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
" I don't remember my cousin's daughter telling me that when I saw her last time. But if that is the case, I want to meet and see Roseline personally and speak to her.” Julian remarked, while looking at William."You can't do that! Rose is busy with her studies right now and it would only interrupt her if we allow it to-" Beatrice was about to come up with an excuse when Julian turned his attention to her.“Are you trying to hide Rose from meeting me? I see no reason why you wouldn't want her to see me. I never said I was taking her with me, I only wanted to see her.” Julian interrupted Beatrice with a deep frown as he glared at her.“Or perhaps, is there something wrong with Roseline that makes you not want her to meet me? Is my cousin's daughter really in this house?" He added. He was not stupid to see that both William and Beatrice are nervous for some unknown reason. It's not like it's the first time she would be visiting them so why are they trying to hide her. Their actions were
"Wrong answer. I asked how she left this mansion. Roseline would not do something as stupid to leave the mansion without a reason.” Julian cut off William in the middle of talking.The room went silent after Julian spoke. William was in deep thought on what to say at the moment. Eventually, the Anderson family would find out about everything that happened but he can afford to tell Julian now because it could lead to the end of the Gray family.“Mr. Anderson, I don't think we should be focused on that. It's my fault that Rose left this house because I neglected my job as a mother. However, let's worry about that for later, the most important thing is that we are able to find Rose and she is safe." Beatrice suddenly spoke, her voice filled with worry as she looked at Julian with teary eyes. Her sweet mother act usually works on people and right now she was betting it would work on Julian.“You're right, we have to look for Rose.” Julian said, making Beatrice heave a sigh of relief. At
………. Rose spent the rest of the day locked up in her, drafting and plotting her next move. It wasn't like she knew how the future would be, at not everything. She knew for one fact that her plan right now was going to be a blow to the Gray family and her father would definitely try to make some moves to cover up. Those moves were what Rose wants to sabotage.When it was dinner time, Lara sent the same maid to call Rose. Rose actually thought she was the one that would be eating but to her surprise she met Alex sitting at the head of the table. Rose couldn't help but paused and took a few moments to stare at the man sitting on a chair with grace. He looked even more handsome then he was a few hours ago as he sat under the light that gave him an extra glow.‘I have to admit, he is really handsome.’ Rose thought.“Stop gawking at me and sit down.” Alex suddenly remarks, snapping Rose out of it.“Ehem…..I was gawking at you. I was admiring the dishes on the table.” Rose cleared her thr
She turned her attention back to the maid and told them to clear up while she went back to the kitchen and asked the chef to dish out some food for her and took it personally to Rose's room.“Mrs. Lara, what are you doing here?" Rose asked when she opened the door and saw Lara standing outside.“I brought food for you to eat." Lara said as she walked into the room." But I already ate.” Rose replied, still confused about what Lara meant.“A growing child like you should not skip dinner, young miss." Lara commented as she placed the tray of food down on the table. “I saw your plate earlier and you didn't even take five spoons from your food, so I thought to bring your food up here if you are uncomfortable eating with the young master." She explained.Rose couldn't help but smile when she heard Lara. " You paid attention to me, thank you, Mrs. Lara." “It's no big deal and you always remind me of my own daughter as well, young miss. Anyways, I will leave to eat right now." Lara said and
“Um…. Mr. King, I hope I'm not interrupting you?” Rose walked over and asked. Someone with the kind of reputation he has, she knew it was normal for him to be always busy. It was no wonder he ate very little food earlier.Alex raised his head up to see the little girl in front of him before shaking his head and gesturing to her to sit down. He grabbed his own cell phone and dialed Nicholas' number.“Alex, why are you calling?” Nicholas usal cold and serious voice rang out after the call.Despite the fact that she was sitting a few distance away from Alex she could still hear Nicholas's voice.“Why can't I call you?" Alex coldly asked back with a frown on his face. Rose raised her brow when she heard Alex's response. ‘Is it me or are these two not a bad match for friends. This one over here has a low EQ and the other one on the other line is way too serious. I wonder how they manage to become friends anyway.’ She recalled the day she had lunch with the four of them. It was only Chris
“Yes, I'm the one." Rose calmly replied.“We have been looking for you. Why did you leave the Gray mansion? Why are you with Alex?" He questioned, his voice turned serious in an instant. They have been looking for Rose the entire day but here she was with his friend and he didn't even know how they met.Rose knew that the Anderson family would go to look for her at the Gray mansion if she didn't visit like she promised. It was one of the reasons she didn't argue with Victor when he kicked her out. “I didn't leave the house because I wanted to, there is a story to that. And I ran into Mr. King last night when I left home and he helped me." She finally replied. Nicholas paused for a while, there was a huge frown on his face as he listened to Rose and got lost in his thoughts. Rose took a glance at Alex who had his attention focused on his laptop. It doesn't seem like he planned on listening to her and Nicholas' conversation, but upon that she still had something she wanted to discuss
“I need to borrow your company hackers. I want them to hack into the Gray family security system. There is something I'm going to send to you after I borrow a laptop from Mr. King. You will help me expose these things but leave no traces that can be tracked." Rose explained. She might find peace and love where she currently is but that doesn't mean she forgot the most important thing and the reason she is living. “Rose, does this have anything to do with your reason for leaving the house?" Nicholas questioned. He was not too stupid to not quickly take a guess of what she's doing. “Yes, it is. Leave your questions for later when we see each other, cousin. Are you going to help me with this task?” Rose replied and asked him again. She knew he would want to question her but that isn't something she could answer at the moment. “I will get it done for you." Nicholas replied. This is the second task she was going to ask him to help her solve so he decided to do it. After all, he knew tha
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