On the other end, Theodore realized that Rosalie had rejected his call.Anger rose up in his chest as he called her again. However, an electronic voice replied to him. “The number you’ve dialed is unavailable at the moment. Please try again later.”She was probably still busy.Theodore put his phone aside, and waited patiently. After around ten minutes, he picked his phone up and called her again.“Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is unavailable at the moment…”He heard the same electronic voice again.His face tensed up, and a bad feeling washing over him. He clicked open his WhatsApp, and typed Rosalie a text. [Rose, you can tell me whatever’s on your mind. Don’t keep it to yourself. I’ll help you solve whatever problem you have. We’re family.]He re-read his text over and over again before finally sending it. However, he soon saw a red question mark right next to the text.His mind buzzed, as if something had hit his head, registering the sudden shock. He looked stunned.
Theodore shut his eyes, and tried to control the fire burning in his heart.“Stop laughing,” he hissed.His chest was almost bursting with anger.Sydney coughed dryly, and said, “Fine, I’ll stop laughing. I have no idea why Rose blocked you. Why don’t I bring her along to our next meeting? I did ask Rose to come with me when I meet you. That’s a good chance for you to ask her.”“In that case…” Theodore said, “let’s meet tonight. Ask Rose along, too.”“I’ll call her later and ask if she’s free,” Sydney promised. “She is free,” Theodore said. “She doesn’t need to work now, and she has lots of time on her hands. If she says she’s not free, it must be an excuse. Don’t let her have her way.”The arrogance in Theodore’s voice made Sydney furrow her brows.“No wonder she blocked you.”“What?” Theodore furrowed his brows as well. “Do you know why she did it?”Sydney sighed. “Son, it’s because sometimes…you’re annoying.”Theodore was stunned.It was the first time in his entire lif
"You want me to be more proactive? Are you saying I should keep her here to prevent her from going elsewhere?""Isn't it better to keep her here? She's been staying with the Spencers for so many years. There’s no reason for her to go so far away," Theodore said. When Rosalie went to college, he didn't let her go somewhere far away. He admitted that he was a bit selfish for not wanting her to be too far from him, like a helicopter parent who wanted to keep his children close.But if she really wanted to go to another place for college, he wouldn't have stopped her. Fortunately, she listened to him and stayed in Ashwick City for college.Sydney raised her eyebrow, her eyes glinting slyly. "I think I heard Rose mention that she wants to travel.""Where does she want to go?" Theodore frowned, looking a bit uneasy."I don't know. She just mentioned it casually, and I didn't ask for details. It's normal for her to want to travel. There’s not much to ask.""Well, you should have at le
Sebastian booked a private room.Before coming, he had called Rosalie, offering to pick her up. She refused and insisted on driving herself, so he didn't push further.He arrived at the private room early, and waited for Rosalie and Yvonne to bring Lily over. He wasn't sure if who Yvonne chose was reliable or not. He was worried they might be exposed.Sebastian still had some time. He took out his phone, and called Yvonne.At the club, Yvonne was sprawled on a couch, sound asleep, when her phone’s piercing ringtone woke her up. Irritated, she felt for her phone and answered the call grumpily. "Who is it?""Yvonne, where are you right now?" Hearing Sebastian’s voice, Yvonne jolted awake and scrambled off the couch. "Is that you, Seb?""You’re asking me?" Sebastian's voice was cold. "Did you forget what I asked you to do last night? Did you find Lily? Hurry up and get over here!"Boom! Yvonne was thunderstruck.Sebastian frowned at Yvonne’s silence. "You didn't mess things up
In the private room of the restaurant…Sebastian checked the time repeatedly. He was beginning to regret entrusting such an important task to the unreliable Yvonne. She must have run into some problem.Just then, the door to the private room opened, and Rosalie walked in. "Seb."Sebastian jumped up immediately. "Rose, you’re early."The usually composed CEO of Skycrest Enterprise was now like a boy who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar in front of Rosalie.Rosalie smiled. "I didn't have much to do, so I came early. You’re early too.""Yeah," Sebastian replied awkwardly. He hadn't expected Rosalie to arrive so early, and it derailed his plans completely.Rosalie walked over, and noticed his pale face. "Seb, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?""N-No," Sebastian said, stammering from panic. "I'm fine. Please, sit down. Would you like something to drink?"Rosalie shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Let's just wait for a bit. Is Yvonne coming over with Lily now?""Not yet.
"Why isn’t Yvonne here yet? Could something have happened to her? Call her and ask," Rosalie said—not out of impatience, but concern."Okay, I'll call her. Wait here for a moment." Sebastian took his phone and walked out.Rosalie watched him leave, puzzled. Why did Sebastian need to go outside to make a call?However, she didn't think too much about it. She leaned back in her chair, gently touching her belly, and smiled. "Sweetie, once we settle Mr. Carter's affairs, Mommy will take you to a beautiful place. Then, it'll be just you and me."-Sebastian called Yvonne again.She only answered after more than ten seconds. "Seb."Sebastian was a bit annoyed. "Where are you now? Tell me the truth. Did you find the right person or not?""I'm already here!" He heard Yvonne's voice near him.Sebastian turned around, and saw Yvonne leading a woman toward them hurriedly.Lily followed behind Yvonne, panting and nearly too tired to stand straight. She had met this weird customer at t
What was the problem with her being called Lily? Couldn’t she use that name?Rosalie extended her hand, still smiling kindly. "Hello, I'm Rosalie Young. Nice to meet you."Lily blankly extended her hand to shake Rosalie's. "Hello, Miss Young."The two were so polite to each other, even Yvonne couldn't stand watching anymore. What was with this situation? Her brother was even better at creating awkwardness than she was!"Great! Everyone knows each other now. Let's hurry to the private room. I'm starving! Have we ordered yet?" she said."We have, but since I didn't know when you'd arrive, the dishes haven't been served yet," Rosalie replied."Then I'll go ask the waiter to serve the food." Yvonne dashed to the waiter as if she was fleeing. She said a few words to him before hurrying into the private room, avoiding her brother's gaze the entire time.The three of them stood there in awkward silence, not knowing what to say.Rosalie noticed that Lily and Sebastian seemed a bit un
"Oh, I see. It's great that you're not a picky eater. People who aren't picky eaters are blessed," Rosalie praised."You’re not a picky eater too, right?" Sebastian’s eyes were filled with gentleness as he looked at her.However, he didn't think Rosalie was blessed. She lost her parents at a tender age, and was deeply hurt by her husband after that; and now that she was pregnant, she couldn’t tell anyone and had to give birth in secret. Was that called being blessed? Blessed people didn't live like that.Feeling awkward, Rosalie pursed her lips. "I am picky. You just haven't noticed."In fact, she wasn't picky. She just said that to lighten the mood."Then tell me, what don't you like to eat?" Sebastian asked. "Next time when we have a meal together, I won’t order it."Rosalie was rendered speechless. The atmosphere became awkward, and she didn't know what to do with her hands. She glanced at Lily, wanting to see her reaction.Lily was looking around, seemingly very curious ab
Sebastian carried Rosalie out of the washroom. Her knees were both slightly red.He put her on the bed, his thumb rubbing the corners of her lips. He smiled and whispered into her ear, "Did that taste good?"Rosalie flipped to her side, her back facing him.Sebastian kissed her shoulder as a wicked look flashed past his eyes. He dove into the sheets, moving lower and lower.Rosalie knew what was about to happen and tried to struggle, but he pinned both of her legs down.Everything that happened after that felt torturous.Rosalie didn't even know when it ended.When it finally did, her cheeks were flushed and she sobbed silently while biting on her fingers.Sebastian emerged from the sheets and pulled her into his arms."Darling, why are you crying?" he coaxed her as he patted her back. "Don't cry. Did I hurt you?"Rosalie held her tears back and turned her face away, but Sebastian forcefully twisted her head back.His lips crooked wickedly. "Look how red your cheeks are. Wel
When it was past three in the afternoon and the weather wasn't so hot, Sebastian brought Rosalie out for a stroll.Although Veloso's industry and economy were underdeveloped, the natural scenery wasn't bad.Sebastian brought Rosalie to many places.Throughout the entire time, she didn't say much, simply letting him hold her hand.When they stood at the seaside, Sebastian hugged her from behind and kissed her neck, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.He also brought her to a sea of flowers. He hugged her as they lay on the flower bed, making her kiss him.Sebastian was enjoying every moment of it.At night, he booked the most luxurious restaurant to have dinner with Rosalie. The two of them sat by the window.Throughout the meal, Rosalie hardly responded to him. Eventually, Sebastian put down his fork and said, "Rose, don't be so grouchy. Give me a smile, won't you?"He was as patient as he could with her. However, there was a limit to his patience.Rosalie looked up at Se
Sebastian shut his eyes, savoring the kiss. He wrapped an arm around her waist and deepened the kiss, but he didn't take over control from Rosalie and simply enjoyed the feeling of her taking the initiative to kiss him. However, she didn't kiss him for too long. It was a simple kiss and nothing fancy, where she just let her lips touch his for a while before letting him go.Rosalie looked at Sebastian, as if asking with her eyes whether that would do.Sebastian wasn't exactly pleased with the kiss.However, the empty look in her eyes made him soften his stance.He picked up his phone, covered her eyes, and unlocked the screen with a code before retrieving a video of Steve.He took the video when he was previously taking care of Steve. Although Steve was biologically Theodore's child, he was way too adorable and Sebastian truly adored him. That was why he took many photos of him.He clicked on the first video and showed it to Rosalie. It lasted over a minute and showed Steve sitt
The delighted look on Sebastian's face made Rosalie look away. No matter how handsome he was, the sight of his face made her retch.Sebastian spooned food onto her plate and said, "Rose, I know you like this cuisine. I had all the ingredients air-flown here and they are as fresh as they can be. Just tell me what you want to eat and I'll have the kitchen prepare it for you. You need to take care of your health."He held her shoulders. "I want to fatten you up. Be good and eat up."He urged her tenderly, but this tenderness was only temporary. If she were to resist, he would immediately turn violent and hurt her.Rosalie picked up a spoon and stuffed the food in her mouth. She wolfed everything down, hoping that lunch would come to an end soon."Be good, eat slowly," Sebastian said as he caressed her hair like she was a child. "Don't choke, my heart will ache if you do. These are all for you. You can eat as much as you like. If it's not enough, I'll have the kitchen cook more."The
"Well, Rose? Have you come round yet? Do you want me to send someone to kill your son, or will you submit to me obediently, listen to me, and behave yourself? Instead of trying to kill or harm yourself."Sebastian tried to make himself look as gentle and tender as he could be, as if he were patiently negotiating with Rosalie. In truth, this was nothing like a negotiation. Rosalie basically had no choice."How do you want me to submit to you?" she asked in a hoarse voice.The video of Steve woke her up. Not only was she Justin's lover, but she was also a mother. She couldn't stand idly by watching Steve get into trouble. She couldn't neglect her son's safety because of the misery she was in.Sebastian smiled, finally satisfied. "I just want you to listen to me and stay by my side. Don't act like a living corpse and cooperate when in bed with me."Sebastian spoke as though he was talking about things as simple and intuitive as eating and drinking.A simple word from the devil was
Sebastian's head was still throbbing. He drank a lot last night also because he wanted to drown his sorrows.He stared at the woman on the bed, the look in her eyes empty like a lifeless doll.Sebastian gently caressed her hair and stood up to walk to the washroom.When he returned last night, he went to bed straight away without showering.He brushed his teeth and took a shower in the washroom. After he was done, he wiped himself dry and returned to the bed, wrapping Rosalie in his arms once more."Darling, things have come to this point and you can't change anything. You should just accept things the way they are. This country is quite beautiful. Let me take you out for a walk."His voice was very gentle, like a lover mumbling words of affection.Rosalie didn't respond to him, as if she were a corpse.Sebastian went on, "Do you want to be tied to the bed, unable to move your entire life? How long are you going to be stubborn like this? Darling, let me wash you up and brush yo
Rosalie felt her body being flipped over as Sebastian pressed his body against hers.The smell of alcohol made her feel nauseous.She wanted to shove him away, but her hands were tied up and she couldn't move them.Sebastian cupped her face in his hands and planted hot kisses on her cheeks. His lips landed on a swollen area.Rosalie winced in pain.Sebastian could feel the swell on Rosalie's face through his lips. He opened his eyes and realized that almost half of Rosalie's face was swollen. There was even an imprint of a palm on her cheek.He had slapped her very hard this morning because she angered him. He lost control and hit her.Rosalie's skin was tender and certainly couldn't withstand his force. Her cheeks were now badly swollen.Although Sebastian was drunk, he was still conscious. Remorse filled his eyes as he cried, "Rose, you really shouldn't have angered me at that time. If you didn't, I wouldn't have hit you."He poked her cheek gently with a finger. "See, it's
In the deep of the night, the curtains fluttered in the cold wind.The moon shone like silver outside the window and into a bedroom in the villa. The weak moonlight danced in the darkness, reflecting a dim blue shadow in the room. Branches swayed outside the window, making a rustling sound.Rosalie lay on the bed, her face pale as a sheet and her eyes bloodshot and swollen, reflecting the fatigue she was feeling inside.The look in her eyes was empty and hopeless, like a sole boat wandering in the endless night, void of direction and hope.The bedside lamp shone a gentle light, lighting up her haggard features. The shadows in the dim room accentuated the loneliness etched on her face.The night was quiet except for the rustling wind and the heartless ticking of time. The silence in Rosalie's heart, however, was deafening.Her breathing gradually became labored as she lay on the bed, hopelessness filling her eyes. She looked like a lone spirit roaming the darkness.The door ope
Rosalie smirked. "Is that so?"She knew Sebastian was the one in denial. She was sure he felt furious and indignant, and was just feigning confidence to cover up the unease he was feeling."Sebastian Carter, I curse you to never find happiness! I'd rather be torn to pieces than fall in love with a man like you. I curse you to never find love!"Sebastian smacked Rosalie's face hard. He slapped her so hard, she felt dizzy and collapsed on the bed. Her tender cheeks swelled up immediately.His hand trembled after the slap, still left handing in the air. He looked at his palm as shock, disbelief, guilt, regret and all sorts of conflicted feelings flashed past the depths of his eyes.Rosalie didn't have much of a reaction. She simply lay on the bed expressionlessly, as though she were dead and completely void of emotions.Sebastian clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Rose, you shouldn't be talking to me like this. You shouldn't be angering me. Don't think that just because I lo