chapter 26

Next morning~

Rosie couldn't sleep all night, her eyes fixed on Dominic as he lay on the bed in front of her. According to the nurse, he'd collapsed as soon as he arrived at the hospital, her lifeless body still in his arms.

Guilt gnawed at her; if she hadn't stormed out of the office, she wouldn't have been attacked, and he wouldn't have gotten hurt trying to save her. She'd spent the night crying and praying.

Exhaustion finally caught up with her, and Rosie dozed off, slumping forward in her chair, her head resting on the bed beside his hand.

Dominic's eyes slowly opened, and he croaked out a hoarse "Rosie!" As he lifted his head off the pillow and sat up abruptly, his bandaged arm protested, and he winced in pain.

"Ouch!"

The sound jolted Rosie awake. She jerked upright, her eyes wide with shock. "What happened?" She mumbled, still groggy. But as she took in Dominic's face, her expression transformed into one of relief.

She leaped to her feet and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, momentarily forgetting about his injured arm. She quickly pulled back, her eyes scanning his face with concern. "How are you, Dominic?" She asked, her voice filled with worry.

"How are you feeling now? Are you okay?" She peppered him with questions, but he remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Noticing his quietness, she sighed and took two steps back, her eyes dropping to the floor in guilt. She looked like a contrite defendant before a judge, her hands clasped behind her back.

"I'm sorry…" She apologized, her voice laced with remorse. "I didn't–"

Before she could continue, he cut her off. "Don't worry about it. Forget what happened. You're safe, and that's all that matters. I'm just relieved you're okay."

"Are you mad at me?" She asked.

His gaze locked onto hers, and he forced a weak smile. "I'm not mad at you, Rosie. This is one of the hardest things I've had to deal with. I just wish I could…"

"I didn't mean to ignore you yesterday–" she tried to explain, but he cut her off again. "I said it's fine. Just help me to the bathroom." He extended his right hand to her. However, instead of taking it, she stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"You're not going to help me?" He asked.

Her gaze remained downcast. "You don't want to talk about what happened, do you?"

He sighed, his eyes dropping to the floor, but he didn't respond.

"Fine, so you're still mad at me," Rosie said, her voice cracking as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'll leave and come back when you're ready to talk about it. Only then will I believe you're not still angry and that you're willing to forgive me."

She wiped her tears before turning to walk away. But before she could take another step, he pushed himself off the bed and quickly closed the distance between them. He grasped her hand from behind, his voice low and urgent.

"I'm ready to talk about it."

She turned to him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just–"

He silenced her with a gentle touch, his index finger pressed to her lips. "Shh," he whispered, his gaze locked onto hers as he apologized. "Rosie, I'm not mad at you, and I'm sorry I snapped at you,"

"I know you want revenge against the Moore family, but you need to take it easy. You have to be strategic, think before you act, so you don't end up getting hurt in the process…

"You can put on a tough face for others, but Rosie, I've studied you for years. I know you're soft-hearted. If you're not careful, you might not be able to forgive yourself for the harm you could cause to yourself…

"You're trying to prove your worth, but is this really the way to do it? You said you'd take revenge if you got the chance, but that doesn't mean you have to waste your energy forcing it.

"The best revenge is earning respect from your enemies. Make yourself superior to them, and they'll bow down without even asking. You don't need to force them."

Rosie's tears flowed freely as his words washed over her like a soothing balm. "What should I do?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Stay focused," he replied simply. "Rosie, I promised to stand by you, protect you, and guide you, and I'll keep my word no matter what the future holds."