Theodore noticed the light in the staircase flicker on and off, indicating that the landlady had made it safely downstairs. He smiled to himself.

As he tuned his gaze to the window across the hall, his heart sank. Despite the dim yellow light spilling out of it, the figure he longed to see was nowhere in sight.

Was it love? Theodore sat there, his thoughts consumed by the enigmatic concept of love.

He was unsure if what he felt for Ariana was love or just a primal, possessive desire. All he knew was that he could not bear the thought of her leaving him, of another man winning her heart, or of her ever being unhappy.

She belonged to him and only him, and he wanted her by his side for eternity.

As he sat there lost in thought, the phone suddenly rang, jolting him out of his reverie. He hastily fished it out of his pocket, only to find that it was not his phone that was ringing.

Following the sound, he discovered Ariana's phone sitting on the table, adorned with a pinky-white phone case featuring a cat pendant.

The phone kept ringing incessantly, as Theodore looked at it in irritation. He was about to dismiss the call and put an end to the persistent ringing, but something made him hesitate. There was no caller ID or name mentioned on the screen, and yet he felt compelled to answer. After a moment's hesitation, he pressed the answer button.

“Hello, Ariana."

The voice that echoed through the phone was young, vibrant, and brimming with energy, like the first rays of sunshine on a cold winter morning. It was a voice that Theodore did not recognize, nor did he like it one bit.

As the words sank in, his face darkened, and he felt an overwhelming urge to break the phone in his hand. He squeezed it tightly, his knuckles turning white, his mind racing with thoughts of rage and jealousy.

In her room, Ariana vented her pent-up emotions by fiercely pummeling her toy bear as if it were Theodore himself.

With each blow, her anger intensified, fueled by her own self-blame for being too cowardly to hear Theodore's answer. But as she ranted and raged, her thoughts shifted to Theodore and the possibility that he might be a flirtatious playboy, which only fueled her ire further.

Despite her determination to stay away from Theodore, fate seemed to have other plans.

Theodore had returned to her life and was now living across the hall. He was now free to roam about in front of her all day, just as he had done in the Anderson family's mansion, and this thought only fueled her frustration.

Ariana collapsed onto the bed, her eyes glued to the ceiling, feeling hopeless and powerless. She couldn't fathom what Theodore was trying to achieve with his actions.

The thought of him being with Helen tormented her mind, and his sudden appearance had only brought more confusion and frustration.

"Douchebag! Jerk. A playboy!”

With trembling lips and tears in her eyes, Ariana let out a guttural scream, venting out her anger and resentment.

Her mind was in turmoil as she berated herself for getting so emotional over Theodore. She knew better than to let her emotions get the best of her, especially with a baby on the way. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, determined to keep her composure.