Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 403

The car pulled up the long drive and came to a stop in front of Glenn Manor.

As they passed through the gates and made their way past winding gardens, staff began to gather at the entrance.

“Master Theodore!”

“Mr. Glenn!”

The greetings echoed as people hurried out to welcome them. Theodore acknowledged them with a brief nod, then led Emilia through the sculpted hedges and past a pond where bright orange koi glided beneath the surface.

Inside, the manor’s décor was all dark wood and classic lines—elegant, but unmistakably masculine, suiting Theodore’s character to a tee.

Emilia remembered the last time she’d visited with Bella, when they’d spent an afternoon playing with the cat.

“Mrow!”

As if on cue, the chubby ragdoll cat bounded over as they stepped inside, weaving insistently around their ankles. Its big, feathery tail stood straight up, swishing with delight.

“Settle down,” Theodore told the cat with amused exasperation.

Emilia chuckled, reaching down to stroke its soft fur. She really did have a soft spot for this fat fluffball.

“George moved out recently,” Theodore remarked as they headed upstairs.

Emilia nodded, not quite sure why he was sharing this now—but there were more pressing things on her mind.

She followed him down the hall to a closed door. Theodore paused, his hand on the knob, and hesitated for just a moment.

“This might surprise you,” he admitted quietly. “I’ve thought about this for a long time, and... I want to show you.”

Emilia nodded, biting her lip and bracing herself for whatever was behind the door.

Theodore opened it. Emilia peered inside, her eyes adjusting to the dimness. All she could see were countless shelves lining the walls, but the contents were hidden in shadows.

For a moment, she half-expected something strange or even frightening.

Click.

The lights flicked on. Emilia blinked, and her breath caught.

Paintings. Dozens of them—maybe hundreds. And every single one was of her.

It was enough to make her heart skip.

Back then, he’d been badly wounded—a gunshot to the chest that nearly killed him. The sea voyage home had been rough, and his recovery had dragged on for months.

Christmas Eve arrived just as he was regaining his strength. That was when he met her.

He’d made a decision that night: to be brave, just once.

He knew, even then, that her heart belonged to someone else. But he wanted one dance—just a brief moment.

He hadn’t understood his feelings for her yet. All he knew was that whenever he saw her risking everything for another man, something stirred inside him.

Over time, that something grew. It became longing.

That single act of courage marked the beginning of it all—the moment his feelings for her first sparked.

It was also, after years apart and growing up, the very first time they truly met as adults.

Even with the mask between them, it wasn’t just a stolen glance or a fleeting encounter.

It was face to face—a real meeting at last.