Chapter 46
Theo and Daphne
Theo's eyes fluttered open to the dim light filtering through the curtains, the quiet hum of morning failing to lift the heavy silence in the room. Instinctively, his hand reached across the bed, searching for Daphne. But his fingers met nothing but cold, empty sheets.
Reality crashed in like a wave. The hollow ache in his chest deepened as the memory from the night before surfaced, dragging him fully out of sleep. A dark cloud settled over him, heavy and suffocating. Theo lay still, staring at the space where Daphne should have been. Her pillow sat undisturbed, a stark reminder of the absence that felt larger than life.
His throat tightened, each breath catching as the ache spread, a dull, relentless throb that seemed to settle in his bones. The silence was deafening, each heartbeat a painful echo of her absence. Memories of her soft laughter and bright eyes flooded his mind, sharp and vivid, like ghosts haunting the empty room. The emptiness beside him seemed to stretch into the quiet, filling every corner, every shadow, each heartbeat a painful reminder of what he had done.
Theo closed his eyes, but it only made the void more unbearable, the weight of missing her pressing down like a stone. After several long minutes, he turned to lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. The ache in his chest throbbed with each breath, but he clenched his jaw, forcing himself to remember why he had let her go. He needed to believe it had been the right decisionâthat it had been for her.
She deserves more, he whispered into the emptiness, his voice barely audible. The words felt hollow, but he repeated them like a mantra, hoping they would take root. If his lost his family name, if everything he'd built was stripped away, what would he have left to offer her? The future she dreamed ofâsecurity, comfort, a life without worry, her big English home, the diamondsâhe might not be able to give that to her anymore. It wasn't just about love; it was about everything beyond it.
Theo tried to imagine her face, bright and joyful whenever he presented her with a gift. That was what he wanted for her. That was why you ended it, he reminded himself, but the thought did little to ease the hollow ache gnawing at him.
A part of him rebelled against the logic, whispering that she would have chosen him regardless. But he pushed it down, clinging to the belief that this pain, this emptiness, was a necessary price. Convincing himself was the only way to dull the sharp edges of regret threatening to consume him.
She deserves more, he thought again, the words tasting bitter. Yet, no matter how many times he told himself, the ache in his chest only deepened, and the space beside him felt colder than ever.
Daphne's scent began to press down on Theo's chest until he could no longer breathe. Needed to find an escape, Theo rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom. His body felt too heavy and the thought of carrying on with the day felt impossible.
But somehow he was moving and the hours were passing.Theo found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror, searching for somethingâanythingâthat felt familiar. His own face seemed like a stranger's, each feature a question mark.
Who was he if not Luca Silvano's son? The name he had carried with pride, the legacy he had lived under, suddenly felt hollow, like a borrowed identity that didn't belong to him.
His chest tightened. Every lesson, every expectation, everything Luca had given himâit had all been built on a lie. Was everything he believed about himself been an illusion?
The walls of the room seemed to close in, the silence amplifying the chaos in Theo's mind. His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms. The anger was there, simmering beneath the confusion, but it felt directionless. He didn't know who to be angry withâLuca, for the deception? Daisy? Himself? Angelo?
Theo felt like a man without a compass. A dark void loomed inside him, whispering that everything he had been, everything he had fought for, might have been a lie. For the first time, he doubted the ground he stood on, wondering if he could have done it all without Luca's name.
Theo walked back to the bedroom, each step heavy with the weight of exhaustion that seeped into his bones. His eyes fell on the nightstand, and there they wereâthe diamond bracelet and earrings he had given Daphne. They lay there, carefully placed, almost deliberate. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut: she had left them behind on purpose.
The pain surged through him, raw and fresh, clawing at the wounds he had tried to ignore. The room felt colder, emptier. Daphne's scent still lingered, soft and familiar, pressing down on his chest until it felt impossible to breathe. He closed his eyes, hoping to escape the ache, but it only deepened. The memories flooded inâher smile, the way she'd looked when he fastened the bracelet around her wrist. Now, they were just pieces of a past she had walked away from.
