"Travis."
Rose pushed her way in, making the man behind the ledger jump. "Sorry, Travis. I was in a hurry." "What is it, Miss?" The light question came after Travis closed the thin sheet marked with a string. "Do you have any painkillers or anything to treat the bruises on Oracle's hands? Theo just had a nightmare and accidentally did this to him. I'm scared if anything happens." Travis's eyebrows shot up. "Mr.T just had a nightmare?" he asked. In stark contrast to Rose's haste. Travis was too calm to notice the extent of the bruise. "No need to worry, miss. You'd better see the master, I'll treat him." Travis smiled. She hesitated between refusing or agreeing. Rose glared at Travis and Oracle's faces in turn. She blinked. "Are you sure there's nothing to worry about?" "Yes, Miss. I can handle it. You should see the master. He may need you." Stunned, considering things from all angles. Rose finally sighe"Oracle, are you sure you want to go straight home? Not wait for Om T to wake up first?" Oracle's rejection firmly dispelled the offer Rose had repeatedly made. Rose's breath rushed out, lips pressed together thinly. She contemplated everything that had not and would happen. In front of her, from a distance Rose had guessed what Xelle's reaction would be, if the blue bruise on Oracle's conspicuously elastic bandage—covered wrist caught the heterochromia's eye. As slow as a leaf combing Rose changed position. Towering high, she awaited the quick approach of the one who was now beside her. "Daddy." The thin curve of the lips responded to Oracle's greeting. A neat knit of eyebrows rose with Xelle's sharp eyes scrutinizing. He took a deep look at Rose's face, then turned back to the first focal point. His large body knelt down, light as a feather to reach for Oracle's small fingers—noticing carefully the cloth wrapped densely... breaking the suspi
"What conclusion?" A look of unequal color narrowed sarcastically. Rose's face was lifted a little roughly until she looked up and stared at each other. "It's so bad that even saying his name scares Oracle. And you say he didn't mean it?" Xelle's whisper was like a spark of fire. Quite disturbing if Rose had to admit it. She brushed off the lingering link of fingers, though Xelle's actions were not hurtful. "Theo didn't mean to. I was the one who misplaced the Oracle in our midst," Rose argued, not realizing how the blind finally blinked. "You're defending him, Rose?" Rose swallowed harshly. The glint in her eyes flickered quickly. "I'm not. It's just that you don't understand. I told you, that Theo did that out of his control. He had a nightmare last night." Rose held back the lump in the back of her throat. "You know I love Oracle, Axe, he's my son too. But please don't make a mess here. I've seen my husband hurt enough times. Not anymore. P
"Open your eyes, Theo." The throbbing was still as loud as it had been the first time Theo had spoken. Rose's heart and head were fighting each other. Each fighting for the space that overlapped the boundaries she had created for herself. In between came a strange feeling, which Rose could not organize into a symphony. She was a jumbled mess of randomness. Should have reconsidered Xelle's sentence a moment ago, was it true that Rose was trying to stay with someone who made her get lost in her own feelings? .... No, she wasn't. Rose didn't want to be confused by all that reality. As far as possible, she separated the things that shouldn't be lodged in the deepest corner of her heart. Towards a kind of choice which is the most appropriate to win Rose's sanity. She didn't want to be conquered. "Wake up. Get up, Theo!" Rose squeezed the clay muscles in her husband's arm. Turning the curled up body to face the ceiling of the main room. "T
"No, you don't. You had your fill of acting like a baby last night." Rose ruffled the remaining strands of hair that still dangled over half of Theo's face. She looked down, searching for the most comfortable spot to strike. "Ouh, Sugar ...." A contrived hiss. Rose knew that no matter how much she clenched her teeth, it wouldn't give Theo much leverage. "Let go. I have to meet, Axe." "You son of bitch. I hope you don't leave before I get back." The chances of escape were slim in the conditions Rose had to face. She wasn't going to waste it, deliberately hunting her nimble footsteps leaving Theo alone lost on the bed. Rose reached for the doorframe. The hinges clicked after she positioned herself facing the man who had been calling impatiently. "You're taking so long." The stifled protest from the owner of the deep, raspy voice uploaded a barely perceptible smile on Rose's lips. "Sorry, Axe. I h
Rose didn't care how the swaying bed jerked like a violent swinging shock. She maximized each powerful gallop like a giant crashing into the earth. Theo's body was a soft target for her feet. The man moaned in a submerged voice. Yet, also with pleasure... sometimes asking Rose to move from one spot to another. "Up again, Sugar. Up to the shoulders." Rose chuckled, still doing everything Theo wanted. One foot stomped even harder on her husband's hot, sexy shoulders. "That's it," Rose said. One leap ended the earthquake on the surface of Theo's body. She flung herself down beside the sleeping man. "You said you will give me back my gift box!" "I need to know. Who gave you the gift?" "Oracle. Here, give it back quickly." Rose's arms extended to pull the red velvet box in Theo's grasp. Their positions were in sync, both using their arms as a fulcrum to lift their chests. "Let me open it." Theo's large fingers separa
