Chapter 4

ROSE

For a moment, I can't move. Because the boy on the couch is very small and fragile-looking. He's not even a teenager, and for some reason, my mind can't seem to comprehend what my eyes are seeing.

This boy has been texting me for weeks, but I have been ignoring him, assuming that the words came from a grown man with a sharp mind and a touch of arrogance.

But here he is: skinny arms, scraped knuckles, and eyes that hold far too much innocence.

Then Dante's words click in my head; the boy who was murdered was Jordan's twin. And Jordan himself once told me his brother died at ten, two years ago. Which would make Jordan twelve now.

And suddenly, guilt crashes over me as if someone drenched me in ice-cold water in the middle of winter. I feel guilty for every time I left his messages unanswered, for every moment I brushed him off because I felt I was too busy.

Also, the second he sees me, he lights up like I just stepped out of his favorite movie. "Detective Rose!"

Before I can react, he jumps into my arms, hugging me so tight that I almost stagger.

"I can't believe it's really you! I've read about all your cases, even the one where you caught that guy who thought he could hide in the ceiling vents!"

I have never felt as proud as I feel the moment he says, "I wanna be a detective just like you one day!"

He rushes the words out, unable to hide his excitement. His words tumble out in one breath, unfiltered and electric. And I find myself smiling at the cute angel with his father's eyes.

"Well, Jordan, the world could use more detectives who care about the truth and won't back down no matter what."

He grins so hard that his eyes almost disappear under his cheeks. "Then I'm the right man for the job."

I smile and ruffle his hair. "Yes, you are."

Somehow, I end up staying for dinner after Jordan's injuries are taken care of. Actually, he begs me to stay.

And even though I want to say no, I can't turn him down. So I look to Dante for help, but he just shrugs as if to say I'm all on my own.

The dining room is warm when we sit, and the air is thick with the smell of roasted Rosemary chicken and fresh bread.

But I haven't even eaten my food halfway before my stomach turns. I excuse myself quickly, but I don't make it far before the nausea wins.

Dante is at my side in an instant, and his hand holds me steady at my elbow.

"Bathroom," I manage to say, and he guides me there without a word.

Immediately after we enter, I bend over the toilet and start retching. Dante is helpful as he holds my hair for me so I don't get any vomit on it. Then he pats my back softly until I finish.

When it's over, Dante hands me a damp towel. And that's when I hear the sound of snow on the roof. I won't be able to go home now, I think.

"Are you pregnant?" Dante's voice is low as he pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Yes." I respond truthfully since there's no reason to lie.

His brows pull together. "Does your ex-husband know?"

"Yes."

He looks shocked at first, as if he wasn't expecting that. Then he's furious as he asks, "How can a man betray the mother of his unborn child for another woman?"

I laugh bitterly. "The woman in question is also pregnant for Killian. In fact, he asked the doctor to abort my baby."

Dante's jaw clenches so tight that I hear his teeth grind against each other.

"I really hope you won't let him fool you again," Dante says finally. "Someone like him can do anything to climb the social ladder. Including murder."

"Well," I say, meeting his eyes, "he's already a murderer."

His eyes narrow.

"I mean…" My voice softens. "He murdered me. He stabbed me right in the chest, and I'm still bleeding from that wound. Aside from the girl he forced into her early grave, Killian killed every single bit of affection I once had for him. To him, I'm dead."

Dante's voice drops to a growl. "He needs to pay for what he did."

I study him, noticing the way his shoulders have gone rigid. "Why are you so angry?"

For a second, he looks like he's remembering a painful memory. Then he takes a deep breath and says, "Just like you, I was deeply hurt and betrayed before. I let it slide, and I regret it. If I were you, I wouldn't let him get away."

"He won't. The material I have against him is enough to ruin him, but I won't just stop there. I'll make him rot in jail for defamation of character."

"He deserves it." Then, unexpectedly, he adds, "I don't usually do this, but you have my backing."

"Thank you." I tilt my head. "And your wife? Where is she now?"

For the first time since I met him, he stiffens. Then, without answering, he says, "I'll have the maid prepare the guest room. You'll sleep over since it's snowing heavily and it's getting late."

Point taken. The wife is a sore topic and is not to be brought up again.

***

I wake up to my phone ringing. The screen shows Killian as the caller, so I let it ring. Then my father's name appears.

"Rose," he says the second I pick up, "you're trending. Again." He definitely doesn't sound pleased.

I blink. "What?"

"The scene in the restaurant where Dante Vilante defended you—social media's eating it up. There's already a backlash against Killian."

He pauses like he expects me to say something, but I don't respond. "You know we've been trying to make deals with Dante for years. How much did you tell him? How the hell did you get him on your side? Is that how little you value your daughter's life?"

I smirk into the phone. "Relax. The internet will stop making assumptions soon enough. Because once Killian and Mariegold's deeds go live online, they'll know the real story. Tell Killian to watch out. And also your beloved daughter, because she'll be falling right along with him."

Then I hang up.

The smile on my face doesn't fade. In fact, it grows wider as I imagine Killian's expression when the truth lands.

That's when my gaze drifts across the guest room. On the nightstand is a framed photograph of two boys—Jordan and his twin.

But it's the man standing between them that makes my blood run cold, because I know him.

He's Conrad, Arabella's biological father. The first man who ever broke me.

My stomach knots, and my pulse spikes. Why the hell is he in the twins' photo? Is he... is he related to Dante?