Rose collapsed onto the floor, her body aching from the force of his punches. This wasn't the first time Victor had hit her. It might be the first time for him in this life but in her past, Victor was the only family member that didn't bother to hide his hatred and anger for Rose. Any chance he had he would always bully and maltreat her despite the fact that she was older than him. She hadn't taken it too seriously in her past because Sophia would always comfort her and she blindly believed her words. “You've been bullying me ever since you were little before I left the country. I forgave you every time because I've always seen you as my younger brother, but this time I won't allow you to insult my mother just like that. She doesn't deserve to be spoken from that ride moth of yours so show her respect.”As spoiled as Victor was, it was impossible for him to accept being disobeyed by anyone. “That useless woman was a bitch and so is the daughter she gave birth to. You're no differ
“How can the madam just sit down there and watch. This family has a lot of snakes and I mean it.”The maids whispered, feeling concerned for Rose but none of them was brave enough to step out.When Victorfinally stopped, his breathing came in ragged gasps. His hair clung to his sweaty forehead as he glowered down at Rose. His knuckles were red and bruised, but the satisfaction in his eyes showed that the pain didn’t matter. It was worth it.“Had enough?” He sneered, his voice hoarse from exertion. He glanced over his shoulder at his mother, who had finally stopped smiling and appeared slightly uneasy.Beatrice Stood up, brushing an invisible speck of dust off her dress. “Alright, son. That’s enough. You’ve made your point. It’s late, and you should rest now.” Her voice was calm, but underneath it was a faint undercurrent of worry. She couldn’t afford to have Rose die, not yet. There was too much at stake.Victor scowled, rolling his shoulders. “Yeah, whatever. I’m done for now. But n
Rose's vision blurred, both from the pain in her body and the fury bubbling up inside her. ‘Haha, so you won't be taken to the hospital after all, you crazy bitch.’ She had no choice but to obey for now. “I will have the maid help you up and take you to your room.” Beatrice said and gestured to one of the maids.The maid, Abby, quickly walked over.Shewas the maid who mostly visits Rose's room sometimes so she was a little bit closer to Rose than the rest. “Yes, Madam.” Her hands wringing the edges of her apron nervously. She had witnessed the events from afar, her heart aching for the girl who lay battered on the floor. But Abby, like the other servants, knew her place. She couldn’t risk intervening, not with Beatrice's eyes always watching.“Assist her back to her room.” Beatrice ordered as she walked away.Abby nodded and quickly knelt beside Rose, her touch gentle as she helped her to her feet. “Come, Miss Rose.” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’ll take you to your r
Rose let out a sigh as she stared at the closed gate in front of her. She was still looking messed up and the pain from getting beat up was starting to get unbearable for her. She raised her hand up and touched her wounded face gently. “Tsk, I have to get these wounds treated immediately.” Rose mumbled to herself. Being thrown out was not her problem if only she had her cell phone with her. She could have called Luthor or even contacted Julian to come pick her up. But she knew if the Anderson family knew about this, they would take matters into their hands, most especially Frank who seemed obsessed with protecting her.Not wanting to keep standing outside the gate, Rose slowly walked away. The Gray mansion was located in an estate and it wasn't only the Gray residence that was here. There are other residences that are occupied by rich and wealthy families as well so it was hard for Rose to get a cab to take her to wherever she wanted to go. It would take about thirty minutes of wal
The driver was stunned and confused by the sudden turn of events.Rose came back to her senses and looked at the driver's gaze, not saying anything as she stood up slowly. If one only looked at her expression, they would have never known that she had just been in a car accident.Rose squinted and looked at this car that appeared in front of her all of a sudden and nearly took her life. “Even God is trying to kill me as well." She muttered under her breath.Her back was ramrod straight and her long and pale legs were exposed in the air due to the fact that she was only putting on casual short pants before she got kicked out. Because she had fallen down to the ground in shock, her knees had been injured and were still bleeding profusely, and in the wound, there seemed to be some small pieces of gravel and sand caught in her wound. Because of the contrast between her pale skin and the gashing wound, it seemed abnormally serious.The driver checked on her injuries with the help of the he
She turned to look at the driver when she heard him and gave him a small nod.Rose tried to lift her legs, and with the slightest bit of force, an excruciating pain tore up her legs, causing her to groan a bit.“I'm sorry, let me give you a hand." The driver quickly rushed over to assist Rose. Just as he stretched his hand to touch her, Rose reflexively raised her hand and smacked him while sending a deadly glare at him.Now that he was standing close to Rose, the driver realized at the moment that Rose didn't have the clear and bright eyes that girls her age should have. Her eyes were so dark and cold that he gave him a different chill.He instantly retracted his hand and only watched Rose endure the pain as she walked to the car.The moment the door closed, a strong wave of dark, dangerous aura greeted her and her face immediately went pale but she kept her composure and remained calm.The driver knew what Rose was going through and he could only pray silently that his boss would c
Rose, sitting quietly on the bed, barely reacted as the doctor began to pick gravel from her wound with precise, steady hands. Her eyes were distant, lost in thought. To her, these doctors were nothing more than fleeting faces, people she would never meet again once she left. There was no point in worrying about them, no reason to care about their hushed whispers or their quick glances of curiosity.The doctor was surprised to see a beautiful young girl all messed up and injured like that. They wondered where she was coming from to attain this situation, some even gave a side glance at the driver thinking he was the one behind it but the driver quickly shook his head.“Little Miss, how can we contact your family so that we can tell them where you are?" The driver asked.Rose, who didn’t expect the driver to ask for a contact details to reach her family, lifted her head and fixed the driver with a dark gaze. She shook her head slightly, her long black hair spilling over her shoulder li
The nurse’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” "Ah, I’m sorry." The nurse's face flushed with embarrassment as she paused in her nagging, realizing that she said something that she shouldn’t have. She made up the details of a familial soap opera in her head, and she gave Rose a pitying look. "Then you..." Rose's expression was as calm and collected as always, lost in her own thought. She knew this was bound to happen the moment she told them about her mother. ‘Why did this have to happen today of all the days.’ She was quite caught up on this and reached to massage her temples gently. The nurse thought for a bit and decided to continue speaking. She was a nurse in-training and still hadn’t had much experience in dealing with patients, so she decided to advise this ’lost lamb’ from her so-called justice. But didn’t she know that her self centered sense of justice was the same as stabbing a knife into one’s heart? She was lucky that her superior were not
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