Chapter Four

Chapter four

Rosaline's POV:

"It's lunch already." Violet yawns and walks up to my table. "Stop being such a workaholic lady Rosie."

I exhale and look up to see her and the rest of the team waiting.

My typing ceases and I stare from one face to another. "Lunch." I giggle. "Yeah. Lunch." Violet hooks her hand with mine and drags me along with her.

We settle in our usual lunch restaurant. I order spicy pasta with pepper soup and just water.

Jonas wrinkles his face at my choice of food. "How do you digest so much spice lady Rosie?"

I shrug.

"Yeah." Amara says. "You only ever eat spicy food. Why?"

"Every other thing just tastes like... Ash."

"That's weird." Violet mumbles. "Anywho... Today's bill's on me!"

"Why?" Jonas blurts out. "That's weirder than lady Rosie's love for spice."

Her honey coloured eyes begins to twinkle and she tucks her hair behind her ear.

"Is that..."

Jonas throws his hands over his mouth and gasps like his life force was being sucked by a supernatural entity. "You are engaged?!"

Everybody's eyes pop and they begin to gush over Violet who shows off her ring with bright smiles.

"How did he propose?" Mia asks with wide eyes.

"Under the moonlight and in front of a waterfall." She pauses, and with a shriek. "He bought out the whole amusement park!"

The entire restaurant turned to us. But Violet's joy made her numb to whatever was happening in the background.

I can't help but smile. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." She smiles and begins to hand us her card.

"You already printed cards?!" Mia asked with an agape mouth.

"Of course." She rolls her twinkling eyes. " I knew he'd ask me."

"You're really in love." I say.

She brings her hands to her mouth and giggles. "Does it show that much?"

"Oh please." Jonas rolls his eyes and everyone's bursts out in laughter.

She hands everyone cards and says "Make sure to come with gifts."

Then she hands me one. "A microwave." I laugh.

She hands Amara one. "A refrigerator."

She hands Mia. "A house."

She hands Jonas. "A car."

"What are we? Your free wedding dream house manifesters?... If there's anything like that."

The table bursts out with laughter again and my gaze moves over everyone's face and their genuine smiles.

Of course mine was also genuine.

She said she knew he'd ask her. Ao much confidence like I did. Except, hers worked for her.

"Great that reminds me!" Violet exclaims and pulls me from my thoughts. "You don't take days off."

I raised a brow.

"You weren't at work yesterday."

Oh yeah. That was because I got married to Mr Sylvester yesterday...

I freaking got married yesterday!

"I had things to take care of." I reply instead.

"The boss wasn't at work too." Jonas says and sips his ever always over-sweetened milkshake.

"He wasn't? " I blink. "Well..." I whisper. "He's the boss. He can do whatever he wants."

"Can we stop talking about our boss and talk about the food that's getting cold?" Mia groans.

We laugh and dig in.

Jonas sucks in air through his teeth and rubs his arms. "Is he in a good mood or a bad one today?"

We all glance to look at Mr Alaric through his slightly open door and shrug in unison.

"That looks like his normal face to me." Mia muses.

He gets up from his seat and walks to his door. He slams it shut without as much as talking his eyes off the documents in his hands.

All of us jump.

"Yup. The usual." Violet mumbles.

We hurry to our tables and continue where we stopped.

"See you tomorrow lady Rosie." Mia smiles, I nod.

"Goodnight lady Rosie." I give a little bow.

Few minutes later, Mr Alaric walks out from his office. I pack my things.

"I will be back later. I need to check on one more thing." He nods without a word or a question.

I would never indulge him in my personal issues.

I stare at the hospital sign and sigh before going in. "You vanish for three days and show up empty-handed?"

I smack him behind his head.

"Ouch!"

"That's called 'shut up.'" I stare at my mother.

"I know what you're going to ask. It's a no."

I exhale and sit beside her. I take her hands in mine and rub her fingers.

"She's not responding to treatment."

I swallow a lump in my chest. "And father?"

Silence.

"Right." I bite down on my trembling lip and watch the woman who had spent her entire life giving.

Ethan places a hand on my shoulder and I smile at him. "I'm fine."

"You know you can cry right? You don't have to be tough all the time. You have me."

I have you, my innocent younger brother with the brains of Einstein and every brainy scientist the world has ever known mixed together.

"I have told you to focus on your studies Ethan."

"I can work." He protests for the millionth time.

"Ethan..."

"I can help you."

"All the help I need from you is to study for your upcoming exam."

"Mom's bills are still unpaid."

I frown. I always kept these things from him. He should not know this. "Who told you that?"

He hands me a sheet of paper. "The nurse gave it to me earlier."

I scoff and clench my teeth. I snatch the paper from his hand and walk over to the nurse he pointed at.

I pull her aside. "I told you not to give things like this to my younger brother."

"The bills are piling up miss Carter."

"And I promised to pay up!" I throw my hands in the air and run my hands through my hair. "I just need time."

"Well you're running out of it. Now excuse me, I have to work."

I press my lips together and bite down the threatening tears. I hand my brother some cash and leave.

I punch in the password to Mr Alaric's house and walk in on him eating cake. I give a little bow and head to my room.

And I cried. Cried for my mother, for my brother... for me.

When my eyes open, it's 6. Another day, another dose of trouble.

Mr Alaric left a note. "I have early business."

"He didn't have to." I grab a toast and black coffee and head to work.

People stare at me here and there and I hear whispers. My heart jumps out of my chest when something pops in my face.

"Congratulations!!" The entire office screams.

I furrow my eyebrows and stare at them. I knew that twinkling in Violet's eyes.

"What is this?" I asked and drop my bag. "What did I miss?"

"Why didn't you tell us the reason you were away from work on Wednesday?"

Wednesday? I married Alaric Sylvester on Wednesday.

Violet's eyes twinkled more. They did not find out... Right? The marriage was discreet.

"I had things to take care of."

"I can't hold it in any longer!" Violet's screeches.

"Congratulations on your wedding!"

"What?!"

"It's all in the papers!" Mia squeals.