Despite trying different sleeping poses she would end up opening her eyes unable to sleep. She didn't know what was wrong with her but sleeping was really difficult for her“Damn it!" Rose cursed as she sat up on the bed. ‘Water……I'm thirsty.’ She thought to herself, feeling her throat dry as she looked around the room.Left with no other choice, Rose sighed as she stood up from the bed and made her way out of the room to look for water herself. Although she wasn't sure where the kitchen was in the mansion, but she was sure she would find her way there eventually. It was late already and there was no maid around that she could ask to help her.It took Rose almost half an hour before she was finally able to find the kitchen. If she wasn't really thirsty she would have returned back to her room but she was fortunate to find the kitchen.After she was done drinking water, she poured herself another glass of water to take to her room in case she was thirsty later. It would be a hassle t
Rose let out a sigh of relief as she gently rubbed her wrist. “I'm sorry about that." Nicholas apologized, gesturing to her wrist she was rubbing. Their first encounter was with him hitting her with a door and now he nearly broke her wrist again which is all red because of how pale her skin was. “Ah, it's okay." Rose replied with a shake of her head. " What are you doing here? And why are you still awake?” Nicholas finally questioned her. " I was on my way back to my room when I noticed the door opened and saw you here. I was going to wake you up but it seems like you are very much awake.” She calmly answered. “What were you looking for outside your room? It's late to be roaming around.” He inquired again. “Nothing much. I came out to get some water to drink when I was thirsty and I couldn't call any maid to help me.” She told him again. “What about you? It's quite late and cold out here.” Rose asked and she looked down at Nicholas. "I just came out here to get some breeze.
“Why don't you just call me, Rose?" She asked him, still looking at the sky. It was a pitch dark sky adorned with a lot of shining stars, even the crescent moon was glowing brighter than it usually was. Unfortunately, even if the sky was a beautiful sight at the moment, her mind momentarily drifted back to the night she fell off the yacht on her wedding anniversary day. The sky was the only thing she could see as she sank deeper into the ocean all alone, praying desperately for help. However, it seems some entity or the heavens heard her desperate cry and here she was. Rose couldn't help but shiver at her own thoughts again. “Cousin, I think I really like this family. It took me a long time and my naivety almost ruined me because I thought I had a family but they are just a bunch of people after something. I can already picture what would happen to me if they get what they want. Perhaps they would poison me, murder me and make it seem like a car accident, or better still, have me ge
Nicholas couldn’t help but take a peek at her and shaked his head. “You possess a narcissistic side to yourself as well, Rose. You easily fool people with that face and you are very proud of it.” He said. “Cousin, I have a favor to ask you.” Rose suddenly spoke, her expression becoming serious which made Nicholas look at her. “What favor do you want to ask?” He asked her. “This favor I'm going to ask has to be a secret between us for now, so are you up for it?” She questioned. The favor she was about to ask him had to do with something Sophia had told her the night she died. She clearly remembers Sophia babbling that Beatrice had something to do with her mother’s death and also William was involved with her mother’s death as well. “And why do you want to trust me if this favor is something that needs to be kept a secret?” Nicholas raised his brow at her. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t trust people easily and just because I like you doesn't mean I trust fully, cousin. What I'm say
“Why did you want to investigate your step mother, rose?” Nicholas couldn’t help but ask her. “Just because……” Rose replied with a shrug but it only made Nicholas narrow his brow at her because he didn’t buy that response from her. Rose knew Nicholas didn’t buy her response but she chose to ignore him. After all, she has already told him that he would get his answers if he really investigated Beatrice for her. “Are you going to help me, cousin?” She asked him. “I already agreed to help you so I have no choice but to do it.” Nicholas said. Rose couldn’t help but smile when she heard him. “That’s good. Thank you for helping me and I might end up giving you the answers you need before you complete the investigation. But that is if I see that you are trustworthy enough.” she told him, making Nicholas raise his brow at her. “I thought you said you didn’t have the answers to my question?” He asked but Rose grinned at him. “I don’t have your answers now but I might have them in the fut
***** The next mornings, RING! RING! RING! Rose was woken up from her sleep by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She lazily stretched her arm to the bedside table where she left her phone before going to sleep the previous night after her conversation with Nicholas.Without checking the identity of the caller she just accepted the call and placed the phone on her ear. "Hello, who is this?" Rose asked in a drowsy voice. "Good morning partner, I can't believe you're still in bed sleeping by this time in the morning." A familiar feminine voice accused Rose who opened her half closed eyes.