387
387
THIRD PERSON POV
The car finally pulled into Roland’s compound, and the gates slid open slowly. The driver parked in front of the house, and Roland stepped out without saying much. Damien had already dropped somewhere else as he had something to do, leaving Roland alone with his thoughts.
As he walked into the house, the silence hit him. It was too quiet. No laughter or at least, movement, just the soft hum of the air conditioner. One of the maids who was right at that spot, then bowed slightly.
“Welcome back, sir,” she said.
“Thank you,” Roland replied, his voice flat.
He climbed the stairs slowly, his steps heavy. His mind was already far away, replaying everything that had happened that day. The news about Miss Rose, the fear in Karen’s eyes, the tension in the room, and then his own foolish confession.
He pushed open the door to his bedroom and closed it behind him. He dropped his jacket on the chair and loosened his tie, letting out a tired breath. He walked to the window and looked outside, staring at the dark sky.
His jaw tightened.
The image of the video they had sent, kept flashing in his mind. Her being tied up, crying and begging for help.
“Who could do something like this?” he muttered to himself.
He paced the room slowly, hands in his pockets.
“An anonymous person… no name, because the name he told them might have been a wrong one, and there was no face to it. Just an automated voice.”
It didn’t sit well with him. The way it was done, especially with the message.
“That means they’re planning more,” he said calmly, his forehead squeezing.
He ran a hand through his hair. “And Karen is already so worried.”
Her name alone stirred something in him. He closed his eyes briefly, and her face appeared in his mind. The way she looked when he held her the other time, and the way she gasped, almost sounding like the way she moaned back then.
He groaned softly. “Why do you still affect me like this?”
He walked to the bed and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. His thoughts became messy, jumping from Miss Rose’s danger to Karen’s presence in his life.
“She’s married,” he reminded himself. “She went back to Ashley. That should be the end.”
But his heart didn’t agree.
“I saw the way she looked at me,” he whispered. “Even if she tried to hide it.”
He shook his head. “No, Roland. Stop it.”
He stood up again, walking around the room as if he couldn’t stay still.
“If I even tried to win her back, it would be chaotic. It would be selfish.”
He paused in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection.
“You’ll ruin everything,” he told himself. “Her home, her kids and her peace.”
He clenched his jaw. “And I can’t do that to her.”
Yet the thought wouldn’t leave him.
“What if she’s not happy?” he asked himself. “What if she’s just trying to survive?”
He laughed bitterly. “Listen to you. Always looking for excuses.”
He turned away from the mirror, heading towards the bathroom.
“I need a shower,” he said under his breath. “Maybe it will clear my head.”
He turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up. As he undressed, his mind continued to run on Miss Rose again.
“She’s innocent in all this,” he said. “She doesn’t deserve this.”
He stepped under the water, letting it hit his shoulders. He closed his eyes, hoping the warmth would relax him, but his thoughts refused to slow down.
“Whoever did this knows what they’re doing,” he murmured. “They planned it.”
The water ran over his face, but he could still see that video in his head.
“And Karen…” he added softly.
He leaned against the wall, the water pouring down his back.
“Why now?” he asked. “Why did you come back into my life like this?”
He laughed softly.
“As if you ever really left.”
He rubbed his face, letting out a tired sigh.
“If I try to snatch her back, it will be war.”
He imagined Ashley’s face, the kids and the chaos it would cause.
“She won’t forgive me,” he said. “And I won’t forgive myself.”
The water kept running as he stood there, lost in his thoughts.
“You’re being foolish,” he told himself. “You should focus on helping find Miss Rose. That’s what matters.”
He straightened up, nodding slightly. “Yes. That’s what matters.”
After a few minutes, he turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. He dried himself slowly, his movements tired. He put on his nightwear and walked back into the bedroom.
The room felt colder now.
He walked to the bed and sat down again, staring at his phone. No new messages and no updates about the whole situation on ground.
“Nothing yet,” he murmured.
He placed the phone beside him and leaned back against the headboard. His eyes drifted to the ceiling.
“Karen must be worried sick,” he said softly.
He imagined her pacing, asking questions, trying to stay strong for the kids. His chest tightened.
“I hate that I can’t protect you anymore,” he whispered.
He closed his eyes.
“I hate that I’m not the one beside you.”
He opened them again quickly. “Stop it,” he warned himself. “Just stop.”
He turned to the side, pulling the pillow closer.
“You’re not allowed to think like this,” he said firmly.
But his heart didn’t listen.
“You love her,” a small voice inside him said.
He exhaled slowly. “Yes,” he admitted. “But love is not always enough.”
He adjusted himself on the bed, trying to get comfortable.
“She chose him. I made her do that,” he said. “and I have to respect that.”
He stared at the door, lost again.
“And if I don’t?” he asked himself. “If I let myself go?”
His eyes darkened. “It will be a mess.”
He sat up again, restless. “First, the whole abduction issue and threats, now this. My life is turning upside down.”
He reached for his phone again, checking it once more. Still nothing.
“Please be okay,” he whispered, thinking of Miss Rose. “Please.”
He placed the phone down and leaned back, closing his eyes. The room was silent, but his mind was loud.
He took a deep breath. “Sleep,” he told himself. “Just sleep.”
But as he laid there, images of Karen’s face and Miss Rose’s tears mixed in his mind, refusing to let him rest.
And just as he started to drift, his phone suddenly vibrated beside him.