ă€ŠRoyal Princess: Doted On By The Mafia Kingă€‹


 Chapter 1 - Beaten Up In A Warehouse

    Rose moved in difort. What? This could not possibly be paradise right? The thing sheid on, whatever it was, was so hard and ufortable reminding her of when she was in the orphanage. Or was she in hell? She doubted that since the sister always told her them that hell was hot.

    Remembering that, she suddenly felt sweaty. She felt the ufortable feeling of heat as well as cold ¨C fever. Since she felt the presence of cold, she knew she was not in hell but where the hell was she then?

    She then made an attempt to open her eyes and it opened immediately, her two eyes stared around at the familiar ceiling. Was she back to the orphanage? She immediately went through her mind and the memories of why she felt she was either in hell or paradise and not her bed in the orphanage came to her mind.

    ***

    Rosaline noticed the tight thick ropes holding hands together behind her back and her legs as soon as she woke up. The ropes were too tight and ufortable. She shivered visibly due to the cold she felt from being drenched in a bucket of cold water. She was sitted on a chair.. The ce wasrge with her right eye which was her only functioning eye hurting from the bright light from therge door opened in front of her. The cold winding in from the door also did not do her any good in her state and she kept shivering.

    Turning to the right, she noticed her step mother seated with her leg crossed on a brown leather sofa and her step-siblings standing beside her. Behind them were a dozen of royal guards in their blue and ck uniform awaiting orders and protecting those three before her. She remembered going to the pce and getting stopped by the guards at the gate and she told them she was the princess. She was knocked out after giving them the proof of her identity.

    The orders the guards awaited finally came, "Beat her up." That order came from her step mother sitting with pride as the only thought she had on her mind was to have her rival''s daughter beaten and abused until she was satisfied which she will only be if the girl was dead.

    The guards immediately took the order of the queen to beat up the tied up teenager. Walking to her with a baton, the guards did not hesitate to beat her.

    "No, please I am sorry," she cried as a baton hit herp. She could swear that that single hit had broken her bones. If it was because she was the daughter of thete queen then she did not want the identity anymore. The joy she once felt when she discovered she also had a father somewhere was all long gone. "I swear, I will disappear," she tried to beg her way out of dying.

    The queen raised her hand putting the beating to a halt. She got up slowly and elegantly walked to her standing a few feet away from her. "Disappearing is not important. You should have been dead more than ten years ago and since you refused to die, I want to help you. You should not covet what is not yours. Do you think that by returning, you will be weed into the pce with a party and an announcement to the world that you have returned?"

    "No, I never wanted anything but to meet my father. Please I don''t want to die. Please," she continued pleading as tears ran down her cheeks.

    The queen stared at the disgusting looking girl before her and it took so much willpower for her not to empty her stomach of the lunch she had just had a couple of hours ago. The girl had an uglyrge scar on the left side of her face that destroyed the left side of her face. It looked so unsightly that she really wanted to look away but the joy she got from seeing her rival''s daughter end up in such pathetic state made her keep staring it was definitely going to make her live the rest of her life smiling.

    "You cannot see your father with that face. You are too disgusting to stand before the king," her step sister told her as she walked to her with her hands folded on her chest.

    "You are just like your mother but I feel better looking at you," her step mother told her chuckling. "I will do this world a favor of eliminating such useless humans that are trying hard to im importance."

    "Please don''t kill me," her pleas continued. She did not want to die. Life had not been beautiful and easy but she definitely did not want to die. It had being hard living with the scar on her face and her left blind eye but that did not mean she wanted to die. She had hope that perhaps she will be able to make enough money for her surgery in the future.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Loose her," the queen ordered. The guard loosened her and she immediately sighed in relief at least her begging worked but little did she know that it was only to make her more miserable.

    "Thank you, Your Highness," she appreciated standing up but her body dropped to the dusty rough floor her legs being too weak from the beating. She winced and made another attempt to stand up already making ns on how she would run away and hide forever.

    "I haven''t decided to forgive you yet," the queen told her making her hope shatter.

    She fell again to the floor and did not bother to wince despite the pain she felt from her numb hands and sore legs. She felt as though the muscles of herps were crushed. The cold, the pain all seemed to vanish and she was simply waiting to be killed since her legs could not support her out.

    "Beg. I can''t tell how much you want to live. Beg for your life," her step-mother told her in a soft tempting voice carrying hope.

    The hope that Rosaline once lost was restored she had a hope that if she seeded in begging for her life, she might be given another chance. She lifted her head towards her step-mother and began another session of begging this time, she tried to let all her emotions and desire to live show.

    Her pleas only made the queen giggle in amusement but na?ve Rosaline felt she was not persuasive enough and kept trying harder. "Please, please let me live. I will leave and never return. I will leave this kingdom and never return. I will be invisible. Please let me live. I beg you please. Give me a chance to live. Please let me live. Please. Please. Please, Your Highness, grant me the grace of not dying. I beg for mercy," her pleas continued. She thought of anything, word or expression that might make the queen let her go and made use of them all. Tears wet her face along with the water that still remained on her taking time to dry up.

    "Who are you to seek the king''s help? Who are you to try and appear before me, the queen with such appearance? Who are you to try to be a princess? Who are you to dream of living in the pce?" her step-brother asked now standing beside his mother.

    "I am stupid, I don''t deserve anything good. I am ugly and useless so please don''t let me bother you with my death," her brain made new methods of begging, and that was making her importance reduced. Perhaps they won''t take her serious any longer.

    "Yes, you are pathetic and unimportant," her step mother agreed with her new method. It was like music in her ears, having Doris'' daughter beg her in such manner. She nodded to the beat of her newly found music. "Beg more, persuade me to let you live," she did not hesitate to motivate Rosaline to give her more of that music.

    "I . . .," Rosaline began but got interrupted by the ufortable feeling in her throat and began coughing violently with a sharp unpleasant pain in her chest with every cough. The cold was getting the best of her. Her step-mother and step-siblings were well protected from the cold by the thick jackets they wore but she was only dressed in a white T-shirt and brown jeans, the coat she wore to the pce was gone.

    Since she could not beg because her throat felt sore after violently coughing, she began rubbing her hands together towards her step-mother.

    Feeling both angry and disappointed that her music had stopped, the queen turned to the guards with a new way to torture the eyesore before her. "You can leave," she said to Rosaline but gave a different order to the guards.

 Chapter 2 - Death And Rebirth

    With her only functioning eye blurred by tears, she could not see the sign her step-mother gave the guards and she bowed in appreciation and tried to lift herself on her feet again but it was not working so, she proceeded to using her hands to pull her body towards door as fast as she could before the queen could possibly change her mind.

    She could hear the queen chuckle behind her but she did not care since all she wanted was to leave the warehouse before anything else could happen.

    Her palms were torn and wounded with every movement along with the part of her legs being dragged on the rough floor of the warehouse. She had two meters left and she was not giving up as she kept moving.

    "Mother, are you letting her go?" the princess asked her mother since she was not aware of the signal her mother gave the guards who were following Rosaline closely.

    "If I did not let her mother go then why should I let her go? She will meet with her mother this afternoon," the queen assured her daughter that her new rival was definitely not going to survive to make aeback and perhaps pose as a threat to her daughter''s existence as the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.

    Rosaline might have a face scarred but anyone who saw only the right side of her face, will simply conclude that she was the most beautiful girl and if she gets her surgery done and the scar is gone, her daughter''s position will be taken.

    Rosaline immediately stopped and looked back when she heard the statement the queen made. So, the queen was responsible for her mother''s death.. At this point, she knew she most survive at all cost and punish her mother''s murderer but that was too much of a luxury for her to think of as her left hand was hit hard by a baton held by one of the royal guards.

    She lost her bnce, the bnce she got by rest the weight of her upper body on her hands, falling face down to the dirty and dusty floor of the warehouse. She knew that a bone must have suffered from fracture but that did not stop her from relying on her right hand as she put her weight on it trying to leave the warehouse with one word on her mind - vengeance.

    She did not make through thest meter to the door when her hand was hit again leading to her body falling once again to the floor, her face now covered with dirt.

    Like a caterpir, she kept moving to the door, her clothes ripping from the friction of the rough floor against it. A trial of blood along with ripped pieces of fabric was left behind her as she used all her willpower and strength to get to the door. If she should die in such a manner . . . in fact, she could not think of that happening.

    Just as she got outside the door, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head as she literally saw twinkling stars before everything went ck.

    "Beat her till she is confirmed dead and bury her somewhere no one will find her," the queen ordered her minions and walked past her body crossing over her leg that obstructed her part to the door.

    Rosaline could clearly hear that order and she could not help but wonder who else in this world had such a painful end like her. Death with such psychological and physical torture, she could swear that there was no death as miserable as hers. No, she could not die in such manner.

    She could not meet her mother without making them pay for what they did to her. They stole her life, they made her live as an orphan without love in an orphanage for most of her life. They made her suffer all the bullying she had to endure in the orphanage, including a burn on her face that ruin her appearance and crushed her self-esteem.

    She had suffered too much to be treated like this even in her dying point. If there was a God, she did not want to bother him with helping her revenge, since she was taught as a kid that vengeance should be left to God. She wanted Him to give her a chance to relieve him of the stress of punishing those that ruined and ended her life and that of her mother.

    While she pleaded with the Almighty, she felt strong gentle hands lift her head and hug her to a warm chest making the cold she felt ease. Was it the Almighty granting her a chance to live? But the chest was so warm it made her forget her desire to revenge as she felt peace.

    "Rosy, Rose wake up. Don''t sleep there is an ambnce on the way," a deep musical voice assured her dripping worry and concern towards her. "Don''t sleep please. Stay awake. It is all going to be alright. I will make them pay for all they did to you and your mother but you must stay awake," the voice continued soothingly.

    At this point, all she felt was relief and warmth she inhaled the soothing scent that came from whoever this angel was and she sudden felt peace as her consciousness began slipping away slowly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    If this was a thepensation the Almighty prepared for her before he helps her avenge, then there was almost absolutely nothing she wanted any longer than for Him to make sure he does a thorough job of wiping out those viins.

    "Rosy . . . Rose please wake up, the ambnce will arrive soon. Stay wake please," that soothing deep male voice kept on encourage her to stay awake.

    All the pain was gone, she felt weak and tired, very much in need of immediate rest, she wanted to sleep so badly in the arms of whoever this male angel was. She made a mental note to ask the Almighty to grant any poor person like her dying such warmfortable arms to die in. It will definitely make death easier because it made hers easier. All she could feel was peace andfort.

    As she felt her soul slip out of her body, she heard a voice in the midst of the darkness and quietness that surrounded. "I give you the permission to seek your vengeance," a loud gentle but powerful voice told her.

    ***

    Was it all a dream or did she really die? Was she really a princess? Was she really killed by the queen, prince and princess? And who the hell was that guy with a nice voice? After asking herself those questions over and over again, she could only conclude that it was all a dream. It felt so real but there was nothing logical about it.

    She sat and stared at her hands, they were smaller and thinner. She looked around in confusion, why did it feel like she was already grown but trapped in the body of a young girl? It was both confortable and terrifying.

    She looked down from the up bunk where she slept to find the room empty. She nced at the calendar hanging on the wall, it was simply told her that her dream or whatever that was, had took ce four yearster and she was presently fourteen years old. Her gaze moved from the calendar to the wall clock, it was 8:00 am and she was supposed to be in school. No wonder the whole room was empty.

    This was the girls'' dormitory for those between the ages thirteen to seventeen. There were six bunks in the room arranged to the wall with a wide space between each bunks and a cupboard between them. The room was painted baby pink and off-white. It was neat as usual under the supervision of Sister ire, the dormitory''s supervisor.

    She got down from the bed using the steps and found herself feeling dizzy as soon as her bare feet touched the cold tiles.

    "Rose, you are awake," the sister in charge of her dormitory said standing at the door with a tray of medicine and water. "We were all scared that you might never wake up but the doctor assured us that you were not too sick to not wake up. It is a very relieving to see you awake," the sister in herte thirties told Rose as she walked into the room with a sincere smile on her face.

    The sister ced the tray on the wellid bed on the lower bunk and ced her hand on Rose''s forehead.

    All through, Rose stood watching her as she found this scene very familiar. She immediately shook off the confusing thought and smiled. "Good morning sister," she greeted respectfully.

    "Good morning Rose. The fever is gone. Take your medicine and meet me in my room for your breakfast. They have all eaten and gone to school. I kept your breakfast with me," the sister informed her patting Rose''s hair.

    "Okay sister," Rose agreed immediately as she could easily feel the pain her stomach felt from hunger.

    The sister turned and left. She could remember clearly that this sister is nice to everyone in the dorm and she treated them all almost the same way. It was hard to see her being bias. But perhaps her equal treatment became too much because even the bullies were treated too nicely by her that she almost did not see the suffering of those being bullied.

 Chapter 3 - It Was Not A Dream

    She had being locked up in the storage room by a bunch of bullies until a sister found her and she had already fainted from the cold and hunger. She had being told that an older girl needed something from the storage and that she should get it only to get locked up in the storage.

    She knew very well who did it. Those girls were fourteen like her although one was already fifteen and ever since they were young, they had bullied her in every way possible. In her dream, one of them poured hot water on her during cooking ss just few months from now.

    It ruined her appearance, the left side of her face was scarred by the water and it affected her eyes making her left eye go blind. They made sure all those that wanted to adopt her stayed far away. They told lies to those poor couples that she was possessed by some kind of demon.

    There was a couple that did not believe them and still insisted on adopting her because she was very beautiful and intelligent but those girls locked her up in one of the toilets in school on the day they came to pick her up and gave the couple a note they wrote saying she did not want to be adopted by them and that she was going to hide away from them till they leave.

    The experience was horrible. She screamed and cried for hours but no one came to rescue her till the following day.. All alone in the school building at night locked up in a small space, it was so scary. The thought of it made her shiver as she tried tob her hair.

    The couple left sad after receiving her message of rejection. She could easily guess the life of luxury andfort she would have lived if she got adopted by that couple. They were rich and anyone could tell that they were nice people.

    After taking her time dressing up, she went to the sister''s room to eat her breakfast. The room was empty except for a bed, a table, chair and wooden ck wardrobe. The room was painted grey with white curtains and her food was on the wooden table facing the wall. It was cold but she was not surprised at that it seemed her subconscious mind expected to be that way.

    After breakfast she went to the library in the orphanage. She could not go to school since the sister had called her homeroom teacher to take a day''s break for her recovery.

    Everyone knew the royal family well. She had seen them asionally in magazines. They were rich, powerful, and well respected. She was confused as a war of emotions began. The picture of the royal family looked so familiar, more familiar than ever. They were all there when she died.

    Tears ran down her cheeks staining the magazine on the table before her. It had to be a dream. She had fantasized a lot growing up that she was a princess but many other girls did too. She could possibly have created false memories, right?

    She shook her head vigorously mopping the tears off with the back of her hand and stood up. She did not want to believe all those painful memories were hers. She did not want to believe she was killed just to satisfy someone''s animalistic desire. It was all too much.

    She pushed the chair back with a force making it fall with a loud noise on the tiled floor of the library. "It is not me. It cannot be me," she told herself an obvious lie as she ran out of the library. She seriously wanted to run away from those ugly memories however, the more she tried, the more they got stored up in her brain.

    She found a corner in theundry room and sat on the floor hugging her knees against her chest. She rocked herself slowly humming a tone ¨C the only thing that stayed in her memory since she got to the orphanage.

    As she rocked herself slowly, she got more and more memories returned to her against her will. Her mother always hummed this same tone when she was little. She could remember that soft, pure and sweet voice of her mother telling her the song was written by her grandfather as a gift when she was a given birth to.

    Her mother hummed that same tone in the car when they were left all alone in the middle of nowhere with their car upside down on the grass. Her mother was bleeding but she held her tightly and hummed that same tone to her till somehow she went unconscious and woke up in the orphanage.

    "Mother . . . Mother . . . I am sorry. I am sorry I forgot you. I am sorry I refused to avenge your death. I should have never have told you to leave the pce unguarded. I wish I never believed her. It was my fault," she apologized sobbing hard.

    After crying until her face was as red as ripe tomatoes and her eyes almost like chilli, she went to the bathroom and rinsed her face with cold water from the tap. Left alone in this orphanage, she could not think of a way to get back at those that hurt her and mother.

    She needed to leave the orphanage and attain a height strong enough to get back at the royal family. It was almost impossible. She was not na?ve anymore to go to the pce to find the king. She could not trust anyone except herself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ***

    Somewhere in B city, a man and his friend sat in the private room of a high ss bar sipping from their sses of expensive alcohol as they spoke freely being friends since they were kids.

    One of them had a mncholic appearance with furrowed brow and a sad look on his good looking face. The other appeared brighter with a mysterious look in his brown eyes and concern for his friend written on his face.

    "She keeps losing her mind since Anna went intoa. She barely eats or sleeps. I don''t know how to help her. She makes me feel so useless," the mncholic man told his friend. He sipped from the ss of brown liquid in his ss with a sigh.

    "Valerie just needs sometime. She will soon get used to it. I think you should consider another adoption. She just feels lonely and since she used to spend a lot time with Anna. It most feel strange now that she is lying unconscious in the hospital," the other man with the mysterious look in his eyes encouraged his friend.

    "What if she says I am trying to rece our daughter?"

    "She won''t. A child that will bring hope to her is all she needs."

    "I will think about it. Anna will wake up one day. At least that is what I hope for."

    The man pats his friend''s shoulder with a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, she will wake up. She needs you and if you adopt a child, Anna won''t be too lonely in the hospital."

    The sad man sighed again and drank the whole content in his ss in one gulp with a hint of suspicion in his eyes as he watched his friend closely. He immediately brushed off his suspicion knowing his friend won''t do anything to hurt him and his family.

    His friend''s idea was both logical and illogical. He will have to be very thoughtful about it. He got up and stretched before picking up his car key. "I will leave now. I will think about what you suggested. If it is good for both Valerie and Anna, I will call you," he informed his friend and walked out of the private room with steady steps as though he had not been drinking all night.

    ###

    "Valerie, what are you doing to yourself?" the man asked his wife as soon as he got home. After searching around the top floor of the house he could not find her until he went into her bathroom and she had soaked herself in therge bathing tub.

    Her head was buried in the water. He carried her out immediately and checked if she was breathing but she was not. Without any thought, he performed CPR anxious and shaking as he tried to save his wife''s life. Her body was still warm, she could not be dead. At least that was his hope.

    After lots of effort, the woman opened her eyes coughing out water. "It is okay," he told her hugging her and patting her gently.

    "Justin, she cried. It was my fault. I caused it all. I saw tears. She cried when I visited her at the hospital. She must hate me," she cried against her husband chest.

 Chapter 4 - Meeting Justin Whitfred

    "No, she does not hate you. She only wants you to stop treating yourself like this. She wants you to stop all these. You are making her sad with all these things you have being doing to yourself. Let''s adopt another child," he assured her soothing and finally suggested the adoption of another child.

    "No!" she screamed with a hoarse voice and pushed her husband away before standing up. "You want to rece her. I will not let that happen," with that said, she walked out of the bathroom.

    Justin sighed once again this night and rubbed his face with his wet hands. At this rate, he could feel his marriage falling apart at an elerated speed.

    ***

    Four months after her rebirth, rose had seeded in avoiding a lot dangers and bullying including one where she was almost pushed down the steps but since she knew that was going to happen, she stepped aside and the girl who made the attempt fell down the steps screaming.. The force she intended to use against Rose only made her suffer more.

    She was d to have escaped that because she could still remember how painful and embarrassing it was when she fell. She limped for almost a month since luckily the steps where not much or she might have fractured a bone or two.

    She avoided bullying by spending most of her free time with the head of the orphanage with the excuse of wanting to study the scripture and the im that she wanted to be a reverend sister soon after high school. The sister was so happy and made sure to clear off the rumors that she was possessed telling all the sisters in the orphanage about how spiritual she was and all.

    With the protection of the very strict head, she avoided most bullies and even helped others who got bullied by reporting the bullies to the head sister ¨C Sister Martha. She soon became the hero of most of the weaker kids.

    She pulled some of the girls to join her to study with Sister Martha after assisting them with their difficult assignments. It made the other sisters like her and she was treated well by them all.

    ***

    Rose''s gaze did not wonder away from the girl before her on the table as they worked together to make a dish with fish. She had suggested grilling the fish hoping the girl will agree and avoid whatever might happen with the hot water she could noticed the girl kept ncing at the pot of boiling fish and at someone behind her obviously the person behind it all ¨C her bunkmate.

    All those who enjoyed bullying were too angry that their activities had been greatly reduced by Rose''s intervention and it took them a while to n to ''mistakenly'' pour hot water to destroy Rose''s appearance. This was happening sooner than it did in her past life.

    She must have offended them till they had no other option. In her past life, they were learning to cook a fried cake that required them to heat oil but seeing the way the girl poured a lot of water into the pot when it would only spoil the recipe they chose to prepare.

    Being divided into groups of two and behind her, her bunkmate ¨C the mastermind was working with her group member. Her group member took permission from the teacher and went out and she had to get the fish from the fire which she did happy that her group member was gone and she could avoid getting a bath in hot fish sauce.

    Lifting the pot, she took it away from burning gas stove towards the table only to get hit by someone. And the fish sauce and sliced fish was soon sprayed up.

    With the support from gravity, the hot sauce found a ce tond on and scream of pain and horror filled therge kitchen and the teacher was running towards them already guessing what might have happened.

    As Rose sat on her bed cross-leggedter in the night, she remembered someoneing behind her and she turned wanting to give the person passage but the person hit the pot from under and she pushed the pot away from herself toward the person who hit her.

    Her bunkmate ¨C one of her biggest nightmare was now in the hospital along with her group member. She also got a small burn on her finger less than a centimeter wide. It was painful but nothing close to what she got on her face in her past life.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She remembered she was the one who screamed and cried and tried to persuade the sisters that it was done intentionally by her bunkmate. They concluded that it was only a mistake after all the other kids told confirmed the statements of her bunkmate.

    This time, she did not bother to speak for herself because others spoke for her and her group mate ended up getting med for being careless in the kitchen despite the scar she got on her neck. A pity she might never wear anything that shows her neck.

    ***

    "Hi, I am Justin Whitfred," a tall handsome man said stretching his hand towards Rose. She looked at him trying hard to recognize him but she could not. She definitely had not seen him in her past life perhaps because she was still lying on the hospital bed with a bandage on her face.

    "My name is Rose," she told the man and shook his hand with a slight bow.

    Justin smiled. The girl was respectful as well as beautiful. She was perfect for his wife. She could possibly be the reason his already crumbling home was going to get built again. That was the same for Anna. Anna saved his marriage and this girl will do the same.

    He liked the look on the girl''s eyes. Her hazel green, amber and brown eyes did not hold any mischievousness like his friend''s eyes always held. She had one of the most beautiful eyes he had seen. Her eyes were unique, a uniqueness hardly found.

    Rose smiled looking down at her feet. She really did not like the way the man was sizing her up. He seemed to be calcting her worth. The man was here for adoption, he wanted a girl, a fourteen year old girl. His wife was sick and needed someone to apany her and make her happy.

    The head Sister praised her endless and told the man all the positive things she knew about Rose although she did not want Rose get adopted away from her dream to be a reverend sister.

    Rose might not like the look the man gave her but she liked the way he looked. He was obviously rich and that was just what she needed ¨C wealth and power to get back at the queen and her kids. He was dressed in a navy blue suit, his cufflinks spackled in the smallest ray of light and his wrist watch was just too good to not be costly.

    She might have not being exposed to wealth growing up but she knew a rich person when she sees one.

    Gulping in greed, she decided to be at her best to leave a good impression on this man''s mind. She was beautiful and that was one of her weapons.

    She sat down quietly and yed Miss Very Innocent. Couples don''t like kids that looked like they will cause a lot of trouble for them in the future. They preferred them to be gentle obedientmbs.

    Mr. Whitfred did not talk much and allowed another man dressed in ck suit wearing a pair of reading sses to take care of most of the necessities. The head Sister was not willing to let her leave but when she saw the look of hope in the girl''s eyes, she knew it was best the girl does what she wants to.

    ***

    The news spread fast around the orphanage that Rose was getting adopted and most of her new friends stuck to her like gum unwilling to give her a second away from them. The younger ones cried and few of the older ones cried too. She felt touched but that was it. Their tears could not make her forsake a life of luxury just for her to remain as their hero.

    In her past life, none of them cared and they lied against her when they were asked to. They joined the others to make things difficult for her. Seeing them act the way they were only made her smile at the behavior of humans. You really get as much as you put in.

 Chapter 5 - A New Father

    It has been two weeks since she first met Mr. Justin Whitfred and it was finally the day she was leaving the orphanage. It would be a lie if she said she was not excited and not just that alone, she was also nervous. She smiled at her reflection on the mirror in the bathroom.

    Since no one was with her to pat her and encourage her, she did it herself. It felt funny to pat herself on the head and give herself an encouraging smile but it was actually effective.

    And like a dream, she was finally standing beside her foster father before a ck jeep with ck tinted windows and all those she happened to get close to in the orphanage standing behind them in front of the gate of the orphanage.

    Mr. whitfred opened the door for her like a gentleman and she went in sitting down and took a deep breath before giving her ''friends'' outside a final wave.

    The door closed and her journey to the other part of the world began when Mr. Whitfred sat beside her and the driver started the engine of the jeep and the car drove away from the orphanage..

    Her heart was beating hard against its protection and she felt a lump build up in her throat and her nose stung. Her eyes began getting blurry as tears made a poodle in her eyes ready to pour out. She immediately lifted her head up and squeezed her eyes shot.

    ''Mother, I aming. I will visit you as soon as I get the chance. I will bring your favorite flower,'' she promised her mother as she looked forward to the beginning of a new life.

    Her action did not escape Justin''s observation, he was proud of himself for saving someone else''s life from the pain and stress of poverty. He felt like he had just rescued a poor abandoned puppy from the street. He straightened his broad square shoulder in pride. He had done a good for humanity despite all the other things he had done bad. This one good thing was good enough.

