Chapter 32 32
|| Author POV ||
Rosalie stilled.
Killian.
A shaky breath escaped her mouth knowing it was the actual monster of her life.
He wasn’t human either. Her body froze in fear.
Rosa didn’t know if trauma made her hallucinate or not. Her vision gave up.
“There’s nothing. Do you hear me? You’re safe. No shadow dares touch you while I’m here. I won’t let it. Don’t cry. I’m here.” he stated calmly, cradling her head.
Killian’s brows knitted, feeling the air turn ice-cold around her. She wasn’t moving anymore.
His eyes swept the room, empty. He knew nothing was there. Yet he couldn’t understand what had shaken her this badly.
Must be nightmares or hallucinations?
Killian could feel her fear bleeding into him, against his chest. He finally felt her after two whole days. Two days of avoiding her. He wanted to give her some time because she was too scared of him but he was impatient inside.
So he had been watching her through the phone screen, until the violent banging on the door dragged him to her.
He glanced down at her face and...
“Damn it–!”
Her lashes rested on pale skin and eyes were closed. Totally unconscious.
\---
|| NEXT MORNING ||
“Aria?”
Noah’s voice was coaxing as he leaned at the table between them. Staring at his girlfriend who sipped her matcha with a distant gloomy expression.
They were in a quiet café. Sunlight filtered through the glass walls. Aria seemed lost.
Noah tilted his head. Concern tightened his features. “Tell me what happened. You haven’t said a word. I’m worried, babe.”
Aria set her drink down with a sharp exhale. “Don’t ask me something you won’t get an answer to. Please, just be quiet.”
“Oh, hi guys!”
Both Aria and Noah turned toward the voice. Ivan was walking toward them.
“Mind if I join?” Ivan asked.
“No, come on, dude.” Noah shook his head without hesitation, and Ivan slid into the seat beside him. His eyes flicked briefly to Aria.
“Hi.” Ivan greeted.
Aria blinked at Ivan and forced a smile that didn’t even reach her eyes. Ivan glanced at Noah who let out a sigh.
“Our exams are over, so we’re finally free. I’ll treat you guys.” Ivan said, though his heart was restless for something else.
“By the way, where’s your friend? I haven’t seen her in a while. Did she quit her job?” Ivan’s ears burned and he hesitated before adding, “I actually had something to tell her. Could you let her know about the treat? I really want her to come.”
Noah frowned. “That girl with purple eyes?”
Ivan nodded quickly.
“No way. Don’t tell me you like her, bro? I figured something was up when you went to the dance floor with her.”
Ivan scratched the back of his head sheepishly “Well... yeah, I guess. Now that exams are over, I was thinking of confessing to her.”
“You really like her?” Aria inquired.
She had no idea where Rosa was and she didn’t know if she should even reveal what had happened after Rosa told her not to tell anyone. Even the police had refused to help.
She was helpless.
Ivan nodded at Aria. “Yes. For a long time. Even before you and Noah met. Everyone close to me knows about her.”
Noah shrugged lightly. “I guess I never knew. We weren’t that close over the years, that’s probably why.”
Aria stared at them blankly and her chest tightened. She became even more sad.
Out of all these kind gentle men, Rosa had fallen for a dangerous one instead.
\---
|| On The Other Hand ||
Killian sat in his office. He didn’t sleep. Not once had he closed those eyes, worried she might drown in another nightmare if he wasn’t watching.
He rubbed his temple, signing the contract with his sharp elegant scrawl signature.
Papers piled endlessly since the revelation. Companies clawed to tie themselves to his name. But none of it mattered.
Without sparing a glance, Killian slid the file across the desk. His man took it and walked out silently.
Killian’s gaze flicked to the phone screen. She was there curled beneath the white duvet.
Another knock reached his ear.
“Enter.” Killian said flatly, eyes still fixed on her. Chris stepped in.
Killian’s eyes lifted to Chris while he sat across before laying out the details and reported him about new schedules.
“Italian and French syndicates have extended an invitation to meet you. The French boss is already familiar with you, given your five years in Paris. The Italians do not. Now they are aware of your power in the underworld. Their message is clear, they’re seeking an alliance, proposing to move against the Russians.”
Killian leaned back with the pen between his fingers. His face expression cold. He had anticipated this.
The Russians were reckless, always pushing limits. The Italians, on the other hand, carried influence in the underworld.
If they were making contact, it meant the stakes were already high and blood was already on the table.
“Keep it on hold. I’ll let you know.” Killian muttered. Chris nodded. They had a long conversation before Chris finally left.
Killian’s eyes flicked back to his phone. His brows furrowed instantly at the scene playing on the screen.
\-----
|| On the other side ||
Rosalie rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, waking up with tears already blurring her vision. The sunlight filtered in but it felt harsh. By the time she sat up, more tears slid down.
Rosa’s gaze darted to the corner. She froze. The room itself had become a prison of fear.
Daylight didn’t ease her. Her chest ached. The memory of last night burned against her ribs. She knew what she saw–a shadow.
Or she was hallucinating?
Rosa’s eyes shifted to the door. It was locked.
Even after everything, even after watching her break–he still kept her trapped.
Rosa leaned forward. Her gaze fixed on the duvet wrapped around her legs. Strands of hair was falling messily around her face.
Her soft hiccups echoed through the room. She couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t stay here anymore.
Covering her face with trembling palms, Rosa wept quietly. But the tears didn’t soothe her, if anything, they only fed her anxiety, making it harder to breathe.
It was eating her alive.
Her parents’ words echoed in her mind. She still loved him. How could she stop? Why couldn’t she stop?
“I DON’T WANT TO LOVE YOU!” Rosa screamed. Her voice broke in pain.
Her fingers tangled in her silky locks, yanking them in frustration. Her fist slammed against her chest, clutching at the sharp ache spreading there. It hurts inside and out.
She wished she never met him!
She wishes.
“I wish I... NEVER MET–” her once sweet vocal cracked, tearing apart, “YOUUU!”
Her body thrashed against the bed. Legs kicked, nails dug into the duvet as if it could absorb her torment. Tears smeared across her cheeks, wiped away only to return harder, faster. The pain in her chest grew unbearable, stealing her breath.
Gasping, Rosa staggered off the bed desperately to escape her own mind.
Her feet dragged her into the washroom. She avoided the mirror, washing herself up quickly.
Hoping the pain would fade.
But it didn’t.
Anxiety clung to her suffocatingly. Nausea gnawed at her fragile soul.
Her trembling fingers gripped the sink as she gasped for air. The ache in her chest spiked, suddenly unbearable. She wiped at her tears in a frenzy, almost clawing them away.
Her watery eyes flickered around the walls until they landed on the bathtub.
The bathtub.
A strange thought crept into her mind. Wrong. Immature. Yet it dug its claws deep.
Silence fell over her. Her breath slowed. It was as if something, someone was calling her.
Rosa dragged herself to the bathtub and sank into it fully clothed. Even forgetting about removing her clothes.
She turned on the tap. The water sloshed around her as she lay in it.
She just wanted to calm her mind down.
Her trembling hands pressed against her chest. Eyes fixed at the wall.
It was all her fault. If she hadn’t met him. If she hadn’t fallen. If she had never seen him...none of this would be happening.
The water rose around her shoulders.
She just wished she hadn’t seen him that night. She just wished. That night...