Chapter 7Rose saw a chat message about that one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and she was ecstatic. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. The dark-skinned man she met earlier was nowhere near as attractive as he looked now, with a lascivious expression in Rose's eyes. What is this all about? Does Rose look a certain way? Like a cheap woman? She snorted and couldn't believe what was happening. Did a few hours in Jean's place turn her into the most desired prostitute? To the point that this crazy man wanted to buy her for a private contract? Madness! Rose hadn't fully accepted the fact that she had been sold by Elliot and had to serve the man who paid for her through Jean. Good Lord, why did this have to happen to Rose? What was her sin, oh God?"Why?" Antonio smiled smugly, then looked at Rose, who quietly clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Is this amount not enough for you, or are you surprised that your price turned out to be so high?"Rose remained silent. Hon
CHAPTER 8Rose went out in strange and embarrassing attire. But she didn't care at all. The streets were already crowded with people that morning. They started to pay attention to Rose from head to toe. Seeing the red dress she was carrying, the high-heeled shoes Rose wore, the messy makeup, and the improper loose clothing clinging to her body, anyone could guess that the woman had just spent the night at a man's house. Whether it was her boyfriend or a customer who paid her for the night.The neatly dressed women who were heading to the office looked at her disdainfully and whispered to each other to mock her. Meanwhile, the men who could still see the traces of Rose's innocent and sexy beauty whistled flirtatiously, hoping the girl would pause for a moment to indulge in their temptations. And of course, Rose didn't do that. She just focused on walking to the bus stop and quickly returned home."What kind of offer was that damn guy talking about?" Rose complained upon arriving home.
Chapter 9Upon hearing her daughter's words, Jasmine felt even more distressed instead of being calm. She truly felt useless and believed that she was a burden to her daughter, like a parasite clinging to her. Jasmine also felt that she might be a hindrance rather than a supportive mother to Rose and her future. Her mind felt chaotic, and suddenly, she felt a sense of guilt filling her chest.Regrets from the past came rushing in, making Jasmine even more agitated. If only she hadn't married Elliot and focused on supporting Rose and saving money for her daughter's education, up until college, instead of being swayed by her husband's sweet words. Surely, Rose wouldn't have to struggle like this now. The more she thought about it, the more Jasmine felt suffocated, and her breathing became unstable.Rose was preparing a glass of warm water and cutting an apple when she panicked and turned to see her mother clutching her chest. Jasmine looked visibly distressed and in pain. Rose immediate
Chapter 10Rose stood in front of the path leading to Antonio's house. However, her heart was filled with uncertainty. She didn't know if the steps she was taking were right or wrong. Nevertheless, she felt as though this was the only option she had. Jasmine wouldn't survive much longer without undergoing surgery. And even though the doctor had stated that the woman wouldn't fully recover, at least Rose knew that her mother could live a little longer. Despite feeling that her actions were reckless and inhumane, the conclusion that lingered in the girl's mind remained the same: Antonio was the only solution."Are you sure, Rose?" the girl asked herself. "Are you sure?"There was no answer in her head. Her intuition knew it wasn't the solution, but her logic justified that Antonio was the only answer."Was I too hasty yesterday?" she monologued. "God, but I don't want to become a vendor of desires obligated to satisfy men!"Rose took a deep breath, lowered her head, and then gazed strai
CHAPTER 11Rose saw Nathan, and the man approached her. Nath was watering the trees and small garden in his backyard. The man even smiled broadly when their eyes finally met."Did you catch me?" Rose smiled awkwardly.The man folded his arms, then looked Rose up and down, taking a deep breath. "Well... you look pretty rough for a woman who came back for a contract like that."Rose was initially taken aback, but in the end, she nodded and chuckled softly. It sounded pathetic, but Rose was certain that Nathan's words were true. Yesterday, she left Antonio's house in a pitiful state. Wearing shabby loose clothes and the same baggy overalls. And this time, she came with a plain appearance. Rose didn't even have time to take a shower."Well, I am indeed quite a mess, no matter what it is." Rose sighed deeply.Now the woman stood in front of Antonio's house, which was right next to Nath's house. She was only a few steps away from entering the gate, then knocking on the door and finding Anto
Chapter 12One second, two seconds, three seconds.Nathan's laughter exploded afterward, and Rose could only snort in frustration."Your jokes aren't funny!" she grumbled angrily. "What was that about?"As his laughter subsided, Nath looked at her with a serious expression on his face. Rose suddenly felt a cold aura emanating from his gaze. "Who said I was joking?"Rose suddenly felt like Nathan was playing with her. "Oh, so you're serious?""Just because I laughed doesn't mean it's not true." Nath smirked."Damn it!"Nathan laughed again, then glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's already noon. Let's meet Antonio. You can prove whether my earlier statement was a joke or not."Rose rolled her eyes lazily. She actually felt uncomfortable with Nathan. This man seemed friendly, but he wasn't. He seemed to enjoy teasing her and laughing at her foolishness. It was somewhat annoying for Rose. However, at the moment, Rose needed Nathan to connect her with Antonio. Only then could she make
