Chapter 13 Marry Roman Sterling
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Marry Roman Sterling.
SCARLETT – POINT OF VIEW
“Rosalina? Who is Rosalina?” Eve asks, naively and reaches for the note.
“No!” I stop her immediately, and she jerks backwards.
“What? What’s wrong?” She frowns at me.
How can I tell her everything is wrong?
I glance at Rick, and he nods in understanding. He pulls out a gun from his hip and opens the door carefully. My heart is pounding. I know they are not there. That is not their style. This is a warning. They are watching, seeing what I will do next.
“All clear.” Rick walks out.
Gingerly, I walk into an apartment that has been my home for almost a month. Now, things have changed. A place that is my home has been tainted by my invasive past.
“Scar,” Eve says softly, and I glance at her.
“You know I don’t intrude on your past, but you need to talk to me. I want to help. We want to help.” She whispers tenderly.
I exhale shakily, and my hands tremble. My limbs feel so weak and boneless. There’s a sharp throbbing behind my eyes, but I push it all back. She has a right to know. They do.
I lean against the kitchen counter and begin, “I’m Rosalina. I used to be called Rosalina a long time ago, but I gave it up. I gave a lot of things up. I came to New York to escape the traumas of my past and the torment. My … my parents wanted me to live the life they couldn’t.”
I have come to understand that grief is like sand. It slips in everywhere, and when you think you’re done, it creeps in like a thief in the night. My grief is an unending well. I will never be fine. There’s a large void in me that seeks to swallow me whole. I grieve the person I used to be. I grieve the parents I had. I grieve the life I should have had.
“What happened to them?” Eve frowns, disbelief in her expression.
I inhale and shrug, “They … they passed away. They were taken from … from me, and I ran so I could live, but now, they’ve found me.” My eyes blur with tears, and there’s nothing I can do to hold them back. It spills from me as my shoulders shake with all the pain I carry.
“Oh, my love, I’m so sorry,” Eve whispers and wraps her arms around me, comforting me.
I push back my tears and pull myself together. I pull away from her embrace.
“That is all I can tell you, for your safety. I thought I would be safe here, but for some reason, they’ve found me here, too. I can’t keep running, because they will always find me, and I can’t fight back because I have no power. I thought Marcy was going to protect me, but she sold me out to Roman.” I murmur, my voice unsteady.
“We can go to the police,” Eve suggests.
“No, we can’t.” Rick shakes his head. “We need a lasting solution. We need to make her untouchable. They’ll keep coming, so we buy time before we can fight back.”
“How do we do that?” She sighs.
I watch them with a knot in my throat, I watch how easy they embody my suffering, how easy they lend a helping hand.
“I have an idea, but you won’t like it,” Rick announces calmly.
“Tell me. I’m desperate.” I urge, shamelessly.
“Marry Roman Sterling.” He states, and I freeze.
“Marry a stranger? She is not marrying anyone, and definitely not that egotistical bastard. Have you seen the things about him on the news? He rotates bimbos like he has a schedule. He is a greedy bastard, and she will not marry him. I am sure there is another option.” Eve counters, bristling.
Rick sighs, “I know it seems impossible, but think about it. Roman Sterling is infamously known for his greed and his possessiveness regarding his business. I am certain he will be the same with his wife. No one has to know it is fake. It will be a means to an end. If they see her with a powerful man, then they will retreat, which will give us enough time to do whatever we need to.” He explains carefully.
I stay silent while they argue.
“She would have to marry him, live with me. How far are we willing to go?” Eve points out.
“As far as I can,” I admit, and they look at me.
“He sent two million dollars, just to think. Two million dollars is in my account right now.” I add, then continue, “Maybe there is a way this can work. He needs a wife to get more money, and I need protection. We already know he is greedy and will definitely try to cheat me, so we counter him. We do this together, but there’s the problem of Marcy, who definitely sold me out.”
Eve exhales and nods, “Okay, okay, but we do this well. We make it worth your while. We can’t allow him cheat you.”
I nod, nausea rolling in me like a tide, but I push it back. This is the way to go. Then, I remember something and my heart skips a beat, “He said I had one hour to decide.”
“We have to go to him now? We haven’t even had time to work through it.” Eve exclaims.
Guilt bites at my heart, and I whisper, “I am sorry for raining on your parade, my love. You don’t have to come with me. I’ll send you my live location.”
“I am coming with you. We are. Now, how do we know where he lives?” She frowns.
“I’ll handle it. Why don’t you get ready? We’ll live in ten minutes.” Rick suggests, fishing out his phone.
My heart swells, and I whisper, “Thank you, thank you for … for everything.”
They ignore me. Eve takes my hand, and we go to get ready. My nerves almost get the better of me, but I push them down and focus. Choosing an outfit almost turns me into a puddle, but I settle on baggy jeans and a basic top. I pack my hair in a bun and grab a shoulder bag. Then, I walk out of the room.
Eve has changed into a corset top and long maxi skirt. Her hair flows behind her in waves.
“I have his address. He lives in a Penthouse in Brooklyn Heights. We can finalise the details in the car.” Rick urges, and I nod.
Together, the three of us step out of the place I have always called home. I know my life is about to change.