ROSALIA's POV ---------------"Did your beloved father not tell you that he is the one responsible for trying to kill you back on that day." Kevin informed. He is not lying. Dad tried to sell me for money. So it won't surprise me that he tried to kill me. But I wanted to know the reason. "Why did he do that?" I questioned. "Simply because you were with me." He answered, looking back at Dad and clenched his jaws in anger. "He was the one who fucking poisoned my mother for money with the help of our enemies, then hid here for years, and now was planning to sell you to them after discovering that you are my wife. I don't think this traitor deserves any less than lifelong lavish torture." Kevin declared with quieted anger. "Not only that, he married again here in Italy, but also before separating from your mother. So that Luca is apparently your father's stepson that means your stepbrother." Daniel spoke from our side. I looked at Dad, whose face had no source of regret in
*warning - sensitive stuff* ROSALIA's POV ---------------- I lowered my hand and brought it closer to my face. Pressing the gun against the side of my head, I asserted, "If you don't let me go, I'll kill myself." I was petrified, pulsating and my heart was hammering against my daring chest in fear. This is a sin that I can never commit. But at that moment, I needed to hold myself strong enough to not portray any of the emotions that were going through my mind. When I looked up, that taken aback, disturbed look could be seen on Kevin's face. My sudden stunt had unexpectedly turned the situation in my favour and caught him off guard. "Rosalia! Have you lost your fucking mind? The safety is not on. It's dangerous. Lower your hand immediately!" Kevin yelled at me. I had no knowledge about this 'safety' thing but it was definitely something that threw him in a position of difficulty. So I did not oblige. Seems like Kevin Knight did not like the taste of his own medicine.
ROSALIA'S POV --------------- Wasting no time, I pressed the button of the ground floor with a shaky finger. "No matter what route you take, Rosalia. Remember that your destination will always be me." These were the last words that rang in my ear before the door closed and the lift started accelerating downwards. I slowly moved my fingers away from the trigger and took my hand down releasing a sigh of relief. This construction area was huge and I could not see the stairs. Maybe the staircases are not yet made or it was there but did not appear in my sight. Whatever it may be it'll take them much more time to reach the ground floor without the lift. Upon arriving at the ground floor, I found some electrical panels on the walls. I kept flipping off whatever circuit breakers I found on them. With the last switch, the power of the ground floor also went out. The lift must have stopped working also due to the power cut. Following the dim lights that were coming from the road
Part one of the story ends here. The second part of the story starts after a four-month gap.
Author's POV ------------- The little boy huffed! His eager eyes were rounding all over the little flower shop. Every single day for more than two months this tiny tot is trying to uncover the angel who always keeps his favourite chocolate muffins available on the small counter of this shop without any missing. How does she always get to know when he will come to the shop and what muffins he likes? He always wonders. So today he is determined and single-headed.. he won't return home until he gets to meet the angel muffin. "Tua madre deve essere preoccupata per te, piccolo" The middle-aged lady sitting against the cash counter warily spoke. Without any second thought, she knew all the efforts of this curious little boy would go in vain like every day. She herself is trying her best to make the new member of her home socialise with the neighbourhood but she is rigid against doing so. (Your mom must be worried about you, baby) "Voglio incontrarla subito" The boy being extreme
Author's POV ------------ Every time Rose replays her past in her mind, a part of her swells with gratefulness for this motherly woman. She would have lost trust in humanity and good people if Agatha had not saved and sheltered her that night. She still vividly remembers the moment when she slipped near the pavement while running away from her husband, she fell, she bled until her lower portion was drenched with the blood of her baby. The bleeding did not stop, but she slowly lost consciousness in physical pain, in grief, which was more than any other pain. The next time she woke up she found herself lying on a hospital bed with Agatha on her side. Agatha informed Rose how she found her on the road while she was on her way back home. Being not able to control, Rose broke down in front of her. Told her the fretful events that she had gone through which made her end up on the road like that. Rose was apprehensive, sunken in dread as she assumed Agatha would definitely hand her ove
