Chapter 107 Her salvation.
CHAPTER 107
Her salvation.
SCARLETT – POINT OF VIEW
My heart stops beating, and my blood runs cold when I glance to my right to see that Roman isn’t alone any longer.
Dante is here.
Fuck.
Carrie and her friends follow my gaze.
She sighs and whispers, “They used to be close as thieves once, until Dante stole Roman’s idea. That’s all we know, but it doesn’t take a genius to know that Dante also stole Amara, though; it’s impossible to steal someone that way. One would think they would have worked through it by now, but it seems the tension is a raging fire. I can’t help but wonder why.”
My cheeks burn, but I don’t look away from him.
Dante is speaking, and Roman is silent. His shoulders are squared, and his hands are in fists. He’s close to losing his shit, and I need to intervene before it gets worse.
“I must ask, Scarlett,” Carrie’s friend, Belle, leans in, “Is it true what the Tabloids said about you? We all know you’re not a fraud, but did you really take something confidential from Roman?”
Heat flushes through me, rising through my chest, neck, and ears. It explodes in my cheeks, and my lungs constrict.
My ears ring loudly, and bile rushes up my throat, but I push it down. My cheeks burn, but I pretend to be fine.
Sweat beads on my forehead, and I murmur, “I have to go. We have a prior arrangement, but this has been lovely. Let’s do this again another time.”
I don’t wait for their response. I walk away. Dante is still speaking to Roman. They look at me as I walk forward. Something flickers over Roman’s face, but his shield is up, and it’s nearly impossible to read him now.
“Hello, Rose. I was just catching up with your boyfriend over here. I hope you don’t mind.” Dante grins at me, eyes filled with victory.
He thinks he has won. He thinks I will run away and hide. He doesn’t know who I am. I wasn’t forged from fire to let a stupid egoistical cunt like him make me stumble. Absolutely not. I am Rosalina Diaz as much as I am Scarlett Brooks, and he’s just the dirt beneath my shoes.
“It has been so long, hasn’t it?” He reaches for me.
I recoil backwards, and Roman moves calmly. He holds me firmly around the waist and presses his lips to my ear. I shiver in his hold, his possessiveness driving me insane. He undoes me, and in more ways than one, he is my salvation, even though I will be his ruin.
“Can we leave now, baby? I’m exhausted. The cold is getting to me.” I whisper, sweetly, avoiding Dante’s unwanted presence.
“Of course.” Rome nods and nods at Russell.
“Did you get my messages, Scarlett, or are we to meet at a later time as you planned?” Dante demands boldly.
I frown at him, stunned, “What?”
“My messages. Our … relationship,” he smirks, looking pleased with himself.
“I do not know what you are talking about. I deleted and blocked you months ago. I am not a fool. I know you will come back, try to put a leash around my neck and force me to do your dirty work. I wasn’t interested in being that person, so I removed the avenue. We have not spoken in private or via texts, and we never will. Respect yourself, Dante. I’m not interested in whatever game you’re playing. My hands are full with the ones I care about.” My tone is curt and polite, but the edges of my words are sharpened like a knife.
“Come on, Rome.” I link our hands, and he leads me away.
“Oh, I see what this is,” Dante laughs, and Roman stops walking.
“You think you’ve won? You think you’ve succeeded, Sterling? Fuck you. I know everything about your little birdy, just as I know everything about you. You will always be the same weak man who cried like a bitch. Being with Scarlett changes nothing. I will always win.” He snarls, obviously trying to provoke him.
Thankfully, Roman doesn’t turn back, and we continue our descent.
Dante follows us with his taunting words. My stomach twists, and bile rushes to my throat. Roman has to believe me. I have not been talking to Dante. The thought of him disgusts me. He forced me to do something I never wanted to do. He took away my choice. He’s a monster.
“Let’s just go home.” I pleaded, begging him to keep walking.
“Do you know who she truly is? Do you know how far the web has spun? You walk around with a fraud, a liar, and you pretend to have it all.” Dante catches up to us, and I am just so done with his bullshit.
I turn around and snap, “If you have something to say, then say it, you fucking coward.”
Roman holds me and waits for Dante to say anything of importance.
“You belong to me, Rose, and I do not give up easily.” He states.
I roll my eyes, “Have some shame, you idiot. I am not Amara. You cannot steal me from Rome. I will always choose him, and truly, you should get some help.”
His face twists and ugly wordsleaves his mouth, “You think he loves you? Wake up, bitch. He doesn’t love you. He doesn't love anyone. He couldn’t even save his mother. He left her to burn. He left his father to burn. And, now, his mom, or what’s left of her anyway, won’t talk to him.” He mocks.
Fuck.
Roman pulls away from me and lunges at him.
Hegrabss him by the shirt and slams his face into the nearest car. Dante’s head goes through the window, and the glass shatters.
Camera flashes, but he doesn’t stop.
He slams his fist in Dante’s face, over and over. He doesn’t let him get up or throw a punch. He beats the shit out of him, grunting as he punches him in the guts and breaks his nose.
Dante falls to the ground, bleeding, eyes wide.
He chewed more than he could swallow.
“If you ever speak about my wife and my mother again, I’ll make you beg for pain.”