Chapter 53: Chapter 53

“NO, I CAN’T DO THAT!! HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK SOMETHING SO LOW AND DEGRADING?”

Rose yelled and looked at Theodore who was glaring at her with spite.

“Who do you think you are to question the authority of King? You came here with a plea then why the drama now? You want to save Jasmine and I am granting your wish.” He retorted.

Rose fumed, “But not at the expense of Diana’s happiness. Yes, I am angry at her, and in rage, I said those things to Jasmine but it was only because I wanted her to stop thinking about you and concentrate on her life. I knew your condition will only revolve around Diana but adultery? You want me to seduce her husband? Are you out of your mind? I thought of you as a gentleman. Never knew your mind is only drubbed with crap, full of loaded shit. Disgusting.”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!!”

Theodore roared and instantly removed his sword. Rose shuddered when he placed the lethal weapon on the side of her neck. She gulped feeling that dreadful cold touch on her bare skin.

Shooting her a glare, Theodore tightened his grip on the handle, his knuckles turning white.

“It won’t take me a second to slice your and your sister’s head and serve it on a silver platter to your damn friend. Diana was going to be mine unless that bitch tricked me and now it’s your responsibility to give me my Diana back if you want me to spare that traitor’s life. Already your oafish sister had fucked up my mind but now I won’t take her shits anymore. It will be good for you to better do as I say or I am gonna quench the thirst of my rage with that selfish orphan’s blood.” He spoke, venom dripping from his mouth.

Rose blanched in horror when his words registered in her mind.

Theodore smirked at her wide eyes. “What? You thought I didn’t know that Jasmine was adopted? Little girl, I am the King of the Theo Dynasty. To make sure that there aren’t any malicious wolves residing in my kingdom, I always keep a background check on all the denizens. And your fucking sister played with me. That’s why I made George dig into her past and get the full details of where that scumbag originated from. Because no one would believe that you both are consanguine. You both have nothing in common, neither the features nor the traits.”

He sneered. But his words made Rose lose her composure as she immediately slapped the sword away with her bare hands and charged at him. But Theodore was quick enough as he immediately clasped her hand that was about to land on his cheek and gripped it tightly.

“Don’t you dare disrespect my sister, got it? Her only crime is that she is blindly in love with you. I used to feel sorry for you Theodore but now I pity my sister who fell for one son of a bitch who is trying to snatch someone’s wife when he is already married. Want to get rid of his wife as soon as possible so that he can trap someone else’s women who don’t even love him.” Rose spat while kissing her teeth.

His eyes darkened and he wrung her hand painfully. “She had been my wife if that promiscuous, good for nothing, mud blood hadn’t foiled my plans. Diana was made for me and I will have her at any cost. You have to help me or else I will tell Jasmine that she is an orphan. She isn’t your sister but was left at your doorstep and how you kept her in dark all these years.” Theodore spoke and flashed her a diabolical smirk.

Rose froze on her spot, “N-No you can’t do this.” She screamed in fright. But he simply let out a scoff and pushed her back.

“I can and I will. You don’t want to ruin your friend’s marriage life, fine then. Let’s change the conditions. As my soul is tied to Jasmine so, even if I am unhappy in this marriage, I have to tolerate her. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no way out of it. The sacred bond can be nullified if the husband and wife with mutual consent call off their marriage and go on separate paths. I am dying to do that but that stubborn rag doll will never leave me. So, you have two options now, first force Jasmine to break the sacred bond and emancipate our souls. And the second, I have already told you.”

He spoke and wiggled his brows at her. Rose clenched her fists, her eyes filled with tears of helplessness. She couldn’t believe that the man whom she had always seen with respect was nothing but an insidious and vile man who could go to any length to fulfill his stubbornness.

Theodore frowned when Rose suddenly started chuckling.

“What happened? Lost your mind?” He mocked her.

Rose looked at him, “Nope. The blinds of lies and myths that were draped around my eyes since the day I was born just got dropped off. I had always forbidden Diana from marrying Zachary. Why? Because he was a demon, an abomination, an omen considered by beautiful people like us. But the reality is that you are also no better than him. Calix kept me captive but your brother creeps the hell out of me. That sinister look in his eyes makes me feel vulnerable and completely exposed. I can bet on my life that Calix is safer to me you’re your fucking brother.”

She snickered. Her words left him tongue-tied.

Rose then stepped forward and continued speaking while looking straight into his eyes, “You know what Theodore, we should never judge a person just by their stature and family. Because his character is built up on his ethics, etiquette, and the way he treats someone inferior to him. Before claiming the title, you took the oath to love your people but you only fooled us. You are no better than Lord Ernest ’cause you look down on your wife just because she isn’t a princess. You have no respect for her even though she loves you so much. I know Jasmine is not right because she tricked you into marriage but her love for you is pure. She worshipped you Theodore ever since childhood. Her ways were wrong but not her motive. And if she is wrong, you are also no better than her. You are also trying to force a girl who loves someone else. Just for your stupid childhood crush. You adore Diana but she had never seen you that way.”

Theodore balled his fists and raged, “Don’t fucking preach to me what to do and what not to. I don’t love her. She just can’t accept rejection.”

