Rosalie said it resolutely, leaving no room for negotiation.Christopher nodded. “Alright. Thanks for your trust in me, Rose. I’ll give you a clear answer in time to come, I promise.”The two of them were so engrossed in conversation that they didn’t notice Sebastian hiding around the corner. Shock and disbelief registered in his eyes as his countenance turned grimmer by the second.His fingers gripped the metal pieces on the decorative wall he was hiding behind, and he tugged them hard.Blood started seeping from his palm.Rosalie returned to the hall, but couldn’t find Sebastian there. She was about to look for him, when she heard someone behind her. “Rose.”“Seb,” Rosalie said, stepping forward. “Where…”She was about to ask him where he went, when she noticed that his palm was bleeding.“Seb, why is your hand injured?” she exclaimed, panicked. Sebastian’s vision suddenly came into focus, and he flashed her a smile. “It was my mistake. I was clumsy, and accidentally brok
Sebastian shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just a little frustrated over my memory loss and being stuck at home.”Rosalie gently patted his arm. “Seb, aren’t we heading out this afternoon? Let’s find a nice restaurant and go out for a walk after lunch. I’ll go with you wherever you want. I know you must be bored to tears. Let’s have some fun later.”Sebastian nodded. “Okay.”In the afternoon, Rosalie drove Sebastian to a restaurant in the city center. However, the moment they stepped in there, they were greeted by the manager who said apologetically, “I’m sorry, sir and madam. Our entire restaurant is reserved for a private function, and we won’t be able to host any guests today.”Rosalie furrowed her brows. “I called earlier to make a reservation, and there weren’t any issues. Why was it so suddenly reserved?”The manager said apologetically, “My staff might have made a mistake. I’m so sorry about that.”Rosalie was slightly displeased. “You didn’t inform us beforehand, and we’ve c
Rosalie subconsciously stood in front of Sebastian, and looked warily at Theodore.Cynthia smiled victoriously as she held Theodore’s arm tight. She was shocked to see them there, but she refused to let it show. “It’s you guys. I didn’t expect to see you two here. It’s a pity Theodore and I have reserved the entire restaurant.”Cynthia spoke gently and politely, but there was something strange in her tone that was hard to pinpoint.Rosalie wanted to barf at how pretentious Cynthia looked. “It’s not a pity at all. This isn’t the only restaurant around, and there are many more around the corner. Seb and I will be off, then.”Rosalie held Sebastian’s hand, and started walking out.When they brushed past Theodore and Cynthia, Sebastian suddenly stopped in his tracks.Rosalie turned around. “What’s the matter, Seb?”Sebastian’s dark gaze landed on Theodore and Cynthia. He wrapped his arm around Rosalie’s waist, and pulled her into his embrace. “Rose, aren’t you going to introduce us?
Theodore seemed to have made up his mind about it.Cynthia was shocked by Theodore’s suggestion, and became ill at ease. “Theo, wouldn’t it disrupt Rosalie and…”“I think that’s a good idea,” Sebastian suddenly said, cutting Cynthia off.Rosalie’s heart leapt. She turned around, and looked at Sebastian in shock.Sebastian looked at Theodore. Lifting his chin, he said, “You’re right, such a chance is rare to come by.”He then turned back to look at Rosalie. “Rose, shall we?”He even sought Rosalie’s opinion on it.“Seb, I…”She wanted to reject the idea, but Sebastian tightened his grip over her hand and looked expectantly and pleadingly at her.Rosalie sensed something from the look in his eyes.She could sense that if she didn’t agree to Sebastian’s request and left the restaurant right now, Sebastian would surely let his imagination run wild back at home. Rather than leaving him to stew in his misery, she would rather let him find release and not make things difficult for h
Rosalie nodded. “Yes.”“Rose, do you still love him?” Sebastian asked darkly.Rosalie lifted her head at Sebastian’s question. “I’ve known him for close to eleven years, and I’ve loved him for a long time. But everything that has happened this far has depleted all my feelings for him. I have no desire whatsoever to go back to him.”Sebastian’s heart broke at her words.“Seb, I’m a little worried about you having lunch with him. Why did you…”Rosalie didn’t go on, but her eyes were filled with doubts.“I want to get to know him afresh,” Sebastian explained. “Perhaps it can trigger my lost memories. Rose, don’t be so protective of me. Don’t worry, I won’t fight with him. I just want to know what your previous lover is like.”After a moment of silence, Rosalie said, “Seb, Theo doesn’t yet know that I’m pregnant, so…”“I won’t tell him. He’s not worthy of that.” Sebastian held her shoulders. “Rose, no matter what, I’ll treat the baby in your stomach as mine and love him like my own
“Ms. Zeller and Mr. Spencer are a great match, too. You two have probably known each other for a long time,” Sebastian said.“Yes,” Cynthia said. “Theo and I have known each other for a long time.”“Has it been ten years?” Sebastian asked her back, doubtful. “Rose and Mr. Spencer have known each other for eleven years, right?”The air tensed up; Rosalie tugged Sebastian’s arm gently, signaling him to stop harping on the subject.Sebastian looked at the displeased expression on Theodore’s face, feeling exhilarated at achieving his goal.“Waiter,” Sebastian called.The manager walked in with a waiter.Rosalie saw the waiter behind the manager, and was stunned for a moment. Shock flashed past her eyes as she muttered, “It’s you.”Lily was also stunned to see all of them. “Hello, Ms. Young, Mr. Carter.”Lily never expected to see them at the restaurant. Theodore glanced at Lily, and asked, “Do you know them?”Rosalie gave Sebastian a look; she was about to open her mouth and say
