: ROSALIA'S POV :
"Have you seen my mom?" the little boy asked as he grabbed the file it fell on the ground. It was for my distraction that the documents were scattered on the floor. "Come here, Aaron," That man I just saw outside beckoned while coming nearer to grab the child's hand. He did not give me any chance to talk to that little boy. I noticed the employees on the ground floor started to bow down a little to him in an attempt to show respect. Who is he? I was a little curious. He did not even spare a glance back at them. Soon he lifted the little boy in his arms and entered the lift. I saw Jacob coming in my direction. He started helping me to pick up the documents. He is my only good friend in this office. I never had many friends since I was a nerd in school. Jacob is always very helpful. "Why are you so clumsy Rose," Jacob said as he handed me the documents he had picked. Honestly, I don't even know myself. "Thank you, Jacob," curiosity got the best of me so I asked," Who's the guy? Why were you bowing to him?" "Rose it's almost three months you are working here. You don't even know that he is Kevin Knight, the owner of Knight Corporations" "Sorry, I didn't know our boss was married" I said being embarrassed. "Oh, hell no Rose, he is not Miss Kate's husband. He is her brother" Oh god now I see why they have the same eyes they are siblings. "& He is the most eligible bachelor in this city right now. Don't you check celebrity news on SNS ??" he laughed. Honestly, I don't because I don't even have the time and also, I'm not interested. But if he is a bachelor then whose child was that with him? I thought not to ask any more of my stupid questions and started working. KEVIN'S POV: Today, I have decided to visit one of the branches of Knight Corporation where my younger sister, Kate is handling the business as the managing director. Even though we have plenty of expertise for that, I really don't understand why she insisted on doing that. She could have just spent her day relaxing. But I can not deny any of my precious little sister's requests so I let her work on this branch where work pressure is much less. Also, I personally make sure to check on that. I decided to bring my 4-year-old nephew Aaron with me to surprise Kate. As we entered the office Aaron ran towards the receptionist's office. I saw Aaron grabbing the file of a staff. My eyes fell on her. She was not the receptionist I know. She is very tiny and cute. She has thick black waist-length hair. I noticed her eyes which were on me and I could tell she was intimidated, there was a flicker of intimidation evident in her gaze. With calculated steps when I moved a bit closer to her to grab Aaron's hand, she dropped all the documents and files on the floor. I could not resist a smirk, is it my presence that flustered you? I read her name ROSALIA BROWN on her office ID card. Such a beautiful name for someone so delicate and beautiful as well. Her scent was intoxicating. I must admit that despite her petite frame, her curves were really captivating. And the way she carried herself with an unseen innocence that instantly drew me in. Oh lord, why am I even thinking about all these? She didn't bow down to me. Does she not know who I am? Never mind she will very soon! To stop myself from unnecessary thoughts I quickly picked up Aaron and headed towards the lift. She was watching me all the time. It's nothing new to me girls practically throw themselves at me wherever I go but her gaze was somehow different. It was innocent not a lustful one. She has an innocent aura. She bent down to pick up the scattered files from the floor. Her perfect curves were accentuated drawing my attention. Soon I found out other male staff gawking at her sexy figure. I could not help but feel enraged at the thought of others daring to gawk at what I was admiring. I made one mental note to address her choice of attire very soon. Before I could comprehend why, my anger only intensified when I saw a male staff member approaching her to help her pick up those files and she smiled back at him. Her smile in return only fueled my desire to claim her attention all for myself. I suddenly felt the overwhelming need to possess and claim her attention. But she is just a mere ground staff. She is nothing compared to my status. I know I can have her any day I want, there's no challenge at all. I reached the fifth floor soon after where Kate was busy working on her laptop. "MOM" Aaron ran towards her as I opened the door of her office. "O MY GOD what a pleasant surprise what are you doing here baby?" she chirped "Aaron misses Mom so Kevin brought Aaron here" Aaron said with a pout. "O my sweet baby" Kate picked him up and made him sit on her lap. "Brother what are you doing here?" she asked. "I came to check on you, Kate. I hope you are not overworking yourself" I questioned being concerned. "No, I'm not brother. How can I even properly work when you are here?" She looked up at me with a playful smile. I couldn't help but laugh. "Always with the jokes," I replied settling into a nearby chair. "So, tell me about the new staff you've hired," I asked, genuinely curious about her latest additions and my recent discoveries. "We hire plenty of staff every day at Knights Corporation, Kevin. Is there anyone in particular you are asking for?" She asked. "NO" I don't want to bother my sister with a mere infatuation. I'm the owner I'll figure it out myself. "Just tell me who is she this time?" She teased, trying to pull my legs as always. "It's nothing of your concern and also stop being too friendly towards the employees. Your receptionist is absent, staff are negligent towards work. They should be obedient to you" I instructed in a firm voice. "It is, Kevin. Besides they fear you...." Kate was in the middle of saying something when our conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door of her office. "Come in" she ordered. I saw little Rosalia entering the office. "Mam, here are the copies you wanted," she said in the sweetest voice I have ever heard. She is angelic. "Is there anything else I can do mam?" "No, you may go now. Thank you" Kate replied with a reassuring smile before she left the room. I must do a background check on her real soon... IT'LL BE FUN PLAYING WITH YOU, KITTEN!KEVIN'S POVI called my right-hand man John to clear my day's schedule and also asked my Personal Assistant to hand me over the resume of Rosalia Brown.I left Aaron with Kate and went into my office. I have my personal office in every building of Knight Corporation, a personal space to think and plan. I felt the pool to stay in here, a bit longer driven by the desire to meet Rosalia, her eyes and voice already consumed my mind, I needed to do something about that. At lunchtime, I saw her eating lunch with an asshole. I think he is the same guy that helped her to pick up the documents this morning. Isn't he a little too interested in my kitten !?I felt the need to hear her angelic voice one more time so I asked my pa to call her in my office.ROSALIA'S POVI was having lunch with Jacob since he is the only friend I have in the office I always have lunch with him."I didn't know Miss Kate has a son. He is very cute" Jacob said"Yes, he is! " I chirped. I love children. They are very
ROSALIA'S POV I was lying on my bed and trying to distract myself by diving into a novel. But I could not just forget about what happened earlier. Mr. Knight was formidable, but his voice lingered in my mind, impossible to forget. "I expect you to look pretty on that day" Why he would say that? Why does that even matter? I could not deny the fact that he was very handsome and intimidating in a way. I've never felt that nervous in anyone's presence like him. His personality was somehow different. My thoughts were completely occupied by him that night. I couldn't read the novel anymore as sleep took over me. NEXT DAY AT WORK... Miss Kate called me into her office. I knocked on the door and she instructed me to come in. "Miss Brown, I found out that Kevin called you to his office yesterday" "Yes, mam", I replied. "I'd like to know what he discussed with you," She curiously questioned. Even though I didn't realize why she was asking me that, I told her that Mr Knight wanted to
"Well, This includes accompanying me to certain places I want you to go and fulfilling my sexual desires. You will have to be available for me 24×7. Other terms and conditions will be instructed to you soon. And you'll be provided with all the luxuries You can't even think of." What! He wants me to become his prostitute! "I am not that type of girl, sir. I think you got the wrong idea. I'll never do something like that for money." "That doesn't matter, baby. An offer from Kevin Knight can easily change anyone's mind. You should be thankful that I have chosen you. So, I suggest you reconsider it," he proudly shot those words back to me. "What! No.. never! How can you even say something like that? Just because you are rich and powerful that doesn't mean you can trade anything! And take advantage of my misery. I've been through much worse but never used my body for money. I'll never accept your deal. Never. And you are asking me to be thankful. Thankful, my foot! You are just so
'I'm the truth you can never escape' :ROSALIA'S POV: I was lying on my bed scattered and unable to process the things that happened earlier. I was crying so hard that I didn't notice Kristen sitting beside me on the bed. She started gently stroking my hair. "Why didn't you tell me, Rose, what happened in my absence" she sounded very concerned. "It all happened within a day. I just met him twice. I had no clue this was coming. I was about to tell you but I didn't want to spoil your date" I told her everything that happened earlier this. Her jaw dropped after listening to my words. "I was so shocked when I saw him, Rose. He is a very dangerous person. We have to do something. You have to escape the town." "How can I just run away? I don't have enough money or a place to stay. besides his man is outside our apartment," my voice cracked. "You can stay at my house in the upstate. I'll inform my parents. when things cool down you can come back" "But how will I escape f
After some time a huge mansion came into my view. The guards immediately opened the huge front gate. The car stopped in front of the main entrance of the mansion or I should say Palace. Even the exquisite beauty of the place failed to comfort me in that situation. I saw Mr Knight getting out of the car as the man who got me out of the bus earlier opened the door for him. He quickly came to my side and pulled me out of the car by my wrist. "Bring her to the basement, John," he ordered without even looking at him. John nodded to his order and he walked away from us. What are they going to do to me? Lock me up in the basement! Beat me up for trying to run away from him! These thoughts were enough to make me shiver again and again. Soon, John started dragging me towards the backside of the huge mansion. "Where are you taking me? Please help me get out of here" "Please I'm begging you," I requested in vain. John didn't even utter a word to me. And kept dragging me to
ROSALIA'S POV: I have always dreamt of marrying someone who will love, adore and cherish me the most. I've witnessed the downfall of my parents' marriage. The haunting memories of my childhood made me so paranoid. I was always so hungry for love. For just once in my life I wanted to know how it feels to be truly cherished by someone. But things never happen the way I expect. Love is not something that is written in my fate. I guess I'm cursed to die unloved. I had no other option but to give in. The fear of losing my loved ones was much more than the taste of my freedom. I wished Mommy was here to protect me. She would never let this happen. I wish I was strong like you, mother. I saw a tray full of food on the nightstand. I was not in the mood to eat anything. Never running out of tears that night, I cried myself to sleep. THE NEXT DAY... I woke up to a knock on the door. Hoping that someone had brought me food, I asked to come in. A woman in her 30s came in. "Good
The next day Kevin sent me to a salon with Kate. There were two of his men following us. They stood outside the salon. The whole day passed by doing some essential bridal treatment according to Kate. This includes hair and body spa, pedicure, manicure, full body waxing and much more, most of which I had never done before. I was happy that I had not to face Kevin for the entire day. He scares the living daylight out of me. However, my anxiety was growing thinking about the next day, the day of the wedding. If someone had told me just a week ago that I was going to get married I wouldn't have believed that. But there I was ... I was going to marry a cold-blooded mafia who enjoys torturing people to death. I would not be able to forget what I saw until the day I would die. I just hoped Kristen is alright. Hopefully tomorrow, he will let her go. I did all he told me to. Unable to sleep, I was tossing and turning in the giant bed. I have a habit of eating something sweet
THIRD-PERSON POV:The day of the wedding had arrived, which Rosalia never wanted, but Kevin could not wait to get over with. The wedding was arranged in one of the luxury hotels owned by Kevin. The venue was heavily guarded. Any kind of media coverage, even taking pictures by the guests, was strictly prohibited. Kevin's men made sure of that. Rosalia was sitting in the bridal suite where the makeup artists and stylists sent by Kevin were busy preparing her for the big day. She was already dressed in the backless wedding gown. The make-up artist gave a teasing smile to Rosalia while covering the hickey on her neck which Kevin gave her last night. She felt embarrassed. Even though Rosalia never expected her wedding to be this extravagant, she was not happy at all. She would have been the happiest bride if she could marry someone she loved. She always had this fantasy to marry out of love which was crashing down with each passing minute. She was feeling extremely worried for
Kevin’s world tilted on its axis. He had suspected betrayal, but hearing it from Kate’s own lips was a dagger to the heart. Tristian’s small, evil laughter echoed in the room, a sound devoid of any humanity. He wanted to take advantage of Kevin's most vulnerable moment and Kate served in his favour well. Kevin’s heart pounded with a fierce mixture of fear, rage, and a desperate determination. The day’s harrowing events had driven him to the edge, and the sight of Tristian in his home, holding his family hostage like the Romanos did in the past and his own sister shaping all these behind his back pushed him over. He wanted to reach out and throttle Tristian, to make him pay for every ounce of pain he and his family had inflicted on Kevin and his family. But with Kate standing between them, the path to vengeance was blocked. For the first time ever in his life, Kevin felt his fingers shaking on the trigger. "Kate, you know, you don’t have to do this," Kevin implored, his voice raw w
• • • Rose had just given birth to their twins under the most harrowing circumstances and now, the ominous sound of a gunshot shattered the fragile peace that had barely settled over their mind and home. Kevin was all alert on his senses standing in the hallways, his intuition battling with unpredictability and determination that something was terribly wrong for sure. He glanced back toward the bedroom where Rose and their newborns were resting, safe for now. The decision gnawed at him, should he stay and protect his family or investigate the threat that lurked within their mansion, their safe boundary? Being unable to put the damn network into any work, he frustratedly threw his phone off and after a moment of agonizing hesitation, he resolved to ensure the safety of his loved ones by confronting the danger head-on. Kevin hurried downstairs to his study on the first floor. He opened a concealed drawer, revealing a sleek, black handgun. The cold metal felt reassuring in his
• • • Rose was not due in a month but the sudden panic attack induced her labour. All the while, Kevin stayed by Rose's side, not leaving her even for a second and urging her constantly to breathe through the contractions. "You are doing great, baby. Just keep breathing for me," He hushed softly near her ear. Rose tried to focus on Kevin's voice, but the shooting pain was overwhelming. Each contraction felt like a wave crashing over her, leaving her gasping for breath. She clenched Kevin's hand, barely holding onto her consciousness. "It hurts...," she cried out of sheer helplessness, tears were streaming down her cheeks, strands of hair sticking onto her face, "...so much." "You can, Rose," Kevin said firmly, though his own heart was breaking to see her in such excruciating agony. "You're going to be the strongest mother I know. Just keep breathing, okay? We're going to get through this," he tried to coo her, boosting her courage. Maria and Agatha worked quickly,
A thousand thorns were pierced on her belly at once, that's what it felt like for Rose when she could not stop herself from dropping onto her bare knees. Rose swept on the floor on her side with a cry of agony at the gruesome sight of her kitten's lifeless body, the blood scrawled word BITCH got washed away painting her forearms with the fresh warm blood of her feline baby. Relentless waves of panic tied a burning knot inside her stomach forcing her to curl into a small ball. All the muscles of her distressed body contracted altogether. Rose shot her eyes closed, haphazardly gasping for some air and just as she was about to collapse, a sharp, searing pain shot through her abdomen causing her to shriek with all her might due to the spasm. Rose sensed the popping feeling of water gushing down her inner thighs. Miliani, rushing back with a glass of milk, screamed, calling Rose in alarm, watching her lathering on the floor. Dropping the glass out of instinct, she sprinted to Rose
"What do you mean?" Rose questioned back. "Rose, I desperately wanted to meet you cause I had one very important piece of information to share which I am bearing with myself for the past six years. I can never confess this to anyone in this family except you and trust me, you need to know it," he truthfully said as it never really mattered to him in the past but since the day he got to know about Rose being attached to this family, he was searching for an opportunity to deliver this crucial information to her. Rose looked at him with querying eyes and unwavering focus. "Kevin was initially against our relationship but not after all the drama Kate put him through. And that day, it was not my plan to escape; escaping was never really necessary for us, to be honest. It was Kate, she tricked me into pulling that desperate act. That rainy night, we were having a deadly argument, and she was driving the car at a high speed when that unfortunate incident occurred. I had no other way o
• • • "Mili?" Rose softly called. Miliani was seated behind Rose tenderly messaging Rose's head with a light hair oil. "Hmm?" She answered carefully working with her fingers, aiding to Rose's relaxation. The final stages of the pregnancy are indeed very difficult to bear. Rose's feet have swollen, she finds it hard to straighten her back properly due to the heaviness of her belly, her breaths have become shortened, she often feels painful cramps in her lower back, also the excessive tiredness consuming her body does not help either. But whenever Miliani messages her scalp and then, reads Rose some of her favourite books, Rose finds it quite relieving. "How about you finish your school, get that degree and enrol for some college?" Observing Miliani's keen interest in studies Rosalia suggested. Also, deep down, Rose does not want her to serve as a maid in this mansion forever. Rose had suggested Mili to drop working as a maid at the Knight's mansion but the young girl
"I've something to say," she said hesitantly looking down, "Do you know Curtis is Caspian .. he was - he was there in Italy wi-" "I know," Kevin answered making her cease. As he might not be fond of her talking about another man for long, Rose did not speak anymore but she, being dubious, could not look into his eyes. She was unaware of what he might be thinking about her. "But I trust you," Kevin lifted her chin gently, his eyes locking onto hers with a genuine smile on his face that made her chest tighten. Rose's heart swelled up with his reaction but she felt bad knowing the lengths he was going through for his sister's recovery, all while being completely unknown to the absolutely opposite reality. But she was very determined that moment to disclose everything to him as the weight of his trust felt heavier on her shoulders than she ever presumed. Rose slipped her hands into the side pocket of her dress and pulled out a mini button sized camera. "There's something import
I would suggest you take a look at the chapter named 'Stress reliever' to understand this chapter better. • • • "Curtis!" Kate blurted out; she was flabbergasted at the sight, like he was the last person on earth she ever imagined she would confront again. It did not go unobserved by Kevin that Kate smoothly recognised her ex, the father of her son, Curtis. Kevin proudly smiled to himself as he took one big step towards her recovery. As the doctor instructed, something or someone deeply attached to her past might serve her against the current trauma. That's why he brought Curtis to help her recover sooner. "Caspian" Rose mumbled against her overly shocked breath. Why Kate is calling Caspian as 'Curtis' ... Does that mean Caspian and Curtis are the same person? Rose felt overwhelmed. She did not dare to call out Caspian loudly in front of everyone. Caspian and Rose both never shared their past with each other during the quite brief time they spent together in Italy. But R
The pain must be part of the cure ~ • • • Kevin, nestled in Rose's warmth, knelt before her and murmured the lines in urgency, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything, Rosalia." Today he felt the most deficient of all time. There is no such pain as painful as being unable to save the love of your life. Rose's serene features drunk with moonlight, her soft inquisitive eyes searching for something in his face did not allow him to make her aware of today's dreadful event. For the first time in his life, he actually felt so vulnerable that he could not bring himself to judder her peace with the bitter truth of what was about to happen to her. Such huge stress would not be any good for her at this stage of pregnancy, she was due in less than nine weeks. Whereas Rose was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, torn between whether to reveal Kate's deception to Kevin or keep it hidden. She had waited so long, endured so much, and tried so hard and now, just when Kate seemed ready to co