Chapter 182 Letting Go

Chapter 182 Letting Go
Rhys’s jaw tightened until the muscles in his face began to ache.

Despite the bruises scattered across his body, he forced himself upright and looked Theon straight in the eye. The swelling around one side of his face had already darkened into an ugly bruise, making him appear far more miserable than he had a few hours ago.

“You know…” His voice was hoarse. “I can have you arrested for assault.”

Theon didn’t even blink. The corner of his lips lifted into a faint smile. “Can you?”

He walked closer without the slightest hint of hesitation, stopping only an arm’s length away. “Where’s your proof?”

Rhys remained silent.

Theon reached out and dusted an imaginary speck of dirt from Rhys’s already wrinkled shirt before patting his shoulder.

“You of all people should know how important evidence is.” His smile widened. “You’re a lawyer, Rhys. You can’t accuse someone based on suspicion or because we happened to have an unpleasant conversation.”

The room fell silent.

Rhys stared at him for several long seconds before a bitter laugh escaped his lips. “I deserve it.”

The words were so quiet they almost disappeared into the stillness of the apartment.

Theon’s expression didn’t soften.

Instead, he slipped an envelope from inside his coat before removing the heavy winter jacket altogether. He hung it on the rack beside the entrance as though he were visiting an old acquaintance instead of the man he’d wanted to punch for months.

The envelope landed on the coffee table with a dull thud.

“Sign them.”

Rhys lowered his eyes. He already knew what was inside.

His fingers hovered over the envelope before finally opening it. The familiar divorce agreement slid into view.

Theon folded his arms.

“I’m sure you’ve seen what’s happening online by now. Lena no longer needs her father’s approval as a reason to stay married to you.”

Rhys stared at the papers without moving.

“Actually…” His voice sounded distant. “I expected this the moment I saw those videos.”

Theon let out a humorless laugh. “I still don’t understand you.”

He dragged a hand through his hair before meeting Rhys’s gaze again.

“As much as I dislike you, I genuinely want to know.” His voice hardened. “Why?”

Rhys looked up.

Theon’s eyes had turned red with restrained anger.
“Why did you betray Lena when all she was trying to do was save her father’s life?”

He took a slow breath. “I won’t pretend to be innocent. I got close to her because I wanted her. I fell for her somewhere along the way.”

A bitter smile crossed his face. “I tempted her. I deliberately looked for chances to keep her around. I didn’t care that she was married.”

His fingers curled into fists. “But do you know what happened every single time?”

Rhys said nothing.

“She refused. Every meeting. Every meal. Every time people saw us together…”

Theon shook his head. “It was never because she wanted to betray you.”

His eyes slowly returned to Rhys. “It was because she wanted a heart for her father.”

The words landed hard inside the apartment.

“I took advantage of that.” Theon admitted it without hesitation. “I knew exactly why she kept meeting me, and I still selfishly stayed close because I thought maybe…”

His voice faltered. “…maybe one day she’d look at me instead. But you…”

Disbelief filled his eyes. “What did you do?” Theon scoffed. “You slept with Stacy.”

Rhys closed his eyes. Every word struck somewhere he had already been hurting.

Without responding, he turned and walked toward the bar.

Each step pulled painfully at the bruises along his ribs. His movements were slower than usual, and when he reached for the whiskey bottle, his fingers trembled enough that the glass almost slipped from his grasp.

He poured himself a drink. The amber liquid swirled inside the glass. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to drink it. He simply stood there, staring into it.

Theon watched him for a long moment before walking over. “I just don’t understand you, Rhys.”

Rhys finally lifted his eyes. “What if I told you…” His voice was barely audible. “…that I still love her?”

Theon looked at him for several seconds. Then he reached past him, picked up another glass, poured himself a drink, and emptied it in one swallow.

The warmth burned down his throat. But it did nothing to cool the frustration inside him. “I realized something before I left.”

He placed the empty glass on the counter. “That maybe it was time to let go of my feelings for Lena. She may look carefree, but she doesn’t let people into her heart easily.”

He looked at Rhys. “And you… she trusted you enough to carry your child.”

The apartment became unbearably quiet. “One thing led to another and she lost the child.”

Theon’s voice grew smaller. “I left because I thought my staying would only make things harder for her. I thought losing my peace was worth protecting hers.”

The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Then I came back, only to find out you’d gotten another woman pregnant.”

He looked at Rhys as though seeing him for the first time. “Tell me, are you even human?”

Rhys’s grip tightened around the whiskey glass until his knuckles turned pale. “What if…”

He finally raised it and emptied the drink in one go. The alcohol burned far worse than he remembered.

“What if I told you, this drink caused the greatest mistake of my life? And I haven’t touched alcohol since.”

Theon frowned. He pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down.

Rhys lowered himself onto the stool beside him with difficulty, one hand instinctively pressing against his bruised ribs.

“I’ve always been rational. Even when I agreed to marry Lena.”

Rhys stared at the untouched bottle between them, a faint smile touching his lips.

“I knew exactly what her father wanted, and my father wanted the merger. So I studied everything about her.”

He laughed quietly. “What food she liked. What flowers she preferred. The kind of places she’d enjoy. I even paid her to go on dates because I thought that was the easiest way to keep her interested.”

His smile faded. “I planned every step. And I thought I was stealing something valuable from her family.”

Rhys laughed at himself. But instead, she stole my heart.”

Theon frowned. Confusion flickered across his face.

Rhys continued before he could speak. “I didn’t realize I’d fallen for her when I started buying flowers. It wasn’t when I began noticing her smile. It wasn’t even when I saw you beside her.”

His gaze became distant. “It happened the day I went looking for a heart donor, while being infested with an infection.”

“My father refused to release the company’s funds because the donor’s family kept increasing their demands. The money I had wasn’t enough. So the easiest solution was to let William die.”

The last words tasted like poison in his tongue.

“The merger already happened, and the law firm was already ours. My father was satisfied with that.”

He laughed once. “I could’ve done it. But every time I imagined Lena losing her father… I couldn’t.” He shook his head. “For the first time in my life, I disobeyed my father.”

Theon remained silent. Everything he had wanted to say suddenly became much harder to voice.

Rhys leaned back. “Everything I’d done before that moment had been calculated. But saving William was the first decision I ever made purely because I couldn’t bear seeing Lena cry.”

A long silence followed.

When Rhys spoke again, his voice had become even quieter. “The night with Stacy…” he closed his eyes. “I mistook her for Lena while being drunk.”

Theon stiffened by that revelation.

Rhys gave a hollow laugh. “I woke up and realized I’d destroyed everything. I wanted to let Lena go after that. I truly did. My family never accepted her. My mother despised her. My father only cared about the law firm.”

His lips curved into another bitter smile. “I envy you.”

Theon looked at him. 

“You live however you want. You never had to beg for approval. My brother was the successful businessman. My sister became a famous designer. And me…” his gaze turned red. “I spent my entire life trying to earn recognition. Even as a reputable lawyer, it was still not enough.”

Rhys lowered his head. “Lena became the only place that ever felt warm. And then I realized, even that warmth wasn’t mine to keep.”

The apartment fell quiet once more. After what felt like forever, Theon finally spoke.

“Rhys.” He waited until Rhys looked at him.

“Lena is hurting.” His voice remained calm. “You have to let her go.”

Rhys nodded. “I know. I wanted to three months ago.” His fingers brushed the divorce papers. “But this isn’t just a marriage. The law firm belongs to the Adler family now. My father would never allow this to end peacefully if they were to take it back. I was afraid of what would happen if I signed.”

Theon frowned. “Then why didn’t you explain any of that to Lena?”

“I tried.” Rhys smiled weakly. “But by then… she no longer wanted to hear my explanations.”

He looked down at the papers again. “And maybe… I was afraid that once I signed, I’d have to accept she was really gone.”

Theon let out a long breath. “She doesn’t want the law firm.”

Rhys looked up surprised. “What?”

“For her freedom, she’s willing to walk away from it.”

Theon’s expression softened just a little. “She only wants liquidation. Compensation for her shares. And compensation for everything she endured.”

Rhys stared ahead with a blank expression. His hand reached for the pen resting inside the envelope.

“So…” his voice sounded hollow. “that’s all she wants.”

Theon nodded once.

Rhys removed the cap from the pen. His hand shook so badly that he had to steady it with the other. For a while, he simply stared at the signature line.

Then, without another word, he signed.

The ink had barely dried before a tear landed on the paper, leaving behind a small dark stain. Another followed.

Rhys didn’t bother wiping them away. He quietly closed the file and handed it back.

His fingers lingered on it for one final moment before letting go.

“Take care of her.”

The words were almost lost in the silence. Theon accepted the envelope.

Neither of them spoke.

As he reached the entrance, Rhys suddenly called after him. “Theon.”

He stopped. “What we talked about today…”

Rhys lowered his eyes. “Keep it between us.”

Theon studied him for several seconds before giving a small nod. “I wasn’t planning to tell anyone.”

Without another word, he opened the door and stepped outside.

The freezing wind swept across his face the moment he reached the parking garage. White mist escaped his lips as he looked down at the envelope in his hands.

Instead of relief, all he felt was exhaustion. “This is so messed up.”

He muttered the words to himself before taking out his phone. His thumb hovered over Lena’s contact for a brief moment. Then he pressed call.

The line rang twice before she answered. “Hello?”

Theon’s grip tightened around the phone. “Lena.”

He looked down at the divorce papers tucked beneath his arm.

“…Rhys signed them.”