Chapter 80

The room was oppressively silent, with the tranquillity disturbed solely by the whisper of the curtains fluttering in the draft from the ajar door. Roseline remained motionless, her bag hanging loosely from her hand. Ronaldo’s stare fixed on her, intense and unwavering, holding her in place. 

"You believe you can simply leave this place?" he asked, his tone soft yet tinged with malice. "Without any justification or consideration for the significance of this marriage?" 

Roseline gulped painfully, her throat parched. “What this union signifies,” she reiterated, her voice quivering yet becoming more stable with every word, “is power. Ownership. You don't care for me, Ronaldo. "You simply love possessing me." 

Ronaldo’s look remained steady. If anything, her remarks appeared to entertain him. He stepped forward slowly and intentionally, his shoes softly clicking on the marble floor. “And you believe this... uprising,” he remarked, pointing to her bag, “shows your courage? That it frees you from your deceit? “Your treachery?” 

Roseline didn’t retreat, even though every instinct urged her to flee. "I'm going," she stated, her tone more resolute now. "I will not remain in this house, in this confinement." Not intended for you. "Not any longer." 

Ronaldo angled his head, his grin cold and lacking any trace of humour. “Departing for him, I suppose,” he stated. "To Sam." 

Roseline's breath was taken away. It was pointless to deny it. He was aware. He had been aware for a while. 

“And the child,” Ronaldo went on, his tone falling deeper, more threatening. "That doesn't belong to me, does it?" 

She hesitated, but just for an instant. “Not at all,” she confessed. The truth lingered in the space between them, unrefined and perilous. "It isn't." 

The facade of civility Ronaldo had been holding onto broke apart. His eyes burned with anger, and his hand raced forward, seizing her wrist with a strength that caused her to wince. “Are you aware of what you've done?” he spat, his voice quaking with anger. "Are you aware of what this signifies?" 

Roseline wrested her arm away, her defiance igniting even while anxiety twisted in her gut. “I understand precisely what it signifies,” she stated. "It signifies that I’m finished." Finished being your piece, your property. "I'm going, and you can't prevent me." 

A subtle noise of footsteps resonated through the corridor, capturing Ronaldo's focus. He tilted his head a bit, his demeanour becoming even more stern. "You believe you've achieved victory, don’t you?" he remarked, his tone subdued yet still menacing. “You believe you are free.” 

Before she had a chance to reply, the door behind her slowly opened wider. Sam entered the room, his arrival infusing the atmosphere with an energy that was equally soothing and electrifying. His gaze quickly focused on Ronaldo, then shifted to Roseline, observing her shaking hands and the determination in her posture. 

"Allow her to leave," Sam spoke, his tone steady yet resolute. 

Ronaldo emitted a soft, dry laugh, freeing Roseline’s arm yet remaining close. "You have guts to appear here," he remarked. "Entering my home." "Enmeshing in my marriage." 

“This doesn’t concern you,” Sam responded calmly. "This concerns Roseline." "Along with her decision to depart." 

“Her decision?” Ronaldo began to speak in a mocking tone. "Do you believe she has an option?" “Do you believe she can simply leave behind all that I’ve created, all that she owes me?” 

"She owes you nothing," Sam remarked, moving nearer. “Neither her liberty nor her joy.” "And not her existence." 

The atmosphere in the room was oppressive, filled with silent menaces. Roseline positioned herself next to Sam, finding strength in his company. She sensed the anger emanating from Ronaldo, the tempest that was ready to erupt. 

Ronaldo glanced back and forth at them, his jaw becoming tense. “You believe this concludes with her leaving through that door?” he remarked, his tone dark and menacing. “Do you believe I would let her slip away that easily?” 

"You have no option," Sam stated. "She is going, regardless of your feelings about it." 

Ronaldo's laughter was piercing and resentful. “You both underestimate me.” "You don't know what I'm capable of." His gaze shifted to the side table where his phone was placed. "Just one call." "That's all it would require." 

Roseline's heart missed a beat. She understood he was referring to his extensive circle of influence, the individuals devoted to him, and the extent of his authority. If he placed that call, there would be no avoiding him. 

“That's enough,” Roseline said, her voice cutting through the escalating tension. She advanced, with her chin lifted confidently. "This is finished, Ronaldo." "You no longer have ownership over me." 

His grin disappeared. “Do I not?” he murmured, his gaze tightening. "Do you believe this... moment alters anything?" You believe him”—he pointed at Sam with contempt—“can defend you against me?” 

Sam stiffened, his hands forming fists at his sides, but he refrained from taking the bait. "You won't harm her," he stated, his tone firm. "Since if you do, there won’t be anywhere on this planet where you can escape from me." 

Ronaldo looked at him, a threatening sparkle in his gaze. "Large terms," he remarked. “However, without action, words hold no value.” 

A subdued voice responded from the other side, yet Ronaldo's message was unmistakable: "Secure the estate." “No one departs.” 

Roseline felt a wave of dread wash over her as the sound of heavy footsteps resonated in the hallway outside. Ronaldo had called for his security team. 

“You're staying right here,” he stated, his tone a chilling assurance. "And he isn't either." 

The door swung open forcefully, and two stocky guards entered, their faces inscrutable yet their stature commanding. 

“Take that one,” Ronaldo commanded, gesturing at Sam. 

Roseline positioned herself in front of Sam, her arms extended. "Not!" she yelled. "Let him be!" 

The guards paused, their eyes moving to Ronaldo, who nodded with impatience. 

“Don’t complicate this unnecessarily,” Ronaldo remarked, his tone filled with malice. “You did this to yourself, Roseline.” 

The guards moved forward, and Roseline grasped Sam tightly, her voice growing more frantic. "Please, I implore you, don't do this!" she pleaded. 

Sam gently nudged her aside, his demeanour tranquil despite the turmoil. "It's fine," he said gently. "We will solve this." 

"Sam, stop!" Roseline wept, her voice trembling. 

The guards seized Sam, their holds as strong as metal. He made no effort to escape, his eyes locked on Roseline as they pulled him to the door. 

"This isn't finished," Sam remarked, his tone calm yet resolute. "I will return for you, Roseline." "I give you my word." 

Ronaldo observed, his face victorious as the guards dragged Sam off. As the door shut behind them, he faced Roseline again, his grin icy and triumphant. 

"At this moment," he remarked, moving nearer to her, "we can talk about what comes next." "Only you and I." 

Roseline's knees weakened, yet she compelled herself to remain upright. Her heart raced as she understood she was genuinely alone now, confronted by a man who would do anything to dominate her. 

However, when Ronaldo extended his hand toward her arm, a loud crash resonated from the corridor, succeeded by yelling. They both stilled, their gazes turning sharply to the door. 

"What on earth is happening?" Ronaldo growled, his self-control faltering. 

Roseline chose not to wait to discover. She dashed toward the open door, her heart pounding as mayhem broke out in the mansion.