    As someone who had not left the little town where the orphanage was in almost a decade, Rose did not get bored or dull herself. She enjoyed the sight of every single thing that caught her attention and lots of thing did get her attention.

    She had a lot to do which included cleaning the dirt stuck to her mother''s name and get the kingdom off the queen''s hand and perhaps her father too for not trusting her mother.

    She could not imagine herself being ruthless but she could sure learn to be ruthless with the memories of her horrible death.

    She closed her eyes when her eyes finally got tired of watching the scenery of fields and fields and fields when they left a town which seemed to be the main town before crossing over to the next state. She had not been able to sleep well for days after her rebirth. She inhaled the cool scent that came from the obviously expensive air freshener on the dashboard.

    In less than ten minutes she fell asleep and as usual, she was weed into the dreand by the pain of her bones getting broken like a small stick without pity. She tightly closed her eyes with her teeth clenched tightly to avoid crying out.

    Her tightened fist gave her fingers ess to her palm and dug into her palm and distracted her from the illusionary pain. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes after half a minute and turned to her foster father to check if he noticed her strange behavior.

    Luckily, he did not, his eyes were looking at the tablet in his hands as he kept scrolling. She could finally exhale and lifted her palm before opening her palm and both of them had red patches of broken injured skin. She pulled out her handkerchief frowning at the innocent ss air freshener which gave her a deceptive feeling of rxation.

    She had actually believed she would be able to sleep finally for at least an hour but the nightmares came to her faster than ever. It was like a thorn or injury that vengeance alone could pull out or heal and she would definitely suffer this forever if she tries to run away from avenging.

    She held back a sigh with great effort as she stared out of the window at the repetition of fields. It was green and beautiful but she could easily get tired and besides, the car was moving on a high speed.

    "Do you want music?" Mr. Whitfred asked without looking at her.

    "Uh?" she asked saucer-eyed. She thought he did not notice but it seemed she was wrong.

    "Do you want to listen to music? You seem to be having motion sickness," he said still not looking at her, his gaze fixed on his tablet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes . . ." she answered nodding her head vigorously trying to persuade her wandering mind that he only thought it was motion sickness and not as some psychological problem. "Thank you."

    He ignored her appreciation and the driver immediately turned on the radio. A soft tone filled the car, she knew a little about music and immediately recognized the piece as a ssical music from B city. It was soothing and soon she fell asleep again. Her nap was not dreamless but all she saw was her mother''s beautiful smile.

    The music coupled with the soft leather chair of the chair that was over a hundred percent morefortable than the bed she slept on in the orphanage she could drift away to a dreand.

    ***

    Thousands of miles away in B city, a man stood in front of a bay window with his smart phone held close to his ears as he made phone call.

    "He adopted her and they are on their way back. They should be back by tomorrow," the person on the other end informed the man.

    The man''s thin lips curved up and his eyes filled with mystery and too many secret brightened and slowly formed a crescent shape.

    A handsome young man stood beside the now smiling man perplexed but it did not show it on his expressionless face. He had never seen the man smile this way before. It was actually a soft smile filled with love, a smile this man had never given him, his brother or anyone else.

    He was envious of whoever this person was. The smiles he had always received from this man never got to his eyes, he was amazed that this man''s eyes could actually showugh lines and form a beautiful crescent shape. The more he watched the man smile, the more he felt jealous.

    The man turned and looked at the teenager and got startled for a while because he finally saw a change in this boy''s face. The young man had always refused to show any emotion on his face. He had concluded that the boy had face paralyses but the boy now wore an expression of amazement blended with sadness. That was the mostplicated blend of emotion to be shown on this boy''s face.

    The boy immediately dropped his gaze when their eyes met and turned away from the window his handsome face now wearing no expression.

    The man looked back toward the window and his smile brightened more. ''So this ice cold boy could let his emotions show,'' the man thought and began humming. ''Wee back my Princess.''

    ***

    Justin had one more thing to add to his list of all the good he has done for humanity when he saw Rose asleepfortably. He actually helped an orphan girl sleep well in his car despite her motion sickness. He never knew music was a good cure for motion sickness. It was time for her to wake up since they were already in the underground parking lot of a five star hotel in Y city. He felt it might reduce the number of his good deeds.

    Rose stirred as she began wake up with her mind foggy and waiting for sunlight. She opened her eyes and turned to the left to look at her left hand side where Mr. Whitfred sat. She thought she had just slept for a few minutes.

    She was taken aback to see Mr. Whitfred staring at her with his ck eyes almost digging holes in her. ''Doesn''t this man know it is rude to stare?'' she wondered and looked around.

    "Where am I?" she had to ask because the ce was so bright with very good bright lighting systems but it was obvious that the ce would be really dark without the lights on.

    Since she woke up herself, Justin knew that the merits he now had won''t reduce. He ignored her question and left the car. "Get down," he told her from outside before the driver helped him close the door.

    As she opened the door of the jeep to get down, she wondered where the gentleman that opened the door for her in the orphanage was. She only hoped it won''t get any worse.

 Chapter 6 - Adopted

    The man with the ss she saw with Mr. Whitfred on the first day they met was now standing beside Mr. Whitfred in front of the car with three other tall tough looking men in their mid orte twenties standing behind them in ck suits, ck shoes and ties and white shirts.

    The man with the sses whispered something to Mr. Whitfred. After getting a nod from Mr. Whitfred, the man walked towards her with a smile. "Good afternoon Miss Rose," he told her with a slight bow.

    "Good afternoon Mr. . . Mr . .. .," she tried to reply as normal and rxed but she got stuck.

    "Mr. Swanson," he told her his name to continue the conversation they just began.

    "Good evening Mr. Swanson," she answered him finding his name somewhat weird and gave him a warm beautiful smile.

    The man gave her a bright professional smile. "I will take you to your room," Mr. Swanson told and led her towards an entrance. Soon they were in an elevator along with one of the men holding her luggage.

    She was confused and worried earlier but she could finally rx although not letting her guard down. Those men in the ck suit were not scary but they looked professional and would most likely tackle anyone they wanted to.

    Mr. Swanson swiped the key card of one of the rooms and the door opened. He gave her the little luggage and waited for her at the door to enter. "Someone will bring your lunch soon," Mr. Swanson informed her.

    "Thank you so much Mr. Swanson," she appreciated sincerely subconsciously touching her stomach. She was famished and a nice meal will do her a lot of good.

    Mr. Swanson gave her the cardkey. "I will leave you now," he told her before helping her close the door and left.

    Sighing, Rose turned and looked at the room she now stood in. It won''t be an exaggeration but rather an understatement to say the room was as big the room she shared with eleven other girls. It smelt nice ¨C clean and fresh. The room was painted white with a simple but beautiful interior design.

    There was a forty inches TV, a ss table and two sofas in one part of the room. The bed was wellid with a set of lc and white beddings on the other side. Every item and decoration she saw including the paintings on the wall was of very high quality and definitely expensive.

    This was the best room she had being in throughout her both lives. She walked to the bed and dropped her luggage, a small brown leather bag with her toiletries, a pair of jean trousers and a pink T-shirt. That was all she took away from the orphanage because Mr. Whitfred told to bring only a little bag.

    She sat on the bed and she almost could not feel her butt on anything. The bed was so soft as though she was sitting on the cloud. She quicklyid on the bed sniffing in thevender scent of the detergent used to wash the beddings.

    The bed was sofortable she could almost kill to sleep on such a soft bed for the rest of her life. And that was just what she was going to do. Kill those who took away her happy life filled with luxury and take back what belonged to her.

    She was yet to make a detailed n and she definitely was not in a hurry. She was just fourteen and her new father will definitely send her to a good school and with a good education, determination, discipline and focus, the kingdom will be hers.

    That was her dream and she had no idea if there could be a third chance for her if she messes this chance up. She could not mess this up.

    Building a stable and firm reputation in the country will definitely not be a very easy task. The avability of the right connection and power will make things easier. She was not just going to revenge but to take her rightful ce as the first princess and she needed the best reputation there could be to get enough support.

    She drifted quickly. Just like the effect the music she listened to earlier had on her, the soft bed was also a good sleeping doze but her dream was not as sweet as the one she had earlier was. This time it was sad that she could literally feel hundreds of tiny pins piercing her heart.

    She woke up with the pillow soaked with her sweat and tears. She sat up and leaned against the wall. She rubbed her face trying to clean off the tears and sweat. How long is this going tost? She got down from her bed and went into the bathroom to take her bath.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The bathroom was nice and definitely bigger than the bathroom in the orphanage where a dozen girls could bathfortably. There was a bathing tub and a shower cubicle. She had read in her past life about bubble baths but she never got the opportunity to enjoy one. She smiled excitedly this was a perfect chance for a bubble bath.

    She soaked in the bathing tub andpletely refused toe out despite how many times her stomach grumbled angrily. It was more than an hour before she reluctantly stood up and got out of the tub.

    She saw a white dressing robe and wore it before walking out of the bathroom to hear a knock on the door. She opened the door and Mr. Swanson stood with a worried expression on his face.

    "I have been knocking for some time now," he said frowning when he saw her in a dressing robe although he felt relieved that she was okay. He would have gotten the spare key from the hotel staff if she had not opened the door. He thought she ran away or perhaps passed out in the room.

    "Sorry. I was taking my bath," she apologized bowing her head with slumped shoulders. She did not hear him knock.

    "Your lunch is here,'' he told and stepped aside for the hotel staff to serve her.

    "Thank you," she appreciated with a smile.

    "You should remain in the room. We will leave tomorrow by dawn. Mr. Whitfred has something to take care of today. I will have them bring your dinnerter," he informed her before leaving.

    "Okay. Mr Swanson," she tried to respond to his information but he had already gone. She closed the door and went eat her lunch. The man most have been really pissed off but he tried not to show it.

    ***

    In a well-guarded mansion in B city, a young man pulled off his sweat-soaked tank top and took a bottle of cold water from the fridge before sitting on a bench. Just before he could unscrew the cap, a tall man walked into therge well equipped gym and sat beside the youth.

    The man looked at the boy with his brown eyes filled with mystery, he was someone not easily read or understood but he now wore a sad look on his face as he nced at the boy he had be really fond of. He nced at the amber tattoo of a very beautiful rose towards the left side of the youth''s chest directly above his heart.

    "It is time for you to leave Liam," the man told the youth. "You will leave with three chosen guys today by sunset. I wanted to celebrate your departure but I could not. They are done preparing for you arrival and it is only best you go now," the man exined to the boy.

    "Yes father," the young man replied without a single emotion shown on his face. His face was so expressionless making it hard for the man to guess what he was thinking.

    ''Is this boy not worried about me?'' the man thought as he watched the boy hoping to see a little sign of reluctance but he was disappointed. ''So he wants to leave.''

    "I will go prepare my things for the journey," the young man told the older man and stood up with a cold expressionless appearance while his mind was in a chaos. He never wanted to leave but it was mandatory. The thought of leaving his father and brother for two years was not good on him.

    Yesterday was the day he just became a real adult in his family. It was his birthday when he turned twenty years. It was time for a retreat. As the future leader of such great family, it was mandatory for him to leave home to a vi somewhere in the middle of the wood cut off from every distraction outside for two years.

    When he returns, he will be as good as the mafia boss, ready and fully equipped to take over the office of his father. It was a thing of joy and also sadness because he had to be away from his father and brother.

 Chapter 7 - Beautiful New Home

    The following morning, Mr. Swanson knocked on her door and when she opened it immediately fully dressed, he gave her a professional smile and helped her take carry her bag.

    He led the way to the same jeep from yesterday but this time, the car was parked in front of the hotel and she got the chance to have a good view of the reception area of the hotel and the neat beautiful street. All the buildings around were tall, it was an ideal picture of a busy business town.

    ? There were two jeeps of the same model with tinted sses in front of the jeep Mr. Swanson led her to and two others behind it. She found it confusing since all those cars were not there yesterday and she wondered why he needed them.

    Mr. Whitfred was already seated in the jeep with his tablet scrolling and tapping the screen when the door was opened. She actually thought he was in one of the other jeeps.

    "Good morning, Mr.. Whitfred," she greeted when she sat beside him.

    "Good morning Rose," Mr. Whitfred answered without lifting his head or sparing her a nce.

    She smiled and looked out of the window. The more time she spent with this Mr. Whitfred, the more she found him really interesting. She found herself wishing he was some sort mafia boss that will act as the perfect shield during vengeance. It was good enough that he was living in B city and it was closer to the pce making things easier.

    For the first time since her mother died, she got the opportunity of travelling in a private jet that belonged to her new father. She felt really excited. She might be leaving for vengeance but that did not mean all the things avable for her enjoyment will be ignored. To be treated like a princess was her right because she was a princess.

    A part of her wanted to make her feel inferior but after thinking it over, she decided not be and boost her self-esteem. Feeling inferior to those rich people won''t be good because now she was rich and will get richer in the future. It was not her money now but her new father''s money but soon it would be her own money. She will definitely not die as a penniless beggar in this life.

    She sipped from the ss of orange juice she was served and looked out of the window. It was beautiful, the cloud white and the blue sky closer to her than ever before just like her new life was close.

    Havingnded on the soil of B city, there was a new convoy of cars was waiting for them. This, they were not jeeps but a ck limousine, and four other ck tinted salon cars. With this she could guess they had gotten to the final stage of her journey to B city. Just how rich was her new father to be so well protected and have so many people around him?

    If she was expecting a very warm wee to her new home with fireworks, gifts, cakes and a party, she would have been very disappointed but she remembered he told her his wife was sick so she tried not to expect anything at all and just go with the flow no matter how things might turn out to be.

    Despite being mentally prepared for anything, she was still shocked as well as disappointment by the wee she got in the mansion. The first thing she thought when the drove in through therge ck gate and drove through a neat road to the front of a mansion was, ''this is a waste''.

    Why was it a waste? Two people, as she assumed were living in such a house? Wasn''t this a waste ofnd? Poornd management began ringing in her mind that she could not even admire the building before her.

    It was a three stories luxurious colonial model house spread out as big as the whole orphanage where more than fifty children lived in along with the sister''s quarters. That might sound like an exaggeration but it was not far from the description.

    The house could be used as the office of a smallpanyfortably and this man was living in it with his wife. Wasn''t that bad?

    "Wee Sir," a woman''s voice stopped her wandering mind from wandering further on her train of thoughts.

    "Oh Mara show her around, I will check on Valerie," Mr. Whitfred told the woman with the voice before walking into the house through therge patterned front door.

    "Yes sir," the woman answered with a nod and took Rose''s luggage from Mr. Swanson.

    The woman looked like she was in her mid-thirties but after taking a careful look at her you will find her maybe in her mid-forties. The woman must have taken very good care of her skin to achieve that. She had ck hair and wore it in a neat bun. She had ck beautifulrge eyes and was about 4ft10.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She wore a ck heeled shoe that tried to hide her petite size. She also wore a ck knee length skirt and a ck zer on a white shirt. She looked very professional.

    "My name is Mara and I am the head butler," she introduced herself to Rose with warm weing smile.

    "My name is Rose and I am . . . ," Rose began her introduction but stopped half way unsure on how to proceed.

    "The new young miss."

    "Fourteen years old," the two said at the same time and looked at each other surprised.

    It felt awkward at first as one stared at the other''s ck eyes and the other stared at the young girl''s beautiful hazel eyes that almost glowed with a harmonious mixture of three unique colors, green, amber, and brown.

    The pureness and sweetness in the girl''s eyes along with its beauty made Ms. Mara lift the corner of her lips to form a very sweet smile.

    Rose also smiled and their smile broadened together until they wereughing together getting the attention of the guards around.

    This house was secured enough for someone to confidently store millions of dors. There were security cameras around and those guards in their ck suits stood straight with their eyes staring up ahead asionally looking around.

    The guards were not too much and only three of them stood in front of the house. At least it was not half as guarded as the pce. This new father of hers must be super rich anyway. But who was he really?

    "Come with me Rose," Ms. Mara told her and led her through the front door into arge passage into therge indoor living area. "This is the living room."

    The living room was designed in a very modern manner. There were lots of beautiful paintings on the wall probably worth hundreds of thousands. There was one she recognized as a painting painted by a famous painter from two centuries ago and the painting was the only one left by the painter. The rest was destroyed in a ship wreckage during transportation.

    The painting had people fighting for it in an auction that people all over the world participated in but obviously, it found its way to the Whitfred''s home. She had to say she was really impressed by this family''s wealth.

    Ms. Mara''s tour with Rose continued as she showed her around the ground floor. She showed her therge hall, the indoor dining, kitchen, library and took her through the elevator to the 1st floor considering that the new young miss must be too tired from the journey and she could easily continue the tour around the ground floorter.

    She immediately led her through a long passage with two doors on either sides widely spaced apart. She stopped in front of the door at the end of the passage on the left and opened the door. "This is your room," Ms. Mara told her and led Rose into the room.

    The room had a small living area and a ss wall to the bedroom side. It was designed to meet her taste as a young growing teenager. It was painted simple pale pink mixed with a beautiful pattern of pale white lotus flowers. There were two sofas and one table along with a forty inches TV against the wall.

    There was also a table and chair against the wall with a pink appleptop on it. She moved to the ss wall demarcating living area from the bedroom. She searched around for where the door could possibly be but as she got closer, the door opened automatically.

    Gasping in surprise, she moved back and the door slowing closed. "Wow," she said moving close and it opened again.

 Chapter 8 - Dont Replace Anna

    "The wall is divided into three. Wherever you stand before the wall will act as a door. The middle will open to the left, the left and right will both open to the middle," Ms. Mara exined to her with a smile and she watched Rose y around the wall testing each door.

    "This is so awesome," she said after passing through each door in and out. She looked around the spacious bedroom. The bedroom along with the living area wasrger than the hotel room she stayed in in Y city. She opened the first door she saw and it led her to the bathroom.

    Ms. Mara followed her in and watched as Rose stared around amazed. "The other door will lead to the walk-in closet. I chose some cloths for you. I hope you will like them," Ms.. Mara told her.

    "I will certainly like anything Ms. Mara prepares for me. These are more than enough," she praised the woman for all she got her. The room was more than enough to say that the woman will not give her anything bad. It proved that Ms. Mara was definitely someone with high taste.

    "Call me Mara," Ms. Mara immediately corrected her. "The master''s bedroom, Sir''s study, Madam''s studio are on the second floor. For now you should not go to the second floor, open the door opposite yours and the one beside yours or madam will not be happy," Mara exined with a very serious expression on her face.

    "Okay. I won''t go there," she agreed immediately. She might be curious but for now, it was not hers to know. It might even be best she does not know the reason. Any kind of distraction is not epted.

    "Come downstairs for lunch once it is 12:30 pm. Dinner will be eaten at 6:30 in the evening. And breakfast will be eaten by 7:30. Make sure you dress properly. Madam does not like it when someone does not dress well. She is a fashion designer, I guess that is the reason," Mara continued to exin to her with a more rxed expression on her face.

    "Okay, I will take note," Rose answered as she mentally noted down everything Mara said but she kept rewriting the fact that her new mother was a fashion designer over and over again. This was the most pleasant surprise since her rebirth. It was personal not for vengeance or what so ever but for her personally. She was so happy.

    It seems the whole world was moving just to make things easier. It might have not been mentioned earlier because she had been too focused on vengeance that she forgot her own dream to be a fashion designer.

    Before she died in her past life, she wanted to work with the royal designers to design clothes for the royal family. It was her dream before her death. Now, she was in the home of a fashion designer and she might not know who her new mother was but she was sure that her new mother was popr enough and almost definitely designs high end clothes.

    "I will leave you now to rest before lunch," Mara told her walking out of the bathroom but stopped in the living area when Rose called her attention.

    "Thank you for everything Mara," she sincerely appreciated.

    "It is my job," Mara told her with a professional smile. "There is a smartphone in the drawer. Feel free around the house but avoid those ces I told you to. The house isrge and you might get lost since you are new here. Call my number saved on the smart phone and I will find you. If you need anything call the number saved as Joyce, she will take care of it."

    With all that said, Mara left the room closing the door gently behind her.

    Rose turned and stared around her room. There was a queen''s four poster bed. It held an ancient and modern princess vibe to it. The curtains were made of really beautiful pink linen and the bed wasid with pink high quality silk beddings. There was a light shade of blue in the beddings forming beautiful rose patterns.

    There was a massage chair in front of the floor to ceiling ss door that led to the balcony. On the other side of the room close to the door of her closet, there was a dressing table with four drawers and a cute fancy stool in front of it.

    Her feet sank into the soft pink and white rose designed rug on the floor. The rug was sorge it covered a few around the bed and the bed was ced on it. The amount of pink in the room was much and she was not exactly a fan of pink color although she does not hate.

    The usage of pink color in the room was so beautiful that it made her subconsciously be a fan of pink colors. There were two bedside drawers on either side of the bed and she went to the first opening the drawers but they were all empty and she walked to the other one and found a smartphone in the first drawer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Picking it up along with the pink earpiece she found with it and she smiled sighing. This was her first smartphone in this life. In her past life, she had bought one for herself after leaving the orphanage.

    "Mother, I am doing well. I visit you soon. I just need some time," she reminded her mother of the promise she made before leaving Y country.

    She went to the living area and sat in front of her study table and opened herptop. On theptop after connecting to the Wi-Fi source, she typed ''Whitfred family'' and searched the inte for any information on them.

    What she got was surprising. Mr. Justin, her new father, was the second son from a very prominent family and his father was the adopted son of her grandfather''s cousin. He got married to thete queen''s distant cousin a couple of years before her mother married the king. So, literally speaking, her new mother was rted to her birth mother and her new father was also rted to her birth father.

    The information was just too much that she could not continue the search and closed herptop. She stood up and sat on the twin sofa closing her eyes. She allowed the softfortable sofa to wee her with a hug-like feeling. She began weigh everything before her. Was it a good thing to be so close to the royal family? Was it an advantage or disadvantage?

    She wanted to be close to them but not this close to them and even having familial rtionship with them through her foster family. Taking a deep breath, she tried to rx. Her mind began travelling on a train of thoughts. She looked so much like mother only that her mother had pure green eyes but hers began changing when she was a baby.

    She was not born with these hazel eyes and it was not this colored when she was still in the pce so that might reduce the chance of being recognized, right? Her hair color was just like her mother''s. It was chocte brown with very unique auburn highlight forming beautiful blurring strip-like patterns towards the tip of her hair.

    She had never seen anyone else with outstanding natural hair colors like this except her mother. Should she dye her hair? She doubts she would be allowed to since she was just fourteen and she was not sure her new family will let her do that.

    She decided to rest over it. Since Mr. Whitfred did not recognize her that must mean her new mother won''t recognize her right? She tightly closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. No, it was very possible that Mrs. Whitfred might recognize her since she was a cousin of her mother.

    Oh, this was getting way moreplicated than it should be although it might seem that all these coincidence were for her benefit. She could trust no one. What if they kill her again? The fact that she was lucky in herst life does not mean she would be lucky in this life. She will trust no one.

    While Rose was thinking Mr. Whitfred did not notice the resemnce between her and thete queen, he was trying to persuade his wife with the fact that the girl he adopted looked just like her favorite cousin. He only wanted his wife to see the girl. Telling his wife directly will simply make her get suspicious.

    "You should meet her first," he tried to exin to her but she was not willing to listen as she tried to leave the room to her studio but he stood in front of her. She just changed her clothes after returning from the hospital.

    "I told you not to try recing Anna," she reminded him of her specific warning. "I warned you because you will make an innocent girl suffer for your crimes. I pity the girl," she said shaking her head in disappointment as she tried to walk past him again.

    "No, we are doing a good thing," he justified his action holding her wrist. Saving a poor girl from that life of poverty was good thing.

    "Just like Anna, right?" she asked sarcastically.

    "No, I was told that a new face will help you cope. They also said it will help Anna''s mental state. If she gets someone young like Anna to apany her in the hospital, she won''t be lonely since your fashion show is right at the corner and I don''t want you to lose your focus. Anna will not want the show to turn out bad because of her," he exined to her and hugged her tightly pressing her head against his chest.

 Chapter 9 - Welcomed Or Not

    She stopped trying to leave and allowed him to hold her. "Did you tell my therapist this same nonsense?" she asked coldly.

    This time, Justin released her immediately shocked by her question. "Why will I do such a thing? I have not seen your therapist since thest time you told me to go with you," he answered sharply. He did not like the fact that she thought he would go as far as manipting her through her therapist.

    "Call me for lunch when it is time for lunch," she instructed him and walked out of the room to her studio.

    Justin exhaled in relieve. That was an improvement. Shortly before he left for Y city, she stopped talking to himpletely. The door opened after less than a minute after Valerie walked out of it.

    She nced at him.. "I want to bring Anna back home," she informed him.

    "I don''t think that is a good idea," he immediately objected without a second thought. "She might . . ."

    "I spoke with her doctor and he said she is stable enough to home. I will just buy a helicopter to rush to the hospital if something happens," she interrupted him hastily. "And besides, it is safer for her to be at home."

    "Valerie, I . . ."

    "She ising home tomorrow. I could easily spend some time with her while I am busy. The show takes ce in two months'' time. I don''t want to disappoint my customers," she told him directly without any room for negotiation.

    When she left finally, he thought about it deeply trying to ept her decision or more like to make it easier for him to ept it. If Annaes home, it will make it easier for Rose to spend some time with her. Well, he had listened to his friend''s suggestion and brought Rose home and he hoped the girl''s presence will make things easier in their home.

    It was lunch time soon and Rose went downstairs after taking her bath and wearing one of the clothes Mara made avable for her. She sat down in the dining room ten minutes before lunchtime. She watched as the kitchen staffsid the table and when she felt like she must be obstructing their work, she got and went to the waited in the living room.

    In less than a minute, a very beautiful woman walked in the living room in a simple but elegant beige gown. Her hair was brown and auburn just like Rose''s hair making her stand up and paused in shock. The woman also froze when she saw Rose and they both stood gazing at each other.

