Both silent. Both leaned against the headboard. Neither of them spoke to each other. No one started. Neither wanted to break the silence. Theo was busy with his laptop or cell phone. While Rose silently waited for news from Aiden. From late afternoon until midnight, he hadn't contacted her.
Rose sighed. Occasionally glancing at the monitor that was lit in front of Theo. The web display showed images of the anatomy of the human-female body and a series of long sentences scrolled along with the cursor that kept moving. No idea what Theo's purpose was in studying that. Rose didn't try to ask directly, or maybe she had no intention of knowing anything about what Theo was doing and hiding. It was clear... their relationship was not healthy. It would only be a poison, a slow kill. Rose's face turned to where her cell phone lay. Hoping that Aiden would at least send a message and give her some news. But the screen of the flat thing was dark."Mommy, wake up." "Mommy." "Mommy Rose." "Wake up, Mommy Rose." A small voice tickled beside her sleeping face, which had been sideways since the last time it had been submerged with wild and stirring thoughts. Rose stirred, blinking softly against the incessant pecking of lips on the surface of her skin. "Mommy Rose, Oracle is here." Before the name was uttered, Rose thought she was having a beautiful dream. She thought the whispers that resembled soothing voices were just a blast of curiosity that was never paid in cash. It turned out that the sweep of soft objects across almost the entirety of Rose's face was true and real. A glimpse of the stacked petals of a shrub hovered in front of Rose. The striking red beauty greeted the long-standing confusion. Rose gasped .... Oracle. Her mind never refused to chant the same name. The little one's shady smile quickly pulled Rose awake. "This is for mommy." Arms holding several roses were outstretched perfectly. Rose was alm
"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 t
Everyone 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'
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
"She's very good at acting." Rose whispered softly in Bridgette's face who had only come into view after the play had started. There was no need for Rose to ask where the woman had been, she could guess what the couple sitting next to her had been up to from the slightly disheveled appearance a few moments ago. "Yes. No wonder she's the lead. She's very pretty tho." Rose nodded in agreement as Bridgette whispered along. The students who were drafted to act out the drama on the wedding stage were really good. Their pronunciation and intonation were perfect, especially when they were blocking. Rose remembered things like that that her father often commented on when watching street theater. Until this moment Rose had not found her father's whereabouts. Rose looked at Theo for a moment. Her husband was too focused on watching the theater play. The sharp gaze and tightly clenched lips were very hot. Rose wanted to touch Theo but was prevented by the arrival of the w
Who would have thought that the two weeks since that day would feel so short as Rose's busy journey came to an end. It all seemed to be over in an instant, until in the shade of a large, luxurious building she stood. Smiling at her handsome husband whose black hair had grown into a neatly combed bun. The thick eyebrows and gray eyes were a perfect combination, plus the hot touch of lips that sometimes returned her smile, and so whispered the naughty words that the man would later plan after the party was held. There should be nothing for Rose to worry about at this point. Just carrying out the last vestiges of the plan that would lead her to an intact family, then waiting to see how Theo would fight for their happiness together. But as long as she was there. Occasionally moving her feet regularly—back and forth in turns with her arms wrapped tightly around her husband's neck. Rose didn't find anyone who might still bear a faint resemblance to her parents among the a
"Who did you come with?" Rose felt a touch on the top of her head and immediately broke away from Bridgette's embrace. Xelle smiled at her and it seemed as if the man had just gotten home from work. The long blue shirt on the body was slightly ruffled with half of the buttons open, so the reddish marks on the skin of Xelle's chest were faintly revealed. Rose understood... she had just guessed wrong. "I think my arrival has interrupted your fun," she said, not directly answering Xelle's question, but at the same time Rose received a light pinch on the arm as well as Bridgette's 'shut up' gesture. "I'll take Rose inside. Don't forget to take a shower after this, Axe. You're very messy. And one more thing, tell Edward in an hour to pick up Oracle and Campel at school." Already Rose had taken a step towards where Bridgette was leading her, instantly she froze in place remembering Theo in the car. "I can't stay long, Bridgette. Theo's waiting for me." "
"This many invitations, who will be at our event?" Rose's attention was fixed on Theo and the concorde sheet of paper in his hand. Occasionally she turned back to confirm the existence of a stack of invitations arranged in tiers, some of which were in the trunk of the car with the rest sitting on the passenger seat. The golden color of almost all the invitation paper gave a luxurious impression, especially the embossed writing on the surface added an elegant side. Rose liked it when she was fingering the parts of the letters that popped out. It felt like she had just pampered her fingers. "Is your name right there?" But instead of answering Rose's question, Theo asked her that very thing. "It is." For a moment Rose returned her attention to the invitation paper. O'Douglas. Her eyes searched carefully for the name on the back. Rose had never been allowed to bear the title 'O'Douglas' for the rest of her life, but this time Rose had mad
Mesmerized. That was one of Theo's main reactions the first time Rose stepped out of the dressing room in a creamy white wedding dress like a romantic bride. An interesting conclusion emerged as Theo gazed at Rose as if she were a gentle woman with twists and turns... so beautiful and pure. The woman's sweet smile was something Theo never imagined he would have in full. Rose was absolutely stunning draped in a dress that began its beauty by leaving Rose's neck exposed in a transparent and elegant way. On the chest, the fabric that fit Rose's body was decorated with lace in the shape of spreading flowers and leaves accompanied by a sprinkling of sparkling crystals. From the hip line, the dress was in full bloom, but not beyond the slightest portion that Rose had to lift when stepping slowly. The curve in Rose's lips grew wider as she stared straight ahead. It was in those moments that Rose realized her husband was still silent without saying anything, as if he
After a flurry of activity with several dresses and eye-catching accessories. Rose's decision was then made to meet Theo in the office after parting ways with the woman who introduced herself as Alma as well as the woman's two beautiful secretaries, Evalina and Lindsey. The accidental encounter with Lion, whose fever was much better, was the moment when the man told Rose the whereabouts of Theo—who he said he had accidentally seen when Lion walked around several corners of the mansion just to add to the heat. The man wanted to sweat, but Rose's real business was with Theo. She didn't need to worry about anything else, except that her husband might be busy again. That was also what Lion had said before saying goodbye, which eventually led to Rose standing in front of Theo's study door... wondering if she should knock before entering. She didn't. Rose wouldn't do that once the door had been opened. A dimly lit room showed her husband there. Focused on his laptop, while Esmeralda
Loud howls filled Rose's senses almost all the time. She had locked the room. Her face was buried under the pillow, but Theo deliberately let Esmeralda roam the mansion. Occasionally the baritone's voice even chuckled in her ear. They seemed to be very close and perhaps Rose should have given Theo a warning not to make a single disturbing sound. Rose let out a long sigh letting her footprints rest on the cold marble. Step by step she walked out reaching out and pressing down on the doorframe then pulling the frame inwards, that second at the same time Theo's body fell along with Esmeralda who bit the man's forearm. There was no pain, because what Rose found was that Theo was enjoying Esmeralda's treatment. It actually reminded Rose of the first time she was reunited with a Siberian husky and the first time Theo found out Rose was pregnant. She smiled wryly at the thought of those days. If their baby had been saved, her stomach would have swelled up. "You and your wif