"Sure." Tammy extended her hand. "Give it to me." The man placed a folded paper packet into Tammy's palm. Rosalie's eyes widened. What was that? Tammy unfolded the small white packet to reveal a fine white powder inside. She took a dented metal strip handed to her by the male host, scooped up some of the powder, placed it under her nose, and inhaled deeply. Then, she opened her mouth and tilted her head back. With a look of comfort on her face, she exclaimed, "This is really good stuff." Rosalie felt a chill run down her spine, and she turned and ran. Oh my god! Tammy was openly using drugs! "Rosalie, are you okay?" Yvonne had just managed to get away from the few girls who had cornered her, and hurried over to find Rosalie. Rosalie was panicking. "I need to get out of here." "Alright, let's go now." Yvonne knew that Rosalie was a strict rule-follower who couldn't handle such shocking scenes. She took Rosalie away immediately. After leaving the private room, Rosalie
Hearing the last two words, Rosalie immediately understood what Yvonne meant. She couldn't even bear to imagine the scene, and shuddered. "We have to save Seb. Is your father insane? Even if he wants a marriage of convenience for your brother, he should find someone normal!""My dad doesn't care about that. He’ll take whoever benefits him, regardless of their character. Not only is the Jones family wealthy, but they also have powerful backers. My father values power," Yvonne said. Rosalie huffed angrily. "In his eyes, power is more important than his own son!" Seeing Rosalie a bit out of breath, Yvonne put her arm around her shoulder. "Let me take you outside to get some fresh air."She then led Rosalie out of the club. The air outside was much better, and Rosalie took deep breaths. She had felt so suffocated inside."I'm sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have brought you here today. It must have scared you," Yvonne said."It's okay. Thank you for bringing me here. If you didn’t, I co
After Yvonne sent the text message, Rosalie asked, "What did you send?"Yvonne showed Rosalie her phone.Rosalie frowned. "Why did you send that? He'll be really worried if he sees it."Just as Rosalie finished speaking, Yvonne's phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Sebastian.Yvonne proudly waved her phone, as if telling her, "See?" She then answered the call and put it on speaker.Before she could say anything, Sebastian's agitated voice came through. "Yvonne, what's going on? Where's Rose?""Seb, where are you right now? Why didn't you answer your phone?""Answer my question first!" Sebastian sounded somewhat irritable. "Where's Rose?""I'm here," Rosalie said.Hearing Rosalie’s voice, Sebastian asked worriedly, "Rose, are you okay? What's wrong?""I'm fine. You didn't answer our calls, so Vonnie sent that message to you."Sebastian's voice immediately turned cold. "Yvonne, you can’t crack that kind of joke!""I wasn't joking!" Yvonne said; she lowered her head,
Yvonne took a sip of her drink as she continued staring at her favorite couple. She silently cheered, "Go for it!""Why aren't you saying anything?" Sebastian asked when he saw that Rosalie was in a daze. He raised his hand, and waved it gently in front of her eyes. "What's going on, Rose? What's happened now?"Rosalie quickly shook her head. "It's nothing. I just want to tell you something.""What is it?"Nervous, Rosalie tugged at the hem of her shirt. Finally, she lifted her head and said, "Didn't you mention before that we could have a fake marriage?"Sebastian frowned. "Why bring that up?""Let's go see your father and tell him we're in a relationship. Even if you have to get married, you'll marry me," Rosalie said in one breath.A look of surprise flashed across Sebastian's face. "Rose, do you know what you're saying?""I do." Rosalie raised her voice. "Seb, I know exactly what I'm saying. Let's go see your father right now."She grabbed his hand and tried to lead him ou
Late at night, the Carter Residence was brightly lit.Xyla was dressed neatly. Sitting at her dressing table, she yawned. A maid was doing her hair. "So late, and still making a fuss," she grumbled.The maid, who looked to be in her forties and seemed to have worked for Xyla for a long time, bent down and whispered in her ear, "Mrs. Carter, it's the first time Mr. Sebastian is bringing his girlfriend home. He must be eager for you to meet her.""He brings a girlfriend home just after a marriage has been arranged for him. How timely." Xyla picked up a diamond hairpin from the dressing table, and put it against her hair. "I'll wear this one."Xyla went downstairs with her maid’s help. Everyone in the living room was seated nicely.Geoffrey glanced up at his wife, and said indifferently, "Come over and meet Miss Young."Xyla slowly walked up and glanced at Rosalie, who stood up nervously from the sofa. "Hello, Mrs. Carter."Xyla looked her up and down. "You’re Sebastian's girlfri
