Chapter 480

“You can do what you believe is right.”

His gaze was earnest.

In that instant, the shadow of her father, Kearney, that had been looming over him seemed to shatter and vanish without a trace.

For some reason, Theresa felt a wave of relief wash over her, a strange sense of liberation.

Kearney had many children, so she had many siblings. But apart from her full brother, Glenn, who was always busy and far away, the others were all focused on one thing: vying for Kearney’s favor and the Carlisle inheritance.

No one had ever said these words to her before.

The thought had flickered in her own mind, but she always pushed it away, remembering Kearney.

Now, Jason was telling her she could do what she believed was right.

But was what she believed to be right, actually right?

Time slowly passed.

She suddenly felt a shift in her heart, as if something had changed.

Just then, the doors to the operating room opened, and the doctor emerged, drenched in sweat.

His expression was grave, and Theresa’s heart dropped with dread.

“Congratulations. You’re very lucky. The surgery was a success,” the doctor announced.

“That’s wonderful!”

Theresa cried out with excitement.

She threw her arms around Jason, who was standing beside her.

Theresa caught the light, fresh scent of mint on him. Unlike Victor’s aggressive, overpowering cologne, his fragrance was gentle and harmless.

Jason froze for a second.

The doctor also looked at Theresa strangely, a little confused.

It was just a puppy. Why was she so overjoyed?

But he didn’t know that for Theresa, the puppy’s successful surgery was more than

just a successful surgery. It was a victory for her rebellion.

It was as if fate itself was telling her that the decision she had made was the right one.

Kearney, however, did not think so.

When he found out she had broken up with Victor, he was furious.

Later, after the Lockridges inexplicably pulled their investment in a Carlisle project, Kearney could no longer sit still. He demanded Theresa go to the Lockridge estate and apologize. When she refused, he even threatened to disown her.

In the past, Theresa had been terrified of Kearney’s anger, but this time, her mind was made up. In a fit of defiance, she left the Carlisle estate.

After leaving, Theresa had planned to find Evangeline, but it turned out Evangeline’s mother had just been diagnosed with a serious iness Evangeline was distraught, and Theresa didn’t want to burden her with her own problems.

Meanwhile, Glenn was swamped with his studies.

As for the other socialites she knew, she didn’t want them to know about her situation.

After much thought, Theresa finally called Jason.

When they met, before Theresa could even explain, Jason looked at her red-rimmed eyes and seemed to guess what had happened.

“Did you fight with Mr. Carlisle?” Jason asked with a gentle smile.

He had only met Kearney once because of Theresa, but from their conversation, he

had gathered that Kearney viewed his daughter as little more than a tool to curry favor with the Lockridges.

Theresa wasn’t used to showing weakness. She had only sought Jason out because she had nowhere else to go and wanted a distraction.

But for some reason, hearing Jason’s words, the dam of her pent-up grief broke, and she burst into tears.

She clung to Jason, pouring out all her hurt and frustration.

Jason simply stood there, handing her tissues. When she finally finished crying, he said, “I’ll take you away from here for a while.”

Jason took her to the airport, and they flew out of the country. They spent the next two weeks traveling.

They went to Sicily, saw the straits, and visited a lively town in the south.

Finally, Jason took her to a church to attend a local wedding.

At the ceremony, the handsome groom and the beautiful bride in her stunning wedding dress repeated the officiant’s vows before sharing a kiss.

There was a small incident before the wedding ended. The groom got a little jealous when he saw his bride playing a game and getting a bit too close to the best man.

Watching from the side, Theresa held her breath.

But the groom didn’t get angry or forcefully separate them. Instead, after the game ended, he just pointed to his own cheek and said, “Then you have to kiss me to prove I’m the one you love most.”

After the bride kissed him, the cheerful atmosphere returned as if nothing had happened.

Witnessing what a healthy relationship looked like, Theresa realized with growing clarity that her relationship with Victor had been toxic from the very beginning.

What Victor felt for her wasn’t love; it was possessiveness.

And what she had felt for Victor wasn’t love either; it was a decade-long obsession.

During her trip with Jason, Theresa had received calls from Kearney.

She had guessed his threats of disownment were just talk, but she didn’t want to ruin the trip. So, she simply turned off her phone, figuring she would just have to face a lecture when she got back.

But she never could have imagined that in the days she was gone, Victor had been searching for her like a madman.

The day before they were scheduled

to return, Jason was in Theresa’s room helping her pack her suitcase when Victor flanked by bodyguards, kicked the door open and stormed in, his eyes bloodshot with rage.