Theo's pov
Waking up wasn't the jarring part. The sun slicing through the curtain? Whatever. The dull throb in my temple? Expected. The real surprise was the absence beside me.
Val.
Gone.
I blinked, pushed myself up, the sheets tangled around my legs. My head tilted slightly. Her scent still faint in the air. Her chaos left behind.
But no Val.
I swung my legs over the bed, cracked my neck, and stood up, pulling on a shirt without much care. I had someone who handled breakfast—thankfully—because if I had to cook in this state, I'd burn the damn penthouse down.
I wandered into the hallway, yawning as I followed the faint sound of the shower… except it wasn't running. I tapped on the bathroom door. Twice. No response.
Frown.
I tried the handle. It creaked open.
Empty.
And then I felt it—a breeze.
The window was open, swaying slightly like it was whispering secrets.
I walked over, hands in pockets, peered down. And there it was.
A single shoe.
Left behind like a freaking fairytale.
I smirked. "Miss Cinderella," I murmured, "looks like that was your first time."
Bent down, retrieved her stupid shoe from the windowsill like it was some kind of royal glass slipper. Shook my head. This girl. Slipped away from my bed like a thief, and still left a part of herself behind. Classic.
I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, bit into a pre-cut slice of apple. The food on the counter was untouched—her untouched. The irony. She left without even stealing a taste.
I popped the rest of the apple slice into my mouth, chewing slow, already knowing what I was about to do next.
Return the shoe.
Because yeah, I'm that guy.
But the universe doesn't let a guy breathe, does it?
Mid-bite, my phone buzzed.
Mom.
I let it ring. Then it buzzed again.
"Come to the hospital. Now. It's your father."
…
The drive was too fast and too slow at the same time. Rain from the night before had left the streets glazed and reflective. Everything felt like déjà vu.
At the hospital, I was ushered in like I belonged there—which, legally, I guess I did. My real father looked like hell. Hooked up to wires, oxygen, pale under all that fake wealth.
The doctor mumbled something about a golf cart flipping off-course. My stepdad? Gone. Took a stack of money and bolted straight into arrest. No one knew where the hell he thought he was going.
But my real dad?
Oh, he had a plan.
Even on death's doorstep, the man didn't let go of manipulation.
"You'll get everything, Theo," he rasped. "The company. The estate. The legacy."
I stared at him. "What's the price?"
"Go to Russia. Handle the paperwork. Do the engagement with Nicol."
I laughed. Right in his face.
"Are you serious?"
His fingers twitched around the IV tube. "You think you can get it without compromise? This is how you secure power. She's well-connected. Her family owns—"
"Don't care," I cut in. "I'm not marrying someone I don't—"
"You will," my mother interrupted, stepping in, voice low and sharp. "You'll do it. For this family. For your future."
There it was. The unspoken leash around my neck.
I nodded once. But inside, I wasn't agreeing.
Not really.
Because someone else already had my attention, even if she was running barefoot out of my damn window like some cracked-out storybook girl.
Val.
She didn't know it yet.
But I wasn't letting her go that easy.