5.

THEON

I didn’t know how to feel or react. The only thing I was certain of was that betrayal had a taste, and I didn’t like it. It was bitter, metallic like blood and lingered even though hours had passed since I first tasted it.

I sat in my home office, staring at the countless articles written about Eleanor. Images and accusations lined every title, each one more vicious than the last. They were not taking it easy on her and somehow; I felt responsible.

Eleanor and I had met after an arranged blind date by our families, and I had to be truthful when I said I wasn't fond of her at first. I had met countless girls like her in my grandfather's effort to make sure I got a wife. 

I didn't know how it happened. Maybe it was her persistence, but I became fond of her. I looked forward to every meeting. I wanted to be around her all the time. I wanted to touch her, spoil her. 

Maybe I was not as open in my affection, but I tried. Did my lack of display push her to betray me? Was I so despicable that she had to cheat?

My jaw tightened when I came across the picture of her with the unknown man in a passionate embrace again. It didn’t matter how many times I saw the picture, the sting from the betrayal hit harder each time.

I had never been the type of man to dwell on emotions. I didn’t have the luxury. To me, emotions were a weakness, a liability I would never dare to have. My grandfather expected me to act and react in a manner that exudes power.

Another ping came in and I clicked the news without thinking twice, and what I saw had me sitting up fast.

DISOWNED AND DISGRACED: ELEANOR STERLING’S FALL FROM GRACE

My eyes glanced through the article. Her parents had disowned her, claiming they wanted nothing to do with a despicable person.

My jaw clenched, and my fingers curled into fists. How could they have discarded her as though she were a faulty item? Wasn't she their only child?

Maybe I should have felt pleased or relieved that she was suffering after what she did to me, but I couldn’t. I was angry at her parents for not trying to protect her amid this chaos.

My door opened and my best friend, Julian Montgomery, strolled in with a knowing look on his face as he dumped his body on the couch.

“Still torturing yourself even though you were the one who called off the wedding?” Julian’s voice carried its regular hint of amusement, but something edgy beneath it.

“I’m not torturing myself,” I answered with a frown and exited the article before switching off my phone, turning it upside down on the table and fixing my attention on him.

Julian leaned forward with a smirk. “Could have fooled me. You've been glued to your phone screen since you abandoned her last night."

“That’s not true”

It was. I had read every single article that had been released, hoping for ...

“Are you hoping you found a news story that says otherwise? One that proves her innocence?”

My fingers curled under my table. I had already sent the photos to be examined, searching for any sign of fabrication or evidence that she had been falsely accused, but the examination yielded nothing. They were real.

I also had someone hack into her email, hoping that it was also a lie. The hacker had found the emails that were deleted as soon as they were sent, and they were all from her account. She had betrayed me.

“She is guilty,” I told him coldly, “There is nothing to linger for”

Julian scoffed. He stood up and sat on the edge of my table "Then why does it sound like that hurts you?”

“Not hurt,” I snapped, lying to myself, “She was my fiancée, so I'm allowed to feel some emotions towards this whole thing. It doesn’t mean I feel bad for her”

Julian chuckled “You can’t even hide it" He poured himself a bottle of scotch on my table "Look man, I never liked that girl, and you know it. I felt something weird about her and I told you before, but you didn’t listen”

“Have you ever liked anyone?” I scoffed, pointing an accusing glare towards him, which he laughed off.

“But this time I was right,” He pointed out "She was only using you. Probably from the beginning. You’ve got to admit that you dodged a bullet with this one.”

I remained silent, my fingers tapping quietly on the desk. I knew all of this. I was the one who ended what we had.

“Tell me you don’t feel bad for her because she is getting what she deserves?”

I didn’t answer, and it made him laugh "You loved her more than you showed, right?”

I scoffed, trying to get him to drop it "That’s not it”

“Yes, it is,” he pointed to my phone "If it was someone else, you would have moved on but this time, you can’t. You are sitting here, unable to get a single work done because you are brooding like a man who’d just lost his wife”

“She wasn’t my wife”

“And thank God for that. Imagine how much damage she would have done if she had been in the family? She would have more information than what she sold, and it would have done more damage”

The door swung open again, and I resisted the urge to groan. The people in this house needed to learn how to knock, especially my stepmother, who was the last person on this earth I wanted to see.

I watched as she stepped into the office with that perfectly sculpted composure she always wore when we were in a room together.

I never liked Victoria, but I tolerated her. My father had married her when I was younger, I think I had been 15 but he died three years later.

Victoria didn’t give birth to a child for my father, but she never left the estate after Father died and my grandfather didn’t bother chasing her away. He thought she was harmless, but I knew better.

She was a vulture that was circling the empire like it was a dead carcass, waiting for what she could sink her claws into. It was bad enough that she was on the board, courtesy of the shares my grandfather gave her, but I knew she was greedy for more.

“Theon,” she said with a crafted smile "I guess you’ve seen the news about what happened to that snake”

I didn’t respond as she took a seat beside Julian, opposite me. The smile on her face was cold as she continued.

“The Sterling did the right thing getting rid of that one. A person like that would only continue to ruin those around her”

A flicker of irritation appeared on her face "How does abandoning one’s child become a good thing? Are you like this because you have no children?”

Her smile faltered and I have to give it to her that she didn’t flinch or get mad "You are funny. Having children or not has nothing to do with this. And aren’t you glad I don’t have any, they would be fighting to take the group from you?”

“I’m sure you are doing enough on their behalf,” I countered and this time her eyes widened a fraction. Almost unnoticeable, but I caught it, and I smirked.

I didn’t have any solid proof that Victoria was making moves to take the Group, but I had my suspicions, and her reactions just confirmed it. I would have to get my people to look into whatever she may be planning.

“I’m not here to fight, Theon. I just want to congratulate you because you manage to avoid marrying someone that would have ruined you”

Julian nodded in agreement "She is right, man. You dodged a bullet. You should be celebrating”

“Now, all you need to do is focus on the company. Even though you did nothing wrong, the company still managed to take a few hits”

I studied her carefully "Is that why you are here? To remind me of my responsibilities?”

“I know how fond you were of this one, so I just wanted to make sure your sentiments haven’t clouded your vision and if they have, I can take over for a while until you recover”

“The world would burn before I ask you for help, Victoria. If that is all, please leave,” I told her with the firmest tone I could muster.

She smiled "I was just offering my help, you don’t have to be so mean” She got up and left.

“Why are you always so harsh towards her?” Julian asked "She was right, you know? You took this too personal”

I remained silent, irritation building up with each word he spoke, but I didn’t want to argue more about this.

Julian stood, maybe sensing that my mood had turned sour "Look, man. You are the Theon Blackwell. This is just a minor inconvenience that would pass”

After he left, I let out a tense exhale.

I had done the right thing. She cheated and sold some company trade secret, but why did it feel like I made a bad decision?