Chapter 4 Quite The Obedient Daughter, Aren't You

Theodore didn't look away for even a second. His gaze stayed locked on Marissa's face, as though he were trying to read something hidden beneath her calm expression.

"My parents arranged our marriage, so my opinions don't matter," Marissa answered plainly. She held his gaze with quiet confidence, her lips curving into a faint, composed smile.

Theodore's eyes were dark and hard to read, giving nothing away. He lifted an eyebrow, but his tone stayed cool and detached.

"You seem to have accepted your arranged marriage without much resistance. Quite the obedient daughter, aren't you?" he remarked.

Obedient daughter?

Marissa's fingers stilled, and her brows drew together slightly. A sharp glimmer flickered in her clear eyes as she replied softly, "You're one to talk, Mr. Brooks."

Both of them kept their faces neutral as they locked eyes, neither one ready to back down. The silence between them was thick with tension.

The car was spacious but still too confined for comfort. When Theodore shifted slightly, the scent of cedar around him intensified, filling the air and surrounding her. She tried breathing through her mouth but then caught another faint scent beneath the cedar... something faintly metallic.

It took her a moment to realize it was the scent of blood. Was he hurt?

Her eyes moved to his face, stopping briefly at his tightly pressed lips before she realized she'd been staring.

"You..." she began, unsure how to ask.

The moment she spoke, his expression turned cold and severe.

The sudden change made her hesitate, but just as quickly, his features softened again.

Completely unpredictable!

That was the only conclusion Marissa could come to about his ever-changing moods.

"Never mind. It's nothing," she said lightly, leaning back as if the conversation no longer mattered.

She appeared relaxed, but every muscle in her body was on alert. From the corner of her eye, she watched Theodore, who seemed disinterested in continuing the talk. After a moment, she closed her eyes, pretending to rest, though her mind stayed sharp and wary.

"Forget it. He probably just used perfume to mask the scent of his injury. There's no point in calling him out on it," she mused.

Theodore looked at her for a moment, his eyes tracing the calmness on her face. Then, with a crease in his brow, he turned away and closed his eyes as well.

"Mr. Brooks?"

The voice of Wilbur Howe, Theodore's assistant, came from the front seat as he tapped lightly on the partition.

Theodore opened his eyes and pressed a button, lowering the divider between them.

"Miss Fletcher," Wilbur greeted politely before turning to Theodore. His usual calm demeanor shifted to something more serious. "We've just received information that Dr. Moore vanished after arriving in Ozreka."

Marissa had planned to tune out the conversation completely. But the moment she heard the name Dr. Moore, her composure cracked, and her eyes widened briefly in surprise.

She quickly recovered, turning her head toward the window, wearing a look so composed it was almost cold, as if none of it mattered to her.

Still, while the two men spoke, she quietly listened, every word of Wilbur's report to Theodore reaching her attentive ears.

She believed her small reaction had gone unnoticed, but Theodore had seen it. The quick flash in her eyes when Dr. Moore's name came up hadn't escaped him.

Why did she react like that? Had she heard of Dr. Moore?

According to rumors, Dr. Moore was a man with miraculous medical skills, but he was elusive. It was highly unlikely she knew him.

Theodore didn't let his thoughts show, keeping his gaze steady ahead. But deep down, his interest in Marissa grew stronger.