Although Elijah's tone sounded light-hearted, it was filled with guilt and remorse.Rose naturally noticed that and comforted him. "Perhaps one day, you'll find her!"Her words caught him off guard. When he looked at her eyes, he was in a trance. "You're right. Perhaps I'll find her one day!"But would there be such a day? Elijah took a deep breath."Miss, it's easy to get lost while searching for your friend on a mountain with so many branching paths. What if you encounter another man like that guy? It's dangerous out here. "If you trust me, why don't I keep you company during your search?"Elijah dismissed his thoughts. For some reason, he didn't want to separate from this girl."Will that take up much of your time?" Rose naturally trusted him. The more she looked at him, the more she found him amicable.He laughed. "Of course not. I'm free the whole day. Plus, I came here to find my wife. During her time in Regalia, we met here once. It'd be great if I could see her again."
If only she were the real Harriette. Otherwise, she didn't care for such brotherly love. She lay against Miles' back but kept thinking about Rose.How could she still call Miles when she had strayed away for so long? Lizzie did guarantee Rose would encounter "accidents" no matter which path she took.However, it wasn't Lizzie who planned the arrangement, but someone else. Did that person not do their job well?Despite her initial panic, Harriette gradually calmed down and turned optimistic. Perhaps it was still early, and they hadn't attacked. Since every path was posted with attackers, she supposed the "accident" would occur as planned nevertheless.Perhaps, Rose wouldn't show up even after they waited a long time at the summit!At the mountain's base, Bella looked grim while sitting in an ordinary-looking MPV.She received one call after another, telling her that their attempts were a failure. All of them pointed to the same reason, which was the fact that Rose was accompanied
"Miles was worried about you, and so was I!"Was she genuinely worried about her? Rose couldn't seem to ignore the fleeting coldness she saw in her eyes.Amid her thoughts, Elijah asked, "Etta? Your name is Etta?" He hadn't heard this name from someone else in a long time, looking visibly agitated.Miles, Rose, and Harriette couldn't help but look at him curiously."You're Etta?" he asked again after receiving no response.Harriette felt nervous immediately. She thought her disguise as Harriette had been exposed, but upon recalling the information provided by Lizzie, such a middle-aged man didn't exist in Harriette's world.As such, she became bold. "Yeah, I'm Etta. What's wrong, sir?" she asked with utmost politeness.Elijah stared quizzically at her, almost like seeking someone's shadow in her. However, after some time, he calmed his emotions. "Sorry. It's just that my wife has the same nickname. I call her Etta too."Was that it? Harriette instantly felt a relief. "Oh, we ha
A thud echoed as Anastasia fell to her knees."Ha ha ha!" Harriette was utterly pleased. She couldn't believe Anastasia had actually knelt before her.She hadn't forgotten the humiliation of that day when the video was released in Regalia when her shame was displayed for all to see—mocked, ridiculed, and scorned. At the time, she thought Rose was behind it. But later, she discovered it wasn't Rose. It was Anastasia. As such, she thought that merely asking Anastasia to kneel was far from enough.Harriette's gaze darkened. "Go on."Anastasia froze for a moment. "Go on? Is kneeling not enough? What more does she want?" she thought.Realizing what Harriette was implying, she slowly lifted her head and met the woman's cold gaze. Then, realization struck her—kneeling wasn't sufficient. She wanted Anatasia to bow down and grovel."Why? Are you unwilling? It seems like your plea isn't sincere enough then." Harriette scoffed, observing the anger and struggle on Anastasia's face. She kne
At that moment, Rose was standing near the edge of the road, close to the crosswalk. Just beyond it lay the parking lot. She waited for the traffic light to turn green, but she remained frozen in place even when it did. Her attention was fixed on a car speeding toward her, growing faster and seemingly out of control. It mounted the curb and headed straight for her.Her instincts screamed at her to move and to get out of the way. But in that terrifying moment, her body refused to respond. She was paralyzed, rooted to the spot as the car hurtled toward her."Am I going to die?" The chilling thought flashed through her mind."Rosie!" A frantic voice pierced through her terror. It was Miles, shouting her name in a desperate attempt to alert her to the danger. But Rose was already acutely aware of the threat. Her body, however, remained unresponsive.As the car closed in on her, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the inevitable collision. Some irrational part of her hop
Just then, a figure burst through the crowd. But instead of charging toward Rose and Jonathan, she rushed toward Jack."Jack..." Bella's voice trembled, her expression frozen in shock as she recognized Jack's face among the sea of faces. Just moments ago, she had been gloating over Jonathan's injury, but seeing Jack had thrown her into utter disbelief.She had been the one to orchestrate the car accident earlier, along with everything else that had transpired. She had been ready to remain in the shadows to avoid suspicion. However, the sight of Jack had shattered her resolve.Bella lunged forward, trying to shove Finley aside to free Jack from his grasp. However, her strength was no match for Finley's, and he sent her tumbling to the ground as if she were nothing."Jack, why… why are you…" Bella's mind was filled with questions. "He's supposed to be locked up in jail, so how is he here?" she thought as she stared at Jack, searching for answers.However, before Jack could utter a
"Etta..." Elijah murmured the name, his voice barely audible. He had almost developed a sense of fondness for her simply because their names were similar.However, as he watched her descend the mountain, his eyes never left her, and that was when he saw through her facade.Harriette's envy of Rose was palpable. She played her role so convincingly in front of her so-called brother, masking her deep, calculating intentions with remarkable ease. Elijah did not doubt that this woman harbored ill will toward Rose.The car accident and assassination attempt just moments ago further fueled his growing concern for Rose's safety.Furrowing his brow, his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered the call absentmindedly."Uncle Elijah, I went looking for you but heard you went to Aurora Crest. What brings you there, especially since you've just arrived in Regalia?" Clover's voice filtered through the line, brimming with curiosity.For a br
Time ticked by, and the sky began to lighten with the approaching dawn. Rose remained by Jonathan's side, holding his hand. Her mind wandered through a myriad of memories where he had fearlessly shielded her from harm, stood up for her, and protected her. She could feel an undeniable shift within her heart. Something she had once held so firmly was beginning to change."Jonathan..." she whispered, gazing at his pale face. She seemed to have made a decision.When Clover and Emily entered the room, they heard Rose muttering something indistinctly but couldn't make out exactly what she was saying."Rosie, you need to rest," Clover urged, his voice filled with concern. Rose had stayed up all night, and her exhaustion was evident.He exchanged a glance with Emily, who immediately stepped forward. "Rosie, I made some breakfast. Let's go eat something," she said, pulling Rose along before she could refuse.As they left the room, Clover turned his gaze to Jonathan, his eyes showing a