Chapter 38 38
|| Author POV ||
Rosa stood on her tiptoes by the window, sleepless. The sunlight fell softly across her delicate features. She looked brokenly beautiful.
Her body was weak but her mind was restless.
The man’s words from yesterday echoed in her ears. How had he known she was locked away here? He had almost said he was sent by someone. But who? Who would send him to save her?
Clutching the window frame, Rosa waited in silence. Her heart ached with a fragile hope that the stranger might return.
Her eyes fixed on the bright sky. At times, she wanted nothing more than to climb down the window and run. Anywhere as long as it was away from him.
She was shattered and a shell of herself.
Then, suddenly, Rosa’s eyes lit up. Her breath faltered and quickened all at once. That man–he was outside the mansion gate.
He came back?
Why would he come to save her from a monster? How did he even know her?
She had to ask him.
Trust was a stranger to her now. But compared to the monster who had shattered her–this man felt like the lesser danger.
\---
| ON THE OTHER HAND |
Killian’s eyes fixated on the glowing phone screen. Albert’s call kept buzzing. He made no move to answer. His hand only tightened around the device.
The unanswered call ended soon.
Killian’s gaze shifted from the phone to the window. But then his eyes narrowed because there was a man outside his mansion, waving his hand toward the upper floor.
Toward Rosa’s room.
Recognition came swiftly. The same man from yesterday. Killian had already dug into his background. His name was Lucas Marvin—Albert’s loyal hound.
What Killian couldn’t understand was why Albert seemed so concerned about Rosalie. Yet he knew one thing with certainty–if Albert wished, he had the power to snatch his rabbit away from him.
And that thought alone made Killian’s blood boil.
Killian’s jaw clenched, teeth grinding so hard it felt as if the bone might shatter.
He quietly watched the man signaling with his hands as if carrying on a silent conversation until the gestures stopped and he began pacing, waiting.
“Motherfucker!”
Killian’s fury ignited. He stormed out of his room. His gaze snapped downstairs and there his little rabbit was sneaking toward the main door on tiptoes.
Killian’s eyes blackened instantly. Rage twisted into something far more dangerous.
She wanted to escape so desperately that she was willing to trust a stranger?
Killian’s brain stopped working for a moment.
Rosa padded silently toward the door. Her heart hammered. She didn’t know if the guards would let her speak to anyone but she couldn’t stay here trapped with a criminal.
The king of criminals.
Her hand reached for the doorknob and she tried to turn it until fear froze her bones listening to the familiar voice.
“Where are you going?”
Rosa’s bones froze. She had been caught off guard trying to sneak outside. The harshness in his voice made her shiver uncontrollably.
He wouldn’t know anything, right?
Fearfully, Rosa turned around. Her eyes stayed downcast yet they overflowed with unfiltered terror.
Killian burned with rage. His hand shot out and clamped around her wrist and Rosa let out a small fearful whimper.
“I asked you! Where do you think you’re going at this hour?”
His voice was sharp and teeth clenched together. Rosa’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as if she would cry at any moment. She twisted her hands in his grip while desperately searching for an excuse.
“G-garden.” She stammered innocently, lying to him.
The veins in his neck bulged. Killian looked as if he could snap her neck on the spot. He yanked her arms harshly, “Ah-!” her body collided with his solid chest.
“To the garden.. or sneaking off to the fool of a man who promised to save you from me?”
His chest rose and fell with harsh breaths. Rosa’s doe eyes widened, snapping toward him in shock.
How did he know?
His long fingers sank into her soft skin, making her lips curve downward to a helpless pout instantly.
Her eyes blinked with fear. He was grabbing her so hard as if he would snap her bones without a thought.
“Who said you could lie to me?” Killian breathed.
The frown between his eyebrows and that sharp gaze made Rosa scared.
“Lie to me again and you’ll see just how dangerous I can be!” Every word dripped with dark intent.
Rosa writhed in his grip. “Let me go! Let me go!”
A sharp heart-wrenching cry escaped her lips when Killian squeezed her arm in a monstrous grip, leaving deep impressions of his fingers in her flesh. He was hurting her.
“You really had to make me regret letting you out of your room? Is that what you wanted?”
“Alright.”
Before Rosa could react, he lifted her effortlessly over his shoulder. “No. No!”
Rosa whimpered, dangling helplessly across his back.
Her legs flailed, fists striked his back weakly but Killian’s grip tightened on her thigh, squeezing her flesh, moving steadily toward the stairs.
“Nah! Please. Let me go.”
She pleaded. Tears streamed freely–each drop trailed down her face, falling soundlessly to the floorboards in their path.
Killian didn’t stop.
At the top of the stairs, Killian drove his boot into the door of her room. The wood shuddered, hinges rattled with a harsh kick before it swung open with a crash. He entered inside.
“My sweet little bunny.”
Killian lowered her from his shoulder with ease before his dark gaze locking onto Rosa’s tear-streaked face. Her feet stomped against the floor in a futile protest and her body twisted in his grip.
Rosa’s cries broke into muffled whimpers when his mouth crashed onto hers.
The salt of her tears stained their lips and Killian licked them away, devouring her mouth with harsh kisses, smothering every soft sound she tried to make.
Her fingers clutched at his shirt, pulling it, shaking her head desperately against him but Killian only deepened the kiss until she was gasping beneath him.
“Hah!”
Killian tore his lips from hers with a grunt, tilting her chin upward so she couldn’t look away.
“You left me no choice.”
His thumb brushed across her swollen mouth. His eyes darkened even more and jaw locked hard.
Rosa helplessly glanced at him. His face. That face was so familiar yet his behaviour was unfamiliar.
“I told you you cannot escape me! Yet you were walking to a stranger?” he exhaled. “Was I too merciful on you?” he glared at her innocent eyes. Her lavender pupils shook in fear.
“You. are. not. stepping. out. of. this. room. again!”
Rosa sniffled, “Please. I don’t want to stay.”
Killian’s eyes pierced into her soul, he gritted, “You will stay where you belong! To my beautiful cage! To me!” he spat dryly.
“Why can’t you leave me?” she sobbed at him.
Killian’s jaw clenched. His eyes were wild as if he were on the edge of madness. He dragged in a rough breath before seething.
“Leave you?” he scoffed darkly. “I can’t! I CAN’T BECAUSE–”