    "Who are you?" it was the woman speaking with a nk look on her face and a trace of anger in her eyes.

    "My name is Rose," Rose immediately answered dropping her gaze to avoid appearing rude. This must be the madam. The woman really deserved the title and deserved to be the daughter of a royal family although distant but she had everything Rose''s step mother was supposed to have as the queen but did not.

    She was very elegant. She carried herself with a lot of dignity and pride that Rose felt she might spend years training in other to get that much.

    The woman had an ideal height for a super model with a slender beautiful shape. The gown she wore might be free on her body but it could not hide the sexiness of her body. The gown might look bad and out of shape on someone else but this woman wore it so perfectly. She looked like anything will look just too beautiful and perfect on her.

    The woman had green eyes just like her mother, thete queen and she looked like thete queen except for her lips and nose which were fuller and had a higher bridge than her mother''s. The pictures she saw on the inte showed some resemnce but it was not this much.

    "Justin," the woman called in a soft but cold voice. She turned and stared at her husband and stared at him with anger and disappointment. She passed her thoughts almostpletely to him through her expression. "Was this your idea?" she asked him her eyes almost boring holes into him.

    "What idea?" Justin could not help but ask as he stared back at her with a confused expression although he knew she would easily read through him.

    "You found someone that looked like her just to make me . . ." she began but could not continue as her heart began racing fast and a lump formed in her throat. She suddenly held her hand to her chest as tears began pouring down. "She looks so much like her," Valerie cried her voice hoarse and pained.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Valerie!" Justin called out now worried and almost hating himself for bringing pain to his wife. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly until she calmed down which took quite some time. He helped her mop her tears nting a kiss on her forehead.

    He might have brought her pain by bringing Rose into their home but he felt happy that his wife allowed herself to be held in his arms, that was certainly an improvement.

    Throughout the whole drama, Rose stood watching in confusion. Mr. Whtfred had said his wife was sick then what was all this? She could not understand any of the things that took ce.

    She slumped down on the leather sofa behind her and tried to arrange pieces together. The smile Mr. Whitfred wore when his wife stopped crying did not miss her eyes. It was the kind of smile meant for such a moment rather it was the kind of smile someone will wear when he wins a lottery ¨C big happy victorious smile.

    Well, it was obvious from the whole drama that Mrs. Whitfred did not like her much which made her sigh.

    "Rose, join us for lunch. I am hungry," Mrs. Whitfred pulled her out of the tunnel of thoughts her mind was to find something important from the scene she just witnessed.

    She was shocked. Didn''t she just conclude that Mrs. Whitfred did not like her? Why did it seem like that was not the case? What a really fast change in the whole atmosphere.

    One minute, it felt like Mrs. Whitfred disliked her, the next second the woman was crying because of her and the next minute, she was invited for lunch. She could not think of the right way to behave at that moment but tried to keep a smile on her face.

    Without waiting for her response, Mrs. Whitfred pulled her husband''s hand and led them to the dining room. She sat down when her husband pulled back her chair for her.

    Mr. Whitfred nced at his hands that was held earlier by his wife and smiled. He loved his wife too much to let her go and he was willing to do anything to make her stay with him forever. Although some of his methods might not be good.

    Rose walked to the dining with her smile still stered on her face. She stood in the dining room confused. She nced at the ten seats around the long marble table. Two seats were upied by the couple and the others left empty.

    She calcted the appearance she will give by sitting either close to them or sitting far away. She did not want it to appear as though she was given an inch and took a mile by sitting next to one of them. She also did not want to appear like a scared weird child by sitting far from them.

    "Come here," Mr. Whitfred was nice enough to save her from the stress of making a decision. "Sit here," he told pointing at the seat on his left hand side next to him. His wife was sitting on his right.

    She pulled the seat back watching the beautiful woman in front of her for any reaction and the woman simply gave her none. Mrs. Whitfred stared ahead nkly looking at nothing in particr.

    As soon as Rose settled down to eat, the maids began serving the first course. At this point, Rose''s thoughts began trying to understand the woman in front of her. The woman did not look sick and she was very beautiful. Her skin looked pale and she had shadows around her eyes but that was it.

    Her eyes appeared sad and worry lines were visible on her face. After trying without progress to understand her new mother, Rose moved her gaze away from the well-known fashion designer down to the te of food. Weed or not, she was now a part of this family.

    The random surname she was given in the orphanage was now changed officially to the name of this family. She felt grateful for the opportunity she was granted by fate.

    The dishes served were the best she had eaten in this live and she could not help but appreciate when they were done eating lunch. Mrs. Whitfred only ate vegetables while Rose and Mr. Whitfred enjoyed the high quality steak.

    While Mrs. Whitfred ate her lunch she watched Rose although not making it obvious. The girl looked even more like her cousin when closer and that hair color was too much a match. She was very curious about the girl but also cautious. She could see little signs of it being a setup by someone who knew her too well.

 Chapter 10 - All Alone

    It won''t be hard to persuade her husband since her husband will simply lose his rationality when ites to doing things to please her or getting her to forgive him.

    Rose looked like a normal harmless fourteen years old child but she could not trust her. She looked just too innocent to have lived in an orphanage in Y country.

    Y country was still a developing country although it was a country known for their very quality agricultural products and they do a lot of international trades. The seat of their wealth is the capital and most of the other states were not as developed as the capital.

    Rose grew up in one of the other states and not the capital but she seemed to have lived a good life beforeing into their family. The girl had a tanned skin obviously due to exposure to sun but she still looked beautiful. She watched as Rose cut the steak slowly and careful as though she had done it a lot of times.

    On the first day she brought Anna into their home, Anna was so excited and could not help ying with everything she saw. Anna might have being almost a ten years younger then but that was a normal reaction from someone poor who was suddenly given a rich life to live.

    .

    Perhaps someone nned it all to make the girl appear in their home. Perhaps what happened to Anna was not a coincidence. Her grip on her fork tightened and she could not help but frown. If that was the case then she will not wee this girl into their home.

    A stic surgery was more than able to give the girl that look. However, she was someone who had worked with a lot of people because of her profession and she could easily identify a fake beauty but this girl''s beauty was very natural including her very unique eyes. Valerie simply concluded that since everyone has a look alike in this world, this was her sister''s look alike.

    Whoever sent her here must have searched far and wide to find someone with such simrities. Her thoughts simply made her cautious of Rose. Since Rose was a suspicious visitor, she could not find herself getting along with Rose.

    After lunch, Rose stood up after them and bowed, "Thank you for the meal and everything you have given me. I will always be grateful."

    Mr. Whitfred smiled with pride and nodded before holding his wife''s hand and they left.

    Mrs. Whitfred did not answer in any way and did not even spare Rose a nce as she allowed her husband to hold her hand. When they entered the elevator, she pulled her hand away from her hands as though his grip burnt her.

    "Are you a fool?" she asked ring at her husband.

    "What do you mean?" Justin asked confused by the sudden change.

    "Why will you bring someone like that here? She is only going to cause trouble. She looks too much like thete queen and you brought her here. What on earth made you not get any other child?" she asked very disappointedly.

    "I thought you will find it easy to get along with her since she looked like you best friend."

    She even found his answer more stupid. "You really are a fool. Who made you do it?" she could not help but ask because someone had to be behind it all.

    "She is from an orphanage in Y country," he answered keeping out his friend''s name. "I wanted to bring her for you and Anna. No one made me do it."

    "Whatever," she simply said and walked out of the elevator.

    ***

    Rose decided to go around the ground floor. There was a pool that formed an L shape protected from outside by a ss wall.

    "Do you swim?" a female voice asked from behind her making her startled.

    "Oh you scared me." she said cing her hand on her chest when she turned to see Ms. Mara.

    "Sorry young miss," Mara apologized with a smile.

    "My name is Rose. Rose is what you should call me," she corrected Mara immediately to appear as modest as she could.

    "Miss Rose," Mara did not ept Rose''s correctionpletely since it was expected of her to give respect to her employer''s family adopted or not.

    "Oh," Rose could only ohhed knowing that Mara was not going to call her by her name alone even if she corrected her again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you know how to swim?" Mara asked.

    "No I don''t. Do you?"

    "Yes I do."

    "Could you teach me?" she asked her eyes sparkling with excitement.

    "I could get you a teacher. You will be home schooled from tomorrow. Your tutors wille by eight in the morning and leave when you want them to. During weekends, a music teacher and yoga trainer wille to teach you."

    "Home schooled? Why home schooled?" she could not help but ask.

    "This family has been a target for some time now. It will be best to stay at home till they find the person that hurt Miss Anna. It will . . ." Mara exined but stopped because she had spoken too much.

    "Oh . . .," Rose murmured with a very uninterested look on her face to ease Mara.

    "Is there anything else you want me to get for you?"

    "A martial art trainer. I want to learn how to fight so that no one will hurt me," she said using Mara''s mistake to get what she wanted.

    "No the guards we have are well trained and trusted," Mara tried to assure her almost pping herself for letting such information slip out.

    "But I want to know how to protect myself," Rose tried to insist.

    "Okay," Mara had to ept since it was all her fault.

    "Thank you," Rose appreciated with a happy smile.

    Who was Miss Anna by the way? She went upstairs and picked herptop to check. This family had a baby who died when she was three years old and Anna was adopted two yearster when she was four years old. Three months ago, Anna was kidnapped and abandoned after a week. Anna went intoa and she was still in the hospital.

    She sighed before closing her closing herptop and got up. No wonder the house was almost too secured to be the home of a sincere businessman and fashion designer.

    ***

    It''s been four weeks since she came into the Whitfred family and today, was just a normal day like every other day in the family. Rose had woken up by six in the morning to get prepared for her lessons. The tutors were nice and easy going. Today she will be studying mathematics and she felt like simply skipping the ss.

    She held her books tightly and walked out of the room. Subconsciously, she stopped in front of the door next to hers. It was closed. She sighed and kept walking. She was with her tutor on the first day she began her lessons when Miss Anna was brought in.

    She was very curious. What does the girl look like? The house got a little busy with a doctor and two nurses around to take care of Anna. Just before she got to the elevator, the door behind her opened and a nurse walked out. Rose waited patiently for the nurse to enter the elevator.

    The nurse smiled and she smiled back. Her eyes moved to the now closed door of Anna''s room as she sighed. She wondered why she was so curious when it should be none of her business. She could not help but wonder what the kidnappers did to the poor girl that put her ina.

    Her new mother might be cold to her but she was the opposite when it came to Anna. She always visited Anna in the morning and evening. She was not expecting any kind of affection from her new parents but she always lied to herself that it won''t mean anything if they were nice to her because she knew their kindness will touch her heart deeply.

    "Is Mrs. Whitfred still in Miss Anna''s room?" she asked the nurse when they stepped out of the elevator.

    "Yes she is."

    Since the first day she had lunch with the couple, she had been eating lunch alone. It was quite lonely to eat all alone in therge dining with nine empty chairs that she asked Mara to let her eat her food in her room.

 Chapter 11 - Haunted By Her Nightmares

    She was used to being alone ever since she was in the orphanage and being alone here was not hard but it made it obvious. After her rebirth, she spent more time with people in the orphanage and moving into arge house with everyone busy with their work was a very sudden change.

    Mara spent some time with her. Her tutors were nice people and she was not totally alone but she felt lonely. Perhaps because she missed her mother and her nightmares were getting more serious. She wished her mother woulde to her at night and hum that same tone to make her sleep.

    "Miss Rose, are you okay?" her tutor''s voice asked when Rose sighed for the tenth time in ten minutes.

    "I am okay. Sorry," she apologized and tried to focus on the textbook in front of her.

    "It''s okay. Solve the problem below," her tutor said..

    She sighed again and pressed her pencil lightly on her notebook and began solved. ''Ughh. I hate mathematics," she grumbled to herself. It was the only subject that forced her to study hard even when she did not want to.

    In her past life, she was a very diligent student because she needed a schrship. Mathematics was the only stumbling block she faced and she had to study it well. She always ended up with a B after all her efforts and it made her hate mathematics more although she still studied it hard.

    This was her second life and everything she learnt before was what she used to understand what she was taught in this life. She pushed her book to her tutor and he nodded his head impressed after checking it out.

    She felt tired of the home schooling and all. She was tired but she had to keep going because she just started her journey. "Hmmm," she had to sigh again.

    ***

    "She is just a simple girl. I have monitored her for days now and I am sure that she is normal. She has not called anyone since she came here. She searched things about school, your brand and the family," Mara narrated to Valerie.

    "Stop monitoring her now. She should be well taken care of," Valerie ordered and walked into the elevator. After monitoring Rose for a while now, she found nothing unusual about the girl. Her phone was clean and there was nothing suspicious about the girl.

    The door of the elevator opened and Rose was standing waiting with her head bowed and she wore a sad, sickling expression on her face. Valerie, as a mother and as Rose''s new mother, she felt her chest tighten at the sight of the girl. It was not the girl''s fault that she was brought into their family during the period she was brought but she was obviously suffering for it.

    Rose had dark circles around her eyes and her skin was fairer than it was when she first came. It looked pale. Valerie decided to be nice to the girl as she watched the girl''s sorry state.

    "Rose," she called out and watched as Rose raised her head very slowly and looked at her. The sight before her was not very good; Rose''s face looked almost as pale as Anna''s face although thetter has been ina for months now.

    "Good afternoon, ma''am," Rose tried to answer as loud as she could as another wave of dizziness hit her. She had being feeling so dizzy after lunch that she had to tell her physics tutor to stop for the day. She was craving her bed badly and she could not sleep well.

    More than half of the time, she falls asleep around four in the morning because she just could not sleep well due to her nightmares. By six in the morning, she wakes up and goes downstairs for breakfast and her lessons by seven.

    Sleeping was as stressful as running when awake because she keeps dying in her dreams. It was affecting her too much and even after trying hard to hide it for the past weeks, her skin which got fairer did a very good job of exposing the dark circle around her eyes.

    She wondered what made it get worse. She had nightmares in the orphanage but she could still sleep for four hours at night with breaks in between. She remembered the cool music that made her sleep well for the first time after her rebirth.

    She had not seen Mr. Whitfred since the day they had lunch together and she could not ask him for the name of theposer. She tried to wear a smile as she greeted Mrs. Whitfred but she could not maintain it as another wave of dizziness hit her and her vision became blurry.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mrs. Whitfred watched as Rose took very slow staggering steps towards her to get into the elevator and she was felt so guilty that she could not find her voice to ask Rose if she was alright.

    "Rose . . ." she began with a lot of effort but could not continue when the girl''s hazel eyes met hers looking so sad and lost in her eye sockets.

    "Yes, ma''am," Rose answered, this time she prayed Mrs. Whitfred would do her a favor by keeping quiet. The head ache that was a little insignificant became more painful and unbearable with every word Mrs. Whitfred uttered.

    "I . . . I wanted to show you . . ." Mrs. Whitfred continued with the conversation as she indirectly continued punishing Rose unknown to her.

    Rose''s whole being could not take it any longer as the nightmare of her bones getting broken one after the other began when her eyes closed. She simply passed out and dropped to floor after dropping her books to the floor with a thud.

    "Rose! Wake up." Valerie literally felt her heart fly out of her chest when she saw Rose pass out. She lifted Rose''s head and shoulder as she knelt beside her. "Wake up!" Valerie found it hard to hold back her tears as they fell freely on Rose''s face and chest. She was literally losing her mind.

    Why was she a bad luck for kids? Her baby girl died in her arms, Anna was still unconscious and Rose was not in a good shape either. She had had enough of these traumatizing urrences. Why were all these happening to her?

    She lifted Rose and carried Rose out of the elevator into Anna''s room where a nurse was watching Anna. She waspletely oblivious to Rose''s weight as the only thing she could think of was saving Rose as she med herself just like every other child.

    The nurse ran to her after pressing a button beside Anna''s bed to alert the doctor. The nurse helped Mrs. Whitfred carry Rose to the couch and gently ced her on the couch.

    While Mrs. Whitfred stood away to give the doctor and nurse space to check on Rose with tears continuously flowing down her cheeks, Rose was dying once again in that cold warehouse. She was getting beaten up so mercilessly again just like in all her nightmares.

    Her tears and struggles in her dream showed in her physical movement on the couch. She was crying and struggling to leave with the pain making her grit her teeth and tears running down her cheeks.

    At the end of it all, the doctor found out she was only sleeping. They witnessed her cry and struggle in her sleep and it was so painful that the nurse had to turn away and mopped a tear that escaped her eyes down her cheeks. What could a young girl suffer so much that she was crying with much agony.

    Valerie held Rose''s hand trying to give her a little support but Rose struggled out of the grip and held the end of her shirt tightly pulling down till the quality fabric tore. Rose''s nightmares were crueler than her death in her past life because she got no embrace in that warm powerful chest and it was as though the pain was amplified a dozen times more than it really felt.

    No matter how hard she tried to escape that horror, she could not leave. The pain further amplified with every trial she made to leave. It was worse than hell. Was this a punishment for seeking vengeance for her and her mother''s death?

    "Why isn''t she waking up?" Valerie had to ask as she could not keep watching such painful scene.

    "She has been sleep deprived for a while. She is catching up on the sleep she has lost. She will wake up natural there is nothing wrong with her except for some deeply imprinted psychological pain and trauma. I suggest that you get her a therapist," the doctor exined to Valerie feeling sincere pity towards the young girl.

    ***

    Rose finally woke up after nine hours of torture in her nightmare. She felt exhausted and very relieved that it was finally over. It felt like being dragged into a game she does not want to y and she always tried to fight back or run away and each time she was still caught and beaten up. Should she simply go to the pce and stab the queen to death to end all these?

 Chapter 12 - Officially Accepted

    She frowned at the weak body she was in. it was her body, the same weak body that was beaten to death. There was nothing she could do at the point she now in. The self-defense teacher she asked Mara to get was yet toe and she was getting impatient.

    Afterining to herself to her satisfaction, she took notice of her environment and she was surprised that she was not in her room and she was not alone. The room was painted with a dark shade of purple and the couch sheid on was lc. She sat up and stared around. She was in the living area of an unknown room.

    There was girl lying asleep on a bed with monitor beside the bed in the bedroom. She got up from the chair and walked to the bed where the girlid on. The girl was beautiful and her pale skin could not hide her beauty. The girl looked just like snow white straight out of the fairy tale. Her hair was ink ck and she had pretty, long eyshes..

    The girl had to be no one but Miss Anna. She stepped back startled by her realization. It was not dream? She really thought she got lucky and escaped her horror. She moved further away from the bed backwardly. What the hell was she doing in Anna''s room?

    Did she sleep walk? If she sleep walked then she must find a way to prevent it from happening again. She turned and immediately ran out of the room to her room and closed the door. She hoped that no one saw here out of the room or the madam will get angry and perhaps sends her back to the orphanage and that was thest thing she wanted since things were going smoothly for her.

    She pressed her back against the door cing her hand on her chest. Her heart was beating hard she could almost feel it trying to pop out. At the moment when she seeded in calming herself down and walked to the living area of her room, she heard a loud but gentle knock on the door.

    This time, she literally felt her heart fly out of her chest. She walked back to the door reluctantly and opened it slowly. Valerie stood in front of her with a not very good expression on her face. Rose bit her lower lips and bowed her head as her fingers fought against each other behind her. She made sure she looked like a sorry little child about to be scolded.

    "I am so sorry, ma''am," she began apologizing in a very soft tone. She felt she must have caused trouble despite how hard she tried to avoid causing one.

    "Mum," Valerie corrected immediately before caring about anything else. "You should call me Mum, Mummy, Mother, anything but my name or ma''am."

    Rose raised her now saucer shaped eyes and looked up at Valerie in total confusion. How did the whole plot change? Shouldn''t Valerie dislike her? Shouldn''t she be scolded for going into Miss Anna''s room? There are a lot of things on her mind that should be happening right now but why was something else happening?

    "Are you okay," Valerie had to ask when Rose stood watching her unmoving. "Should I get the doctor?"

    "I am fine, ma''am," Rose answered her hastily taking a step back to arrange her thoughts. Was she reborn in another dimension?

    "I . . ."

    "I am very fine. I am really sorry about going to Miss Anna''s room. I only woke up and I was in her room. I did not know how I got there. I will try to not to do sleep walk again," she apologized bowing her head.

    "I . . .," Valerie began exining and moved close to Rose to feel her forehead. She had a mild fever earlier and she was worried that Rose still had the fever.

    Rose froze visible when Valerie got close to her. She brazed herself for a p hoping that since Valerie was a well-bred and pampered woman, the p won''t hurt much. Despite living in her second life, she felt she was just too pathetic. Her eyes slowly got misty as she hated herself for being weak.

    Seeing her reaction, Valerie stepped back to give Rose some space. She also bowed her in guilt. She must have worn a really scaring countenance around the innocent girl that the girl believed she could raise her hand to hit her. "I think there is a kind of misunderstanding between us. I carried you to Anna''s room when you fell asleep in the elevator."

    Rose lifted her head sharply and her mouth opened slightly in astonishment. When did she fall asleep? The whole thing became clear to her and she closed her mouth immediately when she remembered what happened after her lesson in the elevator. She could not help but look at the feminine delicate body of Mrs. Whitfred and wondered how the woman could carry her. Perhaps, she was assisted by someone else, right?

    "I am sorry," she apologized for being so stupid although she did not tell Valerie that.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No, what are you sorry for?"

    "For the inconvenience," she lied immediately not to make things anymore awkward than it already was.

    Valerie smiled brightly and held Rose hand. She was seriously not saving it from getting awkward because now it really became awkward as Rose instinctively pulled back her hand but Valerie insisted on holding her hand.

    Rose had to smile back despite how weird she felt everything was. The two stared at each other, each thinking and making calctions on what to say and how to say it right. Rose simply concluded there was nothing she would say at that moment that will be right after making her own calctions.

    On the other hand, Rose''s new mama was piling up a lot things she wanted to say to her new daughter. She had found Anna interesting and pitiful due to her nightmares and she wanted to get to know the girl more.

    Just the way Rose cringed when Mr. Whitfred stared at her at the orphanage, she could not help but cringe from the way Mrs. Whitfred stared at her. It was as though she was ab rat in front of a scientist or to be more precise, Mrs. Whitfred stared at her as though she was arge piece fabric on her work table and she was holding her scissors ready to cut and shape it out to be what she wanted it to be.

    "I have been a little too negligent about you and I am sorry. I want you to feel free and confortable around me. I might not be your mother but I love you just like one. I want us to get to know each other and I could make up for all the wrong I have done to you during the past few weeks."

    It took a lot of energy to prevent sighing. She could only guess this was where her cutting and shaping will officially began. It was the best disguise for her although she felt it might be a little hard to put on such disguise.

    "I think you should also spend some time with Anna. I am going to be very busy and I won''t be able toe home for some time. Read her some stories and celebrity news. Talk to her about motorcycles too, she loves them."

    "Yes, ma . . . Mother," she quickly answered stiffly. The first step of her ''disguise'' was to be a perfect sister to her new sister. She almost chuckled; the first stage was actually not hard. It made her conclude she will keep going on with her new lessons on ''disguise'' with her new mother.

    "Also . . . I don''t know how to say this in the perfect tone," she said softly as she struggled visibly. "My therapist will being."

    ''Why should I care?'' Rose wondered gazing at Valerie with a very confused look on her face.

    "She will spend an hour with you. It will help you a lot. Feel free to tell her anything. I won''t ask her about what you will discuss together."

    Rose nodded with a forced smile masked up as an excited smile. "Thank you." She bet that she will be sent back to the orphanage or sent to a psychiatry hospital if she tells the therapist the truth about her nightmare or worse they will simply hand her over to an exorcist. She shivered at the thought of all these possibilities but still wore a smile and could not refuse.

    "If you ever need anything, call me," Valerie told her and gently pat Rose''s head before walking out of the room.

    She shivered immediately rubbing the goose bumps on her arms. That was so confusing and scary. Mrs. Whitfred had to be the weirdest person she had met in both of her lives. She went back to the living area and tried to figure out why Mrs. Whitfred suddenly became nice to her and why she had suggested she sees a therapist but she really could not figure it out.

    She really wished she did not fall asleep. Or was it because of the very sorry state she was in when she fell asleep? Never mind it could be counted as a good thing that she was now epted officially, right?

 Chapter 13 - Motherly Hug

    Rose hesitated at the door of Anna''s room. She ced her hand on the door both stepped back for the tenth time since she got to the door. She wanted to be apanion and help the poor girl ina but she felt she was really stepping out of her n by getting involved with Anna.

    She shook her head and turned to leave. It was best to go back to her room and sort out her thoughts than lurk around Anna''s room. The door opened and Mrs. Whitfred stepped out of the room and smiled at Rose.

    The smile on the woman''s face reminded her of her mother and she found herself smiling back. "I was about to check on Anna," she immediately told Mrs. Whitfred with a well-constructed smile on her face.

    "Ohe in. I was about to leave but I will introduce you to Anna before I leave. I won''t be back for a while and I don''t want her to get too lonely. She might be unconscious but she feels and she hears everything. She loves motorcycles just like I said and I promised to buy her one when she is old enough. She loves songs by Mira. I y it for her frequently. You could also tell her things about you and about young girls stuff," Valerie narrated to her with enthusiasm as she turned and walked back into the room.

    "Yes, I will," Rose epted the task. It meant Mrs. Whitfred trusted her well enough to let her stay with Anna even when she was away and that was a great leap away from the situation when she first arrived.

    Valerie did not trust Rosepletely and she was only using Anna as a means to test how trustworthy Rose was and that was definitely under the watchful eyes of the two nurses taking care of her Anna. She could not risk her precious daughter''s safety. "I will be away for a month," she told Rose.

    Rose was surprised by that information but said nothing. She simply nodded. She was not close enough to ask her why she was staying away for that long. She moved close to Anna''s bed and watched the pale girl. The girl might never wake up again just like she died in herst life.