“Neither can you.”

Rose cut him off turning him silent.

“You and your brother also can’t accept rejection. Having feelings for someone is right, adoring them is also right but forcing them to love you is a sin. If you love someone, you need to respect his or her decisions. You never loved Diana; you were just obsessed with her. And her rejection only dented your ego and to brush off the mud of humiliation and embarrassment, you want her. By winning her, you want to inbuild a fear in the people of your kingdom that their King doesn’t accept the word ‘No’. If Lord Ernest’s sons keep their hands on something, it becomes theirs. Be it gold or be it a woman.”

She gritted while angry tears rushed down her cheeks. But she received another shock when Theodore shot her a complacent smirk.

Rose never wanted to say something like this to him but it was necessary as deep down she had a hope that Theodore was only blindsided by revenge and his hate for Jasmine. That’s why she confronted him with the truth because he needed someone to show him the mirror, and tell him what he was doing was wrong. How he was losing his sanity for his sick obsession.

They all grew up together. She remembered how Diana always used to praise him and tell her how well-mannered he was. Rose had immense respect for Theodore and that’s why she also never took Jasmine’s fondness for him seriously. As a girl, she also dreamt to marry a man just like Theodore who was humble and respectful, a kind-hearted soul, a responsible son, a lovable brother, and also a true warrior.

Rose knew that Theodore was deeply hurt by Diana’s rejection but he had to accept it and move on. She was ready to take Jasmine with her. It was her way of freeing herself from the guilt of ruining his life. Why does he have to pay for her sister’s infatuation? She was ready to help him but after hearing how he was still not over Diana and was planning something so disgusting completely changed her opinion about him.

Theodore chuckled darkly and walked closer to her. Rose gulped when she looked into his blood-red eyes.

“I have never loved someone so much like Diana. I want her even if I have to wipe every single soul from this universe. I have always kept my needs and wishes aside and worked to fulfill the dreams of my parents. Loved George and Christian, and spent my childhood and nearly my youth shouldering the responsibilities, working for the betterment of the Theo Dynasty. Only for what? To get Diana. To have her, marry her, make her my wife, love and adore her, shower her with all the happiness of the world. She was my sanity Rose which I lost when she chose HIM OVER ME!!!”

He suddenly yelled startling her. Rose gasped when he grabbed her by her shoulders but what shocked her was the tears in his eyes.

“Why? At least she should have given me a chance to prove my love to her. Her father had mutually decided to give her to me once she turned twenty. I never forced her; it was consensual. How can they just break the marriage and let her marry a demon? And not a simple demon, my worst rival. I am a thousand times better than him. I can prove it to Diana and for that I want her. And I will get her. At any costs, Rose. At any costs.”

Theodore spoke like a maniac. Rose looked at him in disbelief.

‘He looked possessed.’

His jaw ticked when he noticed her assessing him. Theodore never showed his vulnerable side to anyone but Rose’s constant earful and her portraying him as a bad guy flared him.

Rose trembled when Theodore again masked his pained expression with a cold, impassive look. But she flinched when he coiled his fingers around her throat and gripped it.

Bringing her closer to his face, he growled, “You better take your pathetic sister away from me. Don’t bring Diana to me, I will deal with her but free me from your mad sister. And this ain’t a request, it’s an order.”

Rose knew that no matter how much she convinces or advise him, he wouldn’t listen. He was adamant to clear his image which was soiled because of Diana’s rejection. He was only seeing her as a trophy, a medium for delectation.

Theodore smiled widely when she stiffly nodded. He immediately withdrew his hands and grabbed his sword that was lying on the ground. Putting it back in the sheath, he corrected the crisp of his turquoise shirt and combed his hair with his fingers.

“Fine then. Go and convince your sister. I will be waiting for you outside. Collect yourself and don’t you dare trick me like your sister. That time I spared her but this time I would kill her.”

He spoke in a menacing tone. After shooting him a death glare, he walked out with that triumphant smirk plastered on his pink lips.

Rose stared at the floor in defeat. She thought that after taking Jasmine with her things will get better. But they were only worsening with time. Though she had said to Jasmine that she doesn’t give two flying fucks about Diana but only she knows how hard it was for her to ignore her friend who always gave her respect and love. Never make her feel down or worthless. Shared the food she used to eat, the toys with which she used to play knowing that she won’t be able to purchase, and the books she used to read knowing that she won’t be able to educate herself. Treated Jasmine as her sister and even her brother Arthur never differentiated between them.

Yet she regrets being her friend. Why? Because of her sister’s mistake. Diana was innocent but to unleash her frustration, she badmouthed her.

Her knees gave up and she fell to the ground. A tear slid down her cheek as Rose was well aware that what she was about to do today, Jasmine would always hate her for that. But now that doesn’t even matter to her. What Theodore was planning to do with Diana, was her biggest concern.

Still, can she help her, no? Theodore was blackmailing her with her biggest weakness knowing that she won’t be able to deny it even if she wants to.

Rose looked up and wiped her tears. Settling down her unruly locks, she looked at the mahogany door from where Theodore had left a few minutes ago.

“You might have won today Theodore but mind my words, one day you’ll realize your mistake. And that day is not very far.”