Chapter 120 Culprit!

Chapter 120 Illusion!
|| Author POV ||

“Wh-who?”

Rosa gasped in a tiny tone.

Before she could react further, the tall figure leaned down at her. She tried to scoot back but the strong arms slid beneath her knees and back and lifted her off the ground.

Rosa blinked again. Her eyes widened at the sudden warmth and strength holding her.

“S-superman?”

She whispered, awe mingling with disbelief and her lips parted in wonder. Rosa blinked, trying to clear her blurred vision.

“Oh!” She suddenly gasped, flinching slightly in his arms.

“Blue eyes?”
She murmured while her gaze fixed on his piercing cold eyes. She lightly slapped her own lips, mumbling, “Blue eyes... hmm.”

Her head tilted to the side as she stared down the empty alley, lost in thought. The alcohol still clouded her mind. Slowly, she turned back to him.

“You.. you have bullu eyez. I know somewan with blue eyez. H-he looks just like you.” Rosa’s shaky voice babbled.

The cold, icy eyes stared down at her with a tightened jaw.

“Mmm. Are you.. are you my professor?” Her innocent words tumbled out in a soft, drunken lilt.

“Mmm.” her voice suddenly wavered. Her round eyes were wide and glassy.

Her lips quivered, brows drawn together in confusion and fear. “No... you’re not real. I know i’m hallucina-ting. You.. you always come to my room at night.. even in my dreams, hmm. But you’re not real.”

Her fingers fidgeted and twisted as silent tears slid down her pale cheeks.

Her voice trembled as it broke, “You know.. you know, he is a bad man.” Her lips quivered, turning downward.

“He betrayed Rosalie.” She hiccuped.

Tears spilled freely and she clutched his shirt with trembling hands. “He’s so bad! He hurt me! My chest hurts! And..and I can’t sleep!” she wailed, burying herself in his arms.

Then, unexpectedly her cries shifted into soft breathless giggles. The man’s eyes narrowed, observing her closely.

Rosa’s head spun again. The giggles dissolved into fresh sobs. Her small hands fidgeted over her chest, fingers twisting nervously.

“He doesn’t love me. He’s so cruel.” She murmured, almost like a confession she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

Her feet kicked lightly in the air with a strange mixture of mischief.

Those dead eyes sharply watched her. His breathing ragged, watching her pink cheeks and those twisted meaningless words and shifts in behaviours.

Yet her tears flowed freely even as giggles slipped between sobs.

“I drank a looooot of drinks.” She admitted. A small, wobbly smile tugged at her lips. “First time.” She wiggled a finger, proud of her tiny confession.

“I’m drunk.. so I’m seeing you. Humph! I drank to ease my mind but..but I don’t feel nice.”

“Why couldn’t he love me? Am I not lovable? Maybe.. maybe if he loved me, he wouldn’t lie. He couldn’t hurt me, right?”

Rosalie’s sniffles grew louder as she pressed closer. She sobbed silently, clutching at him “He thinks I’m-i’m not human. He thinks I’m just a plaything. That’s why he played with me.” She bit her lip while pointing at her chest “It hurts here. So much. He doesn’t even like me. Trust me Mr.shadow, he hates me.”

She wriggled in his arms, then tilted her head up to the familiar face.

“Oh! I forgot.”

She turned her head slightly, whispering, “You. You’re not human.”

Rubbing her eyes, she buried her face against his chest, trembling against the warmth that felt so unfamiliar yet oddly safe.

She suddenly fell silent. Her eyelids became heavy. The man took a deep exhale. His heavy footsteps echoed on the empty street. He moved with calculated calm toward the car.

“Ow! You have the same caaaar.” Rosa whined loudly, moving her hands.

Without a word, he eased her into the seat. Rosa was still conscious, whining softly. Her words slurred into soft complaints but her body slumped in exhaustion. She rested against the window while the engine roared to life.

She kept babbling nonsense, making tiny noises, absentmindedly playing with her fingers the entire ride.

The car finally rolled to a stop in front of Aria’s house.

Guards stood in rigid formation, waiting. Without a word, he carried her inside and placed her gently on the bed, careful not to wake her fully.

He slipped out the way he came.

He shrugged off his coat and leaned against the car by the roadside. The shadows embraced his form.

Killian drew a cigarette from his pocket before placing it carefully between his lips. The night wind teased the smoke and he shielded the glowing tip with his hand, flicking the lighter until it caught.

A slow puff filled the air, curling upward into the dark sky.

Her earlier words made him feel ... nothing but something. Hate?

She thinks her owner hates her. How sweet.

He chuckled, forcing the sound out, trying to ignore the sharp pang in his chest.

Her words and every cute little gesture replayed in his mind, looping over and over.

So this is how she is when she’s drunk. He calmly breathed at the thought.

Another car approached. Killian already knew who it was. The vehicle stopped, and Chris stepped out. His gaze sweeped over the house before settling on the solitary figure enveloped in smoke.

“You just returned from another country and you’re already here. You haven’t really let her go, have you?” Chris’ voice was natural.

Killian exhaled another slow plume of grey mist. His scoff was quiet but lethal.

“What makes you think I’ll ever let her go?”

Chris exhaled with a slow nod. “I knew you wouldn’t. Grandpa told me you even considered giving up your throne rather than letting her go. That’s.. unimaginable. You can fool Albert Davis but not me. I know you more than he does. You’re scared of losing her. You want her to be by your side. You’re risking everything you’ve built, everything you’ve fought for–all for her. I don’t want to admit it but it’s undeniable. I think...” Chris paused and Killian’s eyes sharpened.

“You fell in love, Killian.”

Killian’s gaze suddenly turned glacial, peeling the soul out of Chris with just his eyes. Then he let out a low mocking scoff.

“Killian Salvatore doesn’t love. Love is a curse for him. Whatever he loves gets destroyed.” Killian’s voice was deeper and heavy with meaning.

“You’re not destined to destroy. You’re just afraid. You think love is your poison but maybe this time, it could be different.”

Killian chuckled again. Cruelly this time.

“I want to destroy her.”

Chris searched Killian’s eyes but what stared back was an emotion he couldn’t name–something dangerously twisted.

“I want to destroy her so bad.” Killian rasped like a cursed vow, “Not with love but.. with obsession.”

He was still arrogant. Still the same Killian Salvatore–narcissistic and heartless. Even after sleepless nights, even after the gnawing ache of her absence–he refused to admit his suffering.

Instead, he cloaked it in pride, in hunger, in the cruel desire to ruin the very thing he couldn’t let go.

Even after finding himself trembling at the thought of losing her, he refused–refused every trace of emotion.

Because he wanted her so much, it hurt.

And deep down, he knew the truth–he didn’t want to destroy her. He wanted to protect her at any cost.

But he wouldn’t protect her from himself. If she lived, she will live with him. That was final.

Killian had no idea to what extent his obsession had already spiraled.

He can’t even put into words the peace he felt after seeing her again, after nearly a month of hell. He was finally breathing with calmness.

“And stay out of it.” Killian spat darkly, earning a defeated sigh from Chris.

“There’s a man who tried to sell information about our operations. You need to deal with him. Tonight.” Chris added, changing the topic.

Killian’s chest rose and fell as he exhaled slowly. A storm of cold intent gathered behind his eyes. His fingers cracked his neck with a sharp snap.

‘Don’t worry, rabbit. Soon, you’ll be with me!’