    Rose could not help but feel emotional at the thought of that. And yet another girl was in such a close death situation due to someone''s inhuman and selfish desires. She suddenly felt a need to treat the girl right since she was also once close to death and even died. The pain of loneliness if someone dies alone was probably more than any kind of physical pain.

    She remembered the arm that hugged her tightly in herst moment. It was what made her death easier. Thefort and assurance that someone was there for her was more than anyone would need in his or herst moment. It meant a lot. If she could be a source offort to the young girl whose life was hanging on a thin thread, she felt that was enough good as a repayment for the littlefort she enjoyed in herst life.

    "I will take care of her well. I will do my best. I won''t let her be lonely," she turned and told Mrs. Whitfred who was standing beside her in front of Anna''s bed with determination.

    Mrs. Whitfred might have pitied Rose and decided to treat her well after witnessing her being tormented by her nightmares but she still doubted Rose a little because of the situation her family was in when Rose came into their family and she felt Rose was still a little suspicious and had to be watched.

    However, the look of determination she saw Rose show her was so sincere she could feeling the suspicions she had slowly tear off till there was almost none left. Smiling, she pulled Rose into her embrace and hugged her. "Thank you. I was scared that she might get lonely when I am away but you have saved me the stress of worrying over her. Please keep herpany," she appreciated.

    Rose almost asked Mrs. Whifred for the name of shower gel and lotion she uses because it smelled just like that of her mother. That warm embrace, although it was given to her because she was going to take care of Anna felt so motherly it almost drove her to tears. She pulled away and walked to the side of Anna''s bed to hide away the tears that began gathering in her eyes threatening to drop.

    Valerie joined Rose beside the bed and held Anna''s pale hand. "Anna, I have to go. The show takes up my time, you know. I don''t want you to be lonely. Rose, your new sister will take care of you. She is a nice girl and I am sure you will like her. She will apany you. I will miss you. I wish you were awake to go with me. Rose will join you to watch the show on the TV. I hope you will enjoy it. I will do my best. The cloth you designed will appear. I know I said it was not good enough but I helped you make it into something beautiful. You will like it. Wake up so that you can wear it for me."

    Valerie rubbed her daughter''s hair and sighed. She will definitely miss Anna a lot when she leaves. Anna used to go with her since she turned six. She was not a burden during the preparation and always tried to make herself useful. She used to help get her mother coffee when she turned ten she offered her mother a handkerchief to mop her brow when she sweated. There was no way she won''t miss her daughter.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose nced at the unconscious girl on the bed and she could almost swear that the girl was wishing she was awake to go with her mother. It was a pity she could not afford such luxury no matter how wealthy her foster mother was. She could not help but pity the poor girl.

    "Hi, my name is Anna. I am jovial and want to keep youpany. I want a friend and I don''t care if you want me to be around you or not but I will stay with you for as long as I can. I love talking and I might disturb you a lot so, please forgive me in advance," Rose tried to be as cool and nice as she could no matter how hard it was. She used a little of the method she used to get close to the sister''s in the orphanage.

    She had a quiet and reserved personality even before her mother''s death and she could only y around with those very close to her but after her rebirth, she knew that she could not survive like that and had to get along with anyone that could benefit her in any way. It was hard at first but it got easier shortly before her adoption after she got to witnessed how her connections paid off.

    She was sincere about helping Anna because of her death experience and she was willing to help the girl leave this worldfortably. She was unsure of what she might discuss with Anna at that moment but she was determined and so doing a research won''t be a hard thing right? She had a lot of researches to do. She had to read about motorcycles and about celebrities.

    All these did not discourage her. She smiled at the girl on the bed with a more determined look on her face.

    Mrs. Whitfred turned away from her unconscious daughter and faced her new daughter, "Please take care of her for me," she pleaded.

    Rose could easily know that the woman loved Anna a lot from the expression she wore. It was as though she was begging Rose to save Anna''s life rather than keep Annapany until she returns.

    Rose nodded her head readily. "I will."

    "I am leaving now Anna. Bye," Valerie said cing a kiss on her daughter''s forehead. She turned and hugged Rose again. "Thank you, Rose."

    "No problem. She is my sister." Rose enjoyed the warm hug and inhaled in a manner Valerie won''t find repulsive. This was her mother''s scent, although a little different. She felt at lose when Mrs. Whitfred pulled away but she still wore a supportive smile that would fit into the moment.

    Valerie felt nothing was amiss as she turned and walked out of the room.

    Rose ran after her after recovering from her emotional turmoil. "Be safe," she shouted after Mrs. Whitfred just before the door of the elevator closed.

    Valerie had to smile despite how sad she felt that Anna was not going with her when she saw Rose and heard her. This girl was getting more and more likeable.

 Chapter 14 - Anna

    On the first day apanied Anna, she mostly introduced herself to Anna and told her everything about her physical appearance. She wished the owner of those arms was nice enough to let her know what he looked like. She will most definitely hunt him down and keep him hostage as her personal sleeping pill.

    Her rebirth brought a lot of difort and she would almost kill for a little amount offort to escape her nightmares. She could still remember the feel of that chest against her. It was so warm. She had yed the whole scene on her mind over and over again when she wakes up from her nightmares at night and in a desperate need offort.

    Sometimes, she hums the tone her mother had always hummed for her but it only worked when she had nightmares of her the ident she had with her mother. It almost did not work at all for her when she dreams of her death but those arms gave herfort.

    She prayed the person was not an angel and even if he was one, he should be a human for her. The person also knew about her step mother and promised to punish them. Whoever the owner of those arms was had to be someone who knew her..

    It could not be her father because whoever the person was, he was young and certainly in his early twenties. He had to be someone who works out well because of his firm chest and arms.

    After describing herself to Anna with a lot details, she told Anna a little about the orphanage and the friends she made before leaving since she had nothing good to say about the orphanage. Afterwards, she told Anna about her favorite musician.

    Mira just got married and she made sure to find as much information she could get on the inte about Mira''s husband. It was though she was an inw trying to know everything about the man. She went as far as knowing the man''s favorite food, color and many more things.

    Her new role as a sister was not an easy task but she kept working hard. She goes to greet Anna in the morning and returns after her lessons in the evening and stays for a couple of hours. She made the nurse promise her to inform her if something goes wrong with Anna. She could not rx until the nurse promised her. It felt like an assignment and she always found something new to talk to Anna about.

    Mr. Whitfred had also travelled on a business trip after Mrs. Whitfred left. On Saturday, she spent more than four hours with Anna with breaks in between. The nurse was already pitying Miss Anna because she felt if Anna was awake, she will definitely get tired of the frequent visit and Rose''s talkativeness.

    ***

    As Rose sat beside Anna''s bed talking to her, she yawned feeling tired. She wrote Mathematics test that day and due herpleteck of rest in order to get an A in the test, she kept feeling dizzy and in needing to rest. She might be home schooled but the test was definitely not easy or that was how she felt since she hated Mathematics.

    She closed the book she picked from the library to read to Anna and rested against the backrest of the chair to sleep. She made her now usual prayer before sleeping, ''I pray I don''t get haunted by nightmares.''

    She hoped her prayer will be answered unlike every other time and soon fell asleep. Her eyes stayed close for barely thirty minutes when she felt a hand hold her wrist that rested on the bed. She could not help but wonder what sort of nightmare she was experiencing; it felt so real more real than any nightmare she had experienced.

    ''Is this an upgrade in my nightmare?'' she asked herself.

    The hand felt so soft and weak but it slowly tightened its weak grip on her wrist. She shook pulling hand away instinctively. She was so scared she could feel all the hairs on her body rise and a cold chill feeling down her spine. "A ghost?" that was the only idea that came to her mind.

    She opened her mouth wide enough to enable an egg to be thrown in without touching her lips or teeth when she saw Anna reaching to her weakly with her eyes opened. "I will call the doctor," she said pressing the button to call the doctor. The nurse on duty went out for a while. The door opened and the nurse walked in immediately.

    She was really thinking the girl before her won''t survive and that was why she took very good care of her but the girl actually survived it. The pity she once felt towards the girl immediately turned to admiration. The girl was a strong fighter. Not everyone is lucky enough to escape such prison. A prison where they are locked up within their own body but the young girl did. She fought and escaped.

    In less than five minutes, the doctor walked into the room panting slightly obvious that he had ran to the room as soon as he got the signal. Rose stood away from the bed and watched them take care of Anna asking her some questions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We will take Miss Anna to the hospital immediately for a full checkup," the doctor told Rose when he was done.

    "No. I have to ask Mrs. Whitfred or Mr. Whitfred if she could leave. They want her to be safe," Rose found herself disagreeing without a second thought.

    She pulled out her smart phone from the pocket of her jeans and dialed Mara''s number. She did not know why she felt that way but she really wanted to protect this strong fighter. Anna was once a victim of kidnapping and she only woke up now. If she falls into the same problem, the girl might not be able to survive again.

    She was not against the doctor but against leaving the mansion without adequate protection. After telling Mara that Anna was awake and had to be taken to the hospital for further treatment, Mara promised to get everything ready.

    Anna sat up on her bed watching Rose with so much interest. She woke up with a strong desire to wake up the girl sleeping beside her bed. She does not know why she was so interested in waking the girl up but that desire made her wake up and up all the strength she could muster to wake the girl up.

    She felt a sense of sadness that the girl was asleep and not awake but she did not know who the girl was. She recognized her room immediately but the girl and the other three people in the room were unfamiliar.

    From the way the other three people dressed, she could easily identify them as a doctor and two nurses. Her gaze moved back to Rose and she wondered why the girl wore that very protective look on her face when she spoke to the doctor about her. It was as though she will simply get into a fist fight with them if they dared take her to the hospital.

    She found herself liking the beautiful strange girl more and more. The girl was really a rare beauty and she looked like her mother. "Where is my mother?" she asked looking around. Before anyone could answer her, she immediately asked in a low pained voice, "What happened to me?"

    "Mrs. Whitfred went for the fashion week show. She will be back soon," Rose answered her walking to her bed.

    "And who are you," Anna asked before Rose could answer the second question.

    Rose stopped rubbing her head. She did not have any idea about how to tell he girl in front of her that she was her sister because she did not want to make the girl go into a shock.

    "She is your sister, Miss Anna. Miss Rose was brought over by Mr. Whitfred. She is your new sister," Mara answered Anna. She had walked into the room when Anna asked that question.

    Anna felt happy to finally see a face she recognized well. "Mara," she called with a weak smile on her face.

    "Miss Anna. I am very happy you have woken up. I called Madam. There will be an helicopter arriving soon," Mara informed them when she got close to Anna''s bed.

    "Mrs Whitfred said the cloth you designed will be worn during the show," Rose gave the girl a good news to make the girl happy.

    "Really?!" Anna asked excitedly her eyes sparkling happily. Her smile slowly disappeared and she looked around with a confused expression. "Isn''t there six months before the show?" she asked wondering why her mother left so early for the show.

    "No, the show takes ce today," Rose immediately corrected.

 Chapter 15 - Clingy Anna

    Anna was ced on a wheel chair when Mara told her about the arrival of a helicopter. Rose turned to return to her room when Anna was wheeled to the elevator by one of the nurses. She concluded that her job was already over since the girl had woken up and she was going to the hospital with Mara.

    "Rose," a weak voice called just before she could take a step into her room. She turned to see Anna looking at her. "Come with us," she begged with a look on her face that simply said she was unwilling to let Rose leave her alone.

    Rose was so confused by that. She did not see any need to go with them to the hospital.

    "Please," Anna begged her pretty almond eyes blinking at her as they got misty.

    That was something she suddenly found herself unable to ignore. It will be cruel of her to not go with Anna after such plea.. She nodded and went into her room to change her shoes. When she came out of her room in a pair of sneakers, she was surprised to see Anna on her wheelchair waiting directly in front of her room.

    She did not know how to behave because she never once had a sister or a sincere friend and this girl seemed to have taken herpletely as her sister or friend she was yet to discover. "Sister, Mara told me you are older than me," Anna said stretching her weak hands slowly towards Rose.

    Rose was not used to holding anyone''s hand except that of her mother. She smiled at the hand stretched to her hesitating before holding the hand. The girl''s hand was slim, soft and smooth. Rose felt weird holding the girl''s fragile hand because hers was aplete opposite of that apart from the slim part because she had slim slender fingers.

    She had tried a lot of methods to make her hands softer like the palm of a young miss or princess just like it should be and some of the methods worked but her palm was still calloused and rough.

    "I like motorcycles," Anna began a conversation with Rose as soon as they stepped into the elevator.

    This girl must really love motorcycles. "Oh. I think they are cool."

    "That''s why I love them. They make someone look cool."

    Rose had to chuckle at that making Anna smile back. "You want to look cool when you ride one?"

    "Yes. I am already cool. That''s why I will look cool riding one"

    Now, she just discovered this sister of hers is a narcissist. She smiled at that.

    ***

    "Your highness, I heard that Miss Anna woke up," a young man told a youth who was ying games with his friends.

    "Really?" he asked dropping his controller on the table in front of him. "The drug you gave me will make her forget everything right?"

    The man shivered due to the intense gaze he got from his boss and bowed his head to avoid that inhuman gaze. "Yes your highness," the man answered in a very shaky voice.

    "Since she won''t remember, it will make things easy. I want her to live but if she remembers, then I want to kill her myself," the youth ordered the man and picked up his game controller.

    "Don''t have fun alone," one of the youth told him.

    He ignored his friend but wore an evil smirk on his face. When his mother brings him out to the world as her son when his father is about to die, the first thing he will do is bring Anna and lock her up himself in the basement of his mansion. Girls like her were very interesting. She was a beautiful young narcissist. He shook his head in amusement. Which girl loved motorcycle more than his little Anna?

    ***

    As though Anna knew someone was plotting against her in such creepy manner, she felt a shiver run down her spine making her reach for Rose''s hand. "I feel like someone is going to kill me," she said in a very shaky voice her already pale skin further paled.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose felt pity. She only hoped the girl will not suffer from the nightmares she always suffered from. She sighed and rubbed the back of the girl''s hand.

    "I think you need to eat in order to kill those that did this to you," she advised Anna with an encouraging smile and scooped another spoon of porridge for Anna.

    Anna had stuck to her or more like forced her to stick around since they arrived from the hospital. The doctors said Anna was alright but she needed to watch her diet and begin therapy. Rose felt sincerely happy for Anna.

    "Excuse me, Miss Rose. I will like to speak to you for a moment," Mara asked Rose looking at Anna. She knew Anna had been refusing to left Rose leave but she prayed silently that Anna will let her go.

    "I will be right back," Rose assured Anna rubbing the girl''s ck soft hair.

    Anna nodded immediately although hesitating to let Rose go. It seemed whatever Mara wanted to talk to Rose about was serious so, she could not act immature.

    "Anna was hurt badly by whoever took her away. She was abused in any way they found fit to. She will continue to stick to you and I want you to continue to take care of her. Since she lost her memory, she will be confused at times. Madam will be back soon. Your therapist will alsoe tomorrow," Mara informed.

    "I will do my best," Rose convinced Mara with the determined look she wore.

    "Rose," Anna''s soft voice called.

    Rose smiled at Mara and went back into the room. She was happy to have avoided her first session with the therapist Mrs. Whitfred told her about because she was busy with Anna. But it seemed she could not avoid itpletely. The therapist will most definitely have a session with Anna too. Right now, the two children of this family were broken in different ways and it made her smile sadly as she sat down to feed Anna.

    "What happened? What did Mara say to you?" Anna had to ask when she noticed Rose sad look.

    "She said you will begin your therapy tomorrow so you can walk on your own," Rose informed her recing her sad smile with a happy one.

    "Oh okay. I want to be able to work well again," Anna told her overlooking the sad expression she saw earlier.

    As Rose fed Anna, she could not help wondering what those people might have done to the poor girl. From what Mara said it was obvious that Anna suffered in their hands for a week. A week with very dangerous animals, it must have been hell. She raised her hand and rubbed Anna''s head with a smile.

    Anna smiled back, she found this new sister of hers very likeable. It had been a little lonely living in such arge house with her parents and having a sister living with her was what she had always dreamt of. She had friends in school but she still wanted a sister and now she had one. A sister to y around with, she could easily picture herself having a lot of fun in the future.

    "Do you like motorcycle?" Anna asked when Rose helped her to her bed because Anna told the nurse to leave saying she was ufortable and wanted to spend time alone with Rose.

    Rose immediately reced what she thought that Anna likes motorcycles to Anna is obsessed with motorcycles. "I don''t know. I think they are cool but I don''t like them so much. They could be dangerous to ridepared to a car."

    "Oh I see. When you turn sixteen, dad will buy you a car and mum will buy me a motorcycle. I want a ck one with touches of purple. Purple is my favorite color," Anna enjoyed telling Rose with broad smile on her face. "What is your favorite color?"

    Rose took a lot of effort to hold back a sigh. It seemed Miss Anna here was already nning their future together. "I love amber and pink," Rose answered immediately. Her favorite color had always been the color she sees in her eyes every time she stared into the mirror. She loved the green and brown in her hazel eyes but she loved the amber most. She developed a love for pink when she joined the Whitfred family.

    "No that is cheating. I said your favorite color not your favorite colors," Anna frowned pouting her lower lips.

    Rose wondered why the girl behaved more immaturepared to her when she was only a two months older than her ording the birthday the orphanage gave her and she was four months older than Anna with her real birthday. "Ok . . . I love amber most," Rose answered in defeat. This girl must be having fun teasing her.

 Chapter 16 - Getting Along

    "My friends say I am a narcissist but I think you are more of a narcissist than I am," Anna told her with a shrug.

    "I don''t understand."

    Seeing the look of confusion on Rose face, Anna smiled. "You like the color of your eyes. Why not green or brown? You chose the rarest color in your eyes because you are a narcissist. I think I should change my eyes color to purple," Annained with a yful smile.

    Rose returned her smile. "I love ck too," Rose said.

    "Don''t try to get on my good side. Who loves ck? A lot of people have ck eyes so it is not unique. Why will you love the color of night?"

    .

    "I don''t know. But your eyes are very beautiful too."

    "If we are going to talk about how beautiful I am, I am very aware of it. I am very beautiful and my ck eyes are having a unique shade of ck. So, thanks for thepliment but I deserve more than that," Anna did a good job of praising herself while Rose stood straight with her mouth twitching as she watched Miss Narcissist praise herself.

    Rose gulped and tried to look away. "Well, good night," she said and moved away from her bed.

    "No, I can''t sleep alone. I am going to get bored in the middle of the night. I don''t feel sleepy at all. I have been asleep for months now. I don''t think I want to sleep now."

    Rose looked at the girl with pity. "I will sleep on the couch in the living area. Call my name when you want to talk to me."

    Rose knew that the girl might find it had to sleep because her subconscious mind still remembered all the things that happened to her.

    "Rose?" Anna called her when she got settled down on the soft sofa with a nket.

    "Hmmm?" she answered staring into the dark space.

    "Why do you look like our mother? Are you her daughter? Perhaps you did not die," Anna asked with a soft unsure voice. She did not want to offend Rose with the question she asked but she really needed to get answer.

    "I am not her biological daughter but I was adopted a few months ago. I can remember my birth parents and Mrs. Whitfred is not my mother," Rose answered immediately.

    Anna sighed at that answer and frown. "I wanted you to be mother''s daughter. It will make her very happy to have her daughter back. So, who are your biological parents?"

    "Dead. They died. That is all I remember. They both died in an ident. I was with them but I survived. I woke up in an orphanage as an orphan. I can''t remember anything else." Rose had to lie, Anna might be clingy but she did not know the girl''s true nature. What if she turns to a stumbling block to her in the future?

    "That is a pity."

    "Yeah it is. I am used to it now. What about you?"

    "I can''t remember anything about them. I was a baby when I was abandoned in front of an orphanage. I love Mrs. Whitfred. She is my only mother."

    "I guess we were both left in this world alone by our parents. I think Mrs. Whitfred is a nice person and I like her," Rose sincerely said staring aimlessly into the dark space above her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Rose, I might not remember how I got into aa but I know that I was not treated well by those people. I saw the scars on my body. They were much and I know it must have hurt a lot. No wonder I went into aa. I must have not being able to take the pain. You know what? I hate scars. I never wanted to have a single scar on my body but now, I have a lot on my body. I feel like this body is not mine any longer. I feel strange feelings that are not mine."

    Rose sighed. "Since you can talk to me about it, I think that means a lot. They say a problem shared is a problem . . ."

    "Half solved," Annapleted the sentence before Rose could continue. She sniffled as tears ran down the side of her face to the pillow. "I feel good talking to you. I just feel like you will understand me more. If I tell the therapist mum will bring over, she will tell mum and make mum worried about me. I don''t want her to get worried. I saw it on the inte that I was missing for a week. I can''t imagine all the things I made mum pass through when I am not even her biological daughter."

    "She loves you a lot. She always tried to spend time with you despite her busy schedule."

    "I know and that is why I don''t want her to suffer because of what I passed through. I want to be tough. If I was strong enough, those people wouldn''t have gotten me. Whoever they are, they would find it had to have hurt me so bad."

    "I don''t want you to try too hard to remember what happened to you when you were kidnapped. Some things are best forgotten although not forgiven. Mr. Whitfred will investigate it. He will find those people and make them pay."

    "I have woken up for only a day now and I really feel like I am going to lose my mind if I stay away from you. I am sorry to be burden on you but I don''t think I can stay alone at all. I keep feeling like they have me and hurting me. I don''t know why but my chest feels so stuffy and I find it hard to breathe like someone is trying to strangle me."

    Rose could easily connect to what she was experiencing. After her rebirth, life became hard. It was as though her past life was better in some ways. Yes, she was bullied by her schoolmates and the kids in the orphanage. She was called bad names and cursed.

    All those things hurt her but she could sleep well. She could have dreamless nights but after her rebirth, it seemed that everything that was good about her first life was taken away and reced by pain. All the things she suffered from in her past life were then reced with good things.

    She now had a family with a mother that looked like her mother and she had a sister who seemed to like her a lot. She was living in a house worthy enough to house the royal family and she gets to wear nice clothes, eat nice foods and sleep on a queen''s bed. All these were things she was not opportune to enjoy in her past life. However, she was enjoying them at the expense of her good night rest.

    She smiled and rubbed her hand on her face. It was an obvious truth to her now that there was nothing good in this world that could be given for free. She turned andy on her side as she used the sleeve of her blouse to mop the tears that streamed out of her eyes.

    "Rose?" Anna called sitting up. She felt so restless and scared of closing her eyes.

    "Hmm?" Rose answered immediately since she was also suffering from insomnia. Her sleep always starts by three at night or four at times.

    "Should we go downstairs to get chocte?" Anna asked cing her feet on the floor.

    "The doctor said you should watch your diet," Rose cautioned her standing up. "If you can''t sleep, I will join you on your bed. Maybe you will be able to sleep," she suggested and joined Anna on her bed. The bed was a hospital bed making it lessfortable but the two girls squeezed in together under the nket supporting each other.

    "I will ask Mara to return my bed tomorrow. You will stay here till I can sleep on my own," Anna said with a yawn happy that she was able to rx with Rose.

    "I will be a little busy tomorrow but as soon as I am done with my lessons, I will take you to the garden," Rose suggested too.

    "That will be fun. Mum and I used to nt flowers together when we are not busy. The garden is big and beautiful," Anna began another chain of conversation with enthusiasm.

    "Yes, it is. I have been to the garden. I could not go around but I sat there for a while. What flowers have you nted before?" Rose asked and looked down at the girl.

    Anna was already asleep peacefully and Rose found herself getting jealous of Anna. The girl could sleep so easily. As usual, Rose stayed awake gazing aimlessly into the dark until she finally closed her eyes to a world of nightmares.

 Chapter 17 - Twin

    Rose woke up sweating furiously after dying for the third time in her nightmare. It was just as bad as it had always been. She nced at Anna who was still sleeping peaceful and got down from the bed. She adjusted her nket and went to her room to get ready for her lessons.

    After breakfast, she went to the library just in time for her lesson. She smiled at her teacher and sat down after greeting her. The teacher immediately began the lesson.

    Mid way into the lesson, the door opened and Anna controlled her wheel chair towards Rose with a frown on her face. "I woke up and you were not there. Mum said you had lessons and I decided to join you," Annained.

    Rose stood and walked to her with a strange feeling in her heart. She was not unhappy that Anna came but she was not happy about the disturbance either.. She really thought she could escape Anna during her lessons but it seemed she was wrong. She pushed her towards the table and settled down back. "Is Mrs. Whiftred back?" she had to ask since she did not see her around.

    "Yes she came back early this morning. She said we were sleeping that''s why she did not disturb us," Anna replied her happily.

    Rose nodded her head at that information and moved her attention immediately back to the book on her table and her teacher.

    Anna pouted angrily at the teacher when she lost Rose''s attention. She was killing her special time with her special sister and it was pissing her off. All because of Englishnguage she could not spend enough time with her sister.

    Rose easily noticed the sudden change in the teacher''s behavior. She could see the woman was visibly ufortable and a cold sweat rolled down her forehead and the woman tried to wipe it off with shaky hands. She looked at Anna who was ring at the woman as though she stole her precious belonging.

    She watched Anna for a while until their eyes finally met and she shook her head furiously with a frown at Anna. Anna further pouted her lower lips like the spoilt miss she was and bowed her head releaving the teacher of her piercing gaze.

    The teacher exhaled in relief and could finally teach with a little part her difort reduced however the atmosphere was still obviously tensed.

    "Anna, you should not disturb your sister," Mrs. Whitfred warned Anna from the door of the library with a frown and walked to them. The teacher got up to greet Mrs. Whitfred but she stopped her. "Please go on." She gave Rose a sincere smile and pushed Anna''s wheel chair away from them.

    Now, the teacher could really exhale inplete relief and Rose could finally focus on her lesson. But before the lesson could continue, Rose turned to nce at their back.

    "Mum, I was not disturbing her. I only wanted to join her. We are in the same grade," Annained just before Mrs. Whitfred could close the door of the library.

    "Wait until you fully recover. When you fully recover, you will join her."

