chapter 149
Elena's POV:
The words hung in the air like a blade waiting to fall.
Rose's voice had been barely above a whisper, but the weight of her concession pressed down on the room like a physical force.
I watched Nicholas's face transform—relief flooding through him so intensely. His hand twitched toward Rose before he caught himself, fingers curling into a fist at his side.
"Thank you," he said, the words rough with emotion.
Then, collecting himself with visible effort, he turned to Lily with a smile that was almost convincing. "Would you like to meet my father, sweetheart? He's very old, but he'd love to see you."
Lily's eyes darted between her parents, that uncanny perception children possessed telling her something significant was happening. "Will Mama come too?"
Rose knelt down, smoothing Lily's dark hair with trembling fingers. "No, baby. This is something special just for you and Daddy. I'll wait right here for you, okay?"
"But—"
"I'll be right here," Rose repeated, her smile forced but determined. "Go on. The grandfather is waiting."
Nicholas's jaw tightened at Rose's refusal to accompany them, but he managed to keep his voice light. "We won't be long. I promise."
Just then, Sebastian's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting subtly—something that would have been imperceptible to most, but I'd learned to read the tiny tells in his controlled facade.
"Excuse me," he said smoothly. "This requires my immediate attention." He turned to me, his hand briefly touching my elbow. "Marcus will remain outside. If you need anything—"
"I'll be fine," I assured him, though the sudden prospect of being left alone with Rose during what was clearly an emotional moment made me nervous. "Go handle your business."
His eyes searched mine for a moment before he nodded. As Nicholas led a still-hesitant Lily from the room, Sebastian followed, pausing at the door to murmur something to the guards stationed outside.
And then it was just Rose and me.
She stood there for a moment, arms wrapped around herself as if holding the pieces together. The mask of composure she'd worn was cracking at the edges.
"Rose," I said gently, rising despite the protest from my back. "Come sit with me. Please."
She moved mechanically, sinking into the chair across from me. Her hands twisted in her lap, and I could see the effort it took to maintain even a semblance of control.
"You know," I said carefully, watching her face, "this could be an opportunity."
Her head snapped up, eyes sharp with suspicion. "An opportunity for what?"
"To see if he's truly changed." I shifted in my seat, trying to find a comfortable position. "Five years is a long time. People can—"
"Don't." The word was ice-cold, cutting through my well-meaning words. "Please don't suggest I should give him another chance. That's not why I'm here."
I fell silent, chastened by the raw pain in her voice.
"I'm here for Lily," Rose continued, her tone flat and final. "Only for Lily. Nothing more."
"I understand," I said softly, though my heart ached for both of them—for Nicholas, desperately trying to rebuild what he'd destroyed, and for Rose, protecting herself with walls of ice.
The door burst open without warning, and Sophia Black swept in like she owned the room. Nicholas's younger sister—the one he'd chosen to save all those years ago, the choice that had shattered everything between him and Rose.
Her white off-shoulder dress was clearly designer, the kind that cost more than most people's cars, and her perfectly styled blonde hair caught the light as she moved. Her gaze slid over me dismissively before settling on Rose with undisguised contempt.
"Well, well." Her voice dripped with disdain. "Look what crawled out of the gutter. I heard Nicholas was slumming it again, but I didn't quite believe it until now."
Rose's spine straightened, but she didn't rise to the bait. "Sophia."
"That's Miss Black to you," Sophia corrected with a cruel smile. "Though I suppose country bumpkins like you weren't taught proper manners. Tell me, did you have to borrow that dress? It almost looks convincing."
My hands clenched in my lap. "Sophia, that's enough—"
"And you brought your little bastard with you?" Sophia continued as if I hadn't spoken, her lips curving in mock sympathy. "How... brave. Though surely you must know Mother will never let that mongrel child be acknowledged as part of this family."
The word hung in the air like a slap. I saw the exact moment Rose's control snapped—her face went white, then flushed with fury.
"Don't you dare," Rose said, her voice deadly quiet as she stood. "Don't you ever speak about my daughter that way."
"Or what?" Sophia laughed, the sound sharp and ugly. "Haven't you learned your lesson from five years ago? You still dare oppose me?"
Her smile turned predatory. "I can make what happened back then happen again anytime I want. And when I do, where will you and your pathetic little bastard end up this time?"
Without warning, the crack of Rose's palm against Sophia's cheek echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Sophia stumbled back, her hand flying to her reddening face, eyes wide with shock. For a moment, nobody moved. Even the guards outside seemed to hesitate, unsure whether to intervene in what was clearly a personal matter.
"My daughter," Rose said, her voice shaking with rage, "is worth ten of you. And if you ever—ever—call her that again, a slap will be the least of your worries."