Chapter 7

Terrence was too distracted to calm Alyssa down after hitting the man. On the way to the hospital, he finally noticed Thea's bleeding cheek. Once they arrived, he insisted that the doctor tend to her face first, even as his own shoulder continued to bleed. "The wedding's coming up. Thea's face has to be perfect." Guilt heavy in his eyes, he turned to her and explained himself in sign language, "This was all on me, sweetheart. I was just watching out for Alyssa since she reports to me. Don't be mad, okay?" Thea stayed silent, motioning for the doctor to treat Terrence's shoulder first and ignore her injury. It wasn't like she'd be at the wedding anyway. What did it matter if her face was scarred? Terrence took her gesture as affection, his expression softening with emotion. The doctor cut through his blood-soaked shirt, revealing the ugly wound beneath. Thea then realized that the new injury was in the same spot as the scar left by the rebar that had impaled him five years ago during the earthquake. Now, the old circular mark lay hidden beneath the fresh wound. It hit her all at once. Perhaps this was some kind of sign, telling her that whatever they'd once shared was over. After leaving the hospital, Alyssa wrapped her arms around herself, her voice choking with tears as she asked, "Terrence, can I stay at your place tonight?" Alyssa wasn't the type to show such fragility. Thus, Terrence felt an unexpected tug of sympathy. He studied Thea's reaction carefully as he signed, "Thea, Ms. Schuler's pretty shaken up today. Would you mind if she stayed with us tonight?" Afraid she might misunderstand, he quickly added, "I don't mean anything by it. It's my responsibility as her employer to make sure she's okay." Thea dug her nails into her palms without realizing it as she took in his anxious demeanor. Was he really considering bringing Alyssa into their home so openly? She gave a self-deprecating smile. "Whatever," she thought. Once she was out of the picture, Alyssa would be moving in soon enough. Why even bother making a fuss now? "Up to you," she said. Maybe it was because Thea was there, but Terrence hardly said a word to Alyssa the entire ride back. Even when Alyssa tried to start a conversation, he shut her down with a look. Thea had no interest in watching their little act. She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. Once they got home, Terrence paid no attention to Alyssa's bitter glare and put her up in the second-floor guest room. When he and Thea were back in their own room, Terrence got out the iodine and bandages to clean the cut on her face. "Thea, I know you were worried about me, but you should've let the doctor take care of this. It'll kill me if it leaves a scar." After bandaging her wound, he kissed her forehead. "I'd never let you get hurt again. I reacted without thinking when I saw one of my employees being harassed. Someone disrespecting my team might as well be disrespecting me. How could I let that slide? Don't you agree, sweetheart?" His explanation might have been believable if Thea hadn't known the truth about him and Alyssa and if she hadn't seen the raw possessiveness and anger in his eyes. She didn't offer reassurance. Instead, she only said she was tired and needed to rest. As always, Terrence showed up with her nightly glass of milk, lulling her to sleep with gentle pats on her back. Deep in the night, Thea woke to a crack of thunder. Still half-asleep, she instinctively reached for Terrence's waist, only to grasp cold, empty sheets. The chill jolted her fully awake. She got up and made her way downstairs. As she reached the top of the second-floor staircase, a woman's breathy moans reached her ears. Her steps faltered. Swallowing back the bitterness rising in her throat, she inched toward the guest room. The door stood wide open, the amber light inside revealing two naked figures tangled together.