Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 186

Theodore kept his arm around Emma until he all but pushed her into the car.

Once he slid behind the wheel, his expression turned stormy, clouds gathering on his face.

"Do you have any idea how reckless you just were?!" His accusation came down on her like a sudden downpour.

Emma blinked, caught off guard. She stared at him, unsure what she’d done this time to set him off.

Theodore seemed to realize he’d gone too far. He took a steadying breath, tempering his tone. "How did you even find out about what Jonathan did?"

No way was Emma going to bring up Vivian’s boyfriend. She only said, "I know what my own brother’s like, don’t I? I didn’t have the whole story—I just guessed, and tried to bluff him into admitting it."

Theodore let out a sharp, humorless laugh. His fingers tapped a restless rhythm on the steering wheel, a sure sign he was furious.

Emma tried again, "I know you’re angry. My brother’s actions cost your company—"

"Enough. Just stop talking," he snapped, cutting her off.

Emma pressed on, forcing the words out anyway. "However you want us to make it right, I’ll do it. Let him pay for what he’s done—even if it means jail."

"I’m too angry to talk about this right now," Theodore muttered, visibly struggling to keep control.

Emma exhaled slowly. Rationally speaking, she understood why he was upset. After all, her brother’s company had survived thanks to Theodore’s help, only for Jonathan to turn around and embezzle money. Anyone would be furious. But anger alone wouldn’t solve anything. "Look, no matter how mad you are, this needs to be dealt with. Just tell me what you want to do."

She was running out of time here anyway—the sooner this was settled, the better.

He turned, pinning her with a sharp, almost wounded look. "You think I’m angry because of that?"

What else could it be?

A cold, bitter smile twisted his lips. "So I’ve wasted the last five years for nothing, is that it?"

Emma frowned, bewildered. "If you have something to say, just say it. Enough with the cryptic sarcasm."

"You—" Theodore looked like he might explode. He glared at her, launching into a tirade. "You know exactly what your family is capable of, and you still went there alone? If I hadn’t shown up at your grandmother’s house that day, they would’ve broken your hand!"

Emma stared at him, finally realizing he was angry for a different reason.

"You spotted something was wrong and didn’t come to me first. Instead, you confronted Jonathan on your own. What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" His voice grew louder and louder with every word, his frustration boiling over.

Emma’s head rang from his shouting. "Is this really necessary? I came because I knew I could handle it."

"Oh, really? And what exactly made you so confident? Are you taller than Jonathan? Stronger? Faster? If he’d decided to hurt you, or silence you, how would you have gotten away?"

Right now, Theodore looked every bit like a lion whose tail had just been stepped on—all bristling fury and menace.

Emma sighed. "They’re honest guys. They charged very little, so I gave them a bonus."

Theodore grunted, unlocked the door, and got out. Emma watched through the window as he scanned the men’s phones, probably paying them. He even stood and chatted for a while before shaking their hands goodbye.

When Theodore got back in, Emma asked, "What did you say to them?"

"Nothing important," he replied, starting the engine. "Let’s go home. They’ll take care of the rest."

Emma hesitated, curiosity gnawing at her. "When did you realize Jonathan wasn’t on the level?"

Theodore said nothing.

A suspicion formed in Emma’s mind. "You knew all along, didn’t you?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly, pulling onto the road.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" she pressed. They were her family, after all. If something was wrong, he should have told her right away. Even if it was just one more thing to make her want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Theodore just glanced at her. "I had it under control. Besides…"

"Besides what?" Emma waited for him to finish.