"It's Uncle T, Mommy."
The two of them sat on the living room sofa. Oracle quickly crawled onto Rose's lap, and held the woman close. His face was hidden deeply... gradually tightening the circumference of his arms around Rose's slender body, to avoid Theo's increasingly inexorable clamor. "Is Uncle T near?" Rose didn't answer. Theo was already towering over her, without warning stooping slightly—cutting off the distance between the three of them. He was so busy looking for Oracle's sunken face that he didn't notice Rose tracing the faint bruises embedded in his cheekbones and the corners of his eyes. "Why avoid Om T, huh?" Theo's question made Oracle gasp. His embrace slipped away as Theo tugged on both of Oracle's arms and moved the boy to sit right next to Rose. "Mommy Rose is sick. Can't hold Oracle on her lap like before." Oracle didn't argue. Theo was firm and not angry, but Rose tEveryone was focused, no one would have guessed that Rose was trying hard to make sense of the situation. Oracle had been taken with Edward, while Bridgette... Rose couldn't even describe the decision the woman had made. She tried to get up, fighting the pain under her stomach when her spine had to be stretched. "Move aside." Xelle's deep, hoarse voice was freezing cold. Bridgette was stared at sharply. One touch from Xelle managed to remove Bridgette's existence as a separator. Bugh! A hard punch landed on the bruise on Theo's face. "If anything happens to Rose, your life is at stake. And you almost ruined her life. Where was your promise back then!" Xelle's anger was overwhelming as Theo's silence seemed to confirm the truth. "Nonsense. I won't let Rose be with you or she'll forever be in danger." Each of Xelle's blows nearly shattered Theo's face. Negative emotions took over everythi
Bang! A single missile burst from close range. The bullet tore through the flesh until blood oozed out. Theo stood still, letting the hot lead lodge in his arm. Calculating Xelle's movements, he threw the firearm on the sofa and pulled Rose closer. "Give me your hand." The man said coldly. Grabbed the finger embedded in a ring with three tanzanite gems. Theo's blood bubbled like a waterfall, falling in a cascade, which Xelle used to join Rose's palm there. The entire surface is immaculate, now consumed by the color of red and its inherent rancor. The blue and purple mixture of the gemstone changes as it comes into contact with the thick liquid of the wounded man. Slowly, the ring loosens. Rose stared at Theo's face for a moment, not understanding why this was happening. All this time the way Rose had been questioning, was finally answered. "Don't take Rose away." Theo's one phrase was he
Theo's whisper was an agonizing sound. It was like Rose had plunged herself into a hole she could never climb out of. Going back to Theo was tempting, but pulling out was impossible. Everything was already done. The peck on the top of her head, Rose called part of the romanticization of the situation, and the one that killed both common sense and feelings. "We're going to the room now." Theo suddenly lifted Rose's body, carrying her into the main room. Completely ignoring the presence of the others. Unlike Rose, who was looking for any excuse to show her face. "Go." Her lips uttered that one word silently. It was not Rose's intention to drive him away. For now she did not want Theo and Xelle in the same room together. Little things could be made big by the attitude of these two. Rose let out a rough breath. The door to the room was locked. She couldn't s
"What did you and Travis talk about?" Rose felt like she was being talked to and wanted to know what Theo was talking about which made Theo look different. It was a really deep expression that Rose had never seen before. "Nothing. I was just asking Travis about some things you can't interfere with." "Things I can't interfere with?" Rose repeated Theo's statement with a surprised frown. She was sure she was intimately involved with the Italian topic. But Rose couldn't force Theo. The man was very introverted at the moment. "Go to bed, Sugar. You need to rest." "I just woke up earlier." "Really?" Theo's soft chuckle pretended to ask her. Rose savored every touch the man gave her. "Don't want to be taken away, okay?" There was a shock that Rose couldn't neutralize. One minute Theo was being far from what she expected. One minute he was pointing out something Rose couldn't quite put her finger on. Everything Theo was
Rose's attention turned to the email displaying the document attachment. Rose was sure that Aiden had compiled George's data in 'pdf' format, and then sent the file to her. The download was successful, which Rose proceeded to open the soft document using an additional application.Some of the information about George was organized starting from the most mundane things. However, no matter how deep Rose delved into the facts that were laid out before her eyes. It was still George... a single name that Rose found quite difficult to believe. A name with no additions or extensions certainly didn't make the search any easier for Rose. She paid attention to George's address which was also not clearly written. It was only hinted that he lived in Northern Italy, Lombardia to be precise, a region between the Alps and the Po valley.Rose remembers once traveling alone in a place that was of course still within the same region. Back then... the public park she went to had caused a
"Rose." A voice call sent a suggestion pausing Rose's actions as she almost stepped on the first step. Rose turned around. Startled by Xelle's presence looming not far from her position. "I have something to say." Still in the same place, the man made a gesture that Rose understood well. She already wanted to come over. Instead, Theo's grip was tight with his gaze was cold. "Just a moment," Rose said. Trying to pull her own wrist free. "He's going to take you away from me." A sharp, hissing, swinging tone crept into Rose's auditory senses. "That's not possible. Let go, Theo. I'm going to see Axe for a minute." Many times over the grip gave Rose pain. Numbness began to run through the veins of her hands. "Theo!" moaned Rose in half exasperation. "I don't believe you. What guarantee is there that you won't lie to me?" There was no way Rose was going to make that head blister. Theo really couldn'