Xyla's gaze fell on Rosalie. Her half-smile made Rosalie feel uneasy. However, Rosalie still offered a polite smile. This was her first time meeting Sebastian's mother. Xyla looked well-maintained; she was a beautiful woman with great poise. Sebastian's excellent appearance must be inherited from his parents."Very nice," Xyla said calmly. "When are you two getting married?"As soon as the topic of marriage came up, Rosalie tensed up. She smiled, and said, "Seb and I are still discussing it. As for the wedding, we...""What's there to discuss?" Geoffrey interrupted her.Rosalie was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "Marriage is a big deal. Of course, it needs to be properly discussed. And then...""Aren't you in love with each other?" Geoffrey interrupted her again. "Isn’t the reason you announced you’re together and came here in a hurry to explain the situation to us is so you can get married as soon as possible?"Sebastian, worried his father might make things difficult for
After Rosalie entered the restroom, she started vomiting.Sebastian waited anxiously outside.After a while, a pale Rosalie reappeared.“Rose, it's all my fault. If you really don’t want to get married, it's okay. I’ll just tell my father the truth. You don’t have to do this for me…” he began.“I’m fine,” Rosalie reassured him. “It’s just normal morning sickness. It’s nothing serious, and it has nothing to do with you.”To ease his worry, she gave him a gentle smile. “I’m fine now. Let’s go back. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”They made their way back to the living room after navigating several corridors.Rosalie had specifically asked Sebastian to take her to a more distant restroom, as she was worried someone might overhear her vomiting. If the Carters found out she was marrying Sebastian while pregnant with her ex-husband’s child, it would be a difficult situation to handle. Even though their marriage was fake, it needed to appear real.Back in the living room, because S
The next morning, Rosalie put her documents in her bag. She was ready.She received a call from Sebastian, who said he would arrive in three minutes.Rosalie went downstairs with her bag to wait for him, but as soon as she reached the bottom, a tall and handsome figure ran toward her. “Good morning!”Seeing Yerick, Rosalie was pleasantly surprised. “Yerick! What a coincidence!”Yerick, carrying a backpack, was slim but not frail. He also wore a very bright smile. “You look beautiful today. Are you going on a date?”Rosalie was wearing a V-neck blue lace dress with long sleeves. There was also a lovely necklace around her neck. She looked very elegant and beautiful.“I have something to attend to.”She had made an effort to dress up; if she was going to put on a show, she would go all out. After all, Geoffrey had mentioned that he would send an assistant, who was likely there to check whether they had actually gotten married or not.“So, have you had breakfast?” Yerick asked.“
The two of them sat around the dining table, eating dinner as they chatted.Theodore looked disinterested as he chatted with Aurora. She could sense that as well, so she went silent and didn't bother him much.After dinner, he told her to do whatever she pleased before returning to his room. He never came out and Aurora wondered what he was doing inside.Aurora hovered outside Theodore's room, pacing back and forth many times. She wanted to knock on the door and talk to him, but she stopped herself many times for fear that he might be annoyed with her.Yerick said that he could make her get pregnant with Theodore's child.Although she managed to move to Theodore's place, he wasn't passionate with her at all, unlike in the past. He would never touch her.Aurora put her hand gently on the door as she whispered, "Theo, I'll do anything for you. I really love you."In the deep of the night, Theodore tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep.He pulled out a drawer and ret
Theodore sighed. "Rest and recuperate well. I'll send someone to find your ex-boyfriend. When I do, I'll use my network to make sure he sits in jail for a few years. I'm sure he's committed multiple crimes.""Thank you. If you really manage to find him, putting him behind bars is enough. But what should I do before you find him? He could come to me anytime. He said he'll never set me free and will kill me. He looked like he had gone mad.""I'll send someone to protect you. Don't worry.""Theo, can I…""What?" Theodore could sense that Aurora had something to say. "Just speak your mind. Don't beat around the bush.""Theo, I'm really scared. Can I stay with you before you find him? Don't worry, if you don't want me disturbing you, I won't. I'm just so scared to be by myself… I have nightmares when I sleep."Afraid that he might misunderstand, Aurora hurriedly added, "Don't worry, once he's found and put behind bars, I'll move out immediately. I'm just so scared right now. Please, I
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm
Aurora collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden force. Her head was pounding and she cupped her red, hot cheeks with her hands. "What…what did you do? Why did you slap me?" she asked, stunned. Yerick looked down upon her, his towering figure dark and frightening in the night. "Are you taking me as your hitman, ordering me around as you like?"It was enough that she ordered him to kill another. How dare she ask him to kill Rosalie?! She was digging her grave!"I didn't mean that," Aurora said agitatedly. "I'm just so scared! We're on the same boat, so we should help each other out.""Help each other out?" Yerick crouched down and pinched her chin. "Tell me, then. What have you helped me with so far? Why do you think I arranged for you to be by Theodore's side and allowed you to get to know him? What do you think is my motive?""I…I don't know!" Aurora said with trembling lips. The man before her was way too frightening, his eyes ghostly as he chuckled. "But I'll do wha