Chapter 13Nath ended up with an ice pack on his face. His nosebleed had stopped, but there was clearly a bruise on his nose from Rose's impact. They sat facing each other in silence. The naked woman on Nathan's bed was still fast asleep, seemingly undisturbed by the noise they had made. The woman glanced briefly at Nath, and as soon as she realized that Rose was looking at her, Nath pretended to groan in pain."Stop acting!" Rose glared at him and hit Nath's muscular arm. "I won't apologize!""Don't you feel guilty towards me, huh?" Nath pleaded."I don't care." Rose turned away, and Nath laughed."You toyed with me, and now you're hurt because of me. Let's call it even," Rose added. "Now, take me to Antonio.""My boss won't be pleased to see you." This time, Nath said it seriously and honestly. Rose glared at him; she didn't believe Nath, but he quickly added, "I'm serious!"Rose still glared, unhappy."You hurt his feelings. You also rejected him harshly this morning. My boss, Marq
Chapter 14Antonio actually knew that Rose would return to him after the rejection that hurt his pride. However, he still couldn't accept the outrageous behavior of the little girl. Antonio never paid below average wages, which meant that anyone working with Marquez Antonio would be paid a fair price. But Rose stubbornly refused him and looked at him as if he were a pervert, then she ran off without saying anything, leaving him with such a humiliating rejection. Nathan had already said that Rose was just shocked by Antonio's crazy offer, which seemed immoral. The girl was just an innocent woman trapped by Elliot and accidentally entered the devil's circle at Jean's nightclub. Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Antonio was truly upset with Rose.Now the man stared at Rose, who stood in front of his house with Nathan, and he seemed hesitant."H- hello?" Rose greeted Antonio while trying to calm herself. "Um, for what happened earlier, please forgive me, Mr. Antonio."Nathan looked at
Chapter 86Chapter 86- Previous Chapter -"You'll be fine. I'll make sure you're safe."But suddenly, Rose jumped up and hugged Antonio, making him gasp. The woman buried her face in Antonio's chest."What's wrong, Rose? You don't have to worry. Ssh! Ssh! I'm here," Antonio said soothingly. "I'll ask Nathan to look after you too. So you-""Don't leave me, Antonio," Rose cut in.And Antonio was instantly silent. For the first time in his life, Antonio heard words of pleading that touched him deeply. Even when Sydney found out she was pregnant with Antonio's child, she never begged. Instead, Sydney blamed Antonio and aborted their child. The child Antonio had hoped for from the woman he had loved so deeply."I have no one and everything is hard when I'm alone."Rosepun's cries were heard in Antonio's ears. He finally knew how Rose felt when she set foot in the house again. The parting words he had spoken a few days back must have frightened her. Antonio had intended to end their relati
Chapter 85- Previous Chapter -"They'll be closed until the investigation is complete," Nathan guessed.But Antonio shook his head. He took out a cigarette from his pants pocket, as well as a lighter from the other pocket, and lit it. He took a long drag from the cigarette and the smoke evaporated into the air."And of course that would take forever!""Or...,"Nathan's brow furrowed deeply. "Or what?""Or Jean has secretly got another business."Nathan could no longer contain his shock at the opinion Antonio mentioned. His mouth gaped open, probably enough to fit a loaf of bread with a full meat filling. He swallowed saliva with difficulty afterwards. "Other bi-businesses? Does he have other businesses? She looks so rich with that prostitution business!""A woman like Jean wouldn't be satisfied with one source of currency. She must be hiding somewhere." Antonio brought his face closer to Nathan's. "Can you investigate? Try traveling around the north, or just send one of your men. I w
Chapter 84- Previous chapter -Antonio smiled slightly and leaned closer. "Are you sorry, Rose?"But Rose denied it. She shook her head and said, "No.""Are you sad that you got pregnant when I had just ended our relationship?"It took a while before Rose finally looked Antonio straight in the eye and said yes to his question. Her blue eyes glazed over again. There were so many things she wanted to say. Rose missed the man who was now standing there looking at her curiously, but it was all held back at the tip of her pale lips. She occasionally bit her lower lip because she couldn't say anything else.And Antonio was quite sensitive to the situation in front of him. He moved forward and immediately pulled Rose into his warm embrace. Then, Rose's tears completely broke out there. She cried as she hid her face into Antonio's broad chest, then hugged him back. While Antonio used his hands to gently rub the back of the woman who was now in his arms.If he could cry, Antonio probably woul
Chapter 83Putting a smile on his thick lips, Elliot walked into the hospital that was dominated by white and golden colors. It was not real gold, but without bothering to put gold on their walls, Golden Hospital was famous for their first-rate service. It's been years since the hospital was built and its reputation has always been good. As for the few problems and complaints received from the patients, they were responded well, so the hospital's reputation remained at the top until this moment.At first, Elliot was confused as to why Jasmine, who was technically still his wife, could be admitted and treated at a hospital as big as Golden Hospital. How could a sick and poor woman like Jasmine have the money to afford treatment at such a place. The insurance money that Jasmine's ex-husband had was all used for gambling and occasionally used to hire night women without Jasmine's knowledge. Jasmine was a good wife. Unfortunately, Elliot was not the kind of man who needed all the good in
Chapter 82The heat of the sun shining directly on Antonio's house made the owner feel uncomfortable. He took in as much oxygen as he could before saying, "Let's talk inside."Rose hurriedly held Antonio's hand as he turned to leave.It made the man in his all-black outfit turn his head. He looked at Rose's hand tugging on his jacket sleeve, then turned to her blue eyes. "What's wrong?""Nathan doesn't seem to like my presence. You guys are having a problem, aren't you?""It's... none of your business. It has nothing to do with you at all.""You're lying, aren't you?"Antonio shook his head. "Come on in. Nathan can wait in the living room."And after deliberating for a moment, Rose finally nodded in agreement. She went in ahead of him, while Antonio still looked around before actually entering, following Rose in and closing the door.Nathan turned around as Rose and Antonio stood in the doorway. He gave a short snort and lit a cigarette with the lighter he always carried in his pants
Chapter 81Nathan packed up some clothes and put them in a long, small tote bag. As well as clothes for everyday use, the now orphaned man also took a few other valuables with him. Anything that left his identity, Nathan tried to take with him, then some of it he threw outside the house and burned it."Are you done?"The man looked up to find Antonio standing in front of him. He nodded and said, "I did, but I'm going to wait for it to burn. I don't want to get caught a second time.""I'll wait in the car.""Okay, boss!"Nathan then stepped on the items that were a little far away to get into the fire. Making all his belongings burn in the flames that turned them into dust.The man then went back into his room. He checked once more. His house was indeed not that big because this place they bought was only as an escape. Their life after becoming fugitives was not easy. Coming and going, leaving and being left behind, meeting and parting became something very close to Nathan. He nodded h
Chapter 80Antonio's brown eyes rounded instantly. "This... what the hell?!"The scene in front of him was a sight to behold. An enthusiastic and excited Nathan continued to explain about the items he had found at Jean's nightclub during the trip. But as soon as they arrived and Nathan took Antonio to his room, which was right next to the living room, Antonio was shocked.Items like pillows, bolsters, blankets were scattered all over the floor. Not to mention a few items on the nightstand. Oh, and don't forget the mirror!All the items lying in front of him now seemed to make Nathan's room look like a crashing airplane. Antonio turned to Nathan with a confused expression, his face saying you-must-explain-everything-now.Instead of cleaning up his mess, Nathan forgot that his room had become an outlet for his frustration. He snorted in amusement and scratched the nape of his neck as he returned Antonio's gaze. The man who had covered his body with an old leather jacket from last night
Chapter 79Rose looked around, after Williams had left her. The hospital corridors were still very busy even though it was soon time for some doctors to go home. Rose's blue eyes found nurses chatting as they walked, small children crying as they were about to be examined by the doctor or even parents who looked confused looking for loans over the phone to meet the hospital fees. But through it all, Rose still felt sorry for herself with all this fate.The woman then made her way to the cafeteria located on the west side of the hospital. Her stomach felt very empty and her throat was dry. And when she got there, Rose immediately cast her eyes around."Is there anything I can help you with, Miss?" asked the vendor standing behind the counter.Rose looked at the large menu board hanging behind the man. There was a wide variety of menus available at various prices. But in the end, Rose remembered how much money she had left and decided to economize. She swallowed hard before finally sayi
Chapter 78Meningitis is an inflammation that occurs in the meningen, or the protective layer that covers the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can sometimes be difficult to recognize, as the disease has initial symptoms similar to the flu, such as fever and headache.Meningitis can also be caused by bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infections. Certain conditions, such as a weakened immune system, can also trigger meningitis. But in Jasmine's case, Williams wasn't just explaining things to Rose. He told her that she had a tumor that could aggravate her current condition, so surgery was necessary.After signing some paperwork, including completing the hospital administration, Jasmine was able to enter the operating table with Williams as the doctor in charge.Rose waited for about three hours in front of the operating room. Williams had already told her that the surgery would be performed under general anesthesia. The operation would begin by opening the skull bone (craniotomy) fo