    Anna nodded at that and smiled. "Mum, I want to cut my hair. This hair is really ufortable," Anna changed the topic making Valerie also sigh in relief.

    "Sure! I will have Mara bring your favorite hair stylist over. She will give you a very nice haircut," Valerie continued the new conversation. "Your physical therapist has arrived and she is waiting in the gym."

    "I really want to walk again mum," Anna said with a determined expression.

    "Yes. You are not disabled. You only need to exercise your legs. It is not very strong now to carry your body properly. If you listen to your therapist, you should be able to walk on your own in a week and perhaps run around in a couple of weeks," Valerie encouraged her pretty daughter and rubbed the girl''s ck hair dotingly.

    "Really?!"

    "Yes. When you can walk well, you will join Rose in her lesson," Valerie told her daughter and watched Anna''s eyes brightened when Rose was mentioned.

    She was scared that Anna will not like Rose and knew no matter what, she will be on Anna''s side and it might wrong Rose however, it seemed Anna likes Rose so much now. She had nothing to worry about since the two girls were on the same side so she will simply side with the two of them.

    "Mum, do you think Rose''s hair is also long and ufortable? Do you think she will also want to cut it?" Anna asked when she imagined her and Rose having the same hairstyle. She felt it will make them look like twin. That thought made her very excited.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am not sure. Not everybody thinks long hair is ufortable. If she wants to cut it, the hairstylist will help her do it. If not, she will leave it long there is nothing bad about that."

    "What about you? Why don''t you cut yours when Rose cuts hers? It will make us look like the three musketeers," Anna suggested fantasizing about that thought.

    "Your dad will not want me to keep my hair short. I like my hair long. If Rose decides to cut her hair, I might consider joining you two."

    "Really?" Anna asked with her eyes shining bright at her mother.

    "Consider. Don''t forget, I said I might consider doing that," she reminded her daughter.

    Anna chuckled in a very lively manner making the therapist smile subconsciously. The therapist heard about what happened to Anna months ago but seeing the girl''s joyful countenance, she could not easily believe the rumors going around about the things people said the kidnappers did to the little girl.

    ***

    "Why don''t you let me announce publicly that you and your family are under my protection? That way, no one around B city will be fearless enough to hurt you?" a man with very mysterious cold eyes suggested to his friend.

    "You know how much of a trouble that will bring to my family," the man''s friend immediately refused.

    "I am not a bad person. You more than anyone should know that. The king is my friend. Why will I do anything to harm his country? I only hurt those who try to get on my bad side."

    "Stop acting all righteous. Everyone calls you a mafia boss," the man''s friend reminded him with a chuckle.

    "I am not a mafia boss. I am only a simple businessman. I own more business in this country than anyone does and they think I am going against the royal family but the king is my friend." The coldness in the man''s eyes were soon had a tint of joviality.

    "Stop calling him your friend. Have you forgotten that he thinks you told his wife to run away with you?" the man''s friend asked as a friendly joke.

    "Justin. Let Doris rest in peace," the man warned his friend the joviality in his eyes disappearing immediately and his cold eyespletely froze.

    Justin cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I am sorry. I only . . . I am sorry," Justin apologized immediately very much aware that he had crossed the line. His friend was very sensitive whenever Doris was mentioned and he understood why but he could only me the alcohol they were drinking together.

    "It seemed you don''t want your family''s name to be get soiled by my family''s bad reputation. I understand fully. I will advise you to seek protection from the royal family. Patrick will be more than willing to help a friend. I want my men back in a week," the man immediately punished his friend for speaking about thete queen in the manner he did.

    Although Justin did not want to return his men, he could only nod his head. "Even if you take your men back, could you have a few of your men monitor the movement of my wife and two daughters? I don''t want any of them to get hurt. I can''t trust Patrickpletely because of that woman on his side."

    "I will leave four of my men for all of you. You won''t be able to know that they are around but they will always be close by," the man agreed immediately. He might be angry with his friend but his friend''s safety came first.

    "Thank you, Damon," Justin smiled at his friend and gulped down the brown liquid in the ss he held. "I won''t ask Patrick for help. I will just simply go back to using the security agency."

    Patrick, Damon, and Justin were very good childhood friends but a lot of things had happened while they grew up that slowly split them apart. Justin and Damon were still close friends just like before but there were still things that changed among them.

 Chapter 18 - Fruitless Two Years

    "What do you think about my hair?" Anna asked turning her head left and right making her hair swing along.

    "It is beautiful," Rose immediately praised Anna''s new hairstyle. The ck hair was shoulder length with short bangs resting on Anna''s forehead.

    "Do you want your hair to be beautiful too?" Anna asked with a tempting look on her face as she yed with her hair hoping to make Rose jealous.

    "My hair is beautiful this way," Rose answered. She knew what the look on Anna''s face was implying and she was not nning on reducing the length of her hair any time soon. .

    Anna pouted. "Really? Isn''t it stressful to maintain?" Anna asked with a sad pitiful look on her face directed at Rose.

    "No. It is veryfortable. I like it long," Rose answered trying to leave the room but Anna caught her wrist and pulled her back gently. "I mean it. I like it this way."

    "I know. I only want you to let her style your hair a little," Anna suggested.

    Rose nced at the pretty young hairstylist and shook her head. She had never had anyone style her hair since her mother died. She always washed it herself, dried it herself, andbed it herself. "I don''t want anyone to touch my hair for now. I will try my best to get prepared mentally next time," she exined to Anna. It was not a lie but not aplete truth either.

    Anna sighed giving up. "I hope you prepare yourself mentally enough because we will go back to school soon and you have to have the right hairstyle in order to amplify your beauty."

    "I don''t care," Rose immediately told her to avoid any future misunderstanding.

    "But I care. I care very much. I will just wait for dad to let us return to school. Consider yourself free till then," Anna warned her making Rose shiver with goose bumps visible on her arms.

    "Anna, stop pestering Rose," Mrs. Whitfred walked into the room frowning in a doting manner.

    "I am not pestering her. I only . . ." ''I don''t want them to look down on her because she was adopted.'' She could not speak out her real thought as she stared at her mother in order not to offend Rose. The moment her sister steps into the outside world as her sister, she wants her to be recognized as a very beautiful miss and she had to make some touches on her appearance to appear so.

    "I am fine. When I need your help, I wille to you. I might consider reducing my hair lengthter but not now," Rose replied. She could easily see that Anna meant good and she did not want to hurt the girl''s feelings although she was did not want to be controlled by anyone.

    "Really?" Anna asked with a bright smile on her face.

    "Yeah. I will go back to my room. I have to do my assignment," she told Anna before leaving the room.

    "You scared her off," Mrs. Whitfred told her daughter.

    "I did not mean to," Anna answered with her chin touching her chest.

    "Hey, let me see your new hairstyle," Valerie tried to coax her daughter. She lifted her head gently and smiled at the new hairstyle. For some unknown reason, Anna had always considered long hair as stress since she was adopted.

    At first, she refused to let her cut her hair but Anna took a pair of scissors and cut them in the bathroom when she was only five years old. From then, she knew it was best to let Anna keep her hair short. She tried using her therapist to find out why a little girl will want to keep her hair short but Anna''s answer was simple she simply felt long hair was ufortable.

    ###

    Rose fell on her soft bed which bounced and closed her eyes to think. Her hair was too much of an attention seeker. She will cut it and dye off the highlight. It will be bad if anyone suspects she is rted to her real identity before she has enough influence to protect herself. If that happens, it will cause a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. She did not want to get killed in that same manner in this life.

    She got up running her fingers through her hair as she slowly became frustrated. What amount of influence could bring the most powerful family in the country down? She had tried reading strategy books but none of them was helping her. If she tries to kill the queen, that n won''t work because the pce was the most guarded building in the whole country.

    Even if she seeds, her mother''s name will still remain with the dirt on it and she was not going to let that happen. Her mother''s family now hated her mother because they believe she ruined their family''s reputation and none of them could be trusted. She could not consider her father or his family.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had three things to do on her mind. First, she had to clear her mother''s name. Second, she had to see the end of the queen''s regime. And third, she had to take her rightful ce as the princess. Her ns will simply increase if she finds out her father yed a role in all that happened to her and her mother.

    She will not hesitate to take away the kingdom from him. It rightfully belonged to her mother. It might lead to a war but she will definitely divide the kingdom if her father yed a role and it will take her a longer time toplete her vengeance. She hoped her father was the really a kind and gentle man. That will lessen her burden.

    ***

    "Happy birthday," Anna said hugging Rose tightly.

    "Hmmm . . . hmmm . . . gosh I am suffocating," sheined pushing Anna away.

    "Take," Anna said with a broad smile as she stretched a wrapped pink box towards Rose.

    "Aww. Thank you," Rose appreciated, this time she pulled Anna and hugged her.

    "You are wee. Make sure prepare something nice for me. My birthday is only two months away," Anna reminded her. "Now, you are crushing me," Annained and pushed Rose away.

    Valerie smiled at her to pretty daughters. "Don''t eat too much cake or you will get fat," she had to warn when Anna began stuffing her mouth with Rose''s birthday cake.

    "I can never get fat. Can''t you see my body shape? I think I should officially be your model," Anna answered with a yful tone as she cut a slice and served her mother.

    "That was what you saidst year. You did not get fat but ended up with stomach upset. Don''te crying to me when that happens," Rose warned her to as she also took a slice of cake.

    "Anna, try to eat properly. The cake isn''t going anywhere," Valerie tried to advise her daughter as she forced arge piece of cake into her mouth.

    "I guess you want to choke or have indigestion. If so, go ahead," Rose added to Valerie''s advice.

    "Now, they are teaming up against me. Don''t think I am going down without a fight," Annained as she wrapped her hand yfully around Rose''s neck.

    "Hey, please stop it. I am not going to join you to act unruly." Rose struggled to pull Anna''s hand off her shoulder but Anna refused to let go.

    Someone cleared his throat making the two girls stop struggling. They turned to see Mr. Whitfred who was not smiling at all. He hated it when any of them behaves without elegance. "Those are things boys will do. It is not right for ady to behave in such manner. It seemed your etiquette teacher did not teacher you well. I will get a new teacher brought by tomorrow."

    Anna removed her hand immediately with her head bowed and went to sit down. Rose rearranged her hair and also sat down. This was a punishment. Mr. Whitfred was hardly around but whenever he was, it was mandatory that they behave and act properly.

    "Come and eat cake," Valerie called her husband knowing fully well that that was going to coax him.

    "Sure," he agreed immediately and took a slice of cake on a te. He sat beside his wife beaming.

    The two girls sighed giving their mother mental thumbs up. Rose closed her eyes and sighed once again. It has been more than a year since she became a part of this family. She was sixteen now and she could not help but wonder what she had been doing all along. Mr. Whitfred insisted that her and Anna were home schooled and it was like she did not make a single progress in two years.

    Two fruitless years although happy but she made no progress. She was still at the same spot where she started. Her rebirth felt useless and she was sorry about that.

    ''Mother, I am sorry,'' she apologized. ''I am sorry that I could not do anything for you. I could not visit you. I am sorry. I have been so uselesstely.''

 Chapter 19 - Going Back To School

    Two years was more than enough for her to grow to maturity in her protected shell. It was time to break out of her shell.

    "What do you want for your birthday gift?" Justin finally asked the question she was waiting patiently for.

    Last year, she asked for nothing. She only told him she was okay but it was time to ask for what she really needed. The overprotectiveness was nice but also sickening. "I want to go to school."

    Someone might call that a foolish move but she was sure that she wanted to leave. Whatever they think was none of her business at this point. All she wanted was for her wish to be granted. The family of three stared at her with different emotions.

    .

    Mr. Whitfred could not help but feel Rose was ungrateful. Mrs. Whitfred felt Rose was finally getting tired of being in their family. Anna felt betrayed; Rose did not tell her anything about going to school, she thought they were going to stay home schooled till college after all they only had one more year and a few months left to graduate high school.

    "I just want to experience what it means to be in school with my peers. I have a verypetitive spirit and staying home schooled is not helping that part of me. I want to make you proud of me. I want to be the best but I can''t since I am home schooled and I have no one topete with," Rose found herself exining because she could not keep watching the expressions on their faces that did a good job of exposing their thoughts.

    She might have concluded that she did not care about what they thought but she was disappointed with herself for being so concerned about what they thought. She was very much attached to them more than what she had thought.

    "Oh. I also think so too. Dad did not allow me to meet my friends for the past two years now and I miss them. I want to go back to school. I miss school," Anna immediately joined her. She did not want to remain home schooled while Rose went out to school.

    "Since that is want you want then. I will have Mara contact your new school," Mr. Whitfred agreed without hesitation when Anna agreed with Rose.

    "Do you think it is right? Do you think they should go out into this dangerous world? Don''t forget what happened to Anna," Mrs. Whitfred reminded her husband with a frown on her beautiful face.

    "Mum, I prayed every day for two years that whoever did that to me should die. I am sure two years of prayer and curses are enough to end their lives," Anna tried to persuade Mrs. Whitfred as she hugged her hand tightly acting cute.

    "This is not a joke," Mrs. Whitfred answered Anna immediately very seriously.

    "I . . . I . . . I will be fine. I am fine now. I am strong enough to go out. I will not get hurt again. I am sure I was kidnapped by mistake that was why I was returned. They picked the wrong person and it won''t happen again," Anna continued with her persuasion but in a more serious manner to fit into the tensed atmosphere.

    Rose only stood away. It was obvious if she was going out alone, Mrs. Whitfred won''t care much but since Anna got included, it made it harder. It was obvious that it would be best she remains silent or it might get worse after all she started it all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Valerie and I will talk about it. Whatever we decide, we will tell you during dinner," Justin immediately spoke up to lessen the tension that was slowly building up with Valerie''s objection.

    Rose and Anna nodded together in response. Mrs. Whitfred and her husband finally left the room and Rose was left with Anna.

    "You did not tell me about going to school. Why did you suddenly want to go to school?" Anna asked her anger very visible as she red at Rose.

    "I did not want you to go to school after what happened to you. I think it is best you remain at home until the kidnapper is caught," Rose gave her an insincere answer. She had no reason to tell Anna before making her decision but she had toe up with a reason that Anna will believe.

    "You said was strong. So, why do I need to stay at home? Why do I need to continue been home schooled. Why did you not care about my opinion?" Anna asked her anger slowly turning to disappointment.

    "I did and that is why I did not tell you. I want to go to school. Home school is best for you. No one knows about my existence but they know you well and it is not right that you go out with me."

    "I was fine going to school before that incident."

    "And that incident changed your whole life," Rose immediately stopped her. if there was any means she could use to make Anna remain at home, she was willing to use it. She liked Anna as a friend and sister and that was why she wanted her to remain well protected.

    "Does that mean I should also remain at home and not go to college?"

    Rose did not answer and stood up. She did not want to state the truth and she knew Anna was not going to give up and that was why she wanted to leave as fast as she could.

    "You traitor," Anna spat out standing up as she used her height to try to intimidate Rose. She was taller than Rose with four inches.

    Rose was not the least intimidated, she ignored Anna''s attempt to make her angry and walked out of the room after getting another slice of cake.

 Chapter 20 - Showing Her Strength

    Anna puffed her chest angrily like a little child and she tried hard not to pounce on Rose and practice what their martial art teacher taught them during the past two years on Rose but stopped because Rose had always beaten her on the mat.

    Rose turned shortly before entering the elevator and looked back but Anna was not following her. That meant Anna was definitely nning something right now. Anna was not one to give up an argument easily. She began mentally preparing for what the young princess was plotting.

    It was dinner time and she was yet to see Anna carry out her n. She began to feel uneasy. Anna had a sanguine personality and it was hard to make her really angry. She showed her anger immediately and after carrying out a childish vengeance, she gets back to being Jovial Anna. That was one of the reasons why she loved Anna as much as she did; it made it easy for them to get along.

    She went downstairs for dinner. Mr.. Whitfred and his wife were already seated with Anna. The atmosphere was tense and she did not know what might have caused it. She sat down quietly hoping not to move anyone of their attention to herself.

    "Anna, you should pick your punishment," Mr. Whitfred said frowning seriously.

    "I already apologized to him. I only wanted to show you all that I was capable of protecting myself," Anna replied bowing her head. She did not show any sign of remorse further agitating Mr. Whitfred.

    "Do you want to go out with such untamed behavior of yours? Do you want to disgrace this household by picking fights?" Mr. Whitfred watched her as he thought seriously of how to get Anna punished for her crime.

    Anna shook her head immediately. Rose sat down quietly now, aware that Anna most have carried out one of her childish vengeance to get back at her as well as persuade her parents that she was ready to go back into the world without being at risk.

    The maids also waited in the kitchen when they sensed the tension hoping everything would be settled soon so they could bring the meals in.

    Mrs. Whitfred made her decision as she watched Anna refuse to ept her fault. It reminded her that her daughter was not one to be restrained against her wish. Anna always loved to get what she wanted and since she wanted to go back to school, they had to let her go.

    She had persuaded her husband to make the girls stay home schooled till they get into college but she was forced to reconsider due to Anna''s wild action. "If she wants to go back to school, we should let her," she finally spoke out after wavering for a while.

    Three pairs of eyes gazed at Valerie and three moutAhs were slightly opened in astonishment. "I thought you did not want her to go back to school?" it was Justin who asked when he could not understand what made his wife change her mind.

    "She wants to go back to school. I don''t think we should stop her after all she beat up of two of the securities in the house. I don''t want her to go beating more people up," Valerie gave her reason wondering why the men Anna beat up were too weak and let her have her way.

    Rose nodded her head at that shocking but expected act of Anna. She knew Anna was not going to sit still until she gets her vengeance but she had thought the vengeance would be directed at her but those poor men had to suffer from her plot. She had to admit that Anna was really wise.

    "I think that is the main reason why she should remain at home," Mr. Whitfred decided at that moment to object.

    Rose had to mentally chain herself up to hold back from pouncing on her foster father and scream asking him why he was trying to crush her hope. She was not happy Anna was allowed to go because of Anna''s safety but since Anna had glued to her, she had no option than to agree to letting Anna go back to school. She will just protect her when they go out.

    "She needs to learn how to behave properly. The fact that I employed someone to teach the two of your self-defense did not mean I want you to go beating up people. Is it right for a girl to go around beating up men? It reduces every atom of elegance you might have. Self-defense is meant for protection and not bullying," Justin continued his lecture looking at the two girls sitting with him in the dining room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes sir. I was wrong and I am sorry," Anna immediately epted her fault and apologized immediately praying he won''t force her to remain home schooled or she might really turn wild.

    Justin kept quiet and watched his daughter. He knew very well that her apology was not sincere and frowned when he remembered the bruises he saw on the faces of the security men. One had a broken nose and the other''s mouth was swollen and he also had a ck eye. He might try to show outwardly that he was not in agreement with such behavior but he was proud of her.

    If she could protect herself this well when she was kidnapped, perhaps what happened to her would have being prevented. He had thought earlier that they let her beat them because she was a daughter of the family but she had worn a maid''s dress and threatened them with a knife. She had taken two men alone.

    "Hope you did not hurt yourself?" Rose had to ask because she was not sure of Anna''s fighting skill since Anna always got beaten up by her on the mat.

    "No. I got hit on my abdomen but I punched him on his eye to revenge. I was really gentle and careful not to break any of their bones. You know what our teacher taught us," Anna answered proudly. "His punch was like that of a five years old boy."

    Rose could not hold back her smile as she watched her sister boast of her skill.

    "I will let you go since you are bent on leaving but I will immediately take back my word if any of you get caught doing anything against what your etiquette teacher taught you. I don''t want you to disgrace yourself before your peers."

    Anna and Rose agreed immediately with smiles on their faces. Rose sighed in relief. It was at this moment that there should be a standing ovation right? It felt as though she had won a lottery.

    "Thank you, dad," Anna shouted throwing her hands around Mr. Whitfred''s neck and hugged him tightly in a dramatic manner. She did not forget to leave a kiss with a loud smack on his cheek. Giggling, she moved to Mrs. Whitfred and did the same thing.

    Rose smiled and looked back at the waiting maids and signaled to them to bring the meals over. They got her order and began serving the family''s dinner.

    ***

    On the morning of her first day in school, she was very nervous. Joyce brought over her uniforms. She had not expected to wear uniform and had already chosen what she was going to wear to school that day. In Y country, she did not wear uniform except for gym ss.

    She removed her dressing coat and began getting ready. It was half past seven and she had to eat breakfast and she was not sure of how far the school was from here so she was definitely going to schoolte on the first day. The feel of the fabric of her uniform under her palm was so unique. It was of very high quality.

    When she was done wearing the uniform, she was impressed. She looked like a student from a high school society school she saw in a movie. The skirt was ck with two grey strips below and its length was above her knees. The shirt was white with a short hand and there was stylish ck bow tie. She stuck the white shirt under skirt properly before wearing the grey zer.

    Joyce did not leave a shoe for her so she went to her walk-in closet to get her shoes. She came into this family when she was fourteen and still growing and growing fast. Mara was in charge of her clothes and needed items. She admired how effective Mara was with her job. She had already changed all the clothes and shoes in her wardrobe that had be unfit and reced them with new good clothes.

 Chapter 21 - The Hacker

    When her foster parents agreed to let her and Anna return back to school, Mara brought over some designer school bags and shoes for school. Mara also filled up her essory drawers with jewelries and essories she might need. She did not know how Mara knew she loved rose scent but Mara brought over a very nice rose perfume. Mara was just like a mind reader she knew when Rose what out of any supply and always made them avable without Rose even asking.

    Rose chose a ck adidas sneakers with white soul and wore it after wearing a ck pair of socks. She chose a ck leather bag with silver design. She returned to the living area of her room and put a book into her bag as well as her writing material.

    "Rose," Anna''s voice called her and Anna walked into her room fully dressed just like her but a little extra. She had painted her nails a day before and the ck color she chose shone so brightly very contrast to her white skin. One of her finger on each hand wore shining tinum rings and her wrist had threeyers of bracelets and the other hand had a wrist watch.

    "Will dad let you go out in this manner?" Rose had to ask when she got over the shock she had when she saw how extra Anna was in her dressing. Anna shook her head.. "Isn''t all these too extra?"

    Anna did not answer her this time but went into her walk-in closet and came out with a wrist watch, a ring, and a pair of earrings. She pulled rose and sat her down on one of the sofas and helped her wear them. Rose did not object since the jewelries were simple. The earrings were a stud gold earring and the ring was almost unnoticeable along with the wrist watch, it was small and simple but beautiful and elegant.

    Anna removed the band she used to hold her hair back andbed her fingers through them gently. She used a brooch to hold back her hair from one side of her face leaving the hair to fall partially on the other side of her face.

    "Shouldn''t you reduce these?" Rose still had to ask unable to see her sister meet their parent dressed in this manner. "And stuck your shirt in. Why don''t you button the first button?"

    Anna continued to ignore her. She pulled out a purse from the ck and grey back she wore and removed a lip stick.

    "Who bought lip sticks for you?" Rose continued asking her questions.

    "I ordered for them online," Anna answered tired of Rose''s questions and attempted putting the pink lip stick on Rose''s lips.

    "No, I will not put that on my lips," Rose immediately stopped her.

    "Put a lip gloss on then," Anna gave in and removed a pink lip gloss to match Rose''s natural pink lips and gave it Rose.

    When Rose did not put it on, she took it from her and helped her rub it. "Wow, a lot people will go crazy when they see you but don''t worry my friends and I will protect you," Anna told her and pulled her up from the sofa. "We arete. Let''s eat breakfast," Anna said as she helped Rose pick up her bag and pulled her wrist out of the room.

    Rose followed her into the elevator and they both had a quick simple breakfast of pancakes and tea. Mrs. Whitfred dropped them off herself and she happened to be a friend of the chairperson of the school. The school was definitely more than five times bigger than her school back in Y country. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

    The owner of the school had the principal take care of everything for them and so they were taken to the building where their ss was. The building had three floors. Students were all in their sses. Two teachers came to take them to their sses and Anna refused to go.

    "I don''t want to be in a different ss," Anna refused with a very serious look on her face. Anyone could easily see that she meant no joke with the stance she made.

    "You cannot be in the same ss," Mrs. Whitfred tried to exin but Anna only looked away while holding Rose hand tightly.

    "We can. We used to study together in the library," Anna argued back.

    "With different teachers," Rose reminded her as she tried pulling her hand from Anna''s grip.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We can also do it here right?" Anna asked and further tightened her grip on Rose hand as her eyes got obviously misty with tears threatening to fall out of her eyes.

    "No. You cannot do that here. You insisted that you wanted to return to school. If you want to change your mind, we can go back home," Mrs. Whitfred suggested hoping that Anna will ept her suggestion.

    Rose''s heart dropped at that suggestion and she forcefully pulled her hand from Anna''s grip. "I will bete for my ss if you keep refusing to go to yours," Rose told her with a stern voice but a smile remained on her face.

    Anna knew Rose was warning her not to make them go back home and the tears fell off rolling down her cheeks. "I am sorry," she apologized sincerely but her tears had a hidden agenda and it worked well.

    Rose could not bear watching Anna mess up her make up. She pulled out a white hand kerchief and pushed it into Anna''s hand. "Come and meet me during lunch break and we will have lunch together. That way we will meet each other okay?" Rose tried to coax her cunning sister hoping Anna will be kind enough to let her go to her ss.

    Anna nodded rejoicing, lunch together was not bad at all. She knew Rose seriously wanted to go back to school but she was against it. She knew something bad happened to her when she was outside and she was scared of going out despite wearing a tough personality outwardly.

    The person that hurt her was still alive and she did not want to give the person an opportunity to get her again. However, Rose was going to school and for the past two years, she had grown too attached to Rose that she did not want to stay home schooled all alone in therge library.

    Her tears was meant to either persuade Rose to go back to being home schooled or make her mother pissed off and make them return home together. She did not expect Rose to make a deal with her to make her stop crying and since she was very simpleminded when it came to things concerning her and Rose, she dly epted the deal.

