Chapter 100 Can't take this anymore!
|| Author POV ||
|| FLASHBACK ||
The night they shared their passionate intimacy on Velaris Island. When Rosalie woke up in the morning, her cheeks burned with a light blush.
Killian wasn’t beside her. Her eyes drifted to the bouquet of red roses scattered across the floor.
Quietly, she tiptoed into the washroom and her eyes widened in shock when she caught sight of the hickeys blooming across her skin. She gasped.
A flush deepened on her cheeks as memories of last night’s intense moments flooded back, leaving her overwhelmed and embarrassed.
Rosa glanced down at her delicate chest where his marks were scattered like bruised petals. Tentatively, she raised her hands. Her fingertips grazed a mark near her nipple.
One gentle touch near her nipple made her lip tug inside her mouth and her eyes softened with the memory of his lips sinfully pressed against her skin.
A flood of happiness overwhelmed her. Her professor belonged to her and that thought alone made her heart flutter.
Shy smile bloomed on her lips as she traced his marks. Catching her reflection in the mirror, Rosa blushed deeply, embarrassed to find herself smiling like a fool.
For some reason, she didn’t want to wash away the marks.
What if the feeling of his hands on her skin disappeared with the water?
She loved this man deeply without limits and the thought of losing even that smallest trace ruins the peace of her heart.
After finishing her shower, Rosa slipped into a soft floral dress and stepped back into the hotel room. Her eyes immediately found Killian who was engrossed in a call.
Feeling her presence, Killian glanced back.
Rosa stood quietly while nervously fiddling. Her long hair still damp and cheeks flushed pink.
Her gaze flickered to the side, avoiding his intense stare while chewing on her lips. When Killian moved toward her, Rosa stepped back. Her doe-like eyes watched him curiously.
“Ani-ah~” Rosa gasped softly just as Killian picked her up, carrying her effortlessly before dropping her on the bed. He hovered over her.
“Je t’appellerai plus tard.” Killian murmured into the phone before ending the call.
\[french-english—‘I’ll call you later.’\]
Before Rosa could even look up, Killian’s lips slammed onto hers. He locked their mouths together. His nostrils filled with her fresh scent. After a moment of devouring her lips, he pulled back slightly.
“Did you shower already?” His voice was cold like stone but she was getting used to it.
Rosa nodded her head. Butterflies fluttered wildly inside her.
“You smell sweet, bunny.”
|| FLASHBACK ENDED ||
Rosa’s tears spilled freely at the sweet memories. She turned on the shower. Her knees gave out and she collapsed onto the cold floor.
“Why? W-why did you do this to me?” Rosa gasped between broken hiccups. Her voice trembled with pain. “Professor? How could you do this?”
Her whispered questions hung in the air unanswered, and she trembled in the solitude.
Her tears never stopped and the water cascaded over her tiny bare form like the cold water could cleanse the torment buried deep inside her soul.
She wrapped her trembling arms around her knees and her tears blended with the cold shower water. “Hic! Please, don’t hurt me anymore, Professor.” her chest tightened.
“Rosalie can’t t-take this.”
|| Later ||
Rosa nervously poked lightly at the food with her fork. Her body curled slightly as if to make herself invisible.
The morning sunlight filled the dining room but her eyes stayed on the plate, never lifting.
Killian sat beside her silently yet watchfully. He had brought her here himself. But she couldn’t bring herself to take a single bite.
Last night, when he’d gone to check on her, she’d been fast asleep and the food was untouched.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Rosa’s body jolted at the sudden question. The fork trembled in her grip and fingers curled tighter around it. Her knuckles started paling.
Killian’s cold gaze locked on her but behind it, a sharp pang twisted in his chest.
With hesitant movements, Rosa lifted the fork to her lips, taking a tiny bite. She barely swallowed. The action was slow and forced.
Killian didn’t tear his gaze away, knowing she would keep toying with the food if he looked elsewhere.
