All Chapters of His Terms, My Surrender: Unfinished Surrender: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

40 Chapters

Chapter Twenty One

Evening came faster than I expected. The auction was about to begin, the last of the guests trickling in, glasses clinking, and soft conversations humming through the studio. I wiped my hands on a cloth one last time and reached for my phone.I typed a quick message to Theo: Did you pick up Martha from school?Within seconds, his reply popped up: Yeah, I’m on my way to the studio with her now.My chest tightened. Of course he was. He always tried to help, always wanted to be involved—but tonight wasn’t the night for that. The studio was my world right now, my professional space, a place where I could control things, even just a little. I didn’t want Theo here. I didn’t want him part of this normal life. Martha could come—she always could—but not him.I stared at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. A dozen words wanted to come out, explanations, excuses, reasons—but all I could type was a single, measured word:Okay.And then I set the phone down, trying to push the tigh

Last Updated : 2026-01-18

Chapter Twenty Two

I cleared my throat, stepping up to the small podium near the center of the room. The soft chatter dimmed as all eyes turned toward me. My hands shook slightly, but I straightened my shoulders and took a deep breath.“Good evening, everyone,” I began, my voice steadying as I spoke. “Thank you all for coming tonight. Your support means more than I can put into words.”I paused, glancing at the paintings around the room, then down at Martha, standing quietly beside me. My chest tightened with memories I hadn’t thought I’d relive tonight.“Five years ago,” I continued, my voice low but clear, “I came here with nothing. No money, no hope, and a baby barely a month old in my arms. I didn’t know what the future held, only that I had to try… for her, and for myself.”I let my eyes sweep across the guests, feeling the weight of my journey in every word. “Every piece you see tonight,” I said, gesturing toward the canvases, “represents that struggle, that hope, and the hard work it took to get

Last Updated : 2026-01-18

Chapter Twenty Three

The auction finally wound down, the last bids called and the last glasses clinking as the room started to settle. Guests were talking quietly, moving toward the exit or lingering near the paintings they’d bought.But when I looked around, I couldn’t spot Arzhel anywhere. He wasn’t in the crowd. He wasn’t near the refreshments. He wasn’t by me.A tight knot formed in my chest. He had come, he had smiled, he had even bid—but now he was gone.I knew, somewhere deep down, that he had probably left because of Theo. Angry. Frustrated. Maybe even hurt.Before I could gather my thoughts, a tall, sharply dressed man approached, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on me.“No way… Theo Rodriguez, in the flesh,” he said, his voice a mix of disbelief and amusement. “Never thought I’d see you again.”I froze for a moment, taking in his expression. From the way he looked at Theo—and the way Theo returned the gaze—it was clear they shared history, a long, complicated past that ran deeper tha

Last Updated : 2026-01-18

Chapter Twenty Four

Martha froze mid-step, her tiny hand tightening in mine. I grabbed her and pulled her back toward the hallway, my heart hammering so violently I thought it might burst right out of my chest. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps, and every nerve in my body screamed that something was horribly wrong.The living room… the living room was a nightmare.Blood was smeared across the floor in jagged streaks, dark and glistening in the dim light. The smell of iron hit me even before my eyes fully registered the scene. My stomach twisted violently, and a cold sweat prickled along my spine. I wanted to look away. I wanted to run, hide, disappear—but my legs refused to move, locked in place by fear and disbelief.And there, on the couch…My blood ran cold.A mannequin head sat perched like a grotesque trophy, a twisted copy of me. Its pale, plastic face bore painted eyes that seemed to stare straight into my soul. Red stains streaked across its cheeks and forehead as if it had been carved from

Last Updated : 2026-01-18

Chapter Twenty Five

The sound of tires screeching outside made me jump. My heart leaped into my throat. I ran to the window just as headlights cut through the dark. Theo’s car.He was here.I rushed to the door before Camilla could stop me. The moment I saw him step out of the car, I broke down. My legs gave way, and I cried out his name.“Theo!”He ran to me immediately, his arms wrapping around me before I could even breathe. I clung to him, shaking, my tears soaking into his shirt. “It’s real, Theo… the blood, the mannequin… it looked like me…”“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he whispered, holding me tighter. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”But his face was pale, eyes dark and serious. He pulled back just enough to look at me. “Where’s Martha?”“She’s upstairs,” I said , wiping my face with the back of my hand. “She’s fine. She didn’t see anything.”Theo nodded quickly, then pulled out his phone. “I’m calling the police. Right now.”Camilla stood at the doorway, arms crossed, her face tight. “About time someone d

