Chapter 40Rose tried to hold Antonio's body that forced her there. The attack by the burly man was inevitable. Rose's pink lips were crushed without a trace. Even in the first few moves, Rose couldn't breathe because Antonio was going at her blindly. It wasn't until the end that Rose strengthened both hands to push Antonio's chest away from her for just a moment."Ngh-Antonio, I can't breathe," Rose's high-pitched words seemed to scratch the man's ego.Those tanned eyes with a flash of passion bulged. There was a sudden look of disappointment and anger mixed in there. And suddenly, Antonio tightened his grip on Rose. "If you forget, I'll remind you. THAT YOU ARE HERE, BECAUSE OF MY MONEY. Remember that, little girl?"It wasn't Antonio, Rose thought. He was a monster.How could he possibly speak so clearly about money in a situation like this. Did Antonio not want her as a woman at all? Was his view of Rose really only between the lustful and the paying client?Antonio kissed Rose's l
Chapter 41***[Antonio, 9 PM]: Is she home yet?[Nathan, 9.02 PM]: I haven't managed to find her since this morning.Antonio rounded his eyes in disbelief. He scanned the content of the message Nathan had sent once more, then confirmed that the clock on his left hand was pointing to the same time as the time on his own phone. It was late but Nathan had given him some bad news. The feelings of guilt that had previously been faint were now becoming more pronounced and disturbing. He dialed the number on his cell phone and started calling someone on the other side.[Hey, Boss?]"What do you mean you haven't managed to find him yet? Didn't you say you were close to my house this afternoon, hm?"Antonio's tone which sounded impatient and annoyed made Nathan a little nervous. He then replied to his boss. [I'll check with the hospital, he might have come back to see his mother.]"Make sure you find her right now! Understood?""Okay, boss."Antonio turned off the phone and squeezed the flat
Chapter 42Nathan closed his eyes. The heartbreaking sight of his sister made his chest throb with pain. Lyla was crying in his arms. She didn't care about her clothes, which were already worn out, even torn in several parts due to being forcibly fucked by two strangers she met at the nightclub. The man who was familiarly called Nathan struggled to catch his breath, trying to get rid of the memories in his head.It was quite difficult at first, because the memories that sliced his heart that night were still clearly recorded in his memory. But after hearing a scream from inside the tunnel right beside him, the memory evaporated on its own.Nathan rounded his eyes. "It's Rose!"Then his body quickly ran into the tunnel. The same place where his sister was raped and lost her future that night.And sure enough, Nathan's tanned eyes that had been glazed over found Rose surrounded by a group of drunk men. Rose looked panicked and scared, while some of the street men tried to touch her.Wit
Chapter 43The sound of knocking and a door being pushed caught Antonio's attention. The man's eagle eyes then turned to the source of the sound, to the sight of two people who were familiar to him, Nathan and Rose.Antonio stood up from his long sofa after waiting for several hours. He felt happy, but did his best to hide it. So there was only a flat, expressionless look that meant nothing on Antonio's face as those blue eyes looked at him.Nathan lifted his face, looking proud. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and squared his shoulders. "Here comes your woman, Antonio. Now you don't have to worry anymore because again, I managed to do my job right," he boasted. "Make sure you give me a raise for looking after this kid too, boss.""Nathan, go away," Antonio ordered coldly. "I need to talk to this woman."Which made the confident curve of his smile fade instantly. Nathan sneered at Antonio. But there was nothing he could do but obey his superior's orders. He saw Rose and wav
Chapter 44***Previous ChapterNgh-Antonio!"The sigh came back to Antonio's ears, making him feel high again for creating that euphoria in Rose. Antonio and his cleverness in playing the rhythm, made Rose forget that Antonio had even hurt her pride earlier that afternoon. No matter if she ends up being just his hired woman, or not even considered at all, Rose admits that she will always want this scene in her gray days.Rose tried to squeeze the surface of the sofa as Antonio moved beneath her. It felt absolutely unbearable that Antonio's tip was able to touch the secret spot inside Rose's body. Not to mention Antonio's very, very skillful movements, Rose is lulled by it. She didn't want to stop!"Did you enjoy it, darling?"The question sounded vague as Rose was still lost in a world of pleasure she had never felt before. She just gave a small nod and said, "Yeah, hm, sure!""Then, do we need to do three rounds tonight?"Rose rounded her eyes, looking surprised. But if she was alre
Chapter 45***The scorching sun dazzled Nathan's eyes even though he had covered them with dark-colored glasses. Dressed all in black, Nathan walked through the suburbs of New York City with great care. Since Antonio had become a national fugitive, Nathan's movements had been restricted. Antonio's name had been on the wanted list since the big raids at several points, so some of the big businesses they were running had changed. Whichever way you look at it, Elliot's betrayal has put the business on the edge. It was fortunate that Antonio still had loyal people behind him, so that the information that was kept secret did not completely leak into the hands of the police.Nathan looked up at the corner of the small building in front of him. A CCTV camera was mounted there, pointing right at him. Then casually, Nathan waved his hand, as if knowing that the owner of the CCTV camera would see him.And not long after, the door of the house opened. Nathan no longer raised his hand and waved.
Chapter 46Previous Chapter..."You... do you always wake up early like this?" asked Rose as she continued to hold the blanket on her body."I have a little trouble sleeping. A lot of things bother me when I close my eyes," said Antonio as he sat on the edge of the bed. He smiled a little and crossed his arms over his chest. "But it's a little better now that you're here."Rose blushed, her cheeks suddenly red as tomatoes. She pursed her lips and tried to change the subject. "But you're still up this early. Didn't you sleep well?"Antonio paused, he was silent. Before giving a small nod and saying, "I always have nightmares about something in the past. And... I hate it.""Is that why you chose to open your eyes even though you were tired?""I'm not tired," she lied. "I can even still shake you if you want right now."Rose closed her mouth tightly. There was no way Antonio would attack her again after making love all night? Or... would he really?***The man in the long black shirt the
Chapter 47[Antonio, 10:00 AM]: Are you at the location?[Nathan, 10:03 AM]: What do you think?[Antonio, 10:04 AM]: I'm serious, you idiot![Nathan, 10:04 AM]: Look behind you.Nathan waved his hand in the air as he widened his smile at the sight of Antonio. The neat rows of teeth were on display for all to see inside the coffee shop called Amour. It was on the outskirts of town and not too far from the hospital where Jasmine was being treated. Antonio had suddenly texted Nathan to meet him there and it had taken Nathan by surprise.Never in the history of their friendship had Antonio asked Nathan to meet him at a coffee shop. Even more so, after they were declared fugitives. Imagine, what fugitive could casually sit incognito and enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the midst of other patrons? Antonio was crazy!But Nathan was no less crazy.He walked casually over to Antonio who was massaging his temples on the chair. If you look around, there's only Antonio and one other patron there. Whe
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