Nights turn into days and days into months. And Like an oasis of serenity amidst the astir streets, the little flower shop is comeliest. Where Rose has framed a small bakery corner on her own. Changing her mind and giving this hobby a chance was solely perceiving her will. She is a believer, she always has been. That is why Rose has decided to invest most of her time in working and not giving herself any chance to overthink unnecessary things. Don't lose your energy thinking about the past .. utilise it to build a better tomorrow. Agatha's pieces of advice are always right. That day after that incident with Caspian, her inner turmoil left her restless. It's been four long months and she is staying in an Italian city. If her husband wanted, he could have found her within a month but he did not. No one came for her. She is safe in the place which she assumed was the most unsafe for herself. Life is indeed unpredictable and you do not anticipate where it is going to take yo
"I am sorry if I hurt you by mistake. I had no.." "Can you teach me Italian? Please," Rose asked, cutting off his sentences with a smile. Caspian was good-natured and had been so considerate towards Rose. She felt she was being too hard on herself and others unjustifiably. "I...I'd .. gladly!" Caspian said while starting the car's engine. Their ride back home was not as silent as before. They exchanged a few words. Caspian's sense of humour was surprisingly too good to be an English professor. It was quite late at night. So Caspian left after making sure she entered the house. A fresh feeling, along with the sweet smell of lavender, consumed Rose's mind after Caspian dropped her off at the shop's door. As soon as Rose set foot inside the shop she could bet from the smell that Agatha was baking a lavender cake. Also, the shop was decorated quite differently. Then the thing stuck in her mind. Tomorrow was Rose's birthday. Her 23rd birthday. Was that why Agatha sent her away wi
• • •After Kevin finished a few remaining paper works and delivered them to John, both Rose and Kevin descended from Kevin's home office to the hall area. Rose had invited a special guest to dinner today, Susan, a very close friend of hers from high school. She could have invited her at any time of the day but she intentionally chose the dinner time on the weekend where every family member would be present. But that was exactly what Rose hoped for. Susan, currently pursuing a master's in clinical psychology at Stanford, is always praised for her brilliance in the field. Rose was desperate to do something with Kate's deceit that's why she sought help from her friend, Susan. Rose involved herself in a small chatter with Susan before the dinner, and then at the dining table, Rose strategically seated Susan next to Kate, hoping her keen insight would expose Kate's true nature before it was too late. The others in the family will see the truth through Susan's professional eye or
"See, even the lady can suggest better alternatives than you guys," utter annoyance was evident on Kevin's face as he slammed the last file onto the table, he was running short on his temper but did not shout those words like he usually does, thanks to the quieting presence of his wife, Rosalia. Today’s conference was supposed to focus on innovative strategies for generating new business ideas. But presentation after presentation had failed to spark even a flicker of intrigue, whereas Rose suggested, why don't they try on ethical diamond jewellery? They could focus on sourcing conflict-free diamonds and using eco-friendly materials for the designs and even create custom high-end pieces that tell a story about the origin of each diamond, making every piece unique and special. People would love knowing that their beautiful jewellery also supports good causes and the environment. Even though that's out the Knight's current priority deals but what Rose suggested was commendable, consi
•It was concerning, the image on the mirror showing the little baby bump was genuinely concerning for Rose. From what she knew, she was not supposed to have a baby bump just at the beginning of her second trimester. While pulling up the side chains of her dress, Rose was studying her body. She was getting ready for her first ever ultrasound scheduled by the doctor. "Don't worry, maybe you are going to have twins," Agatha said softly reading the worry written all over Rose's face. "Yes. It's quite likely. The second pregnancy in this family is always twins," Maria added from nearby while her hands were busy collecting the breakfast plates. That was not incorrect. Kate and Daniel are also twins. Does that mean I am also having twins! Rose was so scared and confused, not having an idea how to feel. The thought of twins was overwhelming. Rose just wished for a moment of clarity, a sign that everything will be okay. Rosalia felt anxious all the way to the hospital while Kevin br
Rose was not as paranoid as she had been before. She was resting against the bedframe leisurely reading a magazine after having dinner while Kevin entered the room post workout. For the past few days, Rose gave it a thought about how she should put the issue of Kate in front of Kevin. If not directly still somehow she wanted to convince him of something being wrong. But when Kevin emerged out of the bathroom, his trousers were hanging loosely around his waist revealing the chiselled perfection of his lower abs. He casually rubbed his wet hair with the towel letting the droplets of water trace the sharp lines of his jaw and the sculpted muscles of his chest. The seductive scent of his cologne mixed with the freshness of his shower created an intoxicating aroma that braced the air around Rose. As he walked past the bed, Rose could not help but stare, her eyes devouring the view, her mouth opened and closed like a little goldfish out of the water. Lately, her every emotion fe
She felt like the closest I would ever get to salvation Yet I wanted to pull her into the depths of my darkness ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kevin was raging through his bones, rage coursing through his veins settling every muscle on fire. Kevin's irate presence filled their room with palpable menace. Rosalia all worried and pale could read his anger weighing down her heavy heart. The sight of abortion pills hidden in Rosalia's medicine box ignited a storm of frustration inside him, a mix of betrayal and helplessness that he could not contain and swept everything within his reach off the surface in an attempt to pacify his anger. Rose, her eyes were filled with trepidation yet fixed on him. Beneath all her fear, there lay a deep, twisted dependence and an unspoken yearning for assurance and safety. Despite everything, Kevin was the only person who cared about her pregnancy more than herself and that seemed to be closing in on her. Exhausted and desperate, Rose felt her legs move before he
⚘ Miliani's heart filled with delight. In the past days when she was in the Romanos shelter, she used to fear being eighteen. She knew something horrible was going to happen to her whenever she would turn eighteen. From what the other maids told her about that surrogacy and stuff, she was fortified to her core. But now she is in a different place far away from those evil minded people, life is really unpredictable, she appraised. She drifted off into her own thoughts when one of Emilia's friends accidentally spilled some mocktail on her dress staining the white cloth in deep blue. She mouthed a 'sorry' before casually passing by. Miliani quickly reached for the stairs, it was her only decent outfit, she urgently needed to clean it up. Just as she reached for the doorknob, a firm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, slamming her lithe body against the hard wall. Daniel's icy blue eyes bore into her terrified ones, there was no one except for them in the passage. "W
. Rosalia never wanted to try something so daring. Rose gave it a thousand thoughts at least. After that fateful night, she discussed everything with Miliani and demanded to know about the explanations behind her intuitions. The only person bearing the reason for harming Rose is no other than Kate. Daniel is like the shadow of Kevin, even if the shadow faltered Daniel never would. That much Rose knew. But stating Kevin would bring no help, she was certain. If Kevin digs into this matter, a bunch of random maids would pay the price of their lives nothing else, he would never suspect his sister. Rose desperately hoped her suspicions were wrong, though she feared they weren't. Rose never wanted to think of Kate harbouring such malice towards her. In between these thoughts, Rose somehow despised herself for becoming like this, being drawn into these webs of deceit and immorality. Her heart skipped a beat as she brought the uncapped poison bottle near the plate but she kept her face
⚘ ' Mili ' that was what written in cursive on the small wrapped up box which a maid delivered to Miliani this morning. ' If you don't come downstairs wearing it, I'll come upstairs for you - D ' If this small note was not attached to it, Miliani would have returned it already. Even though she could not understand why Daniel would want to give her something, her fear of him was so profound that she dared not to defy him. Miliani clutched the small roll paper in her hand while entering her room with the box on her other hand. Emilia had already begun preparing herself for the evening ahead. Emilia batted her eyes with utter annoyance towards Miliani. If letting Miliani stay inside her bedroom was not enough, Miliani even managed to get on her elder sister Rose's good side, on top of that Emilia came to know that their birthday also coincided on the same fucking day. She had enough reasons already to hate this unwanted girl but crashing her special day was something totall
• It was past midnight when Rose's sweet tooth ached for no reason, unabling her to sleep peacefully. Even though Kevin instructed her to ask him first if she needs anything at anytime still surrendering to the toll of this pregnancy, Rose quietly tiptoed out of her room. Stepping down to the first floor, she observed a dim light coming from the side of the aisle. She had noticed the same thing the previous night as well. As curiosity piqued, she followed the source only to find Miliani reading a book under a study lamp, sitting outside of her and Emilia's room. Not expecting someone to intrude here at this time, Miliani looked up at Rose in unease. "You can use the desk inside your room" Rose suggested. Their room is quite large for two people, there is no need to be seated like that on the floor that is too late in the night. "I did not want to disturb her sleep," Mili answered with a slight smile referring to Emilia. Emilia prefers to sleep in the dark not even allowing