MasukA few days passed. During that time, Rose gradually became more comfortable around Hayden. Their conversations became more frequent, and they began having casual conversations whenever they ate together or happened to cross paths around the mansion. Rose also discovered that Hayden was quite dif
“I've been awake for a while.” Rose replied. Hayden nodded and gestured toward the chair opposite him. “Come sit.” Rose moved to the table and settled into the seat prepared for her. She stared at the table filled with a lot of dishes before turning to look at Hayden. “Is this all for me?” she
Hayden remained near the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene before him. Rose was still curled up in the corner, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her breathing was uneven, and her eyes remained fixed on him as if she still couldn't completely separate him from whatever she had seen i
That evening, Emily received an urgent call from the hospital just as she was preparing to return to the Black mansion. Rose was sitting near the window, watching the sky slowly darken when Emily approached her with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Rose. There’s an emergency at the hospit
By the following afternoon, Rose had grown tired of staying inside her room. She had spent most of the past few days resting because of her injuries, but now that she was becoming more familiar with the mansion, remaining in bed for hours at a time was beginning to feel suffocating. Emily had just
Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Alex sat behind the desk in his study, surrounded by reports that had barely been touched. He looked nothing like the composed man everyone was accustomed to seeing. His shirt was wrinkled, his hair was slightly disheveled, and dark circles had formed beneath his eye
Rose walked beside Sandra and Kehlani, her bag slung loosely over one shoulder. They had already planned to hang out after school, something light to chase away the heaviness of the week’s drama. “Let’s hit that café downtown first,” Sandra said, flipping her braids behind her shoulders. “We need
The air-conditioned coolness of the upscale mall was almost a relief compared to the suffocating atmosphere of the Gray mansion. They have been browsing through the boutiques in the mall but none of the dresses she saw caught her eye, not until she spotted a new shop and decided to try it. Rose st
It had taken patience. And precision. But Rose had reached her limit and was done playing nice. The next morning, she walked into school with a single goal in mind. The evidence she’d gathered was enough to crush the disciplinary notice and silence the whispers for good. She went straight to Teac
On her way home, Rose found herself unwilling to return straight to the mansion. The atmosphere from the family dinner still lingered around her—heartwarming and fulfilling—but also emotionally heavy. She wanted to unwind, even if just a little. Craving something sweet, she made a last-minute deci