    Anna hugged her mother tightly without forgetting to give her a loud smacking kiss on her cheeks and followed her homeroom teacher. Rose smiled at her leaving figure and turned to Mrs. Whitfred. "How are we going to get back home?" Rose asked.

    "I will pick you two up when school is over for today," Mrs. Whitfred answered with a smile.

    "Thank you for everything," Rose appreciated with a slight bow of her head and turned to leave with her homeroom teacher.

    Mrs. Whitfred''s smile broadened and she pulled Rose into her embrace. "I wish you two a good day at school. Please take care of Anna," Mrs Whitfred answered after pulling away from the short warm hug.

    "Yes, I will." Rose followed the homeroom teacher and they entered the elevator together. Her dream was to be a fashion designer and two years ago, she made sure her direction was towards art. This school was also known all over the world for their fashion designing club. Anna wanted to be an engineer she said she wanted to make her own motorcycles and cars and Anna was also pursuing her dream and she was a science student.

    If all she thought about was how to sustain herself and get a good job like she wanted to do in her past life, she would have remained in science ss but she made her decision to follow her dream since life was pretty easier now financially.

    ***

    Four hours ago in a mansion in B city, a boy sat cross-legged on his bed as typed on the keys of theptop in front of him. He was doing an assignment given to him by his elder brother and he was doing it with so much enthusiasm because that was what he loved doing and also because it was the only way out of a trouble his brother was forcing him through. The assignment given to him by his brother was hacking.

    This boy loved hacking and his brother gave him a tough assignment two years ago when he was only fifteen years old and it was for him to hack into the security system of the pce. His brother did it but he had tried over and over but he found it harder and harder with every trial as though they were reinforcing the security with every trial he made.

 Chapter 22 - Different Brother

    It took his brother only fifteen minutes of typing fast on theputer''s keyboard to hack into the pce''s securitywork. He spent two years while his brother left home but he failed. He got tired and simply gave up. His brother returned a few weeks ago and gave him apletely different task and that was for him to return to high school.

    He was a genius and what punishment could be more than being sent back to high school when he already had a certificate inputer science? He tried using tears to persuade his stone hearted brother but it did not work out well. He tried running away but the guards were quick to catch him.

    "Brother, please give me something else to do," he had begged his brother on his knees with real sincere tears flowing down his cheeks.

    "I gave you two years to hack into the pce''s securitywork but you simply threw it aside," this was one of the longest sentence his brother had said to him since they moved into the orphanage.

    "No. I did not throw it aside. I tried but I could not do it.. Please tell me to hack an airport or bank. Please I will do it but I don''t want to go back to high school," he begged as he crawled towards is brother.

    His brother nced shortly at him and moved his attention to the book in his handspletely ignoring him but the cold look in his unique grey eyes made Jace shiver and he could not say another word. Since his brother returned, his brother felt a lot more cold hearted and ruthless but he also looked more handsome and manly.

    He had gotten up and staggered back to his room with the hope that things will be different if he could hack into the pce''s securitywork and he had tried and tried. He even forsook his meal. He tried to use his father against his brother hoping his father will side with him. His father''s response was very simple yet very heartbreaking.

    "Your brother''s word carries as much power as mine since he returned from the family''s training. You should listen to him. I will have a guard go with you so that you will have a protection out there," that was his father''s answer and he literally copsed to the floor.

    He went back to his room after that to begin trying again but it was just as fruitless as all his efforts had been. He began doubting the fact that his IQ was 190. Worse of all he was going through, his brother wanted him to join the art ss and stay close to a girl. He felt seriously mis-used by both his father and his brother.

    It made him rethink his life, he was adopted into a business and near mafia family along with his brother from Y country and since then, and he had lived the life he had never dreamt of living after being abandoned by their parents on the road sidete in the night.

    Mr. Damon gave him all he needed despite his weaker mentality and strength. His brother was the stronger one while he was very nerdy and was very scared of seeing blood but he was loved by both his brother and his father. They were coldhearted but tried to spare him as much warmth as their personality could muster.

    He loved them as well and he was convinced that he loved them way more than they loved him. But after been given such degrading mission, he began doubting that they loved. He felt it was only his wishful thinking. They had more than two hundred well abled men under their control all over the world but they chose him to follow a girl around.

    He closed hisptop roughly when the tears that had gathered in his eyes threatening to fall blurred his vision that he could barely see the screen of hisptop. After mopping off the tears, he nced at the wall clock in his room. It was already time for him to get ready for school.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He nced at the uniform he left on the chaise lounge in his room and got up determined to tear it apart so he could avoid going to the school today. As soon as he touched the high quality cloth, he remembered the ice coldness he saw his brother''s eyes. His now more ruthless brother might not hesitate to punish him with the familyw if he disobeys right?

    He tried to persuade himself but for the past few days, it seemed like he could not understand his brother and his brother felt different in virtually every expect. The fear he now had for his brother, made him step back away from the uniform and ran into the bathroom to take his bath to avoid getting that same look if hees outte.

    "Jace, you did not have real fun since you were born. Brother is only sending you to have real fun. He wants you to live like a real teenager. Go into the world and live like a normal teenage boy. You can do it. All you need to do is have fun and you will be okay. High school is fun. Art is fun. You can do it. Learn how to draw and be a renowned painter. Open your own art exhibit and rule the art world while brother and father rule the business world," he gave himself a motivational speech as he walked out of the bathroom.

    He repeated the same thing over and over again in the same manner as he began getting dressed. He was repeating the same thing to hypnotize himself as he went downstairs for breakfast. Today was also a big day for him brother and father. His brother was going to get officially introduced as an executive in his father''s corporation. They were all seated in the dining room.

    Discipline was a must in his family and it was mandatory for everyone to be at the table by 7:00 am for breakfast. His brother had already taken his ce on the other big chair on the other end of therge table.

    Dressed in a suit, his brother looked like a real son of the Hart family with the ring which bore the family''s crest on it around his right thumb. The tattoo of their family''s crest also rested small but obvious in ck, red and blue ink on the back of his brother''s right hand beneath his thumb. The intimidating aura his brother now wore was no less than his father''s.

    Two years ago, he would have hugged his brother and allow him to pat his head but today he simply hugged his father and made attempt to sit down but his brother''s icy deep icy voice called his name. "Jace."

    He literally felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach as he stood bent neither standing up straight nor sitting down. He avoided his brother''s eyes as he fixed his gaze on the neat empty te on his table.

    "Come," his brother called him making his immediately stand up like a pole and walked to his brother like a robot receivingmand. His brother hugged him and pats his head as usual making him smile. At least his brother still loved him. If he had a tail, he would have been wagging it happily as he returned to his seat with his smile still stered on his face.

    He went to school with the smile still on his face. When his brother returned from his training, he could not get close to his brother and stood on the steps in front of their house as he watched his brother walk into the house passing him without a word to him. It waster he found out that his brother was supposed to greet his father first before anyone else.

    When he found out, he was happy that he stayed still or the guards would have held him down and prevent him from touching his brother and he was sure that he would cry immediately if he gets stopped from hugging his brother in a harsh manner.

 Chapter 23 - Four New Students

    He remembered the difference he noticed from when thest time he hugged his brother and when he got a hug today. His brother''s chest was firmer and more than thest time.

    The strength in that chest was way more than any he had ever felt. It was the kind of chest that will give anyone assurance. He was weak and he was not scared to act spoilt and not care about learning how to defend himself because he was very sure that his brother will protect him no matter what happens. That sense of security he got from his brother and his father made him not care about any type of insecurity.

    He smiled as he stepped out of the car along with the guard his father ced by his side. The guard was one of the best despite his young age.

    The guard stretched his hand to take Jace''s bag but Jace shook his head with a frown and walked towards the building where the principal was waiting for him along with two other teachers. He was going to high school for the first time. He went to college but he did not attend high school because of the speed of his education.

    .

    The fun he promised himself by obeying his brother''s order was not going to be lost because he was determined to have as much fun as he could have after all, he was not in need of the certificate he will get by going to school this time. He felt very excited not to be going to school but to meet his future sister-inw. The smile he wore broadened.

    ***

    "Four new students arrived this morning," a girl announced to her group of friends on their group chat.

    "One of them is the second son of the Hart family. The two are the fashion designer, Valerie''s daughters and the other, I don''t know a think about him," another girl informed them as she snuck to text her friends under her table.

    "The guy is hot. I happened to see the Hart heir three years ago and he was very good looking. The second son is also hot. He has a jovial personality. He is sitting a row away from me," another girl texted her friends as she nced at Jace and swore to be his biggest fan.

    "What about Valerie''s daughters. I have not seen any of them."

    "One of them is sitting down beside Hart''s second son."

    "One is sitting in front of me. She is the bad girl type. She is actually beautiful."

    "Hey, which of them was kidnapped two years ago? And which of them was adopted two years ago?"

    "The one in my ss looks like Valerie I think she is the one that got kidnapped."

    "No, the one that got kidnapped does not look like Valerie. She has ck hair just like Mr. Whitfred. We were in the same ss in middle school."

    ? "Oh. I remember. Then who is the girl that looks like Valerie?"

    "Perhaps she is a hidden daughter? I guess she hid herte daughter away from the world iming she was dead."

    "What a great imagination. Why on earth will she bother doing something like that?"

    "Yeah, perhaps she did a stic surgery to look like Valerie."

    "I doubt. She is a natural beauty."

    "Hey, I don''t want to lose any point. I will have to stop. If I get caught using phone in ss, it might make me lose three points."

    "Let''s talk during lunch break."

    "Yeah."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Okay."

    " . . ."

    Rose wondered why the guy on her right side kept stealing nces at her. She found it weird and creepy when the guy did not look away when their eyes met but smiled at her but she had to say that he was very good looking.

    He had a pair of ck eyes. His eyes seemed very jovial and he did not look like he meant any harm but she was notfortable with being watched in the manner she was. It was enough that she only got out into the world after two years of staying in door and this boy was trying to make her lose her mind.

    She ignored him but when it was lunch break and he stood in front of her seat still wearing that boyish smile on his face, she could not keep ignoring him again.

    "Rosaline, right?" he asked watching her closely.

    Rose froze and the question she wanted to ask him disappeared immediately. How did he know her real name? Her heart began beating fast as she stared at the boy.

    "You are very beautiful," hemented and stretched his hand to her for a hand shake. "Could we be friends?"

    She stared at the hand feeling he called her by her real name in order to ckmail her into being his friend but she could note up with a logical reason why he will do that. "Who are you?"

    "My name is Jace Hart. I am also a new student and I think you are very beautiful. Could we be friends?" he replied and still held stretched his hand towards her with his broad smile.

    "Oh," she could only answer him feeling confused that she could not see anything bad in his behavior except that he called her by her real name. "My name is Rose not Rosaline," she corrected him and took his hand for a shake.

    "Hey! Who are you and why are you holding my sister''s hand?" Anna''s voice called out from the door as she ran into the ss and hit the guy''s hand as hard as she could.

    Those in the ss that were watching the new students trying toe up with the right thing to say to the new pretty girl decided to really stay away when Anna arrived. The girls were jealous of Rose''s beauty.

    Her arrival caused a shift in the hierarchy of beauty in the whole school while the boys were amazed by her beautiful and elegantportment and appearance that they were scared that they might affect the new goddess in the school.

    "Ouch!" Jace shouted holding his hand as it took him all his willpower not to cry. He looked at the bulldozer which was bent on breaking his hand and swore to report her to his brother but he stopped when he got a good look at her face. "Wow, you are so beautiful," he could not hold back hispliment as he watched her with a mesmerized look on his face as though he just came face to face with an angel.

    This was not the first time she wasplimented for her beauty and she had always known she was very beautiful but thepliment she got from the handsome boy made her blush and she hated that fact. She frowned with a look of disgust despite the pink color now tinting her cheeks. She pushed him aside as she grabbed Rose''s wrist and pulled her out of the ss.

    "Wow, you are very beautiful," Rose told her mimicking Jace''s voice and the look on his face when he told Anna. "Wasn''t that the legendary public confession?"

    "Rose, stop it," Anna tried to stop Rose as she made efforts to stop the warmth that crept up to her face causing her to blush visibly.

    "The guy is hot. I am sure a lot of girls are targeting him but you took him away without any effort," Rose continued to tease Anna.

    Anna groaned in frustration and released Rose''s wrist. "That''s enough please," she groaned a little frustrated with the fact that she was actually blushing. She could not remember thest time someone''spliment made her blush.

    Jace looked at the face of the guard his father appointed by his side. He held the boy''s hand with a bright smile on his lips. "I am . . . No. We are going to have fun." He pulled the boy''s hand behind him out of the ss in search of Rose and her sister.

    He felt a sense of urgency to get Anna to be his girlfriend as fast as he could before his brother seeds so that his brother will give up on Rose since he will not want to marry his sister-inw. The guard followed closely with his hand still held in the young master''s grip.

 Chapter 24 - Beautiful Bulldozer

    The guard remembered his boss'' order to protect the young master''s life with his own life and immediately call for help if anything goes wrong. The young master was always carefree.

    He had being in the family for only a few years after his training. He started his training at a young age making it easy for him to finish earlier than most of the others.

    He nced at his hand held by young master Jace and could not help but smile. This was a privilege he doubt any of Young master Liam''s guards might be privileged enough to enjoy. To hold or shake the hand of anyone from the Hart family was a very great honor among his fellow guards.

    It was a honor for him to protect Young Master Jace and he was ready to do his best.

    "Beautiful please what is your name?" Jace asked as soon as he caught up with them and released his guard''s hand.

    Anna and Rose ignored him but Rose gave him a smile..

    "What is your sister''s name?" Jace asked walking beside Rose since she smiled at him.

    "Anna," Rose replied after hesitating for a while.

    "That is a very beautiful name. My name is Jace," he introduced himself to Anna now walking beside her with a cheeky smile.

    Anna scoffed and tried to walk faster but Jace was right behind her determined to make her answer all the questions he had to ask.

    Rose sighed hoping Anna won''t snap and get angry. She was really expecting the boy to get a punch on his face from Anna''s fist. Anna was not easily provoked to the point she was at the moment and she would definitely do something out of the line to the source of her provocation.

    "Ouch!!!," it was Jace''s scream. He looked at the smalldy beside him and wondered where she got the strength she got to step on his foot as though she wanted to crush every single bone in his foot. His guard would have stopped her but he gave the guard a signal with the slight wave of his hand. If he knew it would have been so painful, he would have let the guard protect him.

    Rose ran to his side while looking around if anyone saw what just happened and to her disappointment a few people saw Anna step on the boy''s foot in a not toody-like manner. If rumors begin spread among the kids to their parents, then it will leave Anna with a bad reputation among the upper ss society.

    The guy crunched down and from the misty look in his eyes, she could tell that Anna had done a good job with just a single step. She had witnessed themunication between the boy, Jace and his supposed friend. She nced at the friend who was very expressionless and she could easily guess his identity.

    The boy, Jace dressed very simple but then she noticed the gold wrist watch with a popr family crest on his wrist and it immediately gave up his identity. The Hart family, one of the most influential family if not the most influential except for the fact there was a royal family. They ruled the business world and had morepanies and buildings in the world than the royal family.

    "Are you a member of the hart family?" she had to ask as she fixed her gaze on the wristwatch on his wrist.

    "Yes," he answered with a nod.

    "Are you Mr. Hart''s son?" Anna asked bending to ask the guy who was still trying to massage his hurting foot through his shoes. She could easily remember the stone faced man her father once introduced to her as a friend when she was younger. The uncle appeared scary till he got a box of candy from his secretary and gave her and most importantly, he told her she was beautiful.

    She could not see a single sign of resemnce between the man who looked so powerful and the boy who was almost allowing tears to flow from his eyes only because she, a girl stepped on his foot.

    "No way," she refused to believe as she watched him closely for any sign that he was lying. She really hoped he was lying because she might not be able to face that stone-faced man to apologize for crushing his son''s foot.

    ? "I am Jace. The second son of Mr. Damon Hart," he replied feeling frustrated unbelief. Does that mean he does not look worthy enough to be from the Hart family? When his brother was capable of making people shake in fear at his presence. He stood up to make a powerful stance but his face became distorted due to the pain he felt from his foot.

    "I think you should see the school doctor," Anna suggested when she saw the ugly expression he made.

    "No, I am fine," he refused immediately but he had to limp back to the ss building.

    Rose watched him go back with pity while Anna stared at her feet worried about his identity. If she knew he was a son of the hart family, she would have never offended him right from the beginning. She could only pray that her father does not hear about what just happened.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ***

    "What happened to your leg?" Mr. Damon had to ask when his youngest son limped into the dining room for dinner.

    Jace had tried to not limp but the pain was too much he could not hold back. He had to wince at every slight pain her felt or even cry out in his room. He hated pain as much as he hated the sight of blood. But he did not want his father to know who did it to prevent Anna from getting hurt.

    "A beautiful bulldozer crushed my foot," that was the silly answer he gave his father making his father, a man who hardly wear any facial expression, now wear a puzzled look.

    After careful thought, Mr. Damon could finally understand what Jace was referring to. The love struck smile on Jace''s face also said it all. However, no matter how love struck he was by a girl, no girl had the right whatsoever, to hurt his son. He might not say or do a thing if Liam gets hurt by a certain person but no one had the right to hurt Jace.

    After dinner, he invited the guard he ced by Jace''s side in school to his study. "Who hurt Jace?" he was visibly angry as he stared at the guy ready to have him removed from his son''s side if he could not give him a proper answer.

    "Miss Anna the first adopted daughter of Mr. Justin Whitfred," the guard answered immediately with his head bowed and his hands held behind his back.

    Mr. Damon had to pause at that information. Justin was his friend and he certainly could not hurt the Whitfred family because of his friend and a particr person. He rxed his back against the back rest of his big ck leather chair. "Why did you let her hurt him?" If the guard was wise enough, he would not be in this situation.

    "Young master warned me to stay back," the guard answered.

    "Who ced you by Jace''s side? You won''t get to see the next sun rise if Jace ever gets hurt again."

    "Yes sir," the guard answered his heart breaking at the thought of him dying if the young master gets hurt again.

    "Come up with a reason to protect Jace without condition and without hurting Miss Anna," he ordered hoping the guard''s intelligence would not disappoint him.

    "Yes Sir," the guard epted the new order happy in his heart that he got luck to improvise a means.

    While the guard wasing up with a method, Rose sat down cross-legged on Anna''s bed while Anna sat on the rugged floor as she gave Anna a serious lecture ying the role of a parent since their parents knew nothing about what happened. "You know what you did was dangerous right?" she had to ask.

    "Yes."

    "You said Mr. Hart is dad''s friend what if dad finds out? It is going to get us into trouble."

    "It won''t happen," Anna said persuasive as she could when she could not even persuade herself.

    "The boy you saw behind him was his body guard. He stopped his body guard from hurting you. I guess he really likes you a lot. Do you know what it means to be a friend of someone from the Hart family?"

    "I do. They are richer than the royal family and I heard dad say when I was young that the royal family was scared of them."

    The royal family was scared of the hart family? That was news to Rose but it was good news. If you are too short to be as tall as someone, you can as well climb something taller than that person and be the tallest. In order to beat the royal family, you had to be taller than them.

    "Hey," Anna said waving her hand in front of Rose''s face. "What are you thinking about?"

    "Nothing. I just want you to stay as far as you can from trouble. I will also do my best to avoid getting into any kind of trouble."

 Chapter 25 - He Offended His Sister-In-Law

    25.

    Anna nodded in agreement. School was fun. She got to reunite with her middle school friends and it was a beautiful reunion because they all missed her and she missed them too. It will be a pity if she gets back to being home schooled all because of a silly mistake.

    "I am going back to my room good night," she said as she got down from Anna''s bed.

    "You won''t sleep here?" Anna asked hoping for a positive answer from her sister.

    "No. Good night," Rose did not hesitate to give Anna a negative answer since she was too busy with her thoughts to notice the pleading look on Anna''s face.

    As Rose closed her eyes on her bed to sleep, she could not keep the name Hart from her mind.. Her mind kept chanting that name over and over again involuntarily. This night, she slept and dreamt of those hands that gave herfort at her dying moment and that soothing voice. It was the best dream she had dreamt in more than two years.

    She made Anna apologize to Jace the following day. "I am sorry," it was obvious that Anna was sincere about this apology unlike most of her apologies.

    "It''s okay," Jace epted her apology immediately.

    The truth is Anna apologized sincerely because of Jace''s background. If he came from an ordinary family or perhaps even a family which was not the Hart''s family, she would never have apologized not to talk of apologizing sincerely.

    "But . . . but under one condition," Jace said just when Anna was sighing in relief that what happened won''t get to her father through his father.

    Both Rose and Anna turned to look at him surprised and Anna could not help but re at him. She really wanted to punch his handsome face ept that she did not have the right to. "What condition?" she asked between clinched teeth with so much difficulty.

    "Let us. The four of us be friends," he said with a serious tone as he pointed at Rose, Anna, his guard and himself.

    "Oh, that is not a problem at all but we also have our own condition," Rose answered immediately when she noticed Anna was about to give a negative response with anger visibly written on her face.

    "What condition?" Jace asked with enthusiasm as he was very ready to bargain.

    "Don''t tell your dad about what Anna did to you," she said hoping he was not too cheap.

    "My father knows about that already," was his simple answer.

    "Uh?" horror was boldly written on Anna''s face.

    "Then tell him not to tell my father okay?"

    "I can''t order my father around."

    At this point, Rose really gave up reasoning with this boy. She picked a small white leather purse from her bag and walked out of the ss without sparing Jace a nce. She was slowly beginning to dislike him.

    "Why don''t we try begging him to plead with his father?" Anna suggested when she ran and got to Rose who was about to enter the elevator.

    "He should go ahead and tell dad. I really don''t care. Thest thing I will do is beg anyone," Rose answered immediately without room for a second thought.

    She died in herst life begging for her life and little did she know that she had subconsciously made up her mind never beg anyone in this life even if it was for her life until she voice it out now. Yes! She rather die in this life with her dignity no matter how small it might be but still held in ce than to beg for mercy and still get ruthless killed and made fun of.

    "I ept your deal. I will talk to my father. I will plead with him not to tell your father okay? So, can we be friends?"

    Rose only nodded slightly without sparing him a nce as she walked into the elevator.

    Seeing he had pissed off his future sister-inw, Jace turned to his guard and pulled him aside. "Don''t tell my brother I offended Miss Rosaline," he ordered the guard.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes Sir," the guard answered but had already nned how to put that in writing when writing his daily report.

    "That''s good then," he said rushing to enter the elevator but the door of the elevator had already closed. He sighed and decided to take the stairs to catch up. Pulling his guard''s hand, he headed downstairs.

    In the cafeteria, he paid for their meal with his meal card.

    Rose noticed the guy''s attention was on her and he was trying every way possible to please her and it made her confused. Shouldn''t he try to please Anna who he was obviously having a huge crush on? Then why was she the new source of attention? However, after noticing his obvious efforts to please her, she decided to get rid of the little atom of dislike she had towards him.

    And also, she did not want to get on the bad side of the great Hart family.

    With the new development, the guard could finally sigh in relief. He was not scared of offending any of the Whitfred''s Misses because they were all getting along now. He hoped hard that it would continue that way to prevent from caring out the n he submitted to Mr. Hart.

    ***

    After resolving the issue Anna had with Jace, Rose thought trouble was far from them since with Jace around as their friend, everything was easy although a lot of people could not help but envy them. The looks of envy simply came from far away and no one dared toe closed.

    Things were going really easy and interesting. The more she got to know Jace, the more she felt he was likable. They got along pretty well and she discovered he was very intelligent and she found it interesting but something kept bothering her and that was how he knew her real name.

    He stopped calling her Rosaline but she really wanted to know why he will call he Rosaline without even knowing her except if he knew her. She was a good judge of people''s character and she could see that Jace meant no harm. So, she decided to ask him.

    "Why did you call me Rosaline on the first day we met?" she asked as the waited for the arrival of their meal.

    "I heard your name when you introduced yourself. You know Rose and Rosaline mean the same thing in two differentnguages. I guess that was why I called you Rosaline," Jace answered and tried to sound as truthful as he could. On the file his brother gave, it clearly stated that Rosaline was using the name Rose but he felt a strong urge to call her by her real name.

    The reaction he got from calling her that was very important because the file he was given to study by his brother stated that she lost her memory after getting into the orphanage. She was not supposed to show such reaction if she did not have to hide the fact that her name was Rosaline. She had to have gotten her memory back.

    "Why did you ask," he asked to get more reactions from her.

    Rose disappointed him as there was no fluctuation in her reaction. She simply smiled and said, "It felt new and I kind of liked it."

    "Oh," Jace said nodding. He did not feel disappointed again when he tried to connect her reaction when he called her Rosaline and the answer he got from her now. They werepletely different. She looked as though she was caught doing something really bad. "Should I call you Rosaline from now onward?"

    "No," Rosaline immediately gave him a negative answer without a second thought. It was enough that she looked like thete queen and things might just get worse if people begin calling her by the name of thete princess.

    That solved it all, she got her memories back but she did not want to be associated with thete princess. He hoped he could give his brother this information and get something cool in return. But first he had to win Anna over to himself before helping his brother.

    Anna had brought over her friends for an introduction to Rose. One of them was a boy of small stature who dressed in a stylish manner but his big sses gave him the look of a nerdy and the other was a girl who dressed almost the same way Anna did. One of their friends moved oversea ording to Anna''s friend and that was the friend that wasst seen with Anna before she was kidnapped.

    Rose tried not to create a train of thoughts with that little clue but found herself going through when she nced at Anna sitting close to her friends as they ate and talked together. What if the new girl knew something about her kidnapper and ran away out of guilt?

    After a while of not getting anywhere reasonable with these thoughts, she decided to put that aside till some other time and dug into her lunch since the lunch break was almost over.

    ***

    After weeks of avoiding trouble and having a peaceful time in school with their four other friends, trouble actually found Anna and Rose despite how hard they tried to avoid it. A rumor had been going around school about Anna and it caused their little gang to get different types of stares.

