VALENTINO"What? No. I mean, you can't just decide to do something out of the blue-""You don't even know why I am here," she cut me short all of a sudden, as if she was trying to convey an emotion. But it didn't matter to me at that point. I hadn't really thought that Rose would stay here forever, but I hadn't thought of her leaving either."You are not the problem," I said with a calm tone, even if that was the hardest thing to do. I was desperate, seeing the resolute look on her face.She scoffed and shook her head. "Then what is?" she asked, and then I realized I was kidding myself. My brother and I are up against each other because of her.As she turned to leave, I held her arm and drew her back. "I—" I paused and pressed my lips together, the words hard for me to form because it's like making the biggest decision ever."I will leave the company for him," I said as she stared at me with newfound shock, which later transferred to a chuckle."Don't be silly, Valentino.""I am serio

"He's gone," she said as I stared at her in shock, trying to process her words."What do you mean, gone where?" I asked as she handed me a paper.I took it and read through it."Hey, Rose. It seems I will never really find the love I yearn for, even if I have to beg. Maybe I'm in the next world or some other place. Vicente."I looked up from the piece of paper, studying Rose's distressed expression."I told you to treat him well," she said with a challenging look, and my mind flashed back to the board meeting and then to the conversation in the restroom."I didn't—""You couldn't just be selfish, huh? You act like the world only revolves around you, Valentino. Now look at what it's led to, making others feel like garbage!" She snapped angrily as I stared at her with a helpless expression.This is wrong. It wasn't my fault he left."Look, Rose. I don't know what anyone told you or anything, but I didn't do anything. Vicente left on his own accord," I said quickly."Ah…really?" She aske

ROSE"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," I muttered while looking ahead on the road, and he spared me a glance. I saw him through my peripheral vision, wanting to talk, but he held back and continued driving in silence.I didn't realize I had slept all the way to the resort until I was woken up to find out the car had stopped moving. As I opened my eyes slowly, I saw someone looking at me intently, lovingly. That someone was Valentino."What's with the creepy smile?" I stretched and shifted my gaze from his face."You look like a baby when you sleep, so innocent and sweet," he said with a sheepish grin.I clicked my tongue in frustration. "Who would think the almighty Valentino would behave so cutely?" I feigned a smile."You made me like this," he replied as I sighed."Where are we?" I asked as I looked around and realized we were somewhat close to the countryside."The resort," he replied, unhooking his seat belt."Since when did we get here?" I asked."A while, at least for an hour,

ROSEI took in a deep breath as he traced his fingers on my skin beneath the armless gown I wore. "Yes," I said as his lips curved into a smile. He lifted me up and led me to the shower room, and the rest became history.A few minutes later, we lay on the bed, both naked, staring at each other in silence, while I tried to quell the nagging thoughts that made me feel guilty."Not that look again, Rose," he said as he rubbed my cheek."What face?""Like you made a mistake," he replied as I tried to maintain my composure.I blinked my eyes to avoid his gaze. "Look at that, you can't even look at me now. What is wrong, Rose? What are we doing wrong that you're so afraid of?"I looked into his eyes and saw a look of sheer terror. "I don't know… I…" I quickly sat up, holding the duvet to my chest as if I hadn't shamelessly undressed earlier and joined him in the shower.He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. "Is it because of my brothers? Do you love them too?" he asked as I glanced

ROSEIt had been over thirty minutes since Valentino had entered the manager's room, and I couldn't stop pacing back and forth in our suite, exasperated, while I wondered about what they could be doing together."Now you're acting like a clingy, jealous girlfriend," Arya remarked as I cleared my throat."That's not true. I don't care about what they do," I forced myself to shrug, but the mere thought of Valentino touching that woman the way he did made my body cringe. I walked to the bed and sat down, willing my hand to stop nervously shaking."What's taking them so long?" I bit my index finger's nail as the door opened, revealing Valentino. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking very relaxed. How could he be so composed while I was a nervous wreck?"Hey," I stood up quickly and rushed to him as he closed the door and came toward me."Are you sweating? Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?" He asked, a worried crease on his brow as he placed a hand on my forehead and w