Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

717  Ian in pain n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Hello?"

Ian held his breath while Noah, Joshua and Aria waited patiently for the man to respond.

Ian licked his lips nervously and looked at his phone before he put it on speaker. "Hello, may I know who this is?" He questioned when there was no response from the other side and he looked at Noah and Joshua, who had their eyes fixed on his phone.

"Is anyone there?" Ian tried again. But in vain. The caller remained silent even though a few seconds had passed by then.

Noah closed his eyes for a moment and leaned forward after making a decision he was sure of executing. "Theo, if you are the one calling, I would appreciate it if you replied to us."

Noah's voice was filled with seriousness, his eyes stern and furious and Aria raised her brows in wonder as her lips arched up in surprise. She had never seen Noah behave this way with anyone and she could help but look at Ian and Joshua, who were oddly calm at that moment. Their expressions told that they had expected this from Noah and Aria was astonished all the more.

"Noah..." They finally heard the man speak and Joshua slumped back on his chair, his eyes staring at the phone in disbelief. How long had it been since he heard Theo's voice? He wondered, his pupils shaking in utter shock.

Ian and Noah too held similar expressions and Aria stepped away from them immediately, allowing the three people to speak to the man in private. She did not wish to intrude upon their conversation.

Although none of the men minded her presence, she stayed no longer in the ward.  Glancing at the three men who had their gazes fixed on the phone, she immediately walked out of the ward.

Meanwhile, although the three men had noticed Aria's actions, they did not stop her, allowing her to leave the ward. Things would soon get heated up and hurtful and none of them wanted Aria to witness it. It was better she left. They could deal with Theo better in her absence.

"Ian...Joshua..." The man's voice resounded in the ward and it was undoubtedly Theo. There was no confusion in it at all.

The three men had spent their entire childhood training under him and they recognized his voice better than anyone. Even though they were far away, separated by vast lands and oceans, they still felt the familiar presence and instantly, all three of them scooted closer to the phone.

"Why?" Joshua asked the question that held millions of questions, the question the other two men too had in their minds. He asked him for the three years they had missed them him, for the three years they had been deceived and for all they did not know.

"I was bound and helpless. I am sorry." Theo cried, his sobs echoing through the phone. But none of the three men felt any pity for him. They needed answers more than anything and they needed them right away. Theo's tears could wait.

"But that does not mean you deceive us," Noah argued and Theo had no words in response. "Come back here right now. We need answers and you'll give them to us in person." His voice came out as an order and all the three men heard it, especially Theo.

"Moreover, Grandpa is sick and I would appreciate it if you were here when he wakes up and when we ask him the same questions we will be asking you." Noah continued, not giving the man an option at all. From his attitude and voice, it did not seem like he had been sick a few hours ago. Noah had become the man the world knew him to be and even if it consumed all the strength in him, he did not give up, forcing Theo to bend according to his will.

"How is Master?" Theo enquired after a long time and Noah sighed when he thought about the old man who was somehow related to all the mess they were in.

"He had a heart attack. He is fine now but yet to gain consciousness." He answered honestly.

"I will be there soon." Theo sighed and mumbled an apology, but all three men heard it, especially Ian, who was closer to the phone than anyone else.

"Although we want to ask you more questions, we will wait for you to come here." Joshua tried calming himself down as much as possible, even though his agitated heart kept asking to fire his questions at Theo and demand answers immediately.

"I will answer all your questions, Joshua. I promise, really." Theo's voice was filled with guilt and self-reproach and everyone sensed it. But nobody spoke a word about it. "You better. Otherwise, I will lose my mind."

"You haven't changed at all." Theo laughed to himself. But none of the men were in the mood to even smile, let alone laugh with him. When Theo sensed their grim mood, he stopped laughing and coughed softly to hide the awkwardness.

"Where is Ian? Is he not nearby?" He questioned when he did not hear Ian's voice during the conversation. It was as though the young doctor had vanished the moment he had started speaking.

"He is here, he is listening to you," Noah answered for him and Theo went silent for a moment.

"Ian, I hurt you the most and I apologize to you sincerely. Please forgive me if possible." Theo's tone turned somber, and Ian frowned immediately, not at all liking how the conversation was going.

However, he did not say a word and allowed Theo to pour his heart out to him. It was true that among the three, he was the most hurt when he found out about Theo's deception. He had been close to him since the time Theo had rescued him and to think that the man he had considered as his father figure, a mentor, had betrayed him this way, it pained him more than anything.

Theo had given him a family, hope and life. So his betrayal was too much for Ian to bear and unable to tolerate it any longer, he thrust his phone into Noah's hands and departed from the place instantly.