    No one knew how the rumor got to school but somehow it did. Anna and Rose tried to ask their friends but they refused to tell them.

    "Why won''t you tell us?" Anna asked frustrated. She had tried since ever she arrived in school to get an idea about what the rumor was about but she made no progress and it was pushing her very carefree self over the edge.

 Chapter 26 - Satisfied After Hitting Someone

    "I don''t want to be the one to say it," Anna''s nerdy shorty friend, Wayne shook his head and looked at his friend Debby for help.

    "Fine, I will tell you guys. I think it is best we tell you ourselves. It won''t be nice for you to hear this from anyone else," Debby finally agreed although she was still hesitating. "They said Rose is a daughter Valerie had out of wedlock," she started with the lightest of the rumors.

    "Oh . . .," Rose murmured nodding her head slightly as she felt relieved, at least the rumor was not as serious as she thought it was and since it was about her and not Anna she was satisfied with the oue.

    "They also said . . .. " Debby started but stopped and stared at the faces of the boys seated with her on the table starting from the stone faced expressionless guy sitting beside Jace, then to Jace and finally to her nerdy friend and shook her head. "I will tell you two outside or at least somewhere private," she told Rose and Anna as she stood up.

    "Okay," Rose immediately agreed. Anna''s friends were smart and if Debby suggested they take it outside then it was something not to be said around the boys.

    "Sure," Anna agreed too and she stood up to follow her sister and friend outside the cafeteria to wherever might be private enough.

    "I heard she was kidnapped," a girl said told her friend. "I thought you knew about the rumor going around."

    The word kidnapped made Anna pause on her track as her sister and friend kept walking ahead.

    Those girls kept on talking and made sure their voices were amplified as they did not want Anna to get stressed trying to hear their gossip but served it to her well.

    "Kidnapped? What happened to her?"

    "She was raped. They found her abandoned on a construction site unconcious. I heard a doctor said she was raped till she passed out."

    "What? And she acts so almighty just because she is Valerie''s daughter. I also heard she was adopted. I wonder what makes those two think they are better than us. They actually got involved with Jace. I wonder how she seduced him since it seems she is very good at doing that."

    "Should I meet her to teach me?"

    "I heard that she was not raped but went to a party to drink with some older men."

    "She seduced them just like she is seducing Jace."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The weight of the rumor made Anna feel all her blood rush to her head and the only thing on her mind right now was how hard she should beat these girls to vent as much frustration and anger she felt at the moment. With that, she walked back to the girls and lifted her hands on the one closest to her.

    She gripped the girl''s hair and positioned her face in a very fast motion for her to get full ess to the girl''s cheek before she began hitting the girl on her cheek s with as much strength she could muster at that moment.

    The girl as well as everybody else around were too shocked at first because of how fast everything happened. The girl never expected Anna toe over and the p she got was far from her imagination. The girl began scream and struggling when Anna hit her the third time but her struggling did notst long as Anna weakened her with every p she gave her and the girl passed out.

    Satisfied with the oue, Anna adjusted her grey zer and nced at the girl on the floor with her friends trying to wake her up. She saw the redness of the girl''s now swollen cheeks and could not help but smile. Hitting the girl was really refreshing she enjoyed it well and she was happy with the result.

    She dusted her palm together and turned to see Rose and Debby staring at her as though they were looking at an alien with seven horns. "Go ahead and tell my sister about the rumor. I know about it so, I will just go wash my hands in the restroom," she told her petrified sister and friend.

    Without waiting for their response, she walked away while the girl she hit was being helped to the infirmary by her friends. Three other people stood watching petrified among the many other students which happened to be around when Anna hit her.

    The look of admiration on Jace''s face was just too obvious. He smiled brightly as he stepped into the view of most of the other student and made an announcement with the power bestowed upon him by his family''s name.

    "Anna is my girlfriend and I will haunt anyone who says anything hurtful about her. So . . ." he made a my-eyes-on-you sign around before walking away with his new nerdy friend and body guard.

    Rose and Debby got a lot more petrified by that announce if that was actually possible. Rose was wondering when her sister epted Jace as her boyfriend and Debby were congratting her friend mentally for wining over such a hot guy that every other girl would almost kill for.

    When Rose''s thoughts went towards the fact that they might have to go back to being home schooled if her foster father gets too hear about what happened, she ran towards the direction Anna left but Anna was nowhere to be found and she did not see her till the end of school for that day. She got back home alone with their driver only to find Anna seated in the living room with Valerie and Justin.

    Justin was obviously angry and she did not know why Anna had beaten the girl up since her mind was upied by the thoughts of how disappointing it would be to lose the moments she enjoyed in school and the little connections she was slowly creating among a few students for future use if necessary.

    She was also worried that Anna''s wild uncontrolled behavior might stain the reputation she was trying to build for her future ascension on the throne. It won''t be good for her to get tagged along with Anna as wild and uncontrolled.

    She was bent on keeping the right appearance, the right smile, and avoids any image staining act. It was hard but that was very important. Her mother''s reputation was ruined and she would not want her reputation to get ruined as well since she had a mission to clean her mother''s reputation.

    Faced with Anna''s untamed behavior, she put in a tight spot. If she continued moving around with Anna in public she might as well change her name to Anna and dress like her since they will package together and share the same title.

 Chapter 27 - Bad

    "Was it true?" she heard Anna ask making her stop her train of thoughts. That actually made he wonder what the rumor was about to make the atmosphere so tense and Anna was still angry despite carry out her childish vengeance.

    "We don''t know what you are talking about," Valerie answered immediately shaking her head in a manner that immediately told everyone that she knew what Anna was talking about.

    "Was I raped when I was kidnapped?" Anna did not hesitate to ask it out loud despite how hard it was for her to say it. She had lost her memory and hearing what happened to her from someone else was really bad.

    Hearing that question from Anna made Valerie to begin crying. Justin joined her immediately on the sofa she sat on hugging her shoulder.

    Seeing Valerie cry simply made Anna lose her temper. "Why did you keep it secret from me?" Anna asked standing up. "I have every right to know what happened to me no matter how bad it might be."

    .

    Rose who stood away watching felt her heart get squeezed in her chest due to guilt. Anna was going through such a hard time and all she cared about was protecting her reputation. She felt like a really bad bitch. Her guilt led her out of the living room into the elevator and to her room. She felt like she did not have the right to act like she now cares about Anna.

    She threw her grey leather backpack on her sofa before falling on the soft sofa which weed her into its sofa embrace. She gave her head a slight knock to reprimand herself.

    Anna on the other hand, saw Rose leave the leaving room and her frustration simply increased and she wanted to scream as she looked at her parents faces. Her mother was still crying with tears staining her beautiful eyes and her father tried hard to console her mother while mopping the tears on her face.

    She sighed and decided to cool down since none of it was her parents'' fault. They would never do anything to hurt her. Keeping the fact that a fourteen year old girl who just woke up froma was molested by her kidnappers a secret from her till they assume she was old enough to take the news in, was not cruel rather it show how much they wanted to protect her in the best way possible.

    "I am fine, Mum. I was only angry when I heard it from a student in school and not from you. I was not angry at you or dad for not telling me but at those people that were talking about me in school. And that was why I beat that girl up. I did because I had to vent my anger towards them. I will also not apologize for hitting her. I am ready to go jail if that is necessary."

    Valerie sniffled and mopped her eyes listening to her daughter''s speech. She opened her mouth to praise Anna for being grown up and matured but tears began flowing down once again as she opened her mouth to speak. She turned her face and continued crying into her husband''s chest further wetting his already wet shirt with her tears.

    Anna felt her eyes sting watching her mother cry in that manner and she could not keep watching. She left the living room for her room. She nced at the door of Rose''s room for a few seconds before walking into her room and closed the door.

    She showed her parents her very strong minded personality while growing up to make them worry less and she could not break the character she built up as a child by crying in front of them. They did enough by taking care of her like their daughter and even giving her the opportunity to bare their family name and being strong was the best she could do for them at this moment of her life.

    The tears she had being holding back from the moment she heard the rumor till this moment began pouring out of her eyes washing off all her makeup and tough fa?ade. She slid down to the floor with her back against the door with her hand gripping her chest. Her heart felt just too heavy to be held in her chest. It was as though it as slowly dropping to the pit of her stomach.

    It was just too suffocating. What hurt her most was the fact that whoever did that to her was somewhere living well and perhaps hurting other girls like her. They were all innocent little girls with no one to help them. They all turn prey to old monsters without consideration towards their fragile bodies.

    The scars on her body were long gone but it seemed some scars don''t ever get off, at this point she had to live with her new reputation in school and she obviously did not have any way out it. They were even using her of going around with older men at the age of fourteen when all she did was hanging around with her friends and following her mother around.

    She cried without restraint since her room was soundproof and she was not scared of anyone hearing her. By the time she was satisfied with letting out all her grievances, she was too weak to stand up right and could only stagger to the couch in the living area and fell asleep.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ###

    A young man sat in front of a TV as the eighty inches screen kept reying a video of Anna hitting a girl. He smiled with a lot of admiration as he watched the video for the fifty-fifth time without getting tired. His assistant had to take a lot of effort to prevent himself from shaking his head in pity. His boss was obviously over obsessed with this girl and it was only getting worse.

    "I want you to get the girl she pped and have the boys mess her up before sending her back . . . no, don''t send her back, send a picture to the school''s website and keep her around. How dare she insult my Anna? Send her body to her parent after five months." The young man ordered the destruction of another girl''s life in a manner as though he was ordering for pizza.

    The assistant was used to his boss'' bloody acts and orders but he had not seemed to have gotten over the involuntary shiver his body always did whenever he gets such an order or whenever he sees his boss'' bloody acts. He wondered if it will be possible for anyone to be more ruthless and inhumane as his boss as he walked out of the room to n with the boys who were supposed to carry out the mission.

    The young man returned his attention to the screen and continued watching the beautiful act of ''his'' Anna. Anna was very right because some other girl was about to get preyed on and she was lucky to survive it but this girl might not be lucky enough to escape or survive it.

    Going back to school, the girl Anna had hit went missing from the VIP room she stayed in at a hospital. She disappeared without a trail just like Anna did. All the security cameras and men could not give any necessary information.

    ###

    "You are my Anna. Don''t you remember me?" a male voice told Anna in a husky scary manner.

    Anna woke up in the middle of nowhere with everything around dark and endless that she could feel the thickness of the darkness against her squeezing her with every step she tried to take towards the source of the voice.

    She knew that voice just too well causing goose bumps immediately appeared on her skin as she recognized the voice. She knew the voice but not the owner of the voice and it made her try hard to move towards the direction of the voice. She felt a strange blend of fear, hatred and desire for vengeance held in her little chest.

    "Don''t you think it is rude to forget an old friend?" the voice asked her taunting her. The voice sounded slurred but smooth. It was also young and musical, the type of voice anyone would admire with a guy but as much as it sounded good, it also sounded like the voice of the devil ¨C wicked and ruthless.

    She screamed in frustration as she tried hard to get to the source and know the owner of the voice but the darkness surrounding her held her that she could not move more two inches after two hours of struggling.

    Anna opened her eyes but closed them back as she really wanted to return to the dream and try harder to get to the source of that voice. When she finally sat up after thirty minutes of trying to go back to sleep, she found out she was wet all over from sweating.

    She groaned in frustration before dialing Joyce''s number to get her cold water. There was knock on the door after about five minutes of ordering for ice cold water and when she opened it, she saw Joyce panting while holding a tray of three bottles of very cold water with droplet of water dripping down their stic bodies.

    She grabbed the bottles from the tray and smiled to Joyce before closing the door and returned to the living area of her room. She uncapped the first bottle of water and immediately drowned down the whole bottle of water before going to the bathroom to take her bath and wash off the sticky sweat on her.

 Chapter 28 - Accused

    Rose subconsciously waited for Anna toe to her room but when Anna did not show up as usual, she went downstairs for her breakfast. When they met just outside the elevator, Rose felt really awkward.

    "You were disgusted, right?" Anna asked looking down at her fingers to avoid the look of disgust she assumed Rose would be wearing.

    "No," Rose replied her hastily as persuasive as she could.

    "I really want to know that bastard and when I do, I will find him and kill him with my bare hands," Anna told her with determination and a cold look on her face. She made sure to demonstration by making a slicing knife sign towards her knife.

    "I am sorry. I thought you needed some alone time," Rose apologized to get the guilt of her chest.

    "Yeah, I needed some alone time."

    .

    "Are you okay now?"

    "Yeah I am fine now."

    Rose walked too her and hugged Anna as she hoped Anna gets over it soon.

    Anna chuckled when Rose pulled away. "I won''t hit anyone else, I promise."

    It was Rose''s turn to chuckle and she chuckled in a lively manner. "If you don''t, I might have to help you so, hit anyone that deserves it."

    Anna threw her hands on Rose''s shoulder and led her towards the dining room. "When I turn sixteen, I will ask dad for a bike although mum promised me one. When I do, I will then have two bikes," Anna whispered her little secret to Rose.

    "Don''t think I won''t expose you. I will, and when I do, you will have only one bike," Rose answered her happy that the earlier awkward feeling and guilt she felt were now gone.

    "I want a birthday present, my birthday is less than a week away," Anna reminded Rose hoping for something really nice from her sister.

    Rose could only shake her head towards her sister who knew nothing about her finally state. Since she became a part of the Whitfred''s family, she had not had a single penny to herself just like when she was in the orphanage.

    She had had no reason toin for more than a couple years because she was given almost everything she needed. She did not have any cause to buy anything with money and so money was far from her reach. She never asked for money and they never gave her any.

    They ate a quick breakfast mainly of vegetables before going to school. Jace and their other friends were waiting for them at the entrance for them. When they came, Jace was the first to run towards them with his usual boyish smile.

    They greeted them with hugs but as usual, Anna avoided Jace and his guard like gues before throwing her hands around Wayne''s shoulder and pulled him towards their block. The others followed Anna to the building and into the elevator.

    A few students who were about to enter the elevator stopped and step aside for them to enter when they saw theming. Rose found it odd but when she remembered how Anna pped that girl, she immediately understood and besides the great young master Jace was with them.

    Since Anna was her usual self like the event of yesterday never happened, no one in their small gang mention it. Jace''s deration of Anna as his girlfriend also made other students in the school avoid talking about it.

    A couple dayster, the girl Anna pped went missing and Anna got confronted by the biggest and bravest crush of the girl. Most of the students knew nothing about it and those who knew said nothing about it.

    The boy was very tall and had a thin frame. He waited for Anna in front of the girl''s rest room and she came out of the restroom, he walked towards her. Anna did not take notice of him and simply by passed him but he stopped her.

    "I need to talk to you," the boy told her a little scared but determined.

    Anna checked around but there was no one else around making her know the guy was talking to her. Anna nced at the normal looking red haired guy without interest and she was not able to recognize him. She could note up with any reasonable reason why she should talk to him when she was supposed to be in ss. She ignored him and continued walking towards her ss.

    "ire is missing. She was kidnapped," he immediately blurted out loud enough for her to hear him to stop her from leaving.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Anna only paused for a while but kept walking. She did not recognize the girl whose name was mentioned as someone she knew. She only paused because the word kidnap had always seemed to ring a bell on her mind since she got kidnapped and had always gotten her attention. She kept walking after pausing for only a couple of seconds.

    She was not the police, if someone got kidnapped; it should not be reported to her but to the right authorities. She decided to ignore him although she felt pity towards the girl who was another victim to some psychopathic bastard.

    "You did it, didn''t you?" the boy called out to her when she was only a few meters away from the door of her ss. He rushed after her and reached for her elbow.

    Anna stopped and turned swiftly just before he could hold her elbow when she heard his usation. Why on earth will she kidnap a random girl she knew nothing about? She could almost swear that the guy was definitely on some type of hard drug toe up with such baseless usation.

    However when she saw how clear the boy''s eyes were and he was very much in his right mind, she knew there had to be a reason behind the im. She did not want a new rumor to start about her at least not about something bad.

    They could talk about how beautiful she was but not how she was responsible for making a girl go missing. The girl was a girl she did not know. It was best to uproot the sprout before it grows beyond control. "What did you say?'' she heard him clearly but it seemed to her that the guy must have made some kind of grammatical error while talking.

    "You kidnapped ire," he still used her of a crime she knew nothing about.

    "Firstly, who is ire? I don''t even know the girl. So why will I kidnap her?" she asked watching the guy closely to find a clue that he was crazy so that she could close the case as the words of a boy out of his mind.

    "You pped her a few days ago," the red haired boy replied.

    He answer made the whole usation make some sense. "So, the girl I pped a few days ago went missing. Why will I kidnap when I already pped her? I pped her till she passed out. I have no reason to kidnap her after pping her," she tried to make things clear to the guy.

    He had reasons why she should be a suspect but she could not imagine herself kidnapping a girl. How was she even going to be able to do it in the first ce?

    "You wanted to punish her. You did it because she spoke about you getting kidnapped. You did it to revenge. You wanted to ruin her reputation just like yours was ruined," the boy immediately gave her a good enough motive behind the crime he used her of.

    Anna scoffed getting impatient as she stared around the corridor. She sighed when she noticed no one was in sight. She shook her head feeling bored what the boy said made sense and she had to avoid getting into a deeper conversation about the missing girl with him.

    She turned and tried to walk away but the boy stood in front of her blocking her part. She felt a serious sense of desire to kick his shin and leave but she had promised not to hit anyone and since the security cameras were watching them, she knew the guy won''t be able to harm her.

    She also did not want to hit him because she knew nothing about his background. It will be bad for her to hit the son of some other powerful family. She got away with hitting Jace because his father was her father''s friend but she might not escape hitting some other rich kid. "Get out of my way," she warned him making up her mind to scream if he keeps blocking her part.

    "You pped her. Wasn''t that enough?" the boy asked frustrated that Anna was not taking the issue serious.

    "It was more than enough. So, I have no reason to kidnap her. Excuse me," she answered him noticing the guy''s frustration building up. "Her parents should tell the police. I will sue you if I hear anyone use me of kidnapping her," she warned his as sternly as she could and tried to pass by the boy but he caught her elbow.

    "When are you going to release her?" the boy asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.

    Anna could not hold back herughter as she stared at the boy who was doing a good job of being a fool. She flung his hand off her elbow. "Who are you by the way? Why do you care so much? You are not the police or her father."

    The hopeful look in the boy''s eyes disappeared immediately. He looked sad immediately with his shoulder slumped and his head bent. "I . . . I . . ."

    "I don''t know what happened to your friend but that does not mean you should go around using people. I am not with your friend, I have no reason to be with her so, do me a favor and don''t go around spreading rumors," she pat his shoulder with a smile and went back to her ss.

    Not too long after returning to her ss, the boy also walked into her ss. She thought he was going to announce to the ss that she kidnapped his friend and swore to beat him into a pulp if he does that not caring about whom his parents were or anything else.

    He walked to the empty seat on the front row and sat down shocking Anna. She actually did not recognize the boy as one of her ssmates despite the fact that they were only twenty students in a ss.

 Chapter 29 - Annas Birthday

    The thoughts of the red-haired boy''s usation towards her bothered her throughout that day and the following day. She wondered what will make a girl go missing. There many factors that could cause it.

    The girl might have run away from home but when she remembered Mara told her the police also considered the possibility of her running from home when she was kidnapped, she decided to strike out that possibility from the girl''s case.

    The girl was kidnapped and the police might also consider her a suspect since everyone was aware that she fought with the girl. Could it be connected to her case? She had a lot of questions with no answer. Those questions did very well keeping her awake throughout the night till sheter slept at dawn.

    .

    "Happy birthday," Rose congratted her crawling on her bed towards her. It was a Saturday morning which meant enough time for beauty sleep before going to do yoga with Rose down stairs in the gym.

    She rolled and closed her eyes immediately at the bright light from her open window beaming into the room. "Hmmm," she murmured rubbing her eyes. She only got to sleep few hours and needed more sleep because today was her birthday and meant a lot of activities for her.

    "Wake up. It''s way past breakfast time. Mara told the cooks to bake the big birthday cake you wanted for your sixteenth birthday. I can''t believe you actually gave mum the list you made," Rose said pulling Anna''sforter.

    "Fine, I will wash up," Anna murmured trying to hold theforter. She red at Rose yfully and got up when she did not seed in the tug-of-war.

    While washing up, Anna tried lock up those thoughts bothering her so she could enjoy her sixteenth birthday. She once heard that sixteenth birthday had its own magic and she did not want to miss hers. Rose sixteenth birthday was a little too quiet because Rose asked to go back to school.

    She wanted the two of them to have as much fun as they could have together. They could go out now unlike their fifteenth birthday and she wanted them to go to a lot of fun ces. Thinking about the missing girl was going to mess with her birthday and she wanted none of that to happen. She was also very lucky her birthday fell on Saturday.

    After dressing up, Anna went with Rose upstairs for her breakfast and to have her little birthday celebration with her family. Just like she wanted, the birthday cake was a foot tall with sixteen written around it. Mara must have done a good job rying her message because a purple and ck motorcycle rested on the top of the cake.

    She looked around for Mara and hugged her as soon as she found her with the cooks in the kitchen. "I love the cake. Thank you. It is just what I wanted," she appreciated jovial all her worries locked up.

    "I am d you love it," Mara replied her with a smile. "Happy birthday Miss Anna," she said when they separated.

    "Oh thank you. Tell me, where did they hide the motorcycle?" Anna asked so she could peep at it before she gets it as a birthday gift.

    Mara smiled but shook her head in denial. "I don''t know what you are talking about Miss Anna." With that, she turned and left the kitchen to avoid Anna because Anna was very good at getting secrets out of her.

    "Hey, Mum and Dad are waiting," Rose called her making her hold back her curiosity or she would have gone after Mara.

    "Oh, let''s go," Anna pulled Rose to the dining room. She hugged her parents when they wish her happy birthday and sat down to wait for all the things she wrote on her list.

    "Let''s eat some cake before we give you what was on your list," Valerie told Anna when she saw Anna waiting impatiently.

    Anna agreed immediately with a smile and blew the candle on the cake after making a wish and her family as well as the kitchen staff sang her a birthday song. She took the first slice before personally serving her parents and sister.

    "Five of the things you requested on the list are abstract but as time goes on, we will make sure to give them to you," Valerie said when Anna was done eating the slice of cake she took and was waiting patiently to get the things she wrote on her list.

    "Thank you," Anna answered happily as her excitement kept building up.

    "Some of the other things are in your room, some are outside while thest one is waiting for you in A city," Valerie continued under Anna''s excited gaze. "And . . . oh . . ." she got interrupted when Anna jumped and hugged her tightly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The most important thing is you love me. I will continue to act spoilt, I hope you understand. I love you. Thank you for adopting me," Anna told her in a very emotional manner as she sniffled. She really wanted to do this on her sixteenth birthday. She had never thanked Valerie and her husband for adopting her and this was just the best opportunity to tell them.

    "I love you too," Valerie epted her appreciation as she mopped the tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you for being my daughter and friend too."

    Annaughed to lighten the mood as she also hugged her father and sister. Anna got to see her motorcycle. It was thetest model of her favorite motorcycle brand. That was her favorite model although it was not as expensive as the other models. It was also best for her since she was going to be a beginner. She touched the bike with the look of someone lost in love that Valerie could not help smiling at her. It was ck with a highlight of purple, her favorite color.

    Valerie moved her attention to Rose who was stood in front of a pink feminine sport car holding the key. Anna requested for a car for Rose in her list and she made sure Rose got it. Rose wanted to reject the car saying she did not need it but she stopped her by telling her no one was going to drop her off at school anymore.

    With that, Rose agreed very reluctantly. Rose had hugged her and Justin. She understood that Rose did not want to be a burden and she had always refrained from asking for anything. She was lucky to have Mara around because she handed over Rose''s needs to Mara and Mara was doing a good job of making sure Rose had everything she needed.

    She specifically told Mara to purchase a less expensive car since Rose might be bent on not receiving it if it was too expensive.

    "Since you two don''t know how to use any of these, I will have Mara get you teachers," Justin told the girls.

    "I could teach Rose how to drive and you should teach Anna," Valerie stopped him immediately. Rose was a little distant and she wanted to use this as an opportunity to hang around with her. Anna loved her father and she knew Justin won''t mind teaching Anna although he was a little detached when it came to their adopted kids.

    "I don''t think that is proper," Justin tried to object.

    "We will start in the drive way. The drive way is big enough," Valerie argued back.

    "I should not teach her to ride a bike she needs an experienced teacher. Riding bike is dangerous and not as easy as riding a car," Justin still tried to make his point clear.

    "Start teaching her then hand it out to a professionalter. I want you to spend some time with her," she said whispering thest sentence.

    He nodded in agreement despite the fact that he wanted to refuse. Anna was a nice girl and spending time with her was not a bad idea. The girl had more than enough things to talk about and beside family members should spend enough time together. "I will get a teacher. It''s been a while since I rode a bikest. It will be good to learn together."

    "Wow, you will look hot when stepping out of your car in school," Anna told Rose as she threw her hand on Rose''s shoulder.

    "I don''t need a car," Rose answered sternly.

    "I don''t care. It is a gift from me to you," Anna replied with a bright sincere smile on her face. The car might not be very expensive but it was a luxury car and most people can''t afford it. Having Rose drive such a car will tell of how their parents loved them despite fact that they were adopted.

    "I don''t think it is right to ask for this much," Rose told her still ufortable. She might be living like a princess in this family without feeling guilt and that was not bad on her part as far as she does not cross the line by asking for too much.

    "It is very right," Valerie answered her.

    Rose turned surprised to see Valerie standing behind her. She did not know they heard her. She was conscious of their presence and tried to talk in a low volume but they still heard her. "I am sorry," she apologized awkwardly.

    "I know you don''t like to bother us but we have enough to give you anything. I am willing to give you anything you want because you are my daughter. I advise you to enjoy anything you get and remember that you are a part of this family."

