His eyes followed every one of his actions, and he could see from a distance the fear lingering in the Colonel's face, it was intact. Theodore drank from his glass and let the sweet sparkly taste run down his throat. His interest in the gathering had long dwindled after he'd returned from his brief indoor meeting with the Colonel, but he thought to stay around and chat before heading home.

"Goodness, Theo, it's as difficult to find you as it is a gem. Where have you been?" Regina exclaimed, walking towards him in a dazzling peach gown with an open back. Tendrils of hair fell on her long neck and did a good job of upping her feminine look. She made a face—as if she was annoyed with Theo.

"I had to be here early for some reason," he offered and paused his drink as she tipped her cladded toes to drop a quick peck on his left cheek. Theodore's eyes flushed with a bit of annoyance but he soon recovered, reminding himself that those boundaries were now crossed. He had to get used to her and whatever it meant to be engaged to someone.

"Whatever it was, couldn't wait to come pick me up? I could've bet you stood me up on purpose." She watched him with so much admiration and allure that her chest ached. "Come, let's get you out of here," without hesitation, she linked their arms and led him through the maze of people and into the night. They stood at the back of the building on a vast tarred road with fluorescent lighting lining the lanes.
The air was cold and fresh, Regina inhaled and gasped afterward spinning on her heels to face him squarely.

"Why do I feel like you and Daddy still bear a grudge against each other? You barely looked his way tonight, him as well." She ran a lazy hand down his torso, the azure finger piece catching briefly in the stray light. "I know you both have some scores to settle and are both stubborn knuckleheads," she chuckled when his eyes furrowed in annoyance. She leaned into his sturdy frame and brushed a lint off his suit. "But can you do this for my sake, Theo? It would make my day if you just doused this fiery tension between you two and Daddy doesn't need much convincing. He'll listen, it's safe to say he looks up to you." Her red lips in a pout as she gazed dreamily into his blank ones.

Theodore huffed a breath, he understood what she was on about. Why she'd come at him instead and was prodding him to make the first move but those were not his concern at the moment. He didn't want to attend the charity event in the first place, and afterward, he'd felt like escaping the party as a whole but as he stood outside, alone with Regina leaning into him, he still felt disconnected. Like a piece was missing. His eyes traveled her frame and it caught a glint in the dark then he paused to look at her fingers splayed on his shoulder.
"Where did you get that?" He asked.

She pulled away from him and flexed them in an umbrella-like manner to show off her new gem. "That was my mother's, it's an heirloom from her mother and grandmother but she couldn't give it to me before she died," she shrugged. "Well, she didn't need to, I've always known it's mine."

"Why do you have it on?" He wanted to know.

She peered at him, then scoffed jokingly before putting her fingers down. "I had it refurbished, I thought it would seem suspicious if I had no ring on as your fiancée. Though I'd gladly accept any of your mother's,"

Theodore stepped back and frowned. "There's nothing like that."

"What is it, Theo? You don't like that I took it upon myself to get us a ring? To set the tone for our relationship?"

"Gina—"

"—I know Theo! Alright, I know it's strange for you. I know it's not your thing... marriage. But at least make an effort, try," she cried, her arms spread wide in emphasis. "Daddy thinks this is all some twisted joke you're playing but I know... Theo, I believe your words. That you care about me but can't seem to put it into words. I don't care about what anyone thinks, and I certainly don't mind the twisted man that you are. I love you like that."

"What are you talking about?"

Regina shrugged. "Well, your family history is one fucked up shit, and your desire to have no successor can be understood," she saw him tense up and quickly added. "But that's okay, that's fine by me. As long as we're here for each other." She laughed heartily exposing a set of clean white dentitions. "I used to think the major reason you were anti-marriage was because you weren't capable of procreation."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," she laughed and clapped a hand to her lips to hold in her laughter. "It was palpable Theo, and I'd wonder, why waste all that virility?" she joked. His eyes dimmed and a much carnal desire fired through his body. It might've been the most effortful act he'd ever taken with Regina but she was so glad he did when he pulled her into his arms and ravaged her lips with his, their body emanating enough heat to keep them warm.

He'd held her hand on their way to the car and while they sat silently behind Theo stared distantly through the tinted glass and Regina all but drank in his charming features. She squeezed his hand, distracting him from his daze and to her passion-filled eyes. She whispered. "I can't wait to become Mrs Newman," Theodore offered a lopsided smile and focused back on the road. He couldn't wait to lay off the tension, maybe some peace could come afterward. But when the car door snapped shut as he came down after Regina, Theodore made to head inside, keep the sparks alive, and ride on the moment till it withered.

"Sir, May I have a word with you?" Otis, his driver, spoke from behind him. Theo paused and turned to stare surprisingly at his usually mindful employee.
He waited for him to speak, hoping he'd get over with it before the tensive bubble burst. But what Otis did next had those bubbles in a burst.

Slowly with his eyes on the floor, Otis knelt before Theodore, a look of defeat in his eyes. He heaved as if he was crying but when he looked up at Theodore there were no tears, barely.

"Sir... I beg for forgiveness from you," he began. "I haven't been totally honest with you and myself and I hate myself for lying about my relationship with Fiona."

"Fiona? Who is that?"

Otis seemed shocked by his response but recovered. It was understandable that the name didn't stick, who was Fiona anyway? "She was an employee here, the gardener who left and my... my fiancée."

"You're married?!" Theo exclaimed unbelievably.

"Not yet... but planning to. And I know she's gotten mixed with the wrong people, it's not her fault sir. She's a good woman, but desperate and sometimes foolish. I know she's under your custody and I plead with you sir for the sake of mercy to let her go. I'll quit my job immediately and go without pay if you help me, sir." He all but said at once. He couldn't look into the master's eyes for fear of what was inside.

"Are you an accomplice, Otis? Be honest," his eyes flashed up at Theo's, quicker than a traveling sound in space.

"I'd never do that sir, I'd never sabotage your life or my job. I've been loyal to your family since day one for giving me a chance to be of service and earn a decent living when other people rejected me. I could never do that to you, sir,"

"But you broke my rule, a very strict rule that held the boundaries of this home. And your lover... whatever her name is, has a hand in the bad things that have happened to my family, the same family you swore loyalty to. And how long have you known this secret of hers?" Theodore moved forward, angling his shoulders forward. "When did you decide your secrets were about to be revealed? And had to come clean Otis?"

Otis repeatedly shook his head, his hands waving as well to discourage Theo's understanding of things. "That is not true sir, back then I was suspicious of her but only got to fix the puzzle yesterday when I overheard you and the Madame talking about it." He shook his head furiously as he gasped for air. "It's not justifiable, I know, but I guess that's what we do when we love someone. We protect them, we even lie on their behalf and when necessary appeal for their sake. I don't deserve your forgiveness, sir, Fiona, too," he whispered and waited and hoped and wished Theo could say something, kill the silence and the gnashing tug of fear in his belly. But he didn't get to hear it because Regina stepped back out.

"Are you coming or what?" Then her eyes fell on the man kneeling on the cold floor. "What is going on Theo? Is everything alright?"

Theodore took a step back and finally turned to walk past Regina and into his home, suddenly losing interest in everything.
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