Healing chains (rewriting)

Maniuplation: part 13 (his office- 1)

When they reached Thea's room, they found her sitting on the ground, laughing uncontrollably, clutching her stomach as if she'd just heard the funniest joke of her life. The boys, breathless and on edge, froze in the doorway, confusion written all over their faces.

"Thea, what happened?" Ivan asked, his voice a mix of worry and disbelief as he scanned the room for any sign of danger.

Still trying to catch her breath between fits of laughter, Thea wiped tears from her eyes and managed to say, "I... I tripped!" She giggled again, clearly finding the whole situation far more amusing than any of them did.

Yaroslav, Dimitri, Nikolai, and Ivan exchanged bewildered glances. They had sprinted up the stairs in full panic mode, imagining every possible catastrophe, only to find her in hysterics over a simple fall.

Yaroslav's expression softened as relief washed over him, though his heart was still pounding from the adrenaline. He stepped closer, crossing his arms with a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "You screamed like that because you tripped?"

Thea, still catching her breath, nodded, her cheeks flushed from laughing so hard. "I didn't mean to scare you," she said, her voice lighter now that she'd calmed down. "It just... it all happened so fast, and then I couldn't stop laughing at myself."

Dimitri chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "You gave us all heart attacks, you know."

Nikolai leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Only you, Thea," he said with a teasing smile, the tension in the room finally easing.

Thea stood up slowly, still grinning as she dusted herself off. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to freak you all out."

Yaroslav, still watching her closely, felt a sense of relief wash over him, but something about the way she laughed so freely made his heart clench. It was a side of her he rarely got to see—unguarded, unburdened, even if just for a moment.

They all nodded in relief, and after a few moments of lingering chuckles, Dimitri and the twins left the room. But Yaroslav stayed behind, his gaze never leaving Thea. He moved quietly to her bed and sat down, a weight in his chest that he couldn't quite shake. Thea looked at him, confused by his lingering presence. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Yaroslav extended his hand toward her, his eyes softened but still intense. Thea hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed her hand in his. He gently guided her to sit beside him, their proximity drawing her closer into his space, both physically and emotionally. He studied her face, sensing that something deeper was troubling her. "What happened down there love?" he asked again, his voice calm but probing.

Thea tensed slightly, her body giving away the internal struggle before she sighed softly, lowering her gaze. "It's nothing, Yaroslav. I just... I just remembered something."

His frown deepened. He could see it in the way her shoulders slumped, the sadness in her eyes—it was more than just a passing thought. He gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into the warmth of his embrace, his hands resting protectively on her. "You can trust me, Thea," he whispered, his voice steady but laced with a deep conviction. His eyes bore into hers, searching for the truth beneath her carefully constructed walls.

Thea's breath hitched slightly as she gazed back at him, her vulnerability laid bare in those few moments. She looked down, sadness washing over her features as her lips curved into a sad smile. "I... I just miss Theo," she admitted, her voice fragile. "He used to listen to me talk about my day with Dad, every time we came back from school. He was always there..." Her voice trailed off, the weight of her grief evident.

Yaroslav stiffened at the mention of Theo, his chest tightening as a wave of jealousy and rage burned inside him. The very name of the boy he had eliminated sent sparks of fury through his veins. He wanted to destroy every trace of Theo's memory, to make sure no one would ever stand between him and Thea. But then again, why would he move or act rashly when he had his butterfly—his delicate, precious butterfly—right here in his arms? Thea, soft and trusting, vulnerable and so close to him.