Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The air in Roman's office felt thick with unspoken threats, a suffocating blanket woven from power and intimidation. 

Rosalie, however, felt a strange sense of calm settle over her. The initial shock of the violence she had witnessed had given way to a chilling resolve. Seeing Roman and Ari go face to face had given her the answer she needed. She hadn’t realized how deep she was until this very moment. 

She didn’t realize the other side of the world she’d created. She knew many people were looking for her. She also knew if the wrong people found out about her, she’d be dead in seconds.

She had glimpsed the underbelly of this world, and it had not broken her; instead, it had ignited something within her, a spark of defiance that burned brighter than the fear. She was inspired to go further, push further than she had before.

“Where have you been Rosalie? You just walked out of the house without saying a damn word to anyone here...” Roman's words, sent a shiver down her spine.

Rosalie finally realized she’d been in Roman’s office. 

She looked up at Roman. “I went to Ari’s house to help his wife with the kids. Ari suggested I help, since I need to learn to take care of children for when we have children...” Rosalie tells the lie she’s practiced in the car. 

It still felt awkward on her lips.

Roman eyed Rosalie, he was testing her. She could see it. But she didn’t know why. 

Rosalie in a way had a sheltered upbringing, but growing up with Elena, she wasn’t completely sheltered from this cruel and sick world.

Days turned into weeks. Rosalie’s life in Palermo became a carefully choreographed dance between obedience and subtle rebellion. She learned to navigate the Moretti household and family. She hid in the bedroom Roman provided for her. She did nothing but her work. She was observing her husband, his methods, his ruthlessness, his efficiency.

Roman’s phone rings bringing her out of her thoughts. 

“What?” he barks. 

Rosalie watches him in interest as he clenches his fists. 

“What do you mean you let him get away?” he roars. 

Her days were filled with a routine that seemed both mundane and terrifying. She would work on her orders in her makeshift lab in the back of her closet and be at dinner when her husband required her attendance.

She wasn’t required meet with Roman’s associates, charming them with her poise and wit, gathering information, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Like her sister instructed her to. Elena wanted Roman’s contacts. It was something Rosalie would never do.

“Find him or all of you are dead. That was my last chance to get nightshade and you let my only lead get away...” he warns. 

Rosalie looks at Roman for a beat. “Why do you need nightshade?” she asks. 

Roman looks at his wife. “You know about her?” he asks hanging up with phone on one of his men. 

Rosalie smiles. “More than you’d think...” she says before walking out of his office. 

She makes her way to her bedroom. She goes to her hidden laboratory. She wanted to work on something.

Once she was inside her lab she began working on an order she’d been working on for two weeks now. She couldn’t figure out the side effects of the drug she created. 

An idea struck Rosalie. She made her sister pay for her betrayal. But what about her dearest husband? Why not give him a taste of what it would cost him if he kept looking for her and for lying about why he married her. 

Rosalie fills her ring with the poison she created just days ago. She makes her way to the kitchen. 

She makes her husband a cup of coffee and adds the special ingredient she prepared just for him.

 She walks to Roman’s office and knocks on the door. 

“Come in...” Roman’s voice comes through on the other side of the door.

Rosalie opens the door and let’s herself in closing the door behind her. 

“I made you coffee...” she smiles brightly. 

Roman eyed his wife. She just walked out of his office earlier he had intended to follow her but he got another call and he’d actually forgotten about her. 

They weren’t a normal married couple yet she was acting weird now, not once has she come out of her room willingly. 

Rosalie smiled placing the coffee on his desk. 

He eyed her taking a sip of the coffee. 

“I was meaning to ask you something...” Rosalie asks softly.

Roman frowns. “What?” she wanted something. It set his heart at ease. If she was here because she needed a favour he could understand. She didn’t have any other ulterior motives.

“I feel as though my closet is too small. I was wondering if I could have someone come in and make my closet bigger. I don’t have enough space for all my books...” Rosalie tests as she watches him drink the coffee. Tonight she’ll finally know the side effects of the drug. She was perfecting a new poison – a clear, colourless liquid that, despite its innocent appearance, held the power to bring even the strongest man to his knees. Or that’s what she had planned.

It was a potent brew, a blend of rare botanicals and powerful toxins, a testament to her years of studying the dark arts of chemistry and toxicology.

Today she’d find out just how strong Roman really is. She knew it wouldn’t kill him.

“You don’t want to get a bigger closet for your clothes but for books? Does that make any sense?” he asks. 

Rosalie shrugs her shoulders. “Well I love books and I don’t need that much when it comes to clothes. We don’t go to gala’s and all the other shaz my sister was forced to go to...” 

Roman’s lip twitched. “You want to go to galas and parties. I didn’t take you as someone who wanted to go to those. My mother has been going in your stead...” he tells her. 

Roman for the first time since they’ve been married actually paid attention to his wife. 

The way Rosalie was eyeing him with curiosity made him wonder if he should be sharing a room with his bride.

They’ve been married for months now and this was the first time they’ve actually had a conversation.

Rosalie on the other hand had other thoughts. Her thoughts were on her survival. This was her way of reclaiming her agency, of making sure that no one would ever underestimate her again. No one overlooked her again.

Her sister had stolen her freedom, while her husband was trying to strip her from her identity. The more Roman looked into her the chances of her continuing to work with Ari lessen. She needed to take care of the problem before it got worse. 

Her skill was not just in creating potent toxins. She could create antidotes and countermeasures. She’d experimented on herself countless times. Though she could not go to school she had read every book she could on the subject and applied them to all of her experiments. Her expertise in toxicology was a shield and a sword – a shield against her family, and a sword to strike when needed. Without it she would have been eaten up by her sister. Elena was ruthless to her own flesh and blood. She would have killed Rosalie by now if it meant she was in her way. 

She feared Rosalie it was the only reason Rosalie was still alive.

“Okay fine. I’ll have men come out and knock down the room beside yours and turn it into a library for you...” 

Rosalie shuts it down. “No. I want my own men coming in. They know what I want. I need it to be certain way...” She says hurriedly. 

Roman didn’t know what to make of her as he watched her. Something about her called him in. They way she spoke. The way she held herself. Even in his presence. Not once has she ever feared him. He knew she didn’t. 

There was always a look of defiance in her eyes. 

He sat silently, observing her. For a long moment, they remained in silence, each acknowledging the other’s unspoken presence. His gaze lingered on her.

He nods. “Okay. If that’s what you want...” he tells her.

She nods. “It is. I’ll leave you to your work now.” she says walking out of his office. 

Rosalie walk back to her room. She picks up a pen and paper. She writes with her left hand a little note to Roman from Nightshade. 

A warning to stop looking for her. Nightshade... 

He didn’t need to look into her. Whatever Roman needed Nightshade for. He could contact her the way the rest of the world has.

The dark web where the rest of the world has ordered her work. 

Once the note was done she went into Roman’s room and place the note on his bathroom cabinet where he would see it. 

Once out she walked out of his room and waited.

The drug would take effect once he ate. Or that’s how she planned it. 

she’d wait until after supper and watch the poison take effect. The poison was supposed to a mild poison. It wasn’t fatal. It was just to teach someone a lesson. A good one. 

Her phone rings. 

Rosalie walks over to her phone and see Ari’s name. 

“Hello...” she answers. 

“I need to stay low for a bit. I’m going to look for a new base in the meantime I want to to lay low as well. No new orders. Roman’s men caught up to me while I was driving. I had to fake a car accident to get away from them. So while I heal and look for a new place, I want you to stay low as well. There’s no knowing what Roman would do if he found out you’re the one he is looking for...” Ari warns.

“Uhm...” was all Rosalie said. 

“What did you do?” Ari asks. 

“I created a new poison. And I didn’t have anyone to test it out on. So I gave it to Roman with a note to warn him not to go looking for Nightshade...” 

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Ari roars before hanging up on Rosalie.