The aloofness in Rosalie’s eyes pierced through Theodore’s heart. He smiled helplessly, and asked, “Does that mean you want lamb?”“Why not? Lamb’s pretty delicious. I like whatever Seb likes to eat.” Rosalie turned to Sebastian, and said, “Let’s order lamb.”She sounded like she was saying it out of spite, and Sebastian could sense it.He wasn’t sure if Rosalie liked eating lamb right now, but since she didn’t like it in the past, he didn’t want to take the risk. She probably wouldn’t feel comfortable eating something she didn’t fully enjoy.“Rose, I suddenly don’t feel like having lamb. Let’s have something else. Why don’t you choose?” he offered.Rosalie didn’t actually want to eat lamb, and she said what she said out of spite. On second thought, she shouldn’t force herself to eat lamb out of anger over Theodore. If she got nauseous, it would blow her cover.She stared at the menu, suddenly at a loss for what to order.“Braised beef,” Theodore suddenly spoke up. “It’s your fa
What exactly were the four of them up to?Theodore’s face turned cold, and he remained silent.Upon noticing his silence, Lily put the menus aside and said, “Alright, your orders will be coming right up.”After Lily left, the air in the room turned strange.The four of them ended up staring at each other. The air in the room was stiff and awkward, and was in dire need of something to break the silence.Cynthia said, “Oh yes, Rosalie. Do you know that I’m getting discharged today?”Rosalie gave her a small smile, and said perfunctorily, “Is that so? Congratulations. You look like you’re all recovered.”“Yeah, it’s all thanks to Theo, who spared no effort to save me and did so much for me. Of course I have to do all I can to survive this. Oh, yes, there’s one more thing. I’m getting married to Theo the day after tomorrow.” Cynthia’s eyes were glinting with excitement.Rosalie was stunned upon hearing the news. She heard many times about Theodore wanting to marry Cynthia, and even
Blencalgo.Lying on the hospital bed was a coughing man, so thin he seemed like skin and bones. His eyes were deeply sunken, his face was pale, and his body was connected to many machines.All this while, Yerick had been under constant surveillance in the hospital.Today, Yerick wanted to see Theodore.Naturally, Theodore was unwilling to meet him, but Yerick had someone pass his message to Theodore: Did he want to find Sebastian?Upon hearing this, Theodore came.The bodyguard brought in a chair. Once Theodore sat down, he crossed his legs and leaned back against the chair. Staring coldly at Yerick, he said, "Yerick, it seems you don't have long to live."Yerick smiled. "That's precisely why I wanted to see you."Theodore furrowed his brows. "Where is Sebastian? Do you know?""I don't know where he is.""You don't?" Theodore said coldly, "If you don't know, then why did you call me here? To watch you die?"He had come here with some hope, thinking Yerick might know something, but to
Rosalie had overheard everything. Sebastian no longer had any information about Theodore or Steve.Now, with Sebastian so far from home and Theodore taking full precautions on his end, even if Sebastian had incredible abilities, what could he do?He was merely relying on her fear to threaten her. Now that she knew the people she cared about were safe, she had nothing to fear.Upon seeing Rosalie's expression, Sebastian likely guessed what was going on. He sneered coldly. "Very well. You think I can't do anything to them, huh? What about Nana? Do you think I can't deal with her?"At the mention of Nana, Rosalie's gaze wavered slightly.But in the next moment, she lifted her head and said, "Nana is your adopted daughter. If you do anything to her, it's on you. Don't even think about threatening me with anyone else."She had been threatened by Sebastian over and over again, but in the end, she always succumbed to him. Now that she knew Theodore and Steve were fine, she felt relieved. She
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a glow on Sebastian's pale face.The curtains fluttered in the breeze. The nurse walked to the window and closed it.The doctor stood by the bed, explaining the situation to Sebastian. "Mr. Carter, you need plenty of rest given your current condition."Sebastian was filled with resentment. He coldly asked, "Will my quality of life decrease in the future?"Sebastian emphasized the word "life," clearly indicating that he was referring to more than just his general existence.The doctor understood. "Mr. Carter, with proper treatment and regular check-ups, after enduring the long recovery period, your quality of life will be close to what it was before.""How long is this recovery period?"The doctor replied, "At least six months before you can resume marital relations."Upon hearing this, Sebastian clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. His eyes burned with fury.He hadn't expected Rosalie to pull such a stunt on him. She had been pretendin