“Mrs. Theresa?" Rose called as she wasn't expecting her to be the caller. “Oh, yes. Dear Rose, it's me but it seems like you are still on the bed?" Theresa answered and asked with an amused smile on her lips."It is still early in the morning, so I think I'm the one who is supposed to be complaining about you calling at such a time, Mrs. Theresa." Rose retorted in a defensive tone. Theresa co
"Believe it or not, it's your money that keeps this business afloat. So I think you've earned more than enough rights to get involved in its management. You should really take this much more seriously." She advised Rose. "Mrs. Theresa, I want you to know that I would never spend any amount of my money on someone or something that I don't trust would yield good interest. So just handle the business anyway you deem fit to increase our profit." Rose's words were filled with so much confidence that Theresa was unable to refute her because she felt that it would be wrong if she made Rose start to doubt the trust he had put in her. "So tell me exactly why you have decided to call me today?" Rose asked, wanting to know the reason why Theresa had called her. "It's nothing serious my dear, I just wanted to discuss some new business plans that I recently came up with to you. So, I was curious to know when you would be stopping by because I also need your approval." Theresa informed her tone
“I'm ready. I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to help me take care of the clothes I wore yesterday?” She asked the maid." Of course not, young miss. I will have your clothes stored in the wardrobe for you next time you visit.” The maid smiled at Rose who nodded her head.“Let's go." She told the maid who started leading her to the living room where everyone was seated waiting for her."Good morning, everyone." Rose greeted with a smile, making everyone turn their attention to her. " Oh, my dear Roseline. You're finally awake.” Anne said as she gestured to Rose who moved closer to her.“You must have been really tired yesterday, look at the time you woke up." She added as she helped Rose tuck her hair behind her ear.“I guess. Um…. thank you for the dress as well.” Rose replied."Don't worry about that. I'm glad it fits you well.” Anne casually replied."We have already had breakfast, we didn't want to disturb you when the maid said you weren't answering. Let me ask the ma
However, amidst their yelling, Karen wasn’t done. “Let's not pretend you’re here because you care about my Rose. I don't care much about high society but I have enough information to know that you and Beatrice are never friends and you just proved me right. You saw a chance to use my Rose to humiliate Beatrice in public. But the truth is—Beatrice doesn’t even see you as a rival. You’re not a threat to her. You’re just a footnote.” That did it. Even though Karen didn't like Beatrice, she had to use her as a weapon to damage Margret. And it was true in some ways, Beatrice never saw Margaret as a rival and that was why she left her off. Beatrice is more cunning and has better things to do than Margret. On the other hand, Margaret’s face turned red, her voice rising. “You arrogant little—! Who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?!” “I’m someone you should’ve never insulted,” Karen replied coolly. “Especially not in front of witnesses.” “You're such a bitch! You even
Karen returned with graceful steps, wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief as she approached the table—only to stop mid-step at the sight before her. Three women, overdressed and oozing fake charm, surrounded Rose, who looked irritated and uncomfortable. Karen’s expression hardened immediately. “Is there a problem here?” Karen asked smoothly as she walked up to the table, though her voice was laced with sharpness. Margaret immediately changed her facial expression as she turned without even bothering to look properly. “Oh, relax. We’re just having a friendly chat. Nothing that concerns—” She paused, eyes scanning Karen lazily. Then scoffed. “Oh. You’re the lady that was with her earlier?” Margaret blinked, her voice condescending. “How… quaint. Let me guess—you’re her assistant or... manager?” Rose blinked, trying not to laugh. It was obvious now that these women were actually dumb. Even if Karen is not well known amongst the high socialist thanks to the fact that she lives t
From across the room, Margaret Pezz had been watching like a hawk. Dressed in an ivory designer set and dripping in gold jewelry, Margaret whispered something to her friends, eyes gleaming. With Karen out of the way, it was time to make her move. She strutted over, her heels clicking arrogantly against the marble. Two overdressed women followed her like loyal shadows. “Roseline, darling!” Margaret said with feigned delight, placing a hand on the back of Rose’s chair as if they were long-lost friends. “I couldn’t believe it was you! You look absolutely radiant in person.” Rose looked up slowly from the food menu she was still checking out, expression unreadable. “Do I know you?” Margaret laughed, her voice grating. “Oh, we haven’t officially met. I’m Margaret Pezz—a very close friend of Beatrice, your stepmother.” The moment she said Beatrice’s name, Rose’s expression soured. Margaret noticed and quickly backtracked, playing both sides. “But honestly dear, I never liked the way
The morning sunlight streamed through the large windows of the Anderson estate, bathing the grand dining hall in a warm glow. Rose sat at the breakfast table, quietly sipping her tea as Anne and Karen conversed about an upcoming events. "You should get some fresh air today," Anne suggested, eyeing Rose over her cup of coffee. Karen nodded in agreement. "Actually, I was thinking of taking her out. Just a small outing—maybe some shopping, a café stop. What do you think, Rose?" Rose blinked, caught off guard. "Shopping?" "Yes," Karen said with a small smile. "You could use a few new things, and a change of scenery might be nice." Rose hesitated. She wasn’t exactly the type to enjoy aimless shopping trips at the moment, but the way Anne and Karen were looking at her told her this was more than just a casual suggestion. It was their way of trying to spend time with her. And truthfully, a part of her was beginning to appreciate the warmth they offered. "Alright," she finally agreed.
