LOGINRoseline's POV…
I packed the little I had in her place.
I had nowhere to go but it was better than the dirty looks they both gave me.
Her boyfriend just forced himself on me and she still chose his side.
Tears threatened to spill, but I held them in. I wasn't going to break down in front of them.
I called my driver, who was the only person who didn't heed my father's warning and still helped me.
I couldn't go back to my father's place; he wouldn't budge. I was sure of that.
Whenever he sets his mind on something he doesn't take it back.
I arrived at Florian's place.
The apartment he took me to when we had our nightstand.
I knew it was crazy and it went against my own rules but what other option did I have?
I took the elevator to his floor thank God for an active memory.
I stood in front of his apartment door skeptical about pressing the bell.
The plan was to beg him to give me the job or at least stay for the meantime until I got my footing.
I didn’t deserve it, not after the way I treated him that night.
While I was still contemplating I felt someone come up behind me.
“Ehem.” He cleared his throat.
I bit my lips, “Shit.”
“What are you doing here?” Florian barked.
“I remembered your address from the last time I was here.”
“Still doesn’t answer my question.”
“I have nowhere to go.”
“What do you mean, you have nowhere to go?”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
“I am not in a hurry, this is my apartment.”
“Cool, won’t you at least usher me inside?”
“No, so start spilling. I can’t stand out here all day.”
“Ouch,” I whispered beneath my breath.
“So basically my best friend threw me out of her apartment after her boyfriend tried to force himself on me.”
“What? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, she came in before he could do anything but still he took his side.”
“Sorry about that, but it still doesn't explain how it warrants you showing up at my place.”
“I don’t have any other place to go.”
He laughed.
“Are you seriously laughing?”
“The daughter of the wealthiest man in the city has no place to stay. Of course, I am laughing.”
“How did you—“
I did a background check on you after the interview.
“Well I am sorry for wasting your time, this was a mistake, forget I ever came here,” I replied and turned my back to leave.
He grabbed my hand to stop me from moving, “Come in.”
The last bit of pride I had left yelled for me to refuse, but I didn’t have any other choice.
I followed him in.
That was when I looked at him properly, sweat lines clung to his shirt making it stick to his body.
Which was perfectly toned by the way, his six-pack abs were obvious even under the shirt.
“Back to earth Roseline that's not what you are here for. And you can never fuck the same gift twice.” I had to remind myself.
“Done looking?” Florian’s words snapped me from my thoughts.
“In your dreams.”
“Was that why you didn’t give me the job? Because of my father?”
“It doesn’t have to do with your father and who said you didn’t get the job.”
“I never received any mail.”
“Have you checked recently?”
My phone beeped immediately.
He eyed me curiously and nodded for me to have a look.
I opened the message and there it was my letter of approval.
“But you hated my dish.”
“I didn’t hate it.”
“You practically ran away after having a taste.”
“It didn’t have anything to do with your dish.”
He avoided my gaze and that was my sign to end the conversation here.
I didn’t want to jinx it.
“We’ll see you at work then, let’s just pretend I never came here.”
“Hold on.”
I paused.
“You need a place to stay and I have two rooms here. I rarely use the other room, you can stay here.”
“There would be no need for the trouble, I have a job now.”
He raised his brows, “Did you even read the contract?”
“I will do that later.”
He sighed, “Read it.”
I opened the contract, and there it was.
No payment would be made until after the two-month training period is completed for all chefs.
Fuck.
So I still need a place to stay.
I pouted, “Is the offer still open?”
“If you want it it’s yours.”
“I promise to pay you back when I receive my first pay, you won’t even know I am here.”
“I would be the best ghost roommate you ever had.”
“Sure. I will give you a tour of the place after I have showered.”
“Take your time, it’s not like I have any other place to be.” I winked at him.
He didn’t speak, he just gave a light smirk which didn’t even last up to a second.
Okay, this was going to be an awkward two months.
Sharing an apartment with the head chef and someone I had slept with.
He pointed down the hall, “But this is your room so you can get settled in the meantime.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded in response and left for a different room just opposite mine.
Fuck.
Define temptation in one word.
FLORIAN’S POVWe stayed frozen for several long, tense seconds, watching the faint light move slowly across the grounds, before it finally disappeared around the far side of the property, swallowed up by darkness once again.“Security patrol,” Gabriel whispered finally, releasing a slow breath. “Automated, probably on a timer. Didn’t seem like anyone reacted to us.”“Are you sure?” Roseline whispered, her grip still tight around my hand.“If they’d spotted us, we wouldn’t still be standing here,” Gabriel said quietly. “Come on, quickly, before another patrol comes through.”We moved carefully through the smaller gate, slipping into the shadows along the outer wall of the main house. Gabriel’s men worked quickly, disabling a small side door’s lock with practiced efficiency, and within moments, we slipped quietly inside.The interior of the house felt strangely cold despite its elegance, dim lights casting long shadows across expensive furniture covered in thin layers of dust, like the
FLORIAN’S POVI stared at Roseline for a long moment, her eyes fierce and unwavering despite the fear still trembling beneath the surface. Everything in me screamed to keep her far away from the danger waiting for us, yet another part of me, the part that had watched her break down in hospital hallways and hide fear behind forced smiles too many times already, understood exactly what she meant.“I’m done being left behind,” she said again, quieter this time, though no less firm. “I’m done sitting at home, waiting for a phone call that tells me whether you’re alive or not. If something happens tonight, I want to be there. Not stuck somewhere else, imagining the worst.”I reached up slowly, cupping her face gently in my hands, my thumb brushing softly against her cheek. “You scare me more than Adrian does sometimes,” I admitted quietly.“Good,” she said, a small, fierce smile tugging at her lips despite everything. “Then you know exactly how I feel every single time you walk out that do
FLORIAN’S POVGabriel drove fast, weaving quickly through the late-night streets while Roseline and I sat tensely in the back seat, neither of us saying much, the earlier warmth between us replaced completely now by cold, gripping fear.“Where was he found?” I asked, breaking the silence.“An alley, a few blocks from the old part of town,” Gabriel said, his eyes fixed firmly on the road. “One of my men was doing a routine patrol, spotted him barely conscious, badly beaten. He’s already at the hospital now.”“How bad is it?” Roseline asked quietly from beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly.“Bad enough,” Gabriel admitted grimly. “But he’s alive. That’s what matters right now.”We arrived at the hospital quickly, rushing through the entrance, Gabriel leading us straight toward the emergency wing where Fredrick had been taken. A nurse stopped us just outside his room, her expression cautious.“He’s stable for now,” she said, “but he’s suffered severe trauma. Broken ribs, a concussion
ROSELINE’S POVFlorian had barely slept in days. I watched him from the kitchen doorway, hunched over his laptop at the dining table, papers scattered everywhere around him, his eyes red-rimmed and heavy with exhaustion. Between the board meeting, the case against Adrian, Fredrick still missing, and my father fading more each day, I could see him slowly breaking apart at the seams, though he refused to admit it out loud.“You need to rest,” I said gently, walking over to stand beside him.“I can’t,” he muttered, not even looking up from the screen, his fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. “The board meeting is in two days, Roseline. I need to have everything prepared, every answer ready, or they’ll vote me out completely.”“Florian,” I said softly, placing my hand gently on his shoulder. “You’ve been at this for hours. You barely slept last night either. You’re going to burn yourself out.”“I don’t have a choice,” he snapped, shrugging my hand off sharply, his voice sharper tha
FLORIAN’S POVDiane called back early the next morning, earlier than I expected, her voice tired but resolute over the phone.“I talked to the detective,” she said. “We’ve decided to move forward and file what we have tonight.”Relief flooded through me instantly, though her tone still carried a note of caution that kept me from fully relaxing.“But Florian,” she continued, “I need you to understand something first. Without Fredrick’s testimony, this case is weaker than it should be. Everything we have, the bank records, the photographs, your father’s letter, it’s strong circumstantial evidence, but it’s not the same as having a living witness who can place Adrian directly at the planning stages of the fire.”“I understand,” I said. “But we don’t have Fredrick right now. We have to work with what we’ve got.”“I agree,” Diane said. “I just want you prepared. Adrian’s lawyers, if he has good ones, and I’m sure he does, will attack every gap in this case relentlessly. It might not be eno
FLORIAN’S POVThe bang echoed again, sharp and violent against the glass, jolting both of us fully upright, the warmth from moments earlier vanishing instantly, replaced by cold, immediate fear.“What was that?” Roseline whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched the blanket tightly against her chest.“Stay here,” I said quickly, already pulling on a pair of sweatpants, my heart pounding as I moved cautiously toward the window.“Florian, don’t,” she said, fear clear in her voice.“I need to see what it is,” I said firmly, though my own pulse raced uncomfortably as I approached the curtain.I grabbed the edge carefully, pulling it back slowly, my eyes scanning the darkness outside. At first, I saw nothing unusual, just the quiet night settling over our property. Then my gaze dropped slightly, and my stomach turned violently at what I saw.A dead bird hung nailed directly to the outside window frame, its wings spread unnaturally wide, dark blood smeared thickly beneath it, staining







