CHAPTER 108: HEART WRENCHING CONFESSION

Daisy’s fingers tightened around the doorknob. She didn’t dare look back, afraid her eyes might betray how much she wanted him to stop her.

She wanted to believe he wasn’t the one who had ruined her father’s business. But the way he just stood there, refusing to explain, refusing to deny it, it tore her apart.

When she finally twisted the doorknob open, the door slammed shut with a loud thud.

Her breath caught.

Theo’s hand covered hers on the knob, his palm hot and unyielding as it pressed over her trembling grip. His chest brushed against her back, close enough that she could feel every inhale he took.

"Theo—" she whispered, her voice breaking.

He leaned closer, his lips dangerously near her ear.

"Once you step into a tiger’s den, Daisy..." His voice was low, deliberate, each word curling around her like a trap. "There’s no way out. You’re stuck with me forever."

Daisy stood frozen, her knuckles white against the doorknob, every muscle in her body strung tight like a bow ready to snap. Her throat ached with the words she couldn’t let out, her heart hammering with a cocktail of fear, anger, and something far more treacherous.

"Theo..." Her voice cracked, trembling. "Please... don’t—"

His hand tightened over hers, iron and heat, leaving her no room to move, no room to breathe. His chest pressed harder against her back, caging her in, his presence swallowing her whole.

"Don’t what?" His voice was low, dark, and far too close. "Don’t keep you? Don’t break you? Don’t show you that you were mine from the very beginning?"

Her eyes burned, her lashes damp. "You’re— you’re scaring me."

"Good." The word rumbled against her ear, dangerous and deliberate. "Maybe then you’ll finally understand. There’s no running from me, Daisy. Not now. Not ever."

She wanted to turn, to finally see his face and demand the truth, even if it shattered her. But before she could, Theo’s arm tightened, and in one swift motion he lifted her clean off the ground.

Her gasp echoed through the room, her hands instinctively grabbing at his shoulders. "Theo—!"

"Stop," he said flatly, his grip unyielding as he carried her with terrifying ease. He moved past the door, past her desperate hold on escape, heading straight toward the bathroom.

"Theo, put me down!" She struggled, but his steps never faltered.

Her heart stuttered, not sure if he was mocking her, punishing her, or something worse. "Why should I take a bath with you?"

"Hm... that’s more like you," he murmured, lips curling. "Arguing, disagreeing with everything I say." His eyes glinted with something unreadable as he leaned closer. "The answer to your question? Just because I want to."

Then he smiled, the soft one, almost careless, as if the world wasn’t burning between them.

Daisy’s chest tightened. She bit down on her lip, blurting without thinking, "Don’t... don’t smile like that."

Theo’s brow lifted, amused. "Why not?"

She averted her eyes, her voice low. "Because someone might get the wrong idea..."

He leaned in, grin deepening. "And what kind of idea would that be?"

Her throat went dry, but she managed a scoff. "Don’t act like you’re actually nice or charming, because you’re supposed to be annoying."

"I can be annoying just by smiling?" Theo slowly put her down, then leaned closer, his breath brushing her ear. "So I should smile less?"

Daisy swallowed hard, forcing her gaze away from him. "Exactly. Stop smiling. Ever. It’s a public hazard."

He chuckled, low and unhurried, as if savoring every second of her fluster. "Funny. I thought you liked it."

Her chest tightened. Of course she liked it. She liked it too much. That was the problem. She crossed her arms, chin tilting up in defiance, hiding the way her pulse betrayed her. "You think too highly of yourself."

The air stilled between them, her retort dying in her throat. He was gazing at her too close, then he smiled, slow and charming.

"I’ll try my best not to smile in front of you..." he murmured, pausing as his head tilted just slightly, "afraid that you might forget again, the reason you approached me."

Her breath caught. The reminder was sharp, almost cruel, dragging her back to reality when for a second she’d been swept off course.

Daisy forced out a laugh, brittle around the edges. "Don’t flatter yourself. I will never forget why I’m here."

But the heat in her cheeks betrayed her, and the way his eyes lingered told her he noticed.

"Hmm..." He nodded as if satisfied with what he saw, then suddenly pulled her into his arms.

His voice dropped lower, close to her ear. "Just remember... you came here to take revenge for your father. Find everything... and stay focused."

Her breath caught. The warmth of his embrace clashed with the cold edge of his words.

She stiffened, hands pressed against his chest, but he didn’t let go right away.

"Don’t lose sight of that, Daisy," he murmured. "Especially... not because of me."

For a moment, her resolve wavered. Then she pushed at him, forcing space between them. Her eyes narrowed as he finally loosened his hold.

"Is it so hard to just explain it to me?" she asked, her voice tight. "Why don’t you tell me the truth... What exactly happened? Are you really involved...?"

She blinked hard, fighting back the emotions threatening to surface. "These past few months, I kept telling myself it couldn’t be you," she admitted, her voice trembling despite herself. "I wanted to believe I was wrong. I still want to believe that."

Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she searched his face. "So please... just tell me the truth. Deny it, lie to me if you have to... anything. Just... don’t stay silent. Don’t let me think it’s really you."

The words hung between them, raw and aching.

Her words broke on a trembling breath, her eyes brimming with the ache she could no longer hide. "Because if it is you..." She shut her eyes, forcing the words out. "Then what am I supposed to do with the fact that I’ve already... fallen for you?"