Later that evening, Rose wandered through the grand hallways of the Anderson estate, her footsteps light against the polished floors. She wasn’t sure what had compelled her to leave the comfort of her room, but something about the quiet atmosphere of the night made her restless. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her grandfather's study. Hesitating for only a moment, she knocked lightly. "Come in," came the deep, commanding voice from inside. Rose pushed the door open and stepped inside, finding Frank seated at a massive mahogany desk, a glass of whiskey beside him. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the shelves lined with books and relics of the past. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked, not looking up as he finished scribbling on a document. "Something like that," Rose admitted, stepping closer. Frank gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit." She did, expecting the usual quiet company they sometimes shared. But instead of returning to his work, Frank pulled o
The next day, Rose sat in the sunroom with Anne, sipping tea while flipping through an old book she had pulled from the family’s extensive library. The warm golden light streamed through the glass walls, casting soft shadows across the polished floor. Anne, ever the poised and graceful matriarch, studied her granddaughter with sharp yet affectionate eyes. "Are you comfortable, dear?" Rose glanced up from her book. "Yes, Grandmother. More comfortable than I expected to be." A rare, approving smile graced Anne's lips. "Good. You should feel at home here." Before Rose could respond, Karen entered the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Ah, perfect. You're both here," she said, taking a seat across from Rose. Anne arched her brow. "You sound suspiciously excited. What are you up to, my dear?" Karen smirked, “Yes, I'm excited, mother because I have some nice news for Rose.” she said then turned to Rose. "I had a little chat with Headmistress Moore this morning. She ag
Dinner continued with casual conversation, and despite how formal the Anderson household could seem, the atmosphere wasn’t tense. After finishing her meal, Rose excused herself, but before she could leave, Leo grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?" Rose gave him a pointed look. "To see Grandfather." Leo blinked in surprise but quickly masked it. He let go of her wrist and shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just don’t stay up too late." Rose shook her head and walked off. However, she didn't head straight to meet Frank, she made a quick stop at the kitchen. Frank’s study was dimly lit, the faint scent of aged paper and cedarwood clinging to the air. He sat behind his desk, flipping through a thick folder of documents. A soft knock echoed through the room. “Come in,” Frank’s voice called out, calm but firm. The door opened and Rose stepped inside, carrying a polished tray with a single porcelain teacup. She closed the door behind her with a quiet click. Frank looked up and paused, ey
“What’s going on here?” Rose’s voice was calm but firm as she stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping over the tension-filled scene. She had spotted the standoff the moment she entered the stall. Sandra turned to her, arms crossed. “Oh, perfect timing. This girl thinks staring at a snack means she owns it.” The girl scoffed when she heard Sandra’s explanation. “And this girl thinks she can just take whatever she wants.” The vendor, seeing Rose enter the conversation, looked relieved. “Miss, maybe you can help settle this?” Rose exhaled, her gaze flickering between them before settling on the other girl with calm finality. “If you really wanted it, you should have asked the vendor to hold it for you. Since you didn’t, I don’t see why this is even an argument.” The girl frowned, seemingly unprepared for someone to shut down the situation with pure logic instead of fueling the fight. One of her friends stepped up, opening her mouth to say something, but Rose’s voice cut through th
After finishing their meal, the group began heading back to their private room when Sandra suddenly stopped. “You guys go ahead. Kehlani and I need to grab something real quick.” Kaleb raised a brow at her. “What is it?” “A snack I saw earlier,” Sandra replied, waving him off. “It won’t take long.” Austin sighed but didn’t argue. “Fine, just don’t get into trouble.” Leo glanced at Rose, but before he could say anything, she spoke first. “I’ll catch up with you. I want to check something at the next stall too.” Leo narrowed his eyes but didn’t question her, since he knew she wouldn’t tell him what it was. “Are you sure you don't want me to come along? The last thing I need is you getting lost.” He asked which earned him a glare from Rose. “I will be fine without you. And I will also catch up with both Sandra and Kehlani, ” She replied. Seeing that she wouldn’t let him go with her, he finally relented. “Don’t take too long.” With that, the three boys walked off, leaving the girl