Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 514

Sebastian was gone, but the cloying, sickly sweet scent of the flowers lingered in the air. Emma sat on the floor, hugging her knees, silent tears streaming down her face.

Allen couldn't possibly leave Emma there after what had happened. After getting permission from Larson, he drove her straight to her aunt's house.

In front of her family, Emma forced a smile, not wanting to worry her grandmother. She said she had just twisted her ankle during physical therapy and needed to rest at home.

Her grandmother immediately sent her to her room to lie down, fussing over what kind of nourishing meals she could make for her.

The moment the bedroom door closed, Emma collapsed.

She tried to rest, but sleep offered no escape.

A voice echoed relentlessly in her mind: *Baby, I did so much for you. The only way you can repay me is by spending the rest of your life with me. The rest of your life…*

Every time she drifted off, the voice would thunder in her head, a vicious, splitting roar that made her head throb.

She became terrified of her phone.

The slightest buzz or ring would make her jolt upright, her heart leaping into her throat.

When she was startled awake once again by the demonic voice in her head just as her phone began to ring, she grabbed the device without looking and hurled it against the wall.

It clattered to the floor and finally fell silent.

She bit down on her blanket, trying to stifle the sobs that wracked her body.

"Allen told me everything," Larson said, stroking her hair. "Don't be afraid. Your big brother is here. From now on, you'll stay with us. Allen and the team will drive you to and from the studio every day."

Emma lifted her lost, frightened eyes to his. "Larson," she asked, her voice filled with anguish, "is the only way I can repay him… by marrying him?"

"Repay what?" The raw fear in her eyes when she looked up at him was a physical blow.

"Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today. He found the doctor, he was with me every day during my recovery. He even gave up his inheritance to study with me and be the lead in my ballet. Without him, I never would have returned to the stage…" She recited Sebastian's words like a machine, tears blurring her vision. "Is that true? I owe him something I can never repay, don't I?"

"Who told you that?" Larson's heart broke seeing his sister in this state. He gently cradled the back of her head and drew her to his shoulder, patting her back. "Marriage is not a favor. It's not a trap. No one is obligated to marry anyone."

Emma shook her head miserably. "But how can I repay his kindness? I can't, Larson… I have nothing to give him. I wish I owed him money. No matter how much it was, I could pay it back eventually. But this… a debt of emotion can only be repaid with a lifetime. Larson… I never should have tried to love again. I shouldn't have…"