Last Updated : 2026-01-18

Chapter Twenty Six

Tuesday came too fast. My body felt heavy, my mind still stuck in the nightmare from last night. I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to go anywhere. Even thinking about taking Martha to school made my stomach twist. Her uniform wasn’t here, and… I just couldn’t. Not after everything. Not after the blood, the mannequin, the fear.I couldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to her. I couldn’t.Martha woke up crying, rubbing her eyes, her little voice shaking. “Mommy… I wanna go to school. Aire is waiting… I need to see Aire.”My heart ached. She didn’t understand. She didn’t know the danger that had come into our lives. I knelt beside her bed, brushing her hair back from her face. “Sweetie… I know you want to see Aire… I know… but we can’t go today.”“But why, Mommy? I need to go…” she sniffled, clutching her blanket.I swallowed hard, tears pricking my eyes. How do you explain to a five-year-old that life isn’t fair? That the world we thought was safe isn’t safe anymore? That she c

Last Updated : 2026-01-27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Soon enough, my phone buzzed on the table. The sharp vibration made me jump, my heart thudding hard against my ribs before I even looked at it.It was Theo.My fingers trembled as I reached for the phone, the screen glowing in the dim morning light.Theo: I’m on my way to pick you and Martha up. The house has been cleared. The blood and everything—it’s all gone.The words felt cold, too clean, like they’d been stripped of all the horror behind them. “Cleared.” “Gone.” It sounded simple, neat. But it wasn’t. I could still smell the metallic scent of blood if I thought too hard. I could still hear the sound of that scream—the one that had woken me up last night and changed everything.My stomach churned. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.Camilla’s voice broke through the fog. “What is it?” she asked, already sounding wary.I swallowed hard, holding out the phone a little so she could see. “It’s Theo,” I said quietly. “He said… he’s coming to pick us up. The house is clean now.”Camilla si

Last Updated : 2026-01-27

Chapter Twenty Eight

Theo shifted Martha easily in his arms, her laughter still bright in the quiet morning. She clung to his neck, chattering about how long it felt since she’d seen him, how she missed her toys, her bed, her “castle.” He smiled faintly—barely there, but real—and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.I stood in the doorway for a second longer, watching them, my chest tightening around a feeling I couldn’t quite name. Relief, maybe. Or exhaustion. Or just the strange ache that always came when Theo was near.Camilla’s gaze burned into the side of my face. I didn’t need to turn to know what she was thinking—that I was walking right back into the same storm I kept trying to escape. But I didn’t care. Not right now.“I’ll get my bag,” I murmured, more to myself than to her.Camilla didn’t answer. Just sighed quietly, that tired, disappointed sound that said more than words ever could.I turned away and walked to the table, my hands shaking as I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder.

Last Updated : 2026-01-27

Chapter Twenty Nine

Hours later, the front door creaked open again, and I heard the staggered shuffle of Theo’s footsteps before I even saw him.He stumbled into the house, the smell of alcohol heavy and sharp, clinging to him like a second skin. His suit was wrinkled, his tie loose, and his movements slow, careless.I froze, my hands tightening around the edge of the counter. “Theo…” I said, my voice tight, trembling with anger. “What are you doing? Is this what you want to show our five-year-old daughter? That her daddy comes home drunk, slurring, pretending like nothing matters?”He barely looked at me, swaying slightly as he made his way to the living room. “Relax, Sofia,” he muttered, his words slurring at the edges. “She’s fine. She doesn’t even notice.”My chest burned, my stomach twisting in anger and disbelief. “Doesn’t notice?” I repeated sharply, my voice rising. “She’s five! She notices everything! And don’t even think about what she’s learning from this! And on top of that, you’re drinking o

Last Updated : 2026-01-27

Chapter Thirty

Before I could even pick up my phone to call Theo, the studio door opened quietly. I looked up, startled, and froze.Arzhel stepped inside, holding a single flower in his hand. My heart skipped—seeing him now felt strange. I hadn’t seen him since that chaotic auction night, the night he and Theo had fought over bids, over me, over… everything.“I—uh…” he started, shifting awkwardly. “I wanted to… apologize. For everything that happened that night. I didn’t mean for it to get so… messy.”I blinked at him, unsure what to say.He stepped closer, offering the flower with a small, sincere smile. “I don’t want anything—anything—to come between us. Our friendship. I value it… more than whatever happened at the auction and feelings I have for you.”I stared at him, the words sinking in slowly. “You… you’re serious?” I asked, my voice quiet, unsure if I wanted to hope or push it away.He nodded, eyes steady and honest. “Completely. I just… I don’t want to lose what we had. Nothing—and I mean n

Last Updated : 2026-01-27

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