 Chapter 30 - She Has A Boyfriend

    Rose smiled sadly with the image of her mother on her mind as she stared at her biological mother''s cousin who was now her foster mother. She hugged her as tears clouded her eyes. "Thank you," Rose appreciated sincerely.

    "It''s okay now," Valerie whispered patting Rose back.

    When they separated, Rose opened the door of her new car and sat inside. The leather of the seats was top notch quality and the light pink color they had gave off was really beautiful making someone feelfortable in it.

    "Do you like it?" Valerie asked.

    "I love it," she replied sincerely with a bright smile across her cheeks and a dramatic nod.

    ***

    "Hey, wee," Anna said pulling each and every one of her friends in for an embrace including Jace and his bodyguard..

    It was not hard for anyone to notice the pink tint that appeared on Jace''s cheeks when Anna pulled away from the embrace. This was the first time he saw Anna without being dressed in her uniform or sport wear and she looked particrly beautiful in her simple ck jean shorts and ck tank top.

    Her hair was held behind exposing her fair neck and he could not forget how warm she felt when he hugged her. He gulped as he looked her craving for another hug. He suddenly wished everyday was her birthday. He only moved his gaze from her body when he noticed Anna''s re at him.

    "Happy birthday," they chorused as they followed her into the living room.

    "Thank you but where is my gift?" Anna asked ring at them yfully.

    "Here," Debby was first to answer giving her two wrapped boxes. "I bought a set of a fiveyers bracelet and a light shade of lc lipstick."

    "Thank you," Anna shouted hugging her friend again.

    "Hey, I saw your post on social media. You got a car and bike," Wayneined frowning as hefortably sat on a sofa.

    "The car belongs to Rose and besides I would have gotten two bikes. Did Rose rat me out?" she murmured while walking towards Wayne with a mischievous smile on her face.

    "Why will I rat you out. You were only dreaming about getting two bikes," Rose corrected her as she took a slice of cake from the maid who came in to serve her friends.

    "I will get the next one before I turn seventeen," Anna promised her with determination as she continued to advance towards Wayne. "Don''t eat too much cake. We will be going out for fun today."

    "Where do you n to go to?"

    "I don''t know but I think visiting the amusement park will be cool."

    "Are you a kid? Or are you on a date?" Debby asked shaking her head at that idea.

    "If it were just us alone,dies, we would have visited the spa together and enjoy some aromatherapy," Anna murmured as she intentionally slowed down her movement towards Wayne to give him the chance to bring out her gift.

    "Wayne, quit stalling," Debby gave Wayne a friendly advice.

    "She has her bike," Wayneined.

    "I don''t think you should ride that bike at sixteen," Jace said in a very serious mood.

    Everyone turned and stared at him with raised eyebrows and slightly parted lips. Anna shook her head and ignored him. She moved her attention to Wayne as wondered what gave Jace the right to tell her what to do.

    "You should wait till you are twenty or get a bike with a smaller engine. Riding that bike is dangerous, it has a stronger power than you can handle," Jace continued his lecture not caring that he was getting ignored.

    Anna turned and smiled at Jace as sweetly as she could. "Thank you Mr. Hart," she answered him in a sarcastic manner as his words were slowly pissing her off.

    Rose hardly got to see Anna angry but Jace''s superpower was making her angry. She had to agree with him. It was not right for her to ride a bike at her age. It could be dangerous.

    "I am not telling you this as Mr. Hart but as you friend and crush," he said more serious than earlier making Anna blush.

    Anna needed an escape route at this point with everyone now staring at her expectantly. She frowned andunched at Wayne like a hungry wolf searching his pockets for her gift.

    "Oh stop it or I''ll bite you," Wayne shouted back shattering the serious atmosphere Jace created.

    "That was manly by the way," Debby praised Jace with a smile and a wink.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Jace returned her smile and her wink as he nned to steal her bike the moment she starts learning how to ride it. If she buys another, he would just steal it again and keep stealing all her bikes till she gives up.

    "Hey let''s go out it is almost Lunch time. How about we grab lunch together? Tomorrow, we the girls will go to the best spa in town. And you, Wayne give her the gift you brought," Debby said standing up as she wiped her lips after eating a slice of cake.

    "You brought my gift?" Anna had to ask her friend who was unwilling to give her his gift.

    "Yes. I left it in my car." Wayne answered truthfully although he wanted to keep stalling but he had gotten tired of Anna going through his pocket like he stole from her.

    "You are just too luckily. I would have handed you over to the security men for full body check," Anna told him pulling away from him and went upstairs to get ready to go out.

    Rose followed her into the elevator. "You don''t joke with your birthday gifts do you?" Rose teased smiling.

    "Yeah I don''t. Don''t forget you promised me you were going to cut your hair in college on my fifteenth birthday."

    "I promised to keep it short for only a year, don''t forget that too."

    "What about my sixteenth birthday gift?"

    "I will give youter. I could not buy anything nice. I am in the process of making something for you."

    "Thank you."

    "You are wee. Try not to get angry at Jace. He is right. You got the bike but I don''t think it is right you ride it now. You might get hurt."

    Anna''s smile disappeared for a few seconds but returned immediately. "Okay, I won''t ride it till I am neen. I will tell mum. She also refused to buy it for me at first but I kept requesting for it."

    "I just think its best you wait for a while. I will also . . ."

    "No, don''t say that. You will drive your car because you are going to be dropping me off at school soon."

    "I don''t n on driving anytime soon."

    "You will or I will simply learn and drive us both to school."

    "I pray you pass the driving test," Rose teased her with a smile.

    "Ohe on. I will pass it before you do. Should we make a bet?"

    The two girls returned down stairs to go out with their friends after Anna went to the third floor to tell her mum who was busy in her studio that they were living.

    Rose was dressed in a simple white and blue floral print gown and white sneakers. She wore a sliver hair band holding her hair back. She looked very natural but beautiful. The only jewel she wore was a silver wrist watch and a pair of earrings.

    "Wow," Wayne wowed in admiration. Rose was the perfect definition of a natural beauty she also had the ability to look good in anything. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

    "Yes she has," the body guard snapped.

    "What''s your name? You hardly say a word that I find it hard to remember your name," Debby asked the body guard shocked that the guy actually spoke she did not know what his voice sounded like till today.

    "Scott," he answered calmly but expressionless like a robot.

    "Oh I will try not to forget and try to talk more I like your voice," Debby told him wriggling her eyebrows expecting a smile from the boy but he only nodded remaining expressionless.

    "Why did you say she had a girlfriend?" Anna asked frowning at the boy then giving Rose a questioning look but Rose shook her head and gave her an innocent look. If Rose ever gets a boyfriend, she would have known first.

    "I guess he means since Rose is beautiful, she must have a boyfriend," Jace replied to clean up his guard''s mess.

    Scott wondered why he had to answer the question when he had always done good job of staying silent for all these while. He did not even have any idea about who the boyfriend could be. Everyone in the living room nodded in agreement since their friend, Scott had problemsmunicating properly.

    "Let''s go," Debby hugged Scotts hand and pulled him after Rose who led the way.

    "You look beautiful," Jace told Anna as he walked beside her.

 Chapter 31 - Her Step Mothers Sister

    "I know," Anna answered as her mind was already outside in whatever ces they were going to visit. This was the first time she was going out for fun since she got kidnapped and she could not help but shiver in bot excitement and fear. Anything could happen to them out there but she still wanted to have fun outdoor.

    "For the boys let''s y gulf tomorrow," Wayne announced.

    "Boring," Debby shook her in disbelief.

    "Okay," Jace replied while his body guard only nodded while praying hard that Debby would let go of his arm. He regretted more at this point that he spoken earlier.

    "Here, your birthday gift," Wayne said when he brought out a wrapped box from his ck jeep.

    "What''s in it?" Anna asked curiously.

    .

    "A helmet. It is a ck helmet. It was the most expensive I saw. It cost me the whole of my monthly allowance," Wayne exined to tell her how valuable it was.

    "Thank you," Anna appreciated hugging him in a suffocating manner.

    "Hey that is enough or I will take it back," Wayneined his face slowly turning red with how hard she hugged him.

    Rose shook her head with a smile. She heard Wayne was Anna''s first friend. When she was adopted, most kids in the kindergarten she attended avoided her perhaps because of the words of their gossiping mums but Wayne made sure to hang around her and they became really close afterwards. Debby and their other friend became their friends in middle school.

    "I just hope it remains expensive in three years," Anna murmured after pulling away.

    "Why?"

    "I won''t ride a bike till I turn neen. It is dangerous," Anna replied Wayne.

    "What?" Debby asked confused and unsure of what she heard. It was Anna''s dream to ride a bike when she turns sixteen.

    Jace was happy with butterflies flying in his stomach at that statement. From the interactions he had with Anna, he knew she was someone who hardly does what someone wants her to do unless she wants to do it. It showed a little improvement for her to agree to what he wanted.

    "Rose told me to keep off till I turn neen," Anna made her reason clear when she saw Jace smiling shyly.

    At this point, Jace could only walk to his white convertible and opened the door to hide the tears of disappointment slowly making his eyes go misty. He really wished she was not too cruel to kill his excitement but it made him like her more in a weird way.

    "Let us go get some sushi. I know a very good sushi restaurant. After sushi, I will take you guys to a gaming center," Debby suggested as she joined Jace in his car.

    "I have a personal gaming center at home," Wayneined. "Can''t we go somewhere else?"

    "I don''t want to go to your gaming center. We are going out," Debby refused his suggestion.

    "The best gaming center in town belongs to me," he replied her with a bored look at the thought of going to the gaming center out.

    "Huh?" Rose could not hide her astonishment.

    "Yeah. My father gave it to me for a birthday giftst year," he nodded at Rose with a simple smile void of arrogance or pride.

    "Oh," Rose replied with a nod, she had really forgotten she was having very rich friends.

    "I am famished," Debbyined aloud.

    With herint, everyone went into the car of their choice among the two cars avable which belonged to Wayne and Jace.

    They had fun with Anna testing every single appetizing thing she saw and Debby and Wayne keeping the conversation going. Anna had not had such fun since she got kidnapped and Rose had not had such fun since her mother died.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They were all tired by dinner time after they lost track of time in the gaming center. There were too many new things for Anna, Rose, Jace and Debby to try out and they were more than willing to try those things out.

    They had dinner in the private room of a five star Asian restaurant. They were all craving their beds when they walked towards the entrance of the restaurant and a woman who seemed to be weak was support by a man''s hand took notice of Rose.

    "Rosaline," she called out immediately without caring to digest the shock she had from seeing a dead girl alive.

    Rose stopped on her track and looked back at the woman subconsciously.

    "It''s you, I knew it," the woman marveled walking towards Rose with the help of the man.

    The woman before her looked very much like her step mother and she recognized her as her step mother''s sister. Step mother''s twin sister precisely. Her heart stopped for a while as she literally felt it drop down to the pit of her stomach.

    The scene of getting brutally killed yed on her mind and cold sweat dripped down the back of her neck. She was stood petrified and it took Jace''s hand on her shoulder to pull her back.

    "Rose, do you know her?" Anna asked as she stared at her sister''s now pale face.

    "I don''t know her," Rose replied shaking her head furiously. She hated herself for being so easily exposed. She should have kept walking when she was called by her real name. She should have ignored the woman. She turned away towards the entrance hoping the woman will feel it was only an illusion.

    The woman walked as fast as she could with the help of the man supporting her and stood in front of Rose blocking her part. "You are Rosaline. You are Doris daughter, you changed a lot in more than a decade but you are Rosaline. I did not make a mistake," the woman told her reaching to hold Rose''s hand. "How have you been, our little princess?"

    Rose pulled away her hand from the woman''s warm hand. This woman used to be her mother''s best friend. Her mother liked her a lot but she simply carved a part for her sister through her mother, the queen. "I don''t know you."

    "Our friend does not know you. Stop being a bug," Jace had to stop the woman in a rude manner to make the woman leave.

    "She knows me well. I am her step mother''s sister," the woman replied wearing a smile.

    "My mother does not have a sister," it was Anna''s turn to talk. She felt a strange strong desire to break the hand the woman used to hold Rose''s hand. "My sister doesn''t know you."

    "Oh. I am sorry. My wife has being a little bit out of ittely. She is taking some medications with bad side effects. Please forgive us," the man supporting the woman apologized bowing his head slightly like a gentleman.

    "You should look after her better," Jace could not help but advise the man.

    "Rose, are you okay?" Anna asked as she helped her mop the cold sweat on the back of her neck.

    "Yes, I am fine. I just need to rest," Rose replied with her voice a little hoarse. "She scared me."

    "I will drop you two off," Jace told them.

    Anna wanted to object but Rose nodded. Debby and Wayne came from rich families but none of them was as protected as young master Jace. She was yet to ovee the fear she got from her encounter with her mother''s best friend and an assured sense of protection was what she needed most at this point.

    Throughout the ride back home, Rose leaned against the window of the car staring outside. It was already past seven and pretty much dark outside. She remembered the voice of the woman her mother trusted most after her aunt Valerie calling her. Her mother used to be really busy then but she always tried to make time for have tea with her friends at least once in three weeks.

    There were too many things she did not know because she was still young then but she remembered her mother''s friend. She had difficulty remembering Valerie but she knew her mother''s friend. She also liked the woman because the woman appeared nice then.

    As soon as they got home, she hurried out of the car into the house. Her nightmares were a little bit better but with a slight trigger, she would spend the rest of the night tortured to death in her dream. Her encounter with woman was enough of a trigger and she was already crying over the pain she was yet to experience.

    Anna watched Rose hurry into the house while she stayed behind to talk to Jace about the missing girl. It was really not appropriate but she could not guess anyone else to be the culprit but Jace after all he came from a family everyone called the mafia family. And he might have done it to help her revenge.

    She hesitated but this was something she wanted to get off her chest. A part of her strongly believed that Jace would never do such a thing while the other part saw him as the son of the man most feared even by the royal family.

 Chapter 32 - Did You Kidnap Claire?

    Every crime has to have a motive behind it and the motive she came up with was not strong enough. After thinking it through, she decided not to ask him since it would affect their friendship if she does. She remembered how she felt when the red-haired used her and she did not want to do the same thing to a friend. She shook her head and concluding that there was no reason why he would do that for her.

    Jace saw her conflicted look and decided to help her with it. "DO you have something to say to me?" he asked seriously wishing she was willing to be his girlfriend. He told them in school that they were dating but Anna had not said anything against it and it gave him hope that she really wanted to be his girlfriend.

    "Did you kidnap ire?" she blurted out closing her as she regretted asking him that question immediately. "Don''t border to answer. There is no reason why you would. I am sorry," she apologized and left his car immediately when she opened her eyes to see the foreign expression she had never seen on Jace''s face since they met each other. He looked both disappointed and surprised.

    "Hhmm," Jace had to sigh at his destroyed confession. He actually thought she wanted to confess to him but she suspected him of kidnapping a girl he knew nothing about. He wondered why fate was so cruel. He watched her walk into her house knowing very well that she was truly sorry. This was the first time Anna showed him her sincere emotion.

    He smiled despite the negative emotions he felt earlier. He now had a card against her. She must be feeling really guilty at this moment and he was willing to use her guilt to make do what he wants. He rubbed his hand on his chest smiling dreamingly. "Anna, I will make you my girlfriend soon.

    ***

    The following day was spent doing girly stuff. The girls were supposed to feel good and have fun but the mood Anna and Rose were in also spoilt Debby''s mood. She frowned at the girls who were messing up her Sunday. "What the hell is going on with you two?" she asked blowing on her fingers she just painted.

    "Nothing," Anna answered sharply staring at the nail polish she smeared on the back of her hand due to her absent mindedness.

    Rose nced at Debby and her sister and returned her attention to the nude color nail polish she had being trying very hard to apply on her fingers properly. "I can''t do this. I told you to let us to do it at the spa," Roseined with a fake natural look as though her mind had truly being on trying to paint her nails.

    "I thought you guys did not want to go out."

    "I want to go out," Anna answered immediately running into her closet to get dressed to go out.

    Rose did not want to go out at all she was regretting talking right now. Since her encounter with herte mother''s friend, she felt scared of going out. She was scared to meet someone else that would recognize her.

    She tried all the means she coulde up to avoid going out but Anna and Debby dragged her to the spa. She was scared of getting shot by a hit man or kidnapped.

    ***

    Anna avoided Jace on Monday morning as she was feeling really guilty but Jace cornered her in the cafeteria. "Who is ire," he asked seriously.

    "The girl I hit. She went missing," she told him truthfully feeling no need to hide it since he had her cornered.

    Jace nodded his head. If he was his brother, the girl might have gone missing because of him but he was Jace and he had never hit anyone in his entire life even when he was still an orphan. "I did not kidnap her but I can help you find her."

    Anna looked at him surprised that he was willing to help. "Why will you help me?"

    "I am sure you will not be the only person suspecting me right now. It is best we find her."

    "Thank you," Anna appreciated.

    "Who told you she was missing?"

    "A red-haired in my ss."

    "I will start by asking him. You should not concern yourself with it again it might not be as simple as it seems."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have a feeling it is connected to my case. It seemed someone who knows me did it. It is just a hunch."

    "I will put that into consideration when investigating it." Jace was jubting in his heart as he entered the restroom. Seeing it empty, he began a victory dance. Anna actually shared her thoughts and feelings with him. That was a very great progress and also an opportunity to get closer to her.

    Rose was slowly be paranoid that she could get killed at any point. She was a powerless and defenseless. If Anna could get kidnapped easily, it won''t be too different for her to get killed. She practiced all she was taught for self-defense till her muscles became sore. She practiced so hard to be ready for any type of closebat attack but what if she gets shot to death?

    "Hey Rose, are you okay?" Jace asked joining Rose at her seat when he entered the ss and noticed the solemn look she wore.

    She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I am," she replied.

    "You don''t look too good," he told her his observation. He watched her closely for any detail that could possibly give him a hint. He remembered since Saturday she had not being herself. It must be connected to the encounter she made with the woman. He was worried about her and searched for the woman''s identity.

    The woman was the queen''s sister and thete queen''s best friend. He was tempted to tell his brother about it and when he went to tell his brother that he suspects Rose had gotten her memory back, he discovered his brother was already aware of it.

    "What took you so long?" his brother had asked him with his usual expressionless face and overbearing aura.

    "I . . . I wanted to confirm," he replied and his brother nodded waving him off. He was not sure his brother believed him but he was d his brother did not punish him for dying. Later he found out his father had stationed a few more guards around her.

    "I had a little fever yesterday but I am fine now," she replied still smiling. Yesterday was hell when she got back from the spa. She had fever throughout the night and could barely sleep.

    "That''s a relief," he told her with sincere concern. She was his sister-inw and from what he saw, his father valued her life a lot. He sat down on the chair in front of her and wriggled his brow.

    Rose brow twitched when she saw the teasing look on his face. "What is wrong? Is there something on my face?" she asked patting her cheeks.

    "Have you ever seen my brother?" he asked watching her closely.

    "No. I did once on the inte. He is popr," was her direct answer.

    "My brother is single," he told with his smile hinting something she could not pin point.

    She was puzzled and watched him closely too to understand the meaning behind what he just said because everyone knew the first son of the Hart family was still single.

    "And you are single too," he said finally making her understand and wriggled his brow again with a wink.

    Was he trying to set her up with his brother? Sheughed and dropped her gaze from his handsome face. In the whole school, Jace was the one with the best looks and style. He was an ideal boyfriend but his brother was way better and was hot with a dependable appearance like the perfect knight in shining amour to save a damsel in distress.

    She had thought of what it would be to have the Hart family as her backer through her journey but she could not see any reason why she could trust them with her secret and trust them not to take away her inheritance because they helped her. "I know I am single," she replied still ying the ignorant card. She got up to avoid going on with the conversation.

    ? "I want you to be with my brother," he told her very bluntly that she could not stop the heat that crawled up her face causing her to blush at the thought of being with the most powerful young man in the world. Some said it was because of his family but he still welded that power after proofing to be capable of holding the position he held in his father''s cooperation.

    "I can''t," she also gave him a blunt answer to fit his blunt suggestion and sat down since he had already said what he wanted.

 Chapter 33 - Roses Crush

    "Oh . . ." Jace could only say when he heard her response. Was there any girl in the world who would refuse such opportunity? He was giving her a ticket to be the next Mrs. Hart, a position girls all over the world arepeting for. He nodded after a while of staring at her with parted lips. She was really the princess. She was qualified to be the future queen.

    "Thanks for the offer anyway. I will ask you for the opportunity if I ever need it but I don''t."

    Jace chuckled as he stood up from his seat. "You are proud," he told chuckling as he went to his seat.. His brother hardly gave any expression no matter what happened but issues concerning Rose did a good job of causing a fluctuation in his expression. He had a new chance to get a change in his brother''s expression.

    He went to his brother study in the night to use his new card. His brother was busy with work stuff as he sat down with his intimidating aura on the big ck leather chair behind therge high quality wooden work desk. This sight reminded him very much of his dad. When they newly got adopted, he always saw his father sit down behind a table working tillte at night at times. Now his brother was doing the same thing.

    "What is it?" his brother asked still expressionless.

    "I want to tell you what happened today in school," Jace saidfortably sitting on the smaller chair in front of the work desk.

    Liam closed the file in front of him on the desk and rxed his back on the backrest of the chair and waited for his brother to speak. For two years he was away from home and unable to see his brother and when he got back, he was too busy trying to proof to everyone that he was good enough to be where he was.

    He hardly had time for other things which included spending some time with his brother and his brother equally stayed away from him but his brother came to talk to him today. He did not mind putting work aside for a few minutes with his brother.

    Seeing his brother was willing to listen, Jace immediately began narrating what happened when he gave Rose his suggestion. He watched his brother closely and as he expected, his brother showed some change on his always expressionless face. Once his brother''s lips twitched and the other time, his brother''s brow furrowed.

    He was so happy that he did not miss any of those changes because he might not get to see such changes again in perhaps a few months. He stored them up in his long term memory immediately never to lose such important memory.

    His brother remained quiet while watching him when he was done narrating it in a very enjoyable manner. He raised his eyebrow waiting for his brother to say something. When his brother continued to remain silent, his lips twitched as he shook his head at his boring brother.

    "I . . . I will leave. Good night," he said standing up with his tail between his legs. He could literally feel his brother''s eyes boring eyes into every single part of him and he could not with stand such gaze as he felt the strong desire to leave the room.

    He almost sprinted out of the study and stayed outside the door to calm his racing heart down. He mopped the cold sweat on his brow and the back of his neck as he scurried away to his room. Those memories were important but the look he got as a punishment was almost making him regret going to his brother''s study.

    ***

    Rose sat in front of herptop and found herself staring at the picture of the first son of the Hart family. The young man in the picture was expressionless but that did not diminish his beauty. He had the most gorgeous grey she had ever seen. He had an aura of power and strength. That was the type of look a king would have sitting on his throne.

    She liked what she saw. He would be able to instill fear in the heart of anyone he wants to without any effort. She ced her elbow on the table while resting her chin on her palm as she stared at the picture without blinking her eyes.

    Finally she looked away but that was when the rm clock in her room rang shaking on one of her bedside table. She got up tiredly rubbing her eyes with the back of her. She yawned as she craved for the usual four hours of sleep she always got that she lost this night looking at the young man''s picture.

    The more she looked, the more she wanted to keep looking. She discovered new beauties in the man the more she looked and since she did not want to miss any, she kept looking. His hair, his thin pink lips, his grey cold eyes, his slim straight high-bridged nose, his sharp eye brows and his muscr body that reminded of how much she was an ordinary young girl who could also feel something when faced with such handsome being.

    She stopped the rm clock from screaming at her and returned to herptop. She hesitated when she wanted to close herptop and saved the image on herptop. She printed the picture from the printer Mara got for her when she got Anna a printer for printing some of their school assignments.

    She folded the paper and ced on her closedptop and went to her bathroom to get ready for school. When she got out of her walk-in closet after getting fully dressed for school, she saw Anna sitting with the paper in her hand.

    "What are you doing with that?" Rose asked regretting ever searching for Liam Hart''s picture.

    "I was just curious but I found something really interesting," Anna chuckled opening the paper to show the picture on it in a colored print. "So, when did you begin having a crush on Jace''s elder brother?"

    "I don''t have a crush on him!" Rose strongly argued snatching the paper from her sister as she mentally pped herself for printing the picture when she could find it on the inte whenever she wants.

    "Yeah, you do. You just confirmed," Anna argued strongly unwilling to back out. "Should I tell Jace to help you set up a meeting?"

    "Please stop it," Rose begged unable to ignore her sister''s teasing tone.

    "I really have a brother-inw right?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose wore her backpack and walked out of the room unwilling to keep listening and with Anna''s personality she was definitely not going to stop anytime soon and she really did not stop even after they got down stairs for breakfast.

    "What are you talking about while eating breakfast?" Valerie asked wearing a warm elegant smile when she saw her daughters.

    "Nothing."

    "Her crush."

    The two answers made Valerie''s smile brightened as she sat down while the maid brought her meal.

    "So, who is Rose''s crush?"

    "Mr. Hart''s first son."

    "No one."

    Valerie knew very well that Rose might not really be having a crush on the young man because Anna had a very good ability of teasing people. It was also obvious Rose did not want to talk about it so she decided to try being on Rose side on this issue.

    "What about you?" Valerie asked in a teasing daughter for Rose.

    "Yes, she has a crush, no, it is a boyfriend. He confessed to the whole school that she was his boyfriend."

    "Wow, Anna when did that happen? You don''t tell me things anymore. I feel offended."

    "I did not ept him."

    "But you did not object. The whole school thinks you two are dating and these days you guys have gotten close," Rose argued nowpletely joining her foster mother against her sister for the first time since she got adopted.

    "I did not want to offend him. He is . . ."

    ". . .your boyfriend," Rose helped herplete the sentence.

    "Dad, they are bullying me," Anna found a refuge when her father walked into the dining room. She got up from where she sat down and hugged her father''s arm.

    "Who is bully you?" Justin asked deciding to join in the fun when he saw the bright smile on his wife''s face. Today had always being a sