Rose drew air into her chest cavity. Theo's question... thankfully the man still remembered the extent of her condition after barely having a chance to breathe freely.
"Yeah," Rose replied almost inaudibly. "Could you please get the jailen for me?" "I moved it to the closet when Oracle was here." Rose spoke more or less like a mumble. The huge jailen took up a lot of space on the bed, which would not be able to accommodate the bodies of the four of them during the nightmare night."Jailen?"Theo's tone of confusion came out freely. Rose forgot to tell Theo that she had named him 'Jailen' for his huge birthday present. "The over-dosed doll you gave me." Rose clung tighter to the thick blanket covering half of her body. Rose was only wearing an oversized white t-shirt and black underwear. She was unable to get up to do what she was supposed to do. Theo himself took the initiative to put the cloths on. Even during that time Rose had"Your body is hot, Sugar. You have a fever...." It had only been an hour since Rose had drifted off to sleep with Theo's heartbeat and hers thumping loudly. Rose had to accept the shock as Theo positioned himself to sit against the headboard. Rose's arms were still tightly wrapped around him, carried along by the changes Theo was making. His half-slumped position forced her to look up between the fingers touching the tip of her chin. Theo's attentive gaze offered many things. One of them made Rose unable to stare any longer. "I'm fine." Rose lowered her head, placing her face in direct contact with the surface of her husband's bare chest. Rose's arms tightened around Theo's hips to gain as much comfort as possible. The intoxicating scent of the body, to the unmissable warmth made Rose almost close her eyes when Theo suddenly broke away. Theo seemed to be searching for something to find. Some cloth lying on the floor the man picked up and c
"Come here," Rose said, patting the mattress. The brief movement made the bed sway slightly. Theo was already right by her side, clutching her arm and playing with the top of Rose's head. "Sleep, Sugar. I'll keep an eye on you here." "You're not sleeping either?" "I will later. You first." Rose wasn't going to argue with anything Theo said. Those eyelids were fresh... it seemed like it would be hard to get Theo back to sleep. "Yes, already. I'm going to sleep. You're—watch your back." "What else am I going to do with you?" A brief snicker provoked Rose to give her husband's clay belly a light pinch. Little fights were always Theo's making. The iron man would suddenly act like cotton wool in her presence. "You never change. Always annoying!"*** "Just looking for a prostitute's true identity, that's something you can't do?" A cold tone broke out in the dimness of madnes
"Are you sure you want to meet the master in his office, Miss?" Rose decided against pouring maple syrup into a small jar. She had already prepared several slices of pancakes in a lunch box, including fresh fruit to complement her husband's breakfast. Rose smiled faintly at the middle-aged woman who was faithfully waiting. "Of course, Beatrace. Theo must remember that he has stomach problems. Can't accidentally miss getting food into his stomach just because he's so busy." Only then did Rose return to busying herself with the bottle in hand. "I know Theo loves pancakes. He won't be able to refuse food from me." Rose set aside the maple syrup to fill the tube nestled between the cracks of the lunch box. Tidying everything up, until there was nothing left for Rose to do. "The master says you're not well, doesn't he, Miss?" Beatrace's question momentarily froze Rose. It wasn't entirely true. However, occasionally Rose still felt the dizziness coming on.
Right in front of Theo's office. In the space between the glass doors, a beautiful, dexterous woman rose to bow respectfully to Rose. "Good morning, Mrs. Witson." Rose's eyebrows knitted deeply. She smiled stiffly, then looked at Lion uncomprehendingly. "Why does she know me?" asked Rose in a half-whisper. As far back as Rose could remember, Theo had never introduced her to anyone else. Even looking back, when they were at the altar only certain people were able to get Rose's attention—not including the woman who was her husband's secretary, Sonya. "Mr. Witson is receiving guests, ma'am. Would you perhaps like to wait or leave something?" "I feel old being called that. Just call me Rose, it sounds better." Rose tucked a few loose strands of hair forward. The look in Sonya's eyes was too formal, Rose wasn't used to it. She looked down for a moment to compose herself. "I'll just wait here." Rose said very quietly, never expecting to say anything untowar
Unfortunately, the truth came out and almost completely destroyed Rose. The lunch box packed in the small bag in Rose's hand came loose and hit the floor, pulling Rose's ability to struggle. The surge of Rose's breath came roaring out. That face... was currently helpless before her. Scared and looking down, the only thing Rose could find in the man she had been searching for. George .... The heat of Rose's mind overflowed. She clenched her fingers, then a storm of anger gathered in a dynamic centered on one main axis. Nimble and uncontrollable as Rose was, she pulled the cloth collar on the body of the man who had done nothing. Silent, occasionally glancing at Theo. "I got you." Rose really couldn't help herself until she lunged into the gap of George's legs and shook the man's body violently many times. What a pleasant coincidence. Rose's voice was shrill as the commotion erupted. Rose had been quite patient so far, for that matter she was so eager to weaken
"Don't let him go." Rose woke up to the rest of the painful memories, instantly paired with a pair of gray beads that struck her face sharply. She didn't know how Theo had come to rest on the arm of the sofa—not on top of her, but trapping Rose between a large body covered in a long shirt rolled up above the man's elbows. "Where's George? I have to get him!" Once Rose attempted to rise, she was confronted with the solid, firm surface of his chest as a shield. Rose's breath caught, running out of ways to deal with whatever she had to accept. Should Rose blame herself for the stupidity of letting George Keneddy get away without a sliver of hope that she could hold on to him. "I want to see George." Rose's brown eyes blinked for the umpteenth time. She wanted to go back in time to just a few moments ago. Such a terrible failure had led her to a similar dream. "I want to see George." Rose mumbled under Theo's watchful eye. Her husband watched silentl
Theo was not foolish to attribute the qualified truth to the worst, and he chose not to know anything. Except this time George Keneddy's involvement seemed to reopen the case that Theo had deliberately suppressed. The murder and the tattoos Rose had mentioned. Especially the scalp tattoo that Theo had never seen. He began to think the two were connected. "So you sought me out to take the life of your parents' murderer?" Sharp and hissing, that was the kind of thing that made Rose have to hold her breath. For the sake of her sanity Rose couldn't stay silent, letting things get more complicated. "I want to meet George. Find out who the leader is and yes, you have to kill them for me." Rose's consistency was still the same. Slightly fiery said that wish while clutching the shirt tightly to her husband's chest. "What price will you offer?" She began to dare to negotiate. In front of Rose, Theo's eyebrows were raised high. "How much will I offer? Can I make i
"Why are you taking me back to your mansion?" Along the way Rose had been plagued with confusion. Her question was only asked when the car was parked in the grounds of a large, towering building. "He's inside." Briefly. Theo opened the car door taking Rose with him. Instead of entering the main gate, they went to the right wing where a door opened that led them into a dark hallway. "Where are we going, Theo?" asked Rose, squeezing tightly the fingers that were joined and clasped between her knuckles. "The basement." It came as a surprise to Rose, as she had never known such a room existed while living with her husband. "How come George is here?" "I commissioned Lion to get him while you were unconscious." So .... Rose wanted to speak up again, but in front of her was the helplessness of George Keneddy who had been completely paralyzed. Rose glanced at Theo as the man knelt beside George Keneddy. The gag forcibly pulled aw
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