Chapter 26

As soon as the words left his mouth, Theodore ignored the protests around him. He grabbed bottle after bottle and drank without restraint. The sharp burn of the liquor scorched his throat, the alcohol steadily blurring his senses. A wild, almost unhinged smile curled at the corners of his lips. "Gemma, I'm not giving up on you! So what if you're with Dimitri? If I keep trying, you'll come to love me!" Ignoring everything, he got up and went straight to Gemma, trying to yank her out of Dimitri's arms. The whole private room fell into a stunned silence. With a loud smack, she slapped Theodore across the face. "You're crazy! I'm never gonna love you—not in this lifetime. Just give it up!" He licked the blood at the corner of his mouth and shot her a dangerous grin. "Yeah, I've been crazy for a long time. You know that." His grip tightened around her wrist as he forced her down, lowering his head to claim her lips. Boiling with rage, Dimitri slammed his fist into Theodore's face.