ter 20 When Clarisse came to , pain split through her skull . A groan slipped from her lips as she struggled to open her heavy eyelids . " Clarisse! You're awake ? " Theodore leaned in instantly beside the bed , his eyes bloodshot with worry . It was only then that Clarisse realized someone had been holding her hand the whole time . She instinctively tried to pull away , but the grip tightened . She blinked at the handsome yet unfamiliar face in front of her . Something about it made her skin crawl . " Who … are you ? Where am I ? My head … It hurts …" she said weakly . " Theodore . I'm Theodore Brooke , " he answered immediately with a gentle voice . " I'm your fiance . This is our home . You had a terrible fever and were unconscious for days . You almost scared me to death . " He reached out to feel her forehead , his touch gentle . " How are you feeling now ? Does it still hurt ? The doctor's on his way . " Fiance ? Clarisse stared at him , dazed . Her mind was in a jumbled mess . Scattered fragments of memories started to flicker in her head . The silhouette of a man holding roses , waiting backstage … A white suit stained with blood , hands clenched tight … A clumsy , serious expression at the piano , the face overlapping with Theodore's … The tension in her shoulders eased slightly . Maybe he really was her fiance . " I remember … something . Just bits and pieces … " she murmured , brows drawn tight . Her head still feels heavy . " That's okay ! " he said , a little too eagerly . " The doctor said it's temporary memory loss from the fever . It'll recover little by little . Don't worry . I'm here for you ! " Carefully , he helped her sit up . Then , he brought over a glass of warm water and held it to her lips himself . In the days that followed , Theodore barely left her side . He brought in the best doctors and oversaw her meals down to the last detail . He ordered rare tonics and jewelry from across the globe . Their bedroom was filled with fresh imported roses , just like back then . Slowly , Clarisse began piecing together memories of their past . Theodore had fallen in love with her at first sight and pursued her obsessively . He waited backstage with Chapter 20 272 roses after her performances . He had thrown himself in front of a knife for her and still comforted her through the blood . But every time he tried to get close , her body would flinch before she could stop it . The look in his eyes whenever that happened made her feel guilty , and Theodore noticed that . He said softly , " It's okay , Clarisse . You got sick because I didn't take good enough care of you . We'll take things slow . " And so , a month passed , but Clarisse still could not bring herself to return Theodore's affection . She wanted to end their relationship . But she remembered how he shielded her from that knife . That debt was too heavy to ignore . Then , one day , Theodore told her their wedding date was set for two weeks later . He brought home a wedding dress flown in from Pariza and asked her to try it on . That night , the resistance in her heart boiled over . She did not know how to voice it out . So , when he went to work the next morning , she packed her things quietly and moved out , leaving only a letter behind . Just as she barely made it out of the villa , he came speeding back from his office . He stood there , eyes red and voice trembling . " Clarisse , did I do something wrong ? Why are you leaving ? " Seeing his hurt expression , Clarisse hesitated . Her lips pressed into a thin line as she said apologetically , " I'm sorry , Theo . I can't marry you . Not now . I need some time alone to think about us . " His mouth opened like he wanted to plead , but before he could speak , the rumble of an engine shattered the silence . Clarisse turned instinctively . A red car was barreling toward her . Behind the wheel sat a woman , her face twisted by madness and espair . Her eyes were burned with a hatred that could swallow the world . Chapter 21