“Water. I'm thirsty." She replied.Alex gave a small nod, an acknowledgment that was both curt and yet oddly reassuring.“The kitchen is over there. You should rest soon,” He said, his voice even, with no trace of the previous intensity.Rose blinked, slightly caught off guard by the simple, almost mundane comment. “Right,” she replied softly. She continued down the stairs, her steps cautious, as if not wanting to disturb the fragile peace between them.As she reached the bottom of the staircase, Alex had already returned to his phone call. His attention had shifted away from her, and she felt herself breathe easier now that the moment had passed. Yet the weight of his presence still lingered in the back of her mind, like a faint echo that wouldn’t quite fade.Rose moved toward the kitchen, where a tall, glass pitcher of water sat on the counter. Pouring herself a glass, she leaned against the marble countertop, her thoughts swirling. Why had she felt such tension just from one glanc
Unaware of Alex's inner turmoil, Rose answered his other questions truthfully, though she occasionally glanced at him to gauge his reactions. It was as if she were trying to read him, to understand what lay behind his calm and composed exterior. His heart softened a bit as he watched her, realizing that despite the strength and self-reliance she displayed, there was still something of a child in her. Someone who had experienced too much too soon, but who still harbored a quiet hope. Her hesitations faded as their conversation continued, her guarded demeanor gradually relaxing a bit.“Do you want me to handle it for you?" Alex asked.“No! I didn't tell you this so that you can help. I only answered your questions and now that you know, don't interfere in my business." Rose sternly said and rejected his help offer.Alex frowned a bit, he was a little bit surprised by her refusal. This is the first time someone has rejected him or his help and it was by a little girl. But the refusal
But before she could press him for more, he stood up, the moment passing as quickly as it had come. The warmth in his expression faded, replaced by his usual cool demeanor. "You should go to your room and rest," he said, his tone returning to its normal, measured calm. “Whatever you have to say, say it tomorrow." He added, knowing that she still had something she wanted to say to him. And with that, he turned and left the living room, leaving Rose sitting there, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. She exhaled softly before standing up and returned to her room, Rose lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, her mind too restless for sleep. Jiang Shuxuan’s words lingered in the air around her, refusing to settle. There was something unsettling in what he had said, and though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, she didn't like it. The room, though grand and comfortable, suddenly felt too large, too quiet. The walls seemed to close in on her, the silence becoming heavy. S
Hearing Lara's voice, it was at that moment Rose realized that she was not in the Gray mansion. For a moment, she mistook Lara for Paige back at home.“Good morning, Miss Lara." Rose pushed the cover and sat up on the bed and greeted Lara in a lazy, husky voice.The smile on Lara's face immediately disappeared when she saw Rose's expression. “Young Miss, did you sleep late last night?" Rose turned to look at Lara when she heard her question." Sort off. I was unable to sleep early yesterday night. How did you know that I slept late, Mrs Lara?" She asked."I could tell by the way your eyes looked. Though it's not very visible but I can see the eye bag underneath your eyes.” Lara explained as she waved at the maid to drop the new set of clothes they had brought for Rose and take their leave.Rose nodded her head with a faint smile when she heard Lara's explanation.“Young Miss, this is a new set of clothes for you to change into and here is the ointment you need to apply on your face. D
“Good morning, miss. I'm here to bring you to the dining room." The maid greeted with a warm smile on her face, immediately she saw the gorgeous young girl before her.Rose nodded and closed the door behind her and followed the maid.By the time she got to the dining room and sat down on one of the chairs, the maids quickly served the dishes before they went back to their position. Rose didn't eat immediately as she kept glancing at the entrance, waiting for someone to walk in.After waiting for a short while and there were no traces of the so-called person she was waiting for, Rose decided to eat before the food ran cold. “Young Miss, I hope the meal was to your liking?" Lara asked as she walked into the room after Rose was done eating. She gestured to the rest of the maids to clear the table. “Is there anything you don't like in the dish? What about the things you don’t like to eat? Are you allergic to some food so that I can inform the chef about it?" She asked. It was obvious tha
" I can do it by myself. Don't worry, Mrs. Lara. I have a very sharp brain. It will be easy for me to quickly memorize where I'm going so I can't get lost. There is no need to disturb the maid.” Rose confidently replied with a smile that made Lara melt when she saw the smile on her face.She was confident to not get lost thinking that this was a normally built house that was why she refused to let a maid follow her. But she was wrong.After she confidently told Lara that she can take care of herself, Lara decided to let her do whatever she liked and she merely went on exploring the house. However, that was the case. The problem at hand was that she had been pacing at one spot for the past ten minutes and she was so confused that she didn't know where to go or even where she was coming from.“I'm lost? I can not believe that I got lost after telling Mrs. Lara that I can't get lost.” Rose muttered a let out a sigh at her own stubbornness.Just as Rose was thinking of what to do in her s
She set the letter down carefully, her mind racing. What did it mean? Who had written it? And why did it feel like it was speaking directly to her? She knew this letter was for her but she felt like it was for her.Suddenly, the room felt colder, and Rose froze when she felt the cold, chilling aura behind her.“What are you doing here?" Alex's cold voice rang out in the room as he stared back at the girl in the library with a frown.When he came back and asked about where Rose was, Lara told him she was exploring the house but he didn't expect to see her here in his library. Was this where she was exploring when there are other places in the house to explore.Rose gulped and slowly turned around only to see him standing by the door side with a scowl on his face. “You're back?" She asked. " Yes. Answer my question.” Alex replied."Mrs. Lara said I can explore the house but I got lost at some point then walked into this room. I apologize if this is a personal place.” Rose gave a brief
Rose on the other hand raised her brow. ‘I thought he knew about our relationship? Isn't that part of the reason why he helped me?’“I'm related to the Anderson family and Nicholas Anderson is my second cousin.” She told him.“Hm. Is that all you need?" Alex questioned, not bothering to act surprised by what she said. His reaction made Rose narrowed her brow at him.“You do know that I and Cousin Nicholas are related, don't you?" She suddenly asked. His calm expression says it all and she wasn't stupid to not connect the dots quickly.“It's good that you're smart." Alex turned to look at her and remarked. He didn't bother waiting for her before he started walking away.‘This is exactly one of the reasons why I find him a threat to me.’ Rose scowled as she watched Alex's back before deciding to chase after him when she saw that he was really going to leave her alone.“I also need a laptop too." She told Alex after managing to meet up with him.“Ask Mrs. Jim for that anytime you need it