on the phone. "Mrs. Curtis."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Had Marissa already introduced her family to her boyfriend?

Heart pounding,Corrine focused on the screen.

For a moment, she thought her eyes were deceiving her. Blinking, she asked uncertainly,′′|sthat...Theodore?"

As she looked closer, realization struck-the man holding her daughter was indeed Theodore himself.

Theodore offered a small,polite smile.′′YeS.′′

Relieved, Corrine chose not to pry further, not wanting to embarrass them. She simply mentioned that she and Andrew would arrive soon before ending the call.

"Mom, was that Theodore?" Andrew asked, his handsome face betraying his surprise. Seeing the two of them together, even through a screen, had caught him completely off guard.

Their relationship was moving at lightning speed!

Still smiling to herself, Corrine replied, "Yes, it was him. He's with your sister-they seem to be getting along quite well. We shouldn't interrupt them when we arrive. Let them have their time together. Who knows?They could be getting married and having a baby sooner than we think."

Andrew sighed, rubbing his forehead. His mother was already jumping ahead of things, but given how fast his sister and Theodore were progressing, the thought wasn't entirely unrealistic.

He stroked his chin. "Theodore actually smiled just now."

It had been ages since he had seen Theodore smile genuinely-not the polite kind he wore in public, but a real one.

The video had ended too soon for him to see Marissa's expression. In Andrew's eyes, gentle women like his sister were easily overwhelmed by assertive men like Theodore-just like Holley, who had been under Theodore's quiet influence since childhood.

The thought of Holley made his brow crease. He could only hope she wouldn't stir up trouble out of jealousy.

"That's great to hear," Corrine said softly, a touch of contentment in her voice. "Theodore isn't the type to express emotion easily, and your sister isn't particularly lively either. I was worried she might be upset about the engagement."

Announcing Marissa's engagement to Theodore immediately upon returning home was a rash move-one that even Corrine found abrupt.

"But it seems they're getting along perfectly fine." With that, Corrine typed a message to Rayden,who was still recovering in the hospital, eager to share the good news.