"Don't worry, Evelyn. Theodore will not escape the consequences of his actions," Alexander stated, his voice firm and resolute.

Evelyn bit her lip, the anxiety clear in her eyes.

Her fingers tightened around his. "But Theodore is a man of considerable power. To challenge him directly... the repercussions could be severe for us. We must be cautious."

A sharp pain pierced Alexander's heart. Even now, her primary concern was for his safety.

He leaned closer, his gaze locking with hers. "It doesn't matter who he is, Evelyn. I will make this right for you. Do you truly think I would stand by and do nothing? That I am powerless to protect my own wife?"

A helpless sigh escaped her. "My only fear is for your well-being."

Silence stretched between them. Alexander clenched his fists, a wave of determination washing over him. The time for secrecy was over.

"Evelyn, there is something I must tell you..."

His confession was abruptly cut off by a sharp voice from outside the hospital room.

"Who's there?"

His bodyguard's alert call snapped Alexander to attention.

"What is it?" he demanded, instinctively shifting to shield Evelyn as he glared at the door.

The bodyguard entered, his expression uneasy. "Sir, I thought I saw someone lurking at the far end of the corridor."

"You saw someone?" Alexander's face darkened instantly.

The man hesitated. "Perhaps it was a shadow. My mistake."

Considering the general activity of a hospital, Alexander chose to dismiss the immediate threat. But he issued a swift order. "Double the security detail on this floor. Immediately."

"Right away, Mr. Blackwood," the bodyguard responded with a sharp nod.

A chilling thought suddenly gripped Evelyn.

Could that figure have been Theodore?

Earlier that day, in the hotel lounge.

"Stay back!" Evelyn's voice was sharp with fear as she brandished the knife, warning Theodore as he advanced.

Her face was pale, a mask of pure panic.

In her desperate attempt to retreat, her heel caught on the rug. She stumbled, falling hard to the floor. The knife clattered from her grasp, skittering out of reach.

"Evelyn!" Theodore's initial reaction was one of concern, and he moved to help her.

"Don't come any closer!" The plea was strained, her voice barely a whisper, edged with despair.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him, a silent, desperate plea. "Theodore, don't make me hate you... Please, just stay away from me. Don't take another step!"

He froze, halted by the raw terror and resistance in her expression.

The sight of her fear was a physical blow, wrenching his heart.

"Do you really despise me that much?" he asked, his voice heavy with sorrow.

Evelyn drew a shaky breath, fighting for composure. She considered his question for a long moment.

"If you leave now," she finally said, her voice gaining a sliver of strength, "we can forget this ever happened."

Her intense gaze pinned him. "Believe me. Walk away now, and you will have my gratitude. Theodore, you have everything. You could have anyone. Why persist with me?"

A heavy silence filled the room before Theodore let out a soft, bitter laugh. "Evelyn, can't you see? You're the only one for me."

Evelyn fell silent, stunned. She stared at him, her face a canvas of conflict and a faint, desperate hope that he might still show a shred of decency.

A subtle, intoxicating fragrance hung in the air between them.

Theodore inhaled deeply, a familiar heat stirring within him.

He knew he could not stay. The situation had spiraled beyond his control. It was time to leave.