Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 690

"Wait, what?" Emilia blinked.

She looked adorably confused.

The pure shock on her face made Theodore burst into a rich, deep laugh.

He effortlessly picked her up by the waist, setting her down on the edge of his massive mahogany desk. Stepping between her thighs, he leaned in close and teased, "My dad passed away a long time ago. You didn't expect my mother to stay single forever, did you?"

Emilia swatted his shoulder playfully. "That is not what I meant!"

Earlier that day, Xenia had openly mentioned dating after her husband's death, and Emilia thought absolutely nothing of it.

What shocked her was that Theodore cited it so casually as the main reason she avoided the estate.

She had assumed Xenia lived elsewhere for convenience, or simply preferred a quieter neighborhood.

Feeling completely comfortable with him, Emilia voiced her thoughts out loud.

Theodore nodded, understanding her surprise.

"My mother loves you," Theodore continued softly. He poured a glass of warm water from a carafe and handed it to her.

Emilia took a sip, watching him intently over the rim of the glass, waiting for him to explain.

Theodore's expression softened. "Years ago, my mother faced endless vicious gossip simply because she chose not to play the role of the grieving widow for the rest of her life."

"All three of us kids fully supported her finding love again, but high society is cruel. Even now, there are still old-money snobs who sarcastically refer to her as 'Mrs. Glenn' just to throw her past in her face."

"Not that she cares in the slightest."

Theodore looked deeply into Emilia's eyes, his voice steady and fiercely protective. "That is why she couldn't care less about the tabloids calling you a divorcee or gossiping about our relationship. If anything, she respects you because she knows exactly what it feels like."

The steam from the warm water curled into the air between them. Emilia looked at Theodore, and finally, she asked the question that had been burning in her chest.

"And what about you, Theodore? Do you mind?" It was the most blunt, terrifyingly direct question she had ever asked him. She needed absolute certainty.

Theodore's answer was a slow, intoxicating kiss.

When he finally pulled back, his dark eyes locked onto hers with zero hesitation.

"I don't mind," he stated unequivocally.

"I love you," he said, staring into her eyes with pure devotion. "I love every version of you."

The only thing he ever felt was a dark, venomous jealousy that Tyler had gotten to experience her first. That was it.

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