Slowly Rose's eyelids slipped from their valves. The same Theo stared, silhouetted against each other in the mirror—Rose was lost in the seduction of the locking gray bead. "I was thinking of Oracle. He knows I don't like wearing earrings. Deliberately gifted me earrings so I'd wear them," Rose replied, successfully drawing one of Theo's eyebrows up high. "He's here, isn't he? Why don't you go straight to him." Theo's baritone voice whispered softly. Comparable to the smile on Rose's lips that curved again-this time briefly and too faintly. "He's back home ...." "Home?" Rose's body was slightly freed as Theo moved his face away from the crook of her neck. "Yes. Axe came to pick him up earlier." One step away she found Theo moving backwards. "Strange. Oracle came home because he was afraid of me, right? Did I hurt him too much?"Theo's quiet tone disturbed Rose's mind. She scrutinized the few times Theo's expre
Rose had to admit that Theo was quite different by remaining silent when their position was intact. The last sentence from her was ignored, the man was busy sniffing Rose's body scent. Deeply nuzzling the surface of her flat stomach. "Take a shower." Rose played with the black hair warmly. She smiled as Theo looked up at her. "Take a bath with me?" The ash bead drowned Rose deep in the warm ocean. She pursed her lips as she pulled Theo's facial skin wide to the side. "I'm old enough to bathe by myself. Hurry up...." A faint shake of Rose's head brought her to fall on her back on the bed. Theo's thirsty face and the man's large fingers began to dig into a t-shirt depicting a black bear, just like Theo who was currently resting on top of her. "I told you to take a shower, Theo. Not—" Rose was silenced by the tongue thrusting into her mouth. The sound of a wet sniffle trails off—a greeting of desire igni
"Let go, Dad, I'm going home." "The people here are sickening! I don't like it." The attachment continued for Mr. Alejandro. He had to accept the fate of the mess he himself had created. It's all affecting his daughter. The poor woman who must endure the pain of revenge and mutual destruction. Mr. Alejandro was looking for the wrong opponent, not understanding the things he was ignoring. He should have started the war when Bouldog died. But the desire to possess Theo overcame everything. He never thought that Theo would be the most difficult to conquer. One time he acted, multiple times he was attacked in silence. That ingenuity was what he had dreamed of. Unluckily, Mr. Alejandro was unlikely to be ambitious again. While his daughter had been destroyed. Mr. Alejandro waited for the right time, at least until Elsesa—Elsa could compensate for the woman's mental and physical state after being hit simultaneously. "Calm your
"You're back again, sir?" Lion was overcome with astonishment at the sudden arrival. The man facing him simply handed over the bag that had once been forcibly taken. "Yes. I don't need this laptop anymore. My work is done. " "What work are you referring to that is related to Mr. T's laptop, sir?" Lion was completely clueless. Everything that had happened lately was enough to keep him silent. Apart from Lion having to take care of George during his detention and outside of Verasco's knowledge. Lion wanted to know what activities provoked curiosity, but it seemed that the owner of heterochromia eyes was reluctant to reveal what was being done secretly. Actually, the decision to investigate something that wasn't 'mandatory,' Xelle should not have made. He interpreted everything Rose told him as an imbalance. About the murder Theo had committed against Rose's parents. According to Theo's records that Xelle had traced, the bullet should have hit the victim'
Two months after the heart—pounding incident all of Rose's lives were exactly the same. She lived day by day as if in an open cage. Rose was both free and trapped. There were electromagnetic waves in the house she had just moved into during that time. Waves that did not record visually. However, sensory movements would send signals to the last man with Rose that day to know every detail of the strange activities Rose was doing. Like if Rose wanted to do something reckless—self-harm or something else. Two months earlier. When they were no longer in the middle of the forest. Rose's silence and fear eventually acted as anger that evaporated completely. There had indeed been a major argument. All Rose's intentions took place almost slicing a kitchen knife into her own wrist. The woman received a series of scathing sentences to really get slapped. Realization. And Xelle then chose to be hands-off in the sense that the man assured full surveillance via the electromagnetic waves in
"Axe, stop your car." The car that had been provided since they arrived in Canada. What Rose had never imagined was that the car she was riding in would drive off into the forest. While the man in the driver's seat really had his heart set on getting there. A cold, sharp, unaccepting gaze met the heterochromia's bead. "Stop your car, Axe!" Rose turned to confirm exactly where they were going to dock. It was too far, and she was again jolted by the sudden stop of the car. "Why here?" asked Rose softly. Her attention was fully focused on a single denizen of the jungle. Firm, large, clawed features mirrored the creature that walked beneath the elder tree. Rose's mind shuddered at the thought of the beast becoming aware of their presence. "Get out!" Instantly Rose glared at Xelle in disbelief. "What do you mean?" "That wild tiger will make you die quickly. Now you can catch up with your dear husband." "Get out!" Rose wanted to inter
