Unreturned When the Fog Cleared Chapter 17

Unreturned When the Fog Cleared Chapter 17

After getting off the plane, Julian Rhodes followed the address to Thera Sutherland’s home, only to find the courtyard gate closed.

Back when Thera had wanted to marry him, her grandfather had never approved.

Afraid of putting him in an awkward position, Thera had never brought him home.

This was the first time he had ever set foot on the land she called home.

He waited from noon until dusk. Just as he was about to lose his patience, a familiar figure finally appeared at the end of the street.

Thera was dressed in a sharp business suit, her hair pulled back, her

stride brisk.

Joy instantly lit up Julian Rhodes’s eyes. The urgency that had built up during his journey could no longer be contained.

He rushed forward almost instantly, reaching for her wrist. “Thera!”

But before his hand could touch Thera, Leo Alcott stepped forward, firmly placing himself in front of her.

Julian Rhodes’s hand froze mid–air. Seeing a strange man by Thera’s side, a wave of irritation washed over him.

He snapped coldly, “Get lost! This is none of your business!”

His gaze bypassed Leo Alcott, locking onto Thera.

“Thera, I’m here to take you home.”

Thera’s voice was perfectly calm. “This *is* my home.”

“Thera, please come back with me, alright?”

Julian Rhodes grew desperate and edged closer. “Thera, just give me a few minutes. Let me explain everything, all the misunderstandings from before..”

“There’s no need.” Thera cut him off. “We’re already divorced.”

Julian Rhodes refused to yield, standing his ground stubbornly. “Thera, let’s just talk…”

Amid the standoff, Thera suddenly reached out and naturally looped her arm through Leo Alcott’s. “Whatever you have to say, just say it here.”

Julian Rhodes’s gaze fell to where Thera’s arm was linked with Leo Alcott’s. The hand that had once only held his was now resting intimately against another man.

Jealousy and rage coiled around his heart like vines, constricting his breath.

He suppressed the fire rising in his chest, his voice tight. “I want to speak with you alone.”

Thera frowned. “Then don’t say it.”

With that, she started to pull Leo Alcott forward.

Julian Rhodes immediately stepped forward to block them, but though his mouth was open, no sound came out for a long moment.

He felt like an intruder making a scene, his desperation twisted into a pathetic spectacle.

But he couldn’t give up.

After a deep breath, he finally spoke, his voice laced with desperation. “Thera, two years ago, it was Sylvia Chevalier. She plotted to harm Yara

and drove a wedge between us! We know everything now. Yara said she shouldn’t have given you such a hard time. She wants me to bring you

back…”

Julian Rhodes poured out the whole truth, all his regret and hope, his tone tinged with a pleading desperation.

But Thera just listened in silence. When he finally fell quiet, she said flatly, “Are you done? If so, I’m leaving.”

Her composure was like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing all of Julian’s desperation.

He took a step forward, his voice trembling.

“Thera, I know I was an asshole. I shouldn’t have distrusted you, I shouldn’t have let you suffer so much. Just give me one more chance. I swear I’ll make it up to you. Can we start over, please? I’ve already dealt with Sylvia Chevalier, and Yara will apologize to you. We can go back to how things were…”

Thera cut him off. “Julian Rhodes, the best way you can make it up to me is to never show your face to me again. Don’t bother me.”

With that, she took Leo Alcott’s hand and started to walk around him toward the gate.

Julian Rhodes instantly shot out a hand and grabbed Thera’s arm. His grip was so tight it made her frown.

“Thera, you can’t leave! I know you still love me. Just give me a chance, I—”

“Julian Rhodes, let go!”

Thera wrenched her arm free, her tone turning icy. “Leo and I are getting married soon. Stop harassing me.”

“Married? It’s only been a few days, and you’re already marrying someone

else?”

Julian’s pent–up emotions finally erupted. His voice was filled with rage and disbelief. “Thera, tell me, have you been with him all along? Were you just waiting to divorce me?”