Chapter 8 Interrogating Rose

Henry POV

Because of this meeting, I got late. Sam must be waiting for me. She would be furious—she never wanted to attend this conference in the first place. The heavy rain was making it all the more difficult to drive. The street shimmered with reflections of neon signs, broken by the steady splash of the wipers swiping back and forth.

As I neared the hotel, a blur caught my eye through the windshield.

I hit the brakes hard, the tires skidding for a fraction of a second before gripping again.

She was lying on the slick pavement, her hair spread in a wet halo. Liam crouched beside her, his shoulders hunched against the rain. Rose was on the other side, patting Samantha’s cheek—quick, mechanical motions, as if she wanted the appearance of helping but not the effort.

“Come on, wake up,” Rose murmured, her voice sugar-sweet and far too calm for the moment.

My gut clenched. I was out of the car before the door even swung fully open, the cold rain soaking through my jacket in seconds.

“What the hell happened?” I asked running my hand through my hair, wiping the beads of rain falling on my face.

Rose’s gaze flicked away for a heartbeat before meeting mine. “Who are you? Why should I answer you?”

“I’m her uncle, and you are answerable to me. What happened?” My voice came out sharper than intended, but I didn’t care.

I had seen her helpless before—barely conscious, hooked up to IV lines in a hospital bed, her skin ghostly against the white sheets. That image struck me now, raw and uninvited, sending a jolt of rage through me.

“I invited her for drinks. She… had a couple. Maybe it was too much.” Rose said, almost defensively. She was patting her cheeks.

“Drinks?” The word came out like a slap. “You took her drinking? She just got out of the hospital! She’s still on medication—do you have any idea what alcohol can do to her right now?” My voice cracked with anger. My brows furrowed in frustration. I wanted to give her a tight slap but clenched my knuckles forcibly in order to avoid acting rationally.

Rose straightened, her chin lifting slightly. “It wasn’t like that—”. She has now straightened herself and was looking directly towards me .

“And you,” I turned on Liam, “you couldn’t stop her?” My hands on his collar.

Rainwater ran down his jaw as he stood. “I didn’t know she wasn’t well enough—” He answered gently removing my hands .

“Both of you should’ve known better,” I snapped. A few people slowed under their umbrellas to watch, the murmur of voices mixing with the rain. I swallowed the next outburst—this wasn’t the place to make her humiliation worse.

Before I can asked them to help me, Samantha stirred faintly, her lips parting in a soft sound. I knelt, brushing damp strands of hair from her cold face. Her face was to cold and pale to my liking.

“Get her to the car,” I ordered, my tone brooking no argument. With Liam’s help  I buckled her on the passenger seat and drove off .

 

Liam POV – Later

The wipers slapped rhythmically against the windshield, the world outside blurred into streaks of grey and neon. Rose sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms folded, her perfume sharp even through the damp air.

“You didn’t have to let him talk to me like that.” She said finally, her voice smooth but edged with resentment.

“You didn’t have to give her alcohol . She was on medication.” I replied, keeping my eyes on the road. My grip on the steering wheel tightened until my knuckles whitened.

“I didn’t force her. She’s not a child, Liam.” Her voice dipped with arrogance.

“ You shouldn’t have invited her for drinks” I said, jaw tight, “she’s not like you think.”

Her lips curled in a faint, dismissive smile. “Oh, I think I know her well enough. Girls like her always want to be the centre of attention—and will go to any lengths to get it.”

“She’s not like that.” The words came out quicker than I expected, my voice lower now.

Rose turned to look at me, eyes narrowing slightly. “As if you know her that well.”

Silence filled the car, heavy and tense. Only the thud of the wipers and the low hum of the engine kept it from being unbearable.

I pulled up in front of her building. The streetlamp above cast a pale yellow light, catching the raindrops that were falling  from the nearby tree. She stayed in her seat for a moment, clearly expecting me to say something—anything—that would soften the mood.

I didn’t.

Her heels clicked sharply against the wet pavement as she stepped out, shutting the opened the door with a little more force than necessary. I waited until she disappeared into the building before leaning back in my seat, my fingers drumming absently on the wheel.

Samantha’s pale face kept flashing in my mind. The sound of her uneven breathing. The way her head had lolled when Henry lifted her.

I told myself it was guilt that made my chest feel tight.

