Theodore Halds

WHAT HE FEELS AND THINKS ABOUT SOFI

• He sees in her what he never saw before: beauty that doesn't need to shout, kindness that doesn't give up, love that withstands even rejection.
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• It pains him deeply to know that she cried for him in silence so many nights.
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• Admire her strength: she endured his coldness, his contempt, and yet she never wished him harm.
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• He is amazed by her tenderness: it is what he needs now, and he promises himself that he deserves it.
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• Every time she looks at him with doubt or fear, she feels her chest break: it is the mark of what he did to her.
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  He wants to be her refuge, not her torment. He wants her to seek him out when she's afraid, not to hide from him.
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  He knows that earning her trust will take time… and he's willing to wait as long as it takes. A lifetime if necessary.

WHAT HE DOESN'T LIKE / WHAT HE HATES

• To Valentina: He detests her with all his soul. Every memory of her disgusts him. He knows she was a liar, a traitor, that she only wanted his money and power, that she mocked him behind his back… and the worst part: that she mocked everything Sofi did for him.
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• Her own past indifference: she hates to remember how he looked at her (or didn't look at her), how he ignored her, how he made her feel invisible.
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• Sofi should lower her gaze: because she recognizes that gesture of fear and insecurity that he himself taught her.
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• That she should ask for forgiveness: “You never have to ask for forgiveness. I am the one who should ask you to forgive me for the rest of my life.”
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• The idea of ​​her leaving: the moment he sees her packing her suitcase chills his blood, it's the same fear of losing her forever.
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• That someone humiliates her, ignores her, treats her less than she deserves: and that includes her own past self.
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• The lie: she no longer tolerates pretending, hiding, or using anyone. Especially not her.

-Seeing her cry, I wouldn't allow her to suffer like that again.

TASTES

• Spending time simply being near Sofi: watching her read, sleep, talk, smile. Before, I considered it a waste of time; now it's my treasure.
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• Her scent: her soft perfume, her soap, the essence he ignored all his life and now longs for.
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• The white flowers that she likes; she always carries them with her and fills the house with them.
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• Listening to her talk about what she is passionate about: before I would silence her; now I never interrupt her.
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• Protect her: put your body between her and any danger, even the memory of your own cruelty.
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• Seeing her sleep peacefully: knowing that she no longer has to leave her own house to make way for someone else.
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• Tell her the truth, however painful it may be: no secrets, no pretending.

WHAT HE DOES BEST

• To dominate any room simply by entering: their presence commands silence and fearsome respect.
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• Strategy and command: no one can beat him by planning moves, anticipating betrayals, protecting what is his.
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• Hand-to-hand combat and weapons handling: lethal, precise, ruthless with anyone who threatens what he loves.
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• Now: Learning to listen, to apologize, to notice what she likes, to look her in the eyes. Before, he didn't know how to do it… now he tries every second.
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• Remember every detail about her: her tone of voice, what makes her smile, what hurts her, so as never to repeat it.

TATTOOS

• On her chest, over her heart: It used to have the name Valentina… upon being reborn, seeing it there, she felt disgust and immediate pain. It's already beginning to cover it: now you can see the delicate silhouette of Sofi and the phrase: “Only you exist.”
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• On the right forearm: A crown of thorns —representing the suffering he caused her and the price of her blindness— intertwined with white flowers, her favorites.
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• On her left wrist: The exact date she was betrayed and died, and below, the date of her rebirth: her second chance.
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• On the upper back: A lion with its gaze fixed, not on hunting, but protecting something small and valuable at its feet: its way of drawing what it is now for her.

CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY

Before the Renaissance:

Cold, arrogant, blind, stubborn, and cruel. A man of few words, with a cutting gaze and a hardened heart. He believed love was a weakness. He saw Sofi as a piece of furniture, a contract, something in the way. He was obsessed with Valentina, idealizing her without seeing reality. Insensitive and indifferent, he never spoke kindly to her, never truly looked at her.

After the Renaissance:

A transformed man, burning with remorse and absolute devotion. He remains imposing, cold, and ruthless with everyone… except Sofi: with her, he is gentle, attentive, trembling with fear of making a mistake. Protective to the death. Intense, possessive only to care for her, not to hurt her. He learned that tenderness is not weakness, but what she deserved her entire life and he denied her. He goes out of his way to anticipate her needs, to listen to her, to make her feel that she exists, that she is the center of his universe. He carries the weight of his mistake like a mark on his soul: he knows that she loved him silently for years, and he didn't see it.

• Full name: Theodore Halds
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• Age: 27 years
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• Position: Supreme boss of the most feared mafia on the continent
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• Marital status: Married to Sofi, for convenience… now by choice and eternal love
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• Nicknames for Sofi: My life, my light, my everything, my salvation