Chapter 222

Hamilton nodded sagely. “Norton’s assessment of me is quite accurate.”
Natalie just smiled and massaged her temples. “Norton, I trust my husband. But either way, this is none of your business. And for the record, I could never have feelings for you.”
“I’m younger than him, better-looking than him, and I love you more than he does! I’d treat you better than he ever could! Why can’t you love me?” Norton’s eyes turned red.
“Norton!” Theodore shot up, grabbed his brother by the shoulders, and started dragging him toward the door.
“Theodore, it’s okay! We don’t mind,” Natalie said quickly, afraid he was about to beat Norton up.
“You may not mind, but I do! I can’t take this humiliation!”
“Whose reputation am I ruining? My love is the noblest of all! I—Ah, that hurts!”
Amid Norton’s shrieks, Theodore hauled him out of the room.
Timothy, knowing he was in the wrong, followed meekly behind them.
Before she left, Penelope apologized profusely to Natalie and Hamilton. The two brothers were one thing, but she had gotten involved too, which made her feel incredibly foolish.
“Ms. Laurier,” Natalie said, extending a hand. “Putting Hamilton aside, Theodore and I have been friends for a long time. Welcome to our little group.”
Penelope smiled graciously and shook her hand. “Please, call me Penelope.” “Penelope.”
After the brief introduction, she hurried to catch up with the others.
Back at the villa, Norton, sure enough, got a thrashing. Penelope and Timothy stood by, watching coldly. If it weren’t for that kid, this whole massive misunderstanding never would have happened. Being a fan was one thing, but his level of obsession was a serious problem-especially since the object of his affection was his own brother’s best friend’s wife. He’d even staged a suicide attempt during their wedding and was now eagerly awaiting their divorce.
This kid was a lost cause.
After dealing with Norton, Theodore came downstairs with a laptop. Without even looking at Penelope or Timothy, he began typing furiously.
Penelope cleared her throat.
“Timothy, you went too far this time. How could you doubt my husband? I, for one, never doubted him for a second. In my eyes, he’s the best man in the world’s upright kind,, responsible gentle yet strong, and incredibly forgiving. He may not hold this against you, but you need to apologize to him sincerely.”
Timothy’s mouth twitched. She was really throwing him under the bus while making herself look spotless.
“Mr. Stapleton, I
“Well, well Timothy,” Theodore said, his eyes glued to the screen. He let out an exaggerated whistle. “I never would have guessed you used to be
a male escort.”
“A what? An escort?” Penelope didn’t quite catch that.
A smirk played on Theodore’s lips. “And quite popular with the rich ladies, it seems.”
Penelope rushed
over to look at the
screen. It showed a photo of Timothy in the uniform of some nightclub, an older, wealthy woman’s arm wrapped around him as she
poured a drink down his throat. Several other rich women were gathered around him.
The photo had been sent to Timothy in a private message. The screen displayed
his chat interface, and scrolling down revealed a voice message.
“You must have made a killing tonight, kid.”
“By the way, some rich lady want to sponsor you through school… offering three grand a month!”
“She’s a bit demanding, but that’s her only flaw. Don’t you dare turn her down!”
Hearing the recording, Timothy finally realized what was happening. He lunged forward and slammed the laptop shut. “You hacked my phone! You… you
Theodore raised an eyebrow. “So it’s okay for you to hack my computer, but I can’t hack your phone?”
“I
“You’ve got some skills, I’ll give you that. But it’s time you learned a lesson!”
Penelope was already furious. She grabbed a fistful of Timothy’s hair. “You worked as an escort? Timothy, you are so dead!”