But I knew it wasn’t only that. And as I drove away, I realised something that I shouldn’t have . Her face hadn’t left my mind since the moment I saw her the first day at my engagement. But what intrigued me were the words she muttered in her unconsciousness. Henry POV

Because of this meeting, I got late. Sam must be waiting for me. She would be furious—she never wanted to attend this conference in the first place. The heavy rain was making it all the more difficult to drive. The street shimmered with reflections of neon signs, broken by the steady splash of the wipers swiping back and forth.

As I neared the hotel, a blur caught my eye through the windshield.

I hit the brakes hard, the tires skidding for a fraction of a second before gripping again.

She was lying on the slick pavement, her hair spread in a wet halo. Liam crouched beside her, his shoulders hunched against the rain. Rose was on the other side, patting Samantha’s cheek—quick, mechanical motions, as if she wanted the appearance of helping but not the effort.

“Come on, wake up,” Rose murmured, her voice sugar-sweet and far too calm for the moment.

My gut clenched. I was out of the car before the door even swung fully open, the cold rain soaking through my jacket in seconds.

“What the hell happened?” I asked running my hand through my hair, wiping the beads of rain falling on my face.

Rose’s gaze flicked away for a heartbeat before meeting mine. “Who are you? Why should I answer you?”

“I’m her uncle, and you are answerable to me. What happened?” My voice came out sharper than intended, but I didn’t care.

I had seen her helpless before—barely conscious, hooked up to IV lines in a hospital bed, her skin ghostly against the white sheets. That image struck me now, raw and uninvited, sending a jolt of rage through me.

“I invited her for drinks. She… had a couple. Maybe it was too much.” Rose said, almost defensively. She was patting her cheeks.

“Drinks?” The word came out like a slap. “You took her drinking? She just got out of the hospital! She’s still on medication—do you have any idea what alcohol can do to her right now?” My voice cracked with anger. My brows furrowed in frustration. I wanted to give her a tight slap but clenched my knuckles forcibly in order to avoid acting rationally.

Rose straightened, her chin lifting slightly. “It wasn’t like that—”. She has now straightened herself and was looking directly towards me .

“And you,” I turned on Liam, “you couldn’t stop her?” My hands on his collar.

Rainwater ran down his jaw as he stood. “I didn’t know she wasn’t well enough—” He answered gently removing my hands .

“Both of you should’ve known better,” I snapped. A few people slowed under their umbrellas to watch, the murmur of voices mixing with the rain. I swallowed the next outburst—this wasn’t the place to make her humiliation worse.

Before I can asked them to help me, Samantha stirred faintly, her lips parting in a soft sound. I knelt, brushing damp strands of hair from her cold face. Her face was to cold and pale to my liking.

“Get her to the car,” I ordered, my tone brooking no argument. With Liam’s help I buckled her on the passenger seat and drove off .

Liam POV – Later

The wipers slapped rhythmically against the windshield, the world outside blurred into streaks of grey and neon. Rose sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms folded, her perfume sharp even through the damp air.

“You didn’t have to let him talk to me like that.” She said finally, her voice smooth but edged with resentment.

“You didn’t have to give her alcohol . She was on medication.” I replied, keeping my eyes on the road. My grip on the steering wheel tightened until my knuckles whitened.

“I didn’t force her. She’s not a child, Liam.” Her voice dipped with arrogance.

“ You shouldn’t have invited her for drinks” I said, jaw tight, “she’s not like you think.”

Her lips curled in a faint, dismissive smile. “Oh, I think I know her well enough. Girls like her always want to be the centre of attention—and will go to any lengths to get it.”

“She’s not like that.” The words came out quicker than I expected, my voice lower now.

Rose turned to look at me, eyes narrowing slightly. “As if you know her that well.”

Silence filled the car, heavy and tense. Only the thud of the wipers and the low hum of the engine kept it from being unbearable.

I pulled up in front of her building. The streetlamp above cast a pale yellow light, catching the raindrops that were falling from the nearby tree. She stayed in her seat for a moment, clearly expecting me to say something—anything—that would soften the mood.

I didn’t.

Her heels clicked sharply against the wet pavement as she stepped out, shutting the opened the door with a little more force than necessary. I waited until she disappeared into the building before leaning back in my seat, my fingers drumming absently on the wheel.

Samantha’s pale face kept flashing in my mind. The sound of her uneven breathing. The way her head had lolled when Henry lifted her.

I told myself it was guilt that made my chest feel tight.

But I knew it wasn’t only that. And as I drove away, I realised something that I shouldn’t have . Her face hadn’t left my mind since the moment I saw her the first day at my engagement. But what intrigued me were her words that she muttered in her unconsciousness. You left me . Who does it refers to ? .