"I-I can protect myself, Axe. You don't have to go to all this trouble." "If it's true. You won't have anything bad happen. I don't know why you had to fall into that bastard's hands. If I wasn't madly in love with Bridgette. I would have made you my wife." Xelle's statement amazingly made Rose pause, then laugh following the deep, husky voice that broke the awkward situation between the two. "Bridgette is very lucky to have your love." Rose stopped the sentence for a moment. Tracing each of Xelle's expressions, not missing the attention to the hazel and ash color of each iris before her. "But you're serious about not betraying Bridgette, right?" asked Rose thoughtfully, simply interfering in Xelle and Bridgette's domestic affairs. "Nah. She just misunderstood. Women and their pregn
Half an hour of forced speed amidst the hustle and bustle of vehicles didn't make Xelle arrive on time. He swore repeatedly at the apartment door. Bridgette was one step ahead of him and had probably already met someone inside. "You were looking for me?" A soft voice carried right behind Xelle. The towering body turned to find Bridgette folding her arms across her chest. "Why are you here?" There was relief laced in the heterochromia eyes Bridgette found. It should have been from the first time until she barged inside. However, Bridgette took into account Xelle's steps which turned out to be true following. Bridgette's loose arm dangled at the side of the body. "I just wanted to see what kind of surprise my husband would give me." Bridgette shrugged indifferently. Her flat face passed Xelle and reached for the apartment door grill.
Zever's sudden departure made quite an impression on Rose. At that moment she and Travis silently watched the backs of two people who were moving away. Rose didn't dare say anything as she herself realized Travis was leaving her behind—Travis looked down and Rose hoped he was okay, then followed with careful steps carrying her triplet into the mansion building. Two hours after the incident in the back garden, and after putting the children to bed, Rose soon caught up with Zever's whereabouts. Through the messages given to Lion, Rose certainly monitored whatever was happening outside. This included asking how Travis was doing. The man was behaving as before, but there was one problem. Zever in the living room with a ripple face so cold and gray eyes that stared half-empty arranged miniature joints on the table. Rose repeatedly took a breath just to steady herself sitting next to her husband. "Zever," Rose called out, wanting to make sure he would respond or not. Z
"I'm done, Theo. Now it's your turn—" Rose thought, after stepping out of the bathroom and changing there. She would find Theo keeping all three of their babies in their proper positions, but that big body—in his sideways sleep—seemed to be deeper than the three babies who were snoozing peacefully. Exhausted. That's how Rose interpreted it, because these days Theo was often busy in the middle of the night—looking after their babies, while Rose was forced to rest. Rose smiled slightly as she rubbed the top of Theo's head. It was only for a moment that she turned to her triplets to transfer them to the trolley. Rose would take them for a walk in the back garden. Finished with the transfer she returned to Theo simply covering her husband's body with a thick blanket. "We're leaving first." Rose briefly kissed the corner of Theo's face. She pushed the trolley carefully towards the elevator. Rose already knew where the elevator was, it was quite hidden—and Theo had no
"I got a lot of grandchildren." O'Douglas laughed like a pirate captain who had just discovered a historic treasure. Each of the middle-aged man's arms flanked two tiny babies, while the other was in the arms of Verasco, who continued to hold them, occasionally bringing them closer with a lighthearted joke. There was no telling what Rose would say as she watched her children being swarmed as soon as Verasco and O'Douglas walked into the ward. She had just finished breastfeeding, so the satiated babies would just sleep through the day, and not trouble their two grandfathers. "You never stopped looking at me," Rose said quietly. Most of the time Theo had a glare on his face, but right now the gray bead was shining something different. It was so loving and some of it Rose couldn't interpret correctly. How could Rose stand being shot at so closely. Theo had to, just once, look away from her. "Thank you, Sugar." A gentle touch on the skin of Rose's face made her
Rose didn't expect Theo to take her to the island of Ortogia, the historical center of the Sicilian city of Sirakusa, to enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean sea. The scents by the sea were soothingly beautiful. Rose had not forgotten that Theo had not once let go of her body on the man's broad shoulders after walking along the old buildings on the islands of Ortogia. "Whose house is this?" asked Rose looking at a sturdy building that looked like it was meant for two people to live in. "Our house." There wasn't much Rose could say, except to bury her face deep in the hollow of Theo's neck. The masculine scent was still very much present, even after they had spent the whole day entertaining the guests, as if the perfume was very much at home on Theo's clay skin. "Want to go straight to bed or shower first, Sugar?" In front of a door Theo stopped and let Rose get on the floor. Between hesitation and the need for something fresh she finally looked up at Theo.