___________________
Mason
Mason pushed the cabin door open, the scent of pine and lingering smoke from the fireplace greeting him. His expression was tense, eyes shadowed with a mix of fatigue and frustration as he set his keys down on the wooden counter.
Theo sat in the armchair by the window, gaze distant but sharp. He looked up as Mason entered, his usual composed demeanor barely masking the tension beneath.
"Did she get on her flight safely?" Theo's voice was low, carefully measured.
Mason's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Yeah," he replied, voice laced with a cold edge. "But I didn't realize it was still your job to care." He crossed his arms, his gaze locking onto Theo's with unspoken accusations hanging heavy in the air.
Theo's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, his silence louder than any argument they could have. Mason watched as his brother pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Brad," Theo spoke quietly, his voice steady but weary. "Daphne is flying back to New York today. See what time her flight lands and have Marcus pick her up at the airport."
Mason snorted and rolled his eyes. He stood staring at Theo with his arms crossed over his chest, silently shaking his head.
"No," Theo paused, still on the phone. "He can drive her to her apartment."
As Mason listened, his eyes narrowed, a flicker of mischief passing over his face. He uncrossed his arms, his lips twisting into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. Stepping closer, he watched Theo, who remained engrossed in his phone call, issuing orders with that same icy control he always maintained. When Theo finally hung up, Mason didn't miss a beat.
"You know," he started, his voice dripping with mock casualness, "now that you two are not together anymore, I was wondering... " He let the words hang in the air, each syllable carefully enunciated, watching for the crack in Theo.
"Think very carefully about the words you are about to speak next," Theo warned. His eyes dark and his jaw clenched.
"She's really broken up about this whole thing," Mason said, fearlessly pushing his brother over the edge. "And I feel like she needs somebody right now."
Mason leaned against the counter, the smirk on his face growing sharper, his eyes gleaming with provocation. He watched Theo like a hunter gauging the tension in a trap.
Theo's stare could have frozen fire. His knuckles whitened as he gripped his phone, every muscle in his body taut with restrained fury.
"I warned you," he said, his voice low and dangerous, each word carrying a razor's edge.
Mason shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "What?" he drawled, taking a step closer, the distance between them evaporating. "I'm just saying, she could use someone who actually cares." His eyes met Theo's, unblinking. "Maybe she needs someone who isn't afraid to hold on to her."
Theo's breath was slow and deliberate, like a man standing on the edge of a cliff, trying not to look down. "This isn't a game you want to play, Mason," he said, voice quiet but seething with menace.
Mason's smile didn't waver. "But you've already lost, haven't you?" he leaned in, voice dropping lower, "Or are you afraid I'll show her what she's been missing. After all, mom did always tell us to share, right?"
There was a heartbeat of silence. Then, without warning, Theo jumped up from his seat and grabbed the collar of Mason's shirt, pulling him dangerously close.
"I'll kill you" Theo hissed, his voice a lethal whisper. "I will actually kill you, Mason."
"Oh my god!"
Evie's startled voice filled the room, slicing the silence as she came running down the steps.
"Wendy, stop them!" Evie shouted as she turned toward the door, where Wendy stood, frozen. Her face was pale, her eyes wide, locked onto Mason with an expression that seemed to flicker between shock and something elseâsomething more guarded.
Mason's gaze shifted, his eyes catching Wendy's for the first time. The smirk on his face faltered, replaced by a look of curiosity and concern. There was a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
Evie stepped between the brothers, her voice firm now. "Theo, let go. Stop it! Stop!" Her blue eyes met his, pleading but unyielding. "Levi!"
Theo's breath was heavy, his muscles taut. For a moment, it seemed as if he might ignore her.
"Wendy, go get Daphne," Evie ordered, frustrated with the girl at the door who seemed to have grown roots into the ground.
"What the fuck are you two doing?" Levi demanded as he came walking into the cabin, pushing past Wendy to get to his brothers. "Theo, let go of him!"
Theo didn't listen to anyone. The seconds stretched as he held Mason in an iron grip, his eyes burning with fury.
