Cliff's POV
Melinda shook her head and said, "Luna Vanya didn't come. She left with Theodore this afternoon. Those two..."
Melinda stopped mid-sentence.
I wasn't stupid. Even with my mind still a bit foggy, I could read between the lines—Vanya and Theodore had a special relationship.
The door opened, and Elliot walked in.
He frowned and said, "Miss Coleman, visiting hours are almost over. You should head back."
Melinda wanted to say more, but I cut in, "Go back. It's late."
"Alright," she replied, her tone dripping with disappointment.
After Melinda left, I picked up my phone, which was lying nearby. There wasn't a single message from Vanya.
Even Melinda had come to see me, but Vanya had left without a word, without even a greeting.
The next second, I dialed the pack's number.
"Jenny, has Vanya gone back?"
"Luna Vanya? She hasn't come back all day today."
My heart plummeted, tinged with a hint of anger. So, Vanya was still with Theodore.
I clenched my phone. The thought of Vanya being alone with Theodore was unbearable.
Quickly, I hung up and got out of bed.
The nurse who walked in was startled to see me out of bed and already dressed. "Sir, you can't get out of bed yet!"
"Move aside." I buttoned up my shirt and strode out of the room.
Elliot saw me and immediately stepped forward. "Alpha Cliff! The doctor said you need to rest. You can't leave the hospital!"
"Give me the car keys!"
Elliot hesitated for a moment but didn't dare disobey. He reluctantly handed over the keys.
I took them and left the hospital.
Elliot hurried after me.
I got in the car and floored the gas pedal, speeding away.
"Alpha Cliff!" Elliot shouted behind me, but I had no intention of stopping. In the blink of an eye, I was gone.
I drove to Vanya's apartment and took out my phone, calling Vanya's number.
The call went unanswered for a long time.
My knuckles turned white from gripping the phone so hard. I got out of the car and walked straight to the security booth.
"Sir, who are you looking for?" the security guard asked.
"I'm looking for Vanya."
"Are you a friend of the resident?"
"I'm her husband!" My voice was laced with barely contained emotion.
The guard looked puzzled.
"I'm sorry, but could you have the resident come down to pick you up, or contact her yourself? That way I can let you in."
My eyes narrowed dangerously, and I took out a business card from my pocket. It clearly read "Cliff, CEO of Todd Group."
The guard's face changed slightly when he saw it.
I said coldly, "Call her. Now."
Third Person's POV
Back at the apartment, Vanya was dozing off in bed.
Grace and Derrick were busy with something when the landline suddenly rang.
Theodore glanced at it.
"Answer the phone, Theo! Don't wake Vanya," Grace shouted from the kitchen.
Theodore pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment.
But the ringing was too loud, so he finally picked it up.
"Hello? Who is this?" Hearing Theodore's calm voice, Cliff's face turned pale, and his expression grew darker by the second.
The guard felt like he was on pins and needles. This scene was like catching someone in the act—way too intense.
"Where's Vanya?" Cliff's voice on the other end was immediately recognized by Theodore.
He glanced at Vanya, who was sleeping soundly in bed, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "She's... sleeping."
Cliff's veins bulged on his forehead. "Put her on the phone!"
"I don't think Vanya wants to hear your voice," Theodore said, with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Theodore, Vanya is my wife. Our business is none of your concern!" Cliff barely restrained his anger.
Theodore put down the newspaper he was holding and idly played with a lighter nearby. "It's just a marriage of convenience. I like her, and I'm going to see this through," he said carelessly.
"Theodore, you..." Cliff tried to say more, but Theodore cut him off on the other end. "Vanya seems to be waking up. You should go take care of Melinda instead. Goodbye."
With that, Theodore hung up.
Cliff's face turned as dark as a thundercloud, and his knuckles turned white from clutching the phone so hard.
"Mr. Todd..." the guard couldn't help but call out softly, "Maybe you should come back another day?"
Cliff glanced at the guard coldly, and he immediately fell silent.
Back at the apartment, Vanya groggily woke up from bed, rubbed her eyes, and asked, "Did the phone ring just now?"
Theodore picked up his newspaper again and said indifferently, "No, you were dreaming."
Vanya was puzzled. She had definitely heard the phone ringing while she was sleeping.
Could it have been a dream?
Vanya rubbed her temples and reached for her phone on the bedside table. She saw a missed call from Cliff.
Vanya furrowed her brows. Cliff... was awake?
At that moment, Grace from the kitchen came out with a dish and shouted at Vanya, "Vanya, get up and eat!"
"...Alright," Vanya said, putting the phone aside.