"Ready?" Rose nodded as Theo spoke over the top of her head. She was indeed standing with her back to Theo, holding the handle of a long cookie-cutter knife, while Theo's large fingers grasped each of her knuckles warmly. The multi-tiered cake, or not much different from a fragile tower, was being split open. The blade slowly descended downward to symbolize sharpness. Rose smiled almost melting into laughter when Theo whispered something funny to her, funny but Rose wouldn't tell anyone. Let her keep it to herself and make it an important fun moment. After the first slice of cake Rose and Theo should have been feeding each other. Instead Theo scooped out the cream and immediately applied it to Rose's lower lip. Rose's face was a mess, but that was exactly what Theo wanted. He took Rose's lips like he was taking a delicious cake. The sweetness of the sugar and butter mixture seemed to make Theo insatiable. He licks Rose so intimately—there's no end to it—that Rose
"It's enough. I'm full." Again Rose had to restrain herself as Theo's big fingers tried to push away the bowl of white porridge in her hand. "Just a little more, Theo. You have to finish your porridge." "Come on." Rose brought another spoonful of porridge closer, but that face refused. "Don't make me eat bad porridge, Sugar. It's tasteless." "That's why if you eat while looking at me, you'll get some flavor." "One more bite. I promise after this is over." "I don't believe it. You said that earlier, don't you remember?" Rose's wide grin completely fooled Theo. The man was exactly a child who had lost his appetite. It was very difficult to persuade him to open his mouth. "This time I'm serious about the last one. Ahk... open wide." Rose thought Theo would immediately accept her bribe. Instead, the man moved the elbow of Rose's hand, moving the bow of the spoon to Rose's own lips. "You should eat too." "I ate earlier," Ro
One day after Theo regained consciousness, Rose finally decided to return to her home, the place where she once lived alone next to her small restaurant. At the moment there wasn't much for Rose to do other than prepare to meet Theo at the hospital. Rose immediately drove her father's borrowed car. On the back passenger seat she placed a medium-sized box with several holes in it that was wrapped very beautifully. While beside her sat a cute little dog with curly hair and white color like cotton. Yesterday Rose had just bought the poodle breed at the pet shop. Intrigued. That was all that drew Rose's desire to bring home the poodle named Cocomelo. "We've arrived." Rose prepared a special backpack to carry Cocomelo on her shoulders, so that when she first entered the infirmary Theo would not immediately meet her Cocomelo but Rose would show him. And in her hand, she carried the medium-sized box and walked into the hospital. Not just daring, but Rose had already ob
Coming back from the bathroom, Rose thought she would be faced with the same situation. She had warned against it by waiting longer in the humid room until some of the noises from outside faded away. But everything Rose had expected was not true. The blood seepage on the floor when she opened the door was gone. Verasco's subordinates... even Verasco himself was nowhere to be seen, in his husband's infirmary. All that was left was Lion waiting very quietly, arms folded across his chest as he watched Theo silently. "Are you still here, Lion? Where are the others?" asked Rose as her steps brushed the side of the blanket. "Mr. Verasco asked me to wait here, Miss." Lion's attention was finally diverted. Rose suspected that he had just returned from the police station and helped Verasco and Elijah to execute George. As for George's betrayal, perhaps it was a wake-up call for Verasco to be more intolerant of hidden intentions and whatever else might happen. "Where is my
"On the way home. Their story has a happy ending. Finished." Rose closed the 400 pages book and placed it on the nightstand. Reading sweet stories had become her routine in the past few days. Rose smiled slightly at her husband's face who was lying so quietly. This morning the breathing apparatus had just been removed indicating Theo's condition was getting better after the bloody spear incident. Luckily, they immediately brought Theo to get the right treatment. Theo had to undergo surgery three times. He had lost a lot of blood and needed transfusions as soon as possible. Rose remembered that some arguments happened between them regarding Theo who had very step blood, even Verasco was helpless about it. Just a Wench .... That's what Verasco said at that time with a trembling tone of voice. Like he was so regretful. Really regretful, until finally Travis suggested the few people who were still left in Italy to bring some bags of Theo's blood that were taken two