Return for the ruthless billionaire のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

Rosette's pov I did not know it was the night I would die.If I had known, I would have screamed louder. I would have fought harder. I would have clawed at the truth instead of believing the lies whispered into my ear by the man I loved.The house was quiet in the way only expensive homes ever were. Thick walls. Soft carpets. Silence padded with wealth. The kind of silence that swallowed pain whole and never gave it back.I lay on the bed, my body still weak from childbirth, my skin clammy and aching as if my bones had been rearranged without my permission. Every breath burned. Every movement reminded me that life had torn through me and left something precious behind.My child.Or so I thought.Blake stood near the window, his back to me, his reflection faint against the glass. He was still beautiful. That was the cruelest part. His dark hair was perfectly combed, his tailored suit unwrinkled, as if the last forty eight hours had not included me screaming in agony while bringing his

Masks and SmilesRosette's pov The morning light was treacherous, painting the grand halls with false serenity. Every polished surface gleamed with wealth, every window framed the city like a jewel in a cage. But I saw through it all. I saw the rot beneath the gold, the lies hidden behind smiles, the power that masked cruelty.I moved like a shadow through my family estate, my heels silent on the marble floor. Margaret’s breakfast chatter floated from the dining hall, the sound of normalcy that was meant to lull me. But I was no longer her child to mold. I was no longer the naive woman who had bled for trust. I was danger incarnate, and every step I took reminded me that I was awake, aware, and armed with knowledge that could destroy everyone who had ever wronged me.Blake would arrive soon. That name alone twisted my stomach. In my last life, hearing it had brought warmth. Now, it made my blood cold. He would not recognize the Rosette he had once destroyed. I had changed, yes—but he

The First ShotRosette's pov Time did not stop when the sound reached my ears.It fractured.The faint metallic click sliced through the air with surgical precision, sharp enough to cut through breath, thought, and denial. I felt it before I processed it, a cold pressure blooming between my shoulders, my spine stiffening as instinct screamed that death had found me again.Not today.Not again.My heartbeat thundered violently in my ears, but my face remained calm, carved from something harder than fear. Panic was a luxury for women who expected mercy. I had learned, in blood and silence, that mercy was a lie told by men who needed obedience.Blake moved first.“Put it down,” he barked, his voice cracking with something close to hysteria. “Are you insane”His reaction told me everything I needed to know. The gun was not his idea. Whatever game was unfolding, Blake had not been the one holding the trigger.Cesare did not move.That was worse.I felt him behind me, close enough that I c

Fault LinesCesare’s POVRosette didn’t just grab me, she clung to me. Her fingers dug into my jacket like her life depended on it. The fabric creased under her grip. “Cesare” she whispered, her body shaking against mine. I patted her back gently, “I am here.” “Don't take her, please” I stilled, “This wasn't meant for me.” I said quietly. She lifted her head slowly, her eyes wide open and unfocused. She stared through me instead of at me, “They said she’d cry if I touched her too much.”Shivers rushed down my spine. “What did you just say?” She blinked twice and sighed. “I'm talking about my child… she was so small.”My grip around her tightened. Rosette has never said something like this before. This weren't mere thoughts, she was relieving things… things meant to be buried. “Rosette,” I said firmly. “You’re here. Look at me.”She didn't heed to my words, instead she held onto me more. “I shouldn’t know that,” she whispered. “I wasn’t there. I died.”“Rosette,” I called out s

Dead Man WalkingCesare ordered the car to turn back, not discussion, no explanation. Oliver nodded and did as instructed.Oliver looked at him through the rearview mirror, “Dock seventeen?”“Yes.”“That man should be dead,” Oliver said carefully as he drove.Cesare’s gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead. “Which makes him useful.”They reached the warehouse again within minutes. The body was still there, slumped in a pool of dark blood, eyes wide open like he hadn’t believed death would come so fast.Cesare crouched to its level, he removed the man’s jacket first, then the cap, then the boots.He began to pull his clothes one after the other. Oliver watched him dazed, “What are you doing sir?”Cesare threw the clothes at him. Oliver stiffened. “Sir–”“You’ll stay with the car,” Cesare said calmly. “Follow my orders exactly as I give them.”“You’re going in alone?” Oliver questioned.Cesare looked up at him. “If they see two, they’ll kill her faster.”There was silence, Cesare stripped