Chapter 73 Suspicious!
|| Author POV ||
Rosa tiptoed inside the library. It was already afternoon. She had planned to go to the café, so she got ready but before going, she wanted to check something.
Even though she believed Killian, her curiosity refused to rest. The silence inside was comforting yet eerie. Every step echoed faintly beneath her light feet.
Reaching the tall shelves, Rosa quietly pulled the wooden chair and climbed onto it. Her eyes scanned the upper row until they landed on the book, Oath of Blood.
She recognized its heavy golden spine instantly. With a nervous breath, Rosa pulled it out, clutching it tightly before she stepped down.
Without wasting another second, she made her way to the table and sat. Her fingers trembled slightly when she opened the book. Page after page, Rosa flipped, desperately searching for that letter.
The letter wasn’t in the beginning. It wasn’t in the middle either.
Rosalie flipped faster. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this without asking him but still she couldn’t help herself.
Where is it? Her breath hitched. Heart pounded against her chest as she neared the end of the book.
The paper wasn’t there.
Rosa checked thrice, page by page, corner by corner but the letter was nowhere to be found.
Frustrated, Rosa stood, eyes scanning the floor like a hawk. “Where did it go?” she mumbled to herself.
She even dropped to her knees, bending down to peek beneath the table but nothing. She had lost it.
With a small huff, Rosa sat back down, flipping through the book again to search slowly this time. That’s when certain words caught her eye.
Mafia. Blood. Gun. Knife. Betrayal. Loyalty and many more dark words.
Her brows furrowed deeper with each word. What kind of book was this?
Rosa let out a soft sigh. Her fingers brushed the leather cover with disappointment. She hadn’t come for this. She only wanted to see the name on that letter. Just the name.
Her heart squeezed at the thought. What if it was from a girl? From the past?
What if it was someone important to him? That thought stabbed her the hardest.
Emotions bloomed uninvited in her chest. She wasn’t sure what hurt more, the missing letter or the unknown possibilities it might’ve carried.
Killian promised her he wouldn’t hide anything from her, right? He said it. Looked her in the eyes and promised.
She’ll ask him, someday. When the time feels right. Maybe she’s just overthinking everything again.
With a deep breath, Rosa nodded to herself and closed the book carefully. Placing it back on the shelf, she turned away from the quiet library and walked out.
The letter under the shelf swayed faintly with the wind that slipped through the large window, watching her legs walking out.
|| AT NIGHT ||
Rosa served another table, carefully placing the tray down. The customers thanked her politely and she returned a small bow.
“Please let me know if you need anything else.” she said with a gentle smile.
The man nodded kindly. Rosa turned. Her eyes naturally drifted toward the glass windows of the café and that’s when she saw it.
Rain!
Soft, delicate drops were streaming down the glass like silver threads.
Rosa gasped quietly and walked toward the entrance. The soft drizzle shimmered under the café lights, casting tiny ripples in the puddles outside.
Her eyes lit up, purple irises reflecting the tiny raindrops like gemstones.
The first rain of summer.
Rosa pressed her hand against the cool glass with round eyes. Her lips parted in awe. The streetlights outside glowed warmer. The sky looked like it was crying gently but it didn’t feel sad.
Then suddenly a sharp sting pierced the side of her neck like a needle.
“Ah–!” Rosa gasped sharply, clutching the spot with her hand and rubbed gently.
Her brows drew together. The pain was like a sudden jab, cold and quick. It pulsed once. Twice. And then... it faded. Just as quickly as it came.
What was that pain?
“Rosa.” Mira’s voice broke her daze.
Rosa snapped out of her trance and quickly walked toward the counter, embarrassed that she had been caught daydreaming. She avoided Mira’s knowing gaze, focusing instead on the slow rhythm of filling the empty cups with bitter liquids.
Outside, the rain tapped gently against the glass, growing heavier with each passing second. Rosa glanced at it again.
The shift was over. The café was nearly empty. Rosalie tugged at her sleeves. Her fingers curled nervously.
“You’re not seriously thinking of walking home in that, right?” Mira asked, swinging her bag over her shoulder. “Call your boyfriend.”
Rosa’s cheeks heated at the mention of boyfriend. It still felt unreal. She shook her head quietly. No, she didn’t want to bother him. He is a busy man.
With a small pout, Rosa waved goodbye to Mira and stepped out of the shop.
The rain didn’t seem like it would stop any sooner. Chewing her lip nervously, she stood just under the shop’s awning, letting the light drizzle soak her shoes.
If a car passed by, she’d take the chance to hop in.
Rosa stood still, enjoying the rain as it poured down near her feet in straight lines beneath the shop’s awning. The streetlights cast a warm golden glow over everything.
Suddenly, a car’s headlights cut sharply through the darkness. She flinched, turning left to watch it approach. The car slowed and came to a halt nearby. Rosa looked away, hoping for another car to come from opposite.
The cool air wrapped around her, making her shiver. Rosalie hugged her arms close when a few raindrops kissed her skin. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a slight movement from the left.
Her eyes locked onto the tall mysterious man who stepped out of the car with an umbrella shielding his face.