"Rose, what are you doing?" Sebastian's eyes were practically glued to her.Rosalie propped herself up and brushed her long hair aside. "Do you not like it? Then I'll change into something else."Just as she was about to get out of bed, Sebastian grabbed her wrist. "Wait a moment."Rosalie looked at him with a smirk. "What is it?""I like it when you dress like this." His voice was hoarse. "What made you decide to wear this tonight?""I just felt like it. And I've been thinking about a lot of things.""Is that so?" Sebastian sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard as he gazed at her. "What have you been thinking about?"He gently pushed the strap of her black lace camisole off her shoulder."Things have already come to this. The only thing I can do now is make my life a little easier. As long as you promise me not to hurt Theodore or my child again, I'll do whatever you want," Rosalie said.Her obedience and submission made Sebastian feel like he was dreaming. He cupped her face
"She's just a five-year-old. She's done nothing wrong. Whether I like her or not, you were the one who adopted her, so you have an obligation to take care of her. You cannot simply abandon her like this," Rosalie said. Sebastian sat beside her. "Aren't you afraid that I might go mad and kill her? Yet you still want me to continue looking after her?""I can take care of her," Rosalie said. "Didn't you say before that you adopted her to make our so-called family complete? If Nana doesn't come back, then this family will never be whole.""Are you saying that you fully acknowledge her as your daughter now?"Things had already come to this point. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to accept it. Rosalie nodded. "Yes, I do."She was indeed a mother, and she couldn't help but think about what she would do if Steve were in such a situation. That thought alone made her determined to help Nana.Sebastian kissed her on the cheek. "I'll think about it. I have some matters to attend to—I'll be i
Rosalie had nothing more to say to Sebastian, nor did she wish to continue arguing."If that's how you see things, then there's nothing I can do. I can't change your way of thinking," she said.Sebastian let go of her hand. "Rose, I risked my life to save you. If I hadn't shielded you with my body, you might already be dead. If you don't feel grateful, fine, but now you're blaming me instead? Do you have any idea how disheartening that is?""Thank you for saving me," Rosalie said coolly. "I truly owe you one.""What kind of attitude is that?" Sebastian snapped. "They say that true feelings are revealed in times of crisis. I risked my life to protect you, and what did I get in return? You mock me with sarcasm. How many men would do what I did for you? If it weren't for me, you would have—""Sebastian," Rosalie interrupted him, unable to hold back anymore. "You killed my husband, kidnapped me, made me endure an earthquake, and then saved me. And now you want me to thank you? Should I be
The bodyguard maintained his formal smile. "Mrs. Carter, Mr. Carter is waiting for you. You should go now."Rosalie stood up, ready to leave, but just then, a weak voice came from the bed. "Mommy.""Nana." Rosalie immediately sat back down and held Nana's hand tightly.Nana slowly opened her eyes. "Mommy, it hurts."Sensing something, Nana felt tears well up in her eyes and stream down her face."Nana, everything will be alright." Rosalie's heart ached."Mrs. Carter," the bodyguard reminded from behind, "you should go now. If Mr. Carter becomes impatient, he might blame Nana."He deliberately said this.Rosalie leaned closer to Nana and whispered, "Nana, I'll be back soon. Don't be afraid. There are people here to protect you."Rosalie didn't believe her own words, but she had to go. She feared Sebastian would lose his temper and take it out on Nana. He was capable of anything. He had even abandoned Nana when danger struck—how could he possibly see her as his daughter? To him, Nana wa
The earthquake lasted for about a minute and a half. The impact had left the mountain in ruins within moments. A crack split through the mountainside, exposing tangled roots, while trees leaned precariously in all directions.Rosalie suffocated under the debris. She struggled to free one hand and desperately patted Sebastian's face."Sebastian? Sebastian?"Sebastian's eyes remained closed, and blood continued to pour from his wounds.Rosalie hadn't expected him to shield her like this at such a moment.If this had happened in the past, she would have been deeply moved. But now, when she thought about everything Sebastian had done to her, any trace of emotion instantly vanished.She truly wished Sebastian would just die.A man like him—finally, the heavens had dealt him justice!Rosalie turned her gaze toward Nana's direction, and tears gushed down her face.She gritted her teeth and tried to free herself, but the moment she struggled, the surrounding rocks suddenly collapsed, crushing
After resting for a while, they continued their climb up the mountain.Nana took the lead, using both her hands and feet to ascend. She climbed like a kitten, quickly putting several dozen feet between herself and her adoptive parents.Though a child's strength was limited, her energy seemed boundless. Nana left the two adults trailing behind.Rosalie followed, a faint smile appearing on her face. Although Nana wasn't her biological daughter, she was, in fact, a mother. After becoming a mother, seeing children always stirred her maternal instincts. When Nana first called her "Mommy," she instinctively rejected it because the child had been brought back by Sebastian. But later, she found herself wanting to cry.Sebastian noticed the smile on Rosalie's face. It seemed bringing this little girl back had been the right decision.Suddenly, birds in the forest screeched and took to the sky. The treetops began to sway as a gust of wind blew through, and the ground rumbled and trembled violen