CHAPTER 48: THE TRUTH...

Chapter 48: The Truth

Finally, Theo started moving and getting closer to Danielle Slowly. Danielle’s heart started to run faster. She had never seen him look this serious, not even during the explosions or the ambushes.

"Theo?" she whispered. "What’s going on?"

He stopped in front of her, then lowered himself to one knee. The sight made her throat tighten. "Theo, what are you doing?"

He rested one arm on his knee and looked up at her. The light from the window fell across his face, cutting it into two halves...one calm, one shadowed.

"What I’m about to tell you...you’ll need to keep an open mind. You need to promise me, okay?"

Danielle swallowed hard. "You’re scaring me."

"Promise me, Danielle."

His tone was not demanding, but there was spice that left her no room to argue. She nodded slowly. "Okay. I promise."

Theo drew in a breath, but it sounded more like a battle sigh than relief.

He was never good with his words...and now, his hands were clasped tightly together, the muscles in his forearms looked rigid.

"I didn’t meet you by chance," he began. "I was assigned to you."

Danielle’s brows furrowed. "Assigned? What do you mean? I knew that."

"I’m not only your security guard," he said in a quiet voice. "I was sent here with a mission. A classified one."

Danielle lifted her head, feeling very confused by his words. "A mission?"

"Yes."

She tried to smile a little, hoping it was one of his strange jokes again. "Okay...you sound like one of those spy movies right now. What kind of mission?"

He hesitated for a long moment, then said it. "To kill your father."

The silence that followed was so louder than any music in the club.

Danielle blinked at him once, twice, waiting for him to smile, waiting for that small smirk he always had when he teased her. But Theo didn’t even twitch.

She laughed nervously. "You’re kidding."

Theo stayed quiet.

Her smile started disappearing. "Theo... tell me you’re kidding."

He looked down for a second, then back at her. His voice was controlled. "I wish I was."

"You... you can’t be serious."

"I am."

Her mouth went dry. "You were sent to kill him? My father? The president?"

"Yes."

Danielle’s laugh returned, louder this time but shaky. "Okay, stop. You’re actually serious? That’s not funny. You can’t just walk in here and say that."

"I’m not trying to be funny."

Danielle’s hands trembled. She stood up from the bed. "You protect him. You work for him. You protect me. Why would you-" She stopped, pressing a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God."

Theo stood up too carefully, like he was approaching a frightened animal. "Danielle, listen to me."

"Don’t." She stepped back. "You’re saying this like it’s normal, like it’s something you can explain."

"I can explain..."

"Then do it."

Theo took a deep breath. "Your father is not who you think he is. The world doesn’t see what happens behind the speeches and the cameras. He’s not a hero, Danielle. He’s a dictator. People are dying because of his orders."

"That’s not true," she snapped. "You don’t know him enough."

"I know more than you think," Theo replied.

Danielle’s voice rose and started breaking apart. "No, you don’t. He raised me alone. He worked his whole life to protect this country. You have no idea what you’re talking about."

Theo’s eyes softened and looked like regret. "I know this hurts. I didn’t want to tell you like this."

"Then why tell me at all?" she shouted. "Why now?"

He hesitated, then said, "Because of that message. Ethan is pushing me. He wants to expose everything, and if he does, you’ll find out in the worst way possible."

"So what?" Danielle asked bitterly. "You wanted me to hear it from you instead of him? Congratulations, Theo, you did it. You broke me yourself."

Theo stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Danielle, I haven’t done it. I won’t do it."

She shook her head. "But you were going to."

"Yes," he admitted. "But everything changed when I met you."

Danielle stared at him, speechless. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to scream or cry. "So what am I supposed to think now? That you fell for me while planning to kill my father?"

Theo didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched and throat moved as if he was forcing the truth out of himself. "Yes."

"Hahah!" Danielle laughed again, but it was hollow and cold this time. "This is insane. Do you even hear yourself?"

"I’m telling you because you deserve to know. I can’t hide it anymore."

"Hide it?" she repeated with disbelief. "Theo, you were planning to assassinate the most powerful man in the country...my father! That’s not something you just hide!"

His eyes glimmered with pain. "It was my duty. It’s what I was trained for."

"Duty?" Danielle whispered. "Is that what I was to you too? Just duty?"

"No. You were never part of the mission. You are the reason I can’t finish it."

Her lips trembled. "Stop..."

"I mean it...The moment I met you, I couldn’t pull the trigger. Everything I thought I believed in started to fall apart."

Danielle turned away and started to feel her eyes stinging. "You should have told me from the beginning."

"I couldn’t," Theo stepped closer. "It would have put you in danger."

She spun around and tears gathered in her eyes. "You already did that, Theo."

Theo rubbed his face with both hands and muttered something under his breath. "This is not how it was supposed to go."

Danielle laughed weakly. "You think?"

He lowered his hands and looked at her again, "I didn’t want you to find out like this. But I also couldn’t keep lying to you. I needed you to know who I really am."

Danielle wiped her cheeks. "And who is that, Theo? My protector or my father’s executioner?"

His lips parted...

She shook her head. "I don’t even know who you are anymore."

Theo walked closer but stopped just before reaching her. His eyes looked tired and haunted. "I’m the man who fell in love with the one person he was never supposed to care about."

"Don’t say that."

"I have to," he hushed.

She turned away from him again, not trusting her voice.

Theo stared at her back for a long moment before murmuring more to himself than to her, "Now you know, Bunny. And there’s no turning back."

"Theo..."

"I’m sorry..."