One counts first. The next two. Rose held her breath after obtaining the firearm. She froze in place as the instincts of a dominant man turned sharply to digest what had happened in the blink of an eye. Rose realized that piercing expression was not good for her. "Don't come any closer!" threatened Rose, bringing the muzzle of the gun to her temple. "Fuck! What are you doing!" Rose took a step back whenever Xelle tried to get closer. Rose's common sense really wasn't there. Not with her. "Stop your ridiculous behavior, Rose." Rose shook her head violently. She would rather end her life than wander aimlessly, shrouded in emptiness, shadowed by the guilt of having contributed to the loss of her husband's life. Rose couldn't hold on to anything. All was lost in the shuffle. "I'm warning you once again, Rose. Stop your ridiculous behavior!" No! Rose argued with a wet face. Trembling her arm steadily began to squeeze the trigger. A
Rose's fingers fiddled with her black wedding ring with a half-empty stare, she had just put it back on her ring finger. Rose didn't care, really didn't care about the fact that the ring wouldn't come off. In the new room and the smell of the room that was still so new she sank. Not to wait for the man who had said goodbye a moment ago, or because Rose wanted to. The first time she entered her new home. Rose was pestered with various troublesome things, which is why, she unpacked several red velvet boxes containing individual pieces of jewelry. Two necklaces. The first one she received that day. Before the big explosion—when she thought she had lost Theo. Then he'd come back with something surprising. Like a pendant of undulating curves, a form of life that truly gave Theo a chance at life. That's what Rose had hoped would happen to her. But instead, for how long Theo has not returned. Buried and identified by a gravestone. Rose exhaled rough air from her lips. The sec
"Where is Mommy going? Why won't we see each other again?" Knowing that such a question was not what Rose was expecting. "Home." She spoke almost choked up. One of the Oracle's eyebrows rose high at that. "But daddy says we can still see each other often." "Yeah, he's right," Rose corrected. Stupidly she had let it slip a little at first. "But then Oracle must always obey Daddy and Mommy Bridgette. We'll meet at another time. I don't know when." Rose finished the rest of the slump by towering over Xelle who was staring at her in understanding. A moment .... Not brave enough Rose glanced at the little girl beside the man who also offered Rose the distance to step out. She paused that decision, then affected to touch the top of Acampeliaz's head. "Can I have a little of your smile?" asked Rose. The twinkle in Acampeliaz's beady eyes rumbled with doubt. Rose noticed that Acampeliaz's little fingers were tightening. "Just a little. I'm not a
When she woke up, Rose was not confronted with a dark background with car headlights on. She was lying in a very cold place. The white and sterile decorations on the walls were a welcome change of pace. Rose gasped. Forcing herself awake, she found a pair of heterochromia beads staring at her. Much to her surprise, Xelle was there standing against the wall, releasing the folds of his arms from the clasp of his chest as one step made the decision to approach. "All your clothes have been prepared by Bridgette. It's been transferred to the jet. We're going to Canada today." Today .... This meant Rose had missed a night of leaving Theo at the funeral. She should still be there. Keeping Theo company, making a deal with him—either Theo comes back, or she goes along. But it hadn't all worked out. Rose hasn't gotten her answer yet. And her choice still hangs between a great dilemma. If she has to reach out to death, she should choose the right place. Toronto, Cana
"You want me to die or you to wake up, Theo?" The last option began to jolt Rose. Death was a shadow that offered her happiness. Whether that was true or not. If the second part won out over her stupidity. At least Rose wouldn't regret trying to find a way out of life's predicament. "Answer me, Theo. I'm not playing around, and I'm not threatening. Everything I had is gone, there's no reason for me to survive anymore." "Wake up. Get up!" Rose pounded on the slightly damp ground. She put all her energy into waiting for Theo to respond. However, she was only doing a useless job of buying up unhealthy ideas to replace the truth in her mind. At least right now Rose needed the reassurance that Theo would return, then she would undo the self-harm."Wake up, Theo." "Get up or I'll destroy your tomb!" Rose half turned on her knees slamming her arms together repeatedly. Rose was getting out of control as she tried to remove a pile of hardened soil
Rose couldn't take it if circumstances kept pouring everything she couldn't bear into her ego. She blamed Theo for the abyss he had offered her. Two near misses in close proximity. Rose would hold Theo accountable for what and who had happened to him. She turned around. Approaching some of Bridgette's paraphernalia left on the nightstand, she roughly grabbed the car keys. Rose waltzed into the doorway. Right at the meeting line she came face to face with the woman with the tray in hand. "Where are you going, Rose?" Bridgette asked with a look of astonishment on her face. Rose didn't care how she got past the woman who was more or less her size. She sprinted before Bridgette's shouts tried to stop her in her tracks. With a rush of breath Rose reached the house. The car lights came on and she hurriedly got into the driving seat. Rose stepped on the gas pedal so hard that Bridgette was left behind with despair. Maneuvering as madly as she could to get what she