"Theo, please," Evie tugged his arm. "Stop it."
Finally, after a few long seconds of murderous glares, with a slow, deliberate motion, Theo released Mason, shoving him back slightly. Mason straightened his shirt, the smirk returning. His eyes lingering briefly on Wendy before shifting back to Theo.
"Talk about her like that again and I swear I will knock that fucking smirk right off you face," Theo threatened as Levi pushed him back, holding him to make sure he didn't lunge at Mason again.
"Where's Daphne?" Evie asked, looking over her shoulder. "Daphne!"
"She's gone," Mason announced. "This dickhead over here broke up with her last night and she left. I just dropped her off at the airport."
"What?" Levi paused, looking between his brothers. "You broke up with her? Why?"
"Stay out of it!" Theo snapped.
Mason, never one to back down, smirked and took a step forward. "Nah, this is all of our problem now," he said, eyes locked on Theo. "Go on, tell us, big brother. Tell us why you broke up with Daphne." His tone was taunting, each word designed to provoke, to peel back whatever control Theo had left.
Evie, sensing the room's delicate edge, raised a hand. "Mason, cut it out," she warned, her voice firm but pleading. She knew his tendencies to stir the pot, and her eyes flickered to Levi. If Theo decided to lash out, she doubted Levi could stop him in time.
The tension was thick, almost suffocating, when a soft voice broke through the noise. "What's going on here?" Lily walked into the room, her wide eyes full of worry. Dressed in her pajamas, her hair tousled, she looked around, taking in the chaos. Her gaze landed on Wendy, who stood by the door, her figure almost blending into the shadows.
"Wendy?" Lily's voice softened, concern threading through it.
Everyone turned, their attention shifting to the girl who had remained silent and still. Wendy's face was pale, her skin almost translucent under the soft cabin light. She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide and glassy, tears welling but not falling. Her hands trembled at her sides, her chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. She looked around the room, her expression lost and helpless, as if she were seeing everything through a haze.
"Oh my god, Wendy," Lily gasped, rushing over to her best friend. She wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "What's wrong?"
Wendy's lips parted, but no sound came out. Her eyes flitted between Mason and Theo, then back to Lily, full of unspoken fear and pain. The room fell into a heavy silence, the earlier chaos momentarily forgotten, as everyone realized that something much deeper was unfolding before themâsomething that went beyond the fight, beyond the breakup.
Mason's gaze softened slightly, confusion flickering in his eyes as he watched Wendy. For the first time, the fire in him dulled. He opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Theo, still seething, glanced at Wendy, his expression unreadable. The weight in the room shifted, the air thick with unspoken questions and raw emotions, as they all stood there, the undercurrents of conflict momentarily overshadowed by the silent storm in Wendy's eyes.
Lily's eyes blazed with fury as she looked at her brothers, the chaos and tension radiating between them like an unspoken threat.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" she snapped, her voice sharp and cutting through the heavy silence as she realized why Wendy had gone ghost white. She shot a glare at Theo, then Mason, her disappointment hitting them like a slap. "This isn't how family acts!" Her voice trembled, the anger mixed with disbelief. "You're both unbelievable."
Without waiting for a response, she turned to Wendy, her expression softening as she saw the tears glistening in her best friend's eyes. Gently, she wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.
"Come on, let's go. It's okay, you're okay," she whispered, her voice filled with quiet concern. "I'm sorry you had to see all that."
Wendy didn't resist, leaning into Lily's embrace as if the strength had drained from her legs. Lily shot one last withering look at her brothers, shaking her head in disgust, before guiding Wendy toward the stairs.
As they ascended, the tension downstairs hung heavy in the air, but Lily didn't look back. Each step creaked beneath them. When they reached the landing, Lily glanced at Wendy, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.
"I've got you," she murmured, leading her into her room and gently closing the door behind them, shutting out the chaos below. "No one can hurt you."
Downstairs, the silence stretched, the weight of Lily's words lingering like an unspoken challenge.
They were the perfect family....