His eyes narrowed slightly, watching her with unblinking focus until a faint sheen of sweat appeared on her skin.
Killian stayed like that until she finished enough to satisfy him.
But in his mind, chaos brewed. He couldn’t stop replaying the image of the old her–the way her face lit up when they shared breakfast together for the first time. The warmth in her smile. The sparkle in her eyes.
He shut his eyes in frustration.
The sudden ring of his phone snapped him back, dragging his gaze from her.
Killian’s gaze sharpened at the name flashing on the screen. Chris. He glanced back at her. “Finish it.” he said flatly, “then you can do anything you want.”
Killian rose up and walked away. The sound of his footsteps faded into the distance.
Rosa’s hand stilled mid-air. Her gaze drifted toward the wide window where the sky had turned gray and rain began to tap against the glass.
There was no light in her face, no spark in her eyes, just that quiet emptiness. Her lashes grew damp.
The rain’s steady rhythm filled the silence around Rosa. Slowly, she set down the fork, rose from her chair and stepped out of the dining room. Her expression was blank as though her soul had been left behind at the table.
Her tiny steps faltered as she reached the basement door. Hesitation gripped her and her trembling hand pushed it open slowly. Her heart thudded fast in her chest.
Inside, her eyes landed on the chair at the center of the room. Her chest tightened even painfully. The memory of that man’s corpse, of the way he had stared at her with wide eyes as if everything was her fault.
Her breaths came in short uneven gasps. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her soft sobs broke free, echoing off the cold walls of the basement.
She had witnessed death before her eyes and could do nothing but stare.
Panic attacked her. Her head started spinning. Last night had offered no respite; nightmares had consumed her sleep.
But now, the real nightmare was living with her. Calling her his.
Her knees gave up and she sank to the floor, back leaning weakly against the door frame. That’s all she can do. She hugged her knees, releasing a pain so raw she didn’t even know its source.
Betrayal? Fear? Hurt? Lies? Truth? Or what? She asked god.
⪩----------⪨
ON THE OTHER HAND, Killian stepped into the corner to answer the call.
His eyes followed some rain drops. Chris’s voice came through, updating him on some work matters. They spoke at length but Killian’s pierced eyebrows gradually furrowed at the sudden change in Chris’s tone.
“Killian, grandpa called me this morning.” Chris said.
“So?” Killian replied, not understanding why Chris was mentioning it. Chris hesitated, then continued carefully.
“You know grandpa always keeps his eyes on you. Especially after you declared you’d reveal your identity. He still has connections. He was the former ruler after all. He’s sensed something’s wrong. I think he knows what happened at the party and that ... Miss Sinclair tried to escape. He asked me if everything was alright.”
Killian’s eyes darkened suddenly.
“And you know I can’t lie to him.” Chris continued, “If he’s suspicious, he would find out eventually. I thought you should know.”
Killian wasn’t a fool. He knew Albert always kept watch on him to see if everything was going right but this was the last complication Killian wanted.
The nerves on his neck popped out.
“How did he find out?!” Killian snapped. Frustration filled his deep tone–though he knew the answer.
Albert had men everywhere. Age didn’t matter–mafia connections never fades.
Albert had once ruled everything, just as Killian doing now.
“You know how it is. Grandpa has people watching everything you. He wanted to see what happened at the party after you revealed your identity, but Miss Sinclair ran away. And it didn’t go unnoticed.”
Killian exhaled slowly. He hung up the call without another word.
He remained frozen in place, fingers clutching the device so tightly it threatened to break in his grasp.
“Tch!”
Killian stormed back into the dining room but Rosalie wasn’t there. His cold eyes scanned the mansion desperately.
He reached into the hall and the faint sound of sobs caught his attention. He didn’t need to guess, they belonged to her.
His icy gaze fell on the slumped figure on the floor, leaning against the basement door.
Killian’s fist tightened. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there.
He just knew, something was about to go wrong.