Nobela ni Adetunji Busayomi

Rose—”Jason’s voice wasn’t controlled anymore.It wasn’t sharp. It wasn’t cold.It was raw.“Rose, wake up.”She didn’t respond.Her body felt too still in his arms.Too light.Jason tightened his grip slightly, one hand supporting her back, the other brushing lightly against her cheek.“Hey… don’t do this,” he muttered.For a moment—just a moment—Fear slipped through.Real fear.“Daniel, what did you do?” he snapped.“I didn’t—” Daniel stopped, eyes fixed on the screen. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”“That’s not an answer,” Jason said sharply.Ethan pushed off the wall, stepping closer now, his expression more serious than before.“She’s reacting faster than expected,” he said.Jason shot him a look. “Stay out of it.”But his focus snapped back immediately.Back to her.“Rose,” he said again, softer now.His thumb brushed her cheek.Warm.Careful.“Come on…”A faint breath.Then—A small movement.Jason froze.Her fingers twitched.Then again.“Rose?”Her brows pulled together s

The room was dim again.Not completely dark—just enough light to see shadows, outlines… movement.Rose stood in the center of it, her pulse still uneven.Her decision still echoing in the air.“I’m getting my memories back.”No one had argued with her.Not really.But Jason—Jason hadn’t accepted it.“You don’t know what that will do to you,” he said now, his voice low, controlled.Rose didn’t turn to him.“I don’t care.”“That’s the problem.”That made her look at him.His jaw was tight.Eyes sharp.But underneath that—Something else.Something harder to ignore.“You should care,” he added.Rose let out a quiet breath.“I’ve been walking around not knowing who I am,” she said.“I think I’ve earned the right to stop being careful.”Jason took a step closer.“And if it breaks you?”Rose held his gaze.“Then I deal with it.”“That’s not how this works.”“Then explain how it does,” she snapped.Silence.He didn’t answer.He never did when it mattered most.Rose looked away first.“Exact

Darkness swallowed everything.For a second—No one moved.No one spoke.Then—Emergency lights flickered back on.Dim.Red.Unsteady.Rose’s breathing was uneven.Her mind wasn’t catching up.The video.Her voice.Jason.Nothing made sense—And somehow, it all did.“You knew.”Her voice cut through the silence.Jason was the closest to her.But it felt like miles.“I didn’t know everything,” he said.“That’s not what I asked,” she snapped.Her chest rose and fell sharply now.“You knew me,” she said. “Before all of this.”Jason didn’t answer immediately.That hesitation—It hurt more than any lie.“Yes,” he said finally.The word landed heavy.Final.Rose let out a shaky breath.“And you didn’t think that was something I should know?” she asked.Jason stepped closer.Careful.“It wasn’t safe,” he said.Rose laughed.Short. Broken.“Safe?” she repeated.Her eyes burned now.“You watched me walk around not knowing who I am,” she said.“And you thought that was safer?”Jason’s voice har

The video crackled.Grainy.Unstable.Too real.Rose couldn’t move.Her fingers tightened around the document in her hand, but she barely felt it anymore.On the screen—People in lab coats rushed back and forth.Voices overlapped.Urgent. Sharp. Controlled chaos.And then—She saw herself.Younger.Still.Sitting in a chair.Her breath caught.“That’s not—”She stopped.Because it was.Same face.Same eyes.But something was different.The girl on the screen didn’t look confused.Didn’t look scared.She looked… focused.“What is this?” Rose whispered.No one answered immediately.Jason had stepped closer to the screen now, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on it like he wanted to tear it apart.Ethan didn’t move.Didn’t speak.And Daniel—Daniel was watching her.“Say something,” Rose said, her voice sharper now.Jason exhaled slowly.“It could be manipulated—”“No,” Daniel cut in calmly.That single word silenced everything.Rose turned to him.“What is it?” she demanded.Daniel didn’t

The lights snapped on.Rose blinked hard, her vision clearing—And then everything inside her went still.The man standing in the doorway wasn’t a stranger.Her breath caught.“…No.”Jason’s grip on her tightened instantly.“You know him?” he asked sharply.Rose couldn’t answer.Because she did.Ethan Cole.Standing there like nothing had changed.Like he hadn’t disappeared from her life without a trace.Like he wasn’t now holding a file with her name on it.“Rose,” Ethan said softly.Jason stepped in front of her immediately.Blocking him.“Don’t say her name,” Jason said, voice low.Ethan’s gaze flicked to him.Calm.Unbothered.“And you must be Jason.”That made Jason’s posture harden.“How do you know me?” he asked.Ethan lifted the file slightly.“I make it a point to know things that matter.”Rose stepped out from behind Jason before he could stop her.“How are you here?” she demanded.Jason’s hand caught her wrist.“Rose—”She pulled free.“I’m talking to him.”That alone shift

The door clicked.Rose’s breath stopped.Jason’s grip on her hand tightened—instinct, not permission.The handle turned slowly.Deliberately.Then—The door opened.Daniel stood there.Calm.Composed.Like he hadn’t just locked them in, shut down the system, and threatened them through a burner phone.His gaze moved between them.Then dropped briefly—To their hands.Something unreadable flickered in his expression.“Interesting,” he said.Jason didn’t move.Didn’t let go.“What do you want?” Jason asked, voice cold.Daniel stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click.Too soft.Too controlled.“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied.Rose’s pulse spiked.He was playing this like a conversation.Like none of this was happening.Jason shifted slightly, placing himself just a bit more in front of her.Subtle.But intentional.“We’re done with games,” Jason said.Daniel tilted his head.“Are you?”Before either of them could respond—The lights went out again.Darkn