ROSE“Valerio….”I held the phone tightly to my ear, desperation creeping slowing as my whole body quivered with tension.“Is that about Valentino?” I asked quickly waiting desperately for an answer even though I could only hear muffled voices from the background. I didn’t wait for him to answer again as I turned off the phone and hailed a cab, and headed straight to the hospital.I rushed down the hospital lobby to the hallway where Valentino’s room was situated. I met his brothers outside the door. Valerio was sitting on the Chair outside, his legs crossed while Vicente paced about with a troubled expression.“Rose.” Vicente saw me first as I started to approach them. Valerio shifted his gaze to me as he stood up simultaneously.“Where were you and-“ Valerio started to say but I cut him short with an impatient tone.“Valentino.” I said immediately, as I swallowed hard trying to catch my breath. “What happened to him?” I asked as I looked from one brother to another.“Ah…that…”Vale
ROSE“How dare all of you take decisions without my consent?” His voice roared again as he drew closer, his gaze on me, with a deep frown on his face.“And you!” He raised his finger at me, with a disgusted look on his face. “What are you still doing here?” He asked with an irritated look.“I thought I asked you to leave quietly? Didn’t I warn you the repercussions will be grave!” He fired angrily.“I know.” I raised my head not wanting to moved by his stern tone. It was high time I stood up to this old man or he will continue doing whatever he wants.“We are at a disadvantage Rose. Don’t do this.” Arya cooed but I turned a deaf ear as my challenging gaze held the chairman’s.“Grandfather. What are you doing? This is for Valentino’s good. Can you just drop your pride for once?” Valerio said with a evidently pissed tone as he rushed towards him. His grandfather stared at him and then turned to look at me.“You didn’t leave as planned ugh? You fooled me till the end?” He asked me as I w
VALERIO As I stared out of the window from my room, I stared at the winter snow, compounding my loneliness as I sighed for the umpteenth time. Today marked exactly two weeks since our grandfather locked up in this bloody mansion, with the intention of keeping I and Vicente away from Rose.I jerked abruptly as I felt a hand on my shoulder from behind to turn to see Vicente.“What the hell, man!” I asked in shock with a pissed tone.“I have been knocking for a while.” He said as I sighed and turned back to look at the window, basically on the peach tree.“I don’t feel like talking.” I said with the intent of making him leave.Even though we’ve come to the terms of being brothers, I still liked my privacy so much. Plus we were both trying not to hate ourself in order to acknowledge Valentino’s effort, who seemed to not be making any further progress to healing since the last time I saw him.Even though we didn’t talk about it, silently, we both acknowledged it.“We are both locked in h
VALERIO “What are you talking about?” I frowned, as I tried to keep my wolf in check who seemed to be excited at that statement alone.“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me the first time, Valerio.” He cleared his throat and watched me carefully.“I know why the three of you are crazy over her. Wanting to protect her as the thing goes…”he gestured with his hand as if the situation he talked about irritated him.I pressed my lips together and rested back on the cushion trying to look guilty for pretending, as I shifted my gaze to my side and absentmindedly took my hand to my mouth, one of my fingers tucked in.“It’s because you all are mated to her.” He dropped as I shifted my gaze back to him.“And you don’t see any reason to stop messing with us?” I asked, not realizing how absurd that question sounded. Of course she can’t be with the three of us at the same time.“I mean, Valentino”. I felt guilt wash over me as if I was a man trying to take another person’s woman when he is fighting f
VALERIO“I don’t know… I…” I started to brush my hands through my hair, hating the fact I was considering this in the first place.“You know,” my grandfather's voice cut in again, like a tempter, determined to get me in her web. It was erratic and unrepentant.“Don’t think about any other thing, Valerio. We both know how much being with Rose makes you happy,” he started to shake his head. “Don’t deceive yourself. You will never be truly happy seeing her with your brother. You will want her till you die. Every day… night… your heart will twinge in regret that you lost an opportunity like this.” He stopped talking in that non-stop manner that did justice in trying to push me to the edge.“Just say yes,” he said again after a long pause. “The others will understand,” he said again.“What are you doing?” A third-party voice cut into the conversation as we all turned to find Vicente halfway on the stairs, staring at us like he caught us doing something bad.“Vicente…” I called almost in a
ROSEAs I sat on the cold bare floor of the jail, my head placed on my crouched legs, the other activity going on around me was nothing. I just couldn’t hear. Or maybe I refused to listen to anything that was going on around me.Even the talks between her inmate. In summary, it was as if I was both there and not.“Rose!” The sharp voice of the the warden thag always patrol their cell area cut into her ears and she knew better than to keep sitting there like that without acknowledging the older woman’s call.She raised her head and stood up abruptly as she unintentionally rubbed her hands on the orange ugly looking gown they wore in the cell, as he we eyes met the woman’s.“Yes.” I said barely in an audibe tone.“You have a visitor.” She said as the sound of the padlock persisted, while the woman unlocked it.“A visitor?” I blinked. For the last few weeks that I’ve been locked here, it was as if I have been cut off from the outside world, the one that hurts the most was not knowing wh
ROSE“What—what are you talking about?” I stuttered, completely confused, as I tried hard to comprehend what he was saying.“I made a deal with grandfather,” he said, and my brow creased in confusion.“In return for your freedom, we will be allowed to leave here,” he continued, and it felt like he lacked emotions at that point, as I stared at him. He looked completely different from the Valerio I knew—the one with that soft look that always comforted me. I was trying to find it.“Are you making any sense right now?” I asked with an incredulous chuckle.“No…” He shook his head. “No, I’m not,” he admitted, and I watched him in utter disbelief.“I’m not being rational because I can only think about you at this moment, Rose,” he confessed as I started to shake my head.“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, trying not to break into tears again.“Inasmuch as I can’t question when you haven’t been here to see for the past few weeks, this sudden proposition seems totally absurd,” I stated, desperate
ROSEAs he rubbed my nipples, he moved his mouth to mine, kissing me with great finesse. God, he was such a good kisser. I wanted to resist, but I found myself doing the complete opposite. When he finally broke the kiss, we were both panting heavily, and he stared down at me, his eyes filled with deep passion.“You still want me the same way I do, Rose. Let’s not fight this, ugh?” he murmured, moving his mouth to my lips and teasingly rubbing it.“But—”“No buts,” he smoothly shushed me, and I found myself listening. He kissed me. “We aren’t doing anything wrong. You are my mate,” he cajoled.“And Valentino,” I replied with dreamy eyes, and I could swear I saw a hint of pain in his eyes at that statement.“We shouldn’t do this to him,” I said, almost in a pleading tone, as if the web he had wrapped me in was the only thing that could free me. It was useless trying to fight it.“Valentino is in the hospital because of us,” he held my face with his two hands, raising it up to look at hi