บททั้งหมดของ Bound By Duty, Captivated By Love: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Thea woke up when the sun was already high in the sky. Her whole body felt exhausted and drained of energy. As she got out of bed, pain spread through every muscle, making her wince softly. She wanted to stretch or groan, but embarrassment held her back.Thea’s gaze fell on Sebastian’s clothes, neatly folded on the chair in the corner of the room. Her brow furrowed. She slowly crawled toward them and saw a note tucked on top of the clothes."I’ve taken your clothes. Wear these instead. For lunch, just reheat the food. Mr. Pierre and I are going to visit a place nearby, and we’ll probably be back only at night. So, just prepare dinner for yourself and Mr. Sebastian. No need to wait for us. – Helen."Thea let out a deep breath and followed the instructions in the note. She put on her underwear, then slipped into Sebastian’s oversized T-shirt that hung loosely on her body, paired with his boxer shorts that barely covered half of her thighs.Why didn’t she just take some clothes from my r

 There wasn’t much Thea could do after finishing the dishes. There was no Shareeza to play with, and being around Sebastian still made her feel uneasy. In the end, Thea chose to sit at the back area of the villa and idly play with the water in the swimming pool.“Thea?” Sebastian’s voice made Thea turn. She saw the man walking while glancing around, as if searching for her.“I’m here, Sir,” Thea replied, rising from her seat and approaching Sebastian. “Do you need anything, Sir?” she asked once she was close enough.“No,” Sebastian answered honestly. “I was just looking for you because you didn’t come back,” he continued, his tone sounding slightly irritated. Thea chose to remain silent.“What were you doing?” Sebastian asked curiously.“Nothing, Sir. I was just feeling a bit bored,” Thea answered. At

 “Forgive me,” Sebastian murmured softly as he hugged Thea, who was crying silently. His hands reached behind her knees and slowly lifted her body so that Thea was now sitting right on his lap. Sebastian cradled her as if she were a little child. He didn’t know how long she had been crying, until she finally drifted off to sleep.With slow steps, Sebastian carried her to the bedroom. He laid Thea on the bed, took off her rubber shoes, and then covered her small frame with a thick blanket.Damn… Sebastian cursed silently in his mind. Could he change the situation? Could he fix all the mistakes he had made? But how?“For now, even if you tell her that you love her, I don’t think she’ll believe you,” said Aaron, his doctor and friend. “Her trust is already at its lowest point. Considering how her family has treated her all this time, and how you’ve treated her as well, it

 “After dinner, prepare a servant’s room for her,” Sebastian ordered Thea, making Maxine’s eyes widen in shock.“A s-servant’s room?!” she exclaimed unhappily, looking back and forth between Sebastian and Thea with her large, beautiful eyes.“What room did you want me to prepare? A king’s chamber?” Sebastian asked sharply.Maxine smiled sweetly and nodded. “If the king is you, of course I’d be willing. No persuasion needed—I’d gladly give you everything,” she said, brushing Sebastian’s hand with her fingertip.Sebastian merely raised an eyebrow and went back to picking up his fork, making Maxine quickly withdraw her hand.“Such a grump,” she muttered, then continued eating casually.Thea had initially thought that dinner would be filled only with Maxine’s antics. But shortly after Seb

 “What are you all doing?” Sebastian’s voice rang out loudly. Thea, Maxine, and Shareeza simultaneously turned toward him, followed by Pierre.“Papa! Thea is learning to swim,” Shareeza exclaimed cheerfully, pointing at Thea, who was receiving instructions from Maxine.Sebastian forced himself not to glance at Thea. He knew that if he did, Maxine would surely tease him mercilessly, as her previous words had proven true.“Why learn to swim? Can’t she swim?” Sebastian asked, his tone cold but filled with curiosity.“If she could already, why bother learning? Unless she wants to become an athlete, of course, then she needs to practice often,” Maxine replied casually.“Then why must she learn? Her job here doesn’t require her to know how to swim,” Sebastian snapped.“What’s wrong with learning to swim? Besides,