Chapter 41: Elowen chose Soren.

Waves of shivers hit him hard. Theron drew one unsteady breath after another, but his lungs seemed incapable of taking enough air. His thoughts raced as he watched Soren, who had once destroyed Elowen, hold her as though he couldn’t let her go.

If Soren remembered his previous life, this sudden change in behavior might make sense.

But if that were true, what did it mean for Theron?

Had Soren changed because he regretted what he had done? Or was this possessiveness merely another way of keeping Elowen trapped?

The uncertainty was driving Theron insane.

He had thought getting Elowen back in this life would be easy. All he had to do was prevent the accident that had taken her life.

He had even made preparations for it.

On that fateful day, he had secretly replaced the taxi driver with one of his trusted men, who would have taken her to her mother’s place safely.

But Elowen had never boarded that taxi, unlike in his past life.

At the time, Theron had not given it much thought. He had been relieved that Elowen was safe and assumed his intervention had changed her fate.

Now, however, everything was beginning to make sense.

He was not the only one who had tried to stop that accident from happening. Soren had also done the same. He might have been the one who had prevented Elowen from boarding that taxi in the first place.

The realization sent another wave of chills down his spine.

’So Soren has really been reborn, too.’

The more he thought, the more restless he grew.

If Soren remembered everything from his previous life, he knew exactly how he had broken Elowen’s heart, how their marriage had fallen apart, and how his own choices had led her to a tragic fate.

And now, Soren was determined to keep her by his side.

Theron clenched his fists, his thoughts spiraling out of control.

He had come back to the past, believing he could change Elowen’s fate and finally win her heart. He thought he was lucky to have another chance. But fate had given Soren a second chance too.

The idea infuriated him.

’What right does he have to get another chance? He was the one who had hurt her, broken her, and caused her death. He doesn’t deserve her.’

His determination to win her back hardened even more.

"Elowen..." he snapped, struggling to regain his control. "Are you coming with me or not?"

Soren finally broke the kiss. He didn’t look at Theron. His attention was entirely on Elowen, who was shaking in his arms.

Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing uneven. She looked overwhelmed by his sudden kiss.

"Stay here," he said gently, wiping her slightly swollen lips. "I have one last thing to say to Theron."

Elowen caught his wrist. "Don’t go."

She was afraid he would hit Theron again.

"Relax." He brushed a finger down her cheek. "I won’t hit him."

Soren turned toward Theron. The tenderness vanished from his face. He moved toward him, one step at a time.

Theron squared his shoulders. His bruised cheek throbbed, but he refused to show any sign of discomfort.

Soren quirked his lips into a mocking smile. "Look at you. Standing here like a loser." His voice was low so Elowen couldn’t hear him.

Theron’s eyes flashed.

"So what if you knew her before me?" Soren continued condescendingly. "So what if you’ve loved her for years? She is mine. She has been my wife for seven years. And she has been by my side despite everything I have put her through."

His smile widened, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

"She loves me. Her world revolves around me. Try and see. She will never leave me."

"You..." Theron trembled in rage.

"Shh..." Soren lifted a finger to his lips, silencing him. "She is married to me. That’s a fact you can never change, no matter how badly you want. Give up the idea of snatching her away from me. Or you will face the consequences."

Soren turned around. In two strides, he reached Elowen.

A series of shallow breaths escaped Elowen’s lips as she wondered what he would do next.

Without saying a word, Soren bent down, slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, and lifted her.

"Soren!" Elowen let out a startled gasp and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He flashed a sweet smile. "We are leaving now."

He adjusted his hold on her and started walking toward the exit.

Theron watched them leave helplessly. Every instinct urged him to chase after them, stop Soren, and ask Elowen to stay. He wanted to tell her everything he had never managed to say.

’I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I can’t bear to see you walk away with Soren again.’

But he didn’t move from his place. The words remained trapped deep inside his throat.

The realization struck harder than Soren’s fist.

’Elowen didn’t choose me. She left with Soren. She chose the man who had hurt her for seven years, neglected her, and made her cry. Why, Elowen? Why him?’

Theron stared at the empty corridor, his mind struggling to accept what his eyes had witnessed.

He had imagined countless possibilities since his rebirth. He had promised himself that this time, he would be brave enough to fight for her. In his mind, he had determined he would never let her endure Soren’s cruelty again.

But he had never imagined she would still choose Soren.

Tears burned like acid in his eyes. His strength seemed to drain away from his body. He staggered backward, his back hitting the wall.

All he could see was the image of Soren kissing Elowen. The terrifying possibility that Soren might have been reborn and was also trying to change the future unsettled him.

"Theron." A familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

Alex hurried to him. "Are you okay?" He searched his face, his gaze settling on his bruised cheek. "Who did this to you?"

Theron didn’t answer.

"Did Soren hit you?"

Theron pushed Alex aside and stormed down the corridor.

"Theron, wait." Alex went after him.

Theron was already moving through the crowd.

By the time Alex reached the hall, his friend had disappeared among the guests. He looked around anxiously.

"Where the hell did he go?"

He stopped someone passing by. "Hey. Did you see Theron?"

The man pointed to a distant corner. "I saw him heading that way."

"Thanks."

Alex headed in that direction. He found him sitting in a secluded corner, his elbows resting on his knees, and a bottle of liquor clutched in one hand.

The bottle was already half empty. Theron lifted it to his mouth and took another long swallow.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alex lunged over and snatched the bottle from his hand. "Do you want to drink yourself to death?"

Theron lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Give it back," he said, his tone commanding.

"No..." Alex pulled the bottle behind his back. "I can’t let you do this to yourself."

Theron reached for it, but Alex stepped back.

"Don’t make me angry. Give it back right away."

Alex shook his head. "If something is bothering you, you can talk to me. But I’m not giving you that bottle."

Theron’s expression crumpled into something painfully wounded. "Soren took away the woman I love. And you are taking away my drink. Why can’t you just leave me alone?"