Justin brought the baby home and saw Rosalie spacing out before the kitchen counter. She didn't even realize they were home."Mama," Steve called out to her.Rosalie heard him and turned to look at them. "You're back."She took Steve from Justin's hands and held him in her arms."Rose, are you alright? What did Theodore tell you?" Justin asked. "Aurora felt guilty and made Angie her scapegoat. Angie has been nabbed by the police," Rosalie replied.Justin frowned. "Angie surely wouldn't be a sitting duck. She'll expose Aurora.""That's not wrong," Rosalie said. "The problem is, Aurora is too good at putting up a facade. Theodore doesn't trust Angie and he said he'll investigate things and find out if Aurora was involved. At the end of the day, he refuses to believe that Aurora is capable of something like that. He subconsciously thinks that Angie was solely responsible.""That sounds like something he would do," Justin concluded. "Last time, I could tell he's very protective of
Theodore turned around. "Is there something else?"Justin walked over. "Do you want to hold him? He seems eager to hug you."Theodore paused. Then, he gave a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth."No, you take him upstairs." The more he held Steve, the harder it would be to let go. He didn't even know why he felt such strong emotions for Steve. Perhaps it was because Steve was Rosalie's child, and thus, he couldn't help but care for the baby.Seeing this, Justin didn't insist. He was about to leave when suddenly, Steve started crying in his arms. Steve stretched out his hands toward Theodore, trying to reach him.Hearing the cries, Theodore's heart tightened. He turned around and saw Justin trying to soothe the child."Steve, what's wrong? Are you hungry? I'll take you back right away."Steve continued crying, louder and louder, and Theodore felt as if his heart were being squeezed. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't move.Justin took a few steps b
"And what about you?" Theodore countered. "Rose, when will you finally see what kind of people are around you? Sebastian's two-faced, pretentious, and full of lies. Justin has blood on his hands, with numerous enemies. He's like a ticking time bomb, and both of them will only bring you disaster."Rosalie sneered. "And how much disaster have you brought me? Do you think the mental torment you've caused me isn't enough?"Theodore gave a bitter smile. "Rose, do you want me to die to make up for the harm I've caused you?""No, I just hope you won't bother me anymore. I have my own life now. Whether it's good or bad, it has nothing to do with you. Once upon a time, Grandma was the last connection between us, but now that she's gone, we have nothing left."She avoided Theodore's gaze. "You should go now."Theodore clenched his fists. "If this is what you want, then I understand. I'll stay away from you in the future and won't bother you again, because, as you said, we have nothing left."Wi
Theodore was about to speak, but then he remembered he had important matters to discuss today and couldn't be sidetracked by Justin."Rose, I have something important to tell you. Let's talk privately.""If you have something to say, just say it," Rosalie replied. She knew he wanted Justin to leave, but she didn't mind if Justin knew what was going on.Theodore gave Justin a cold glance before continuing, "This matter concerns Grandma. I don't want anyone else around. It's something that should only be discussed between the two of us.""He's not an outsider," Rosalie replied without hesitation. "He can know about Grandma's matters too."Seeing the two of them about to argue, Justin immediately said, "I'll take Steve out for a walk and come back later."With that, Justin left.Rosalie quickly said, "Justin, you don't need to…""It's fine," he interrupted her. "I'll take him downstairs for a walk."With that, Justin left with Steve.Rosalie took a step back and said to Theodore, "Come in
Aurora looked incredibly sorrowful, completely unlike someone who was acting. Theodore, for a moment, didn't know whether he should believe her or not.When Rosalie had first told him, he had only defended Aurora, completely ignoring Angie.Now, with Aurora telling him that it was Angie who killed Rebecca, Theodore couldn't be 100% certain that Aurora was not involved in this matter.It felt like a layer of mist had been added, blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing clearly.After a long while, Theodore released Aurora."Get better first," he said, turning to leave.Suddenly, he heard some movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Aurora stumbling toward the window in the ward. She forcefully pulled open the window and jumped straight down.Theodore's brows tightened, and with rocket-like speed, he rushed forward. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her back from the window ledge. "What are you doing?!""Theo, let me die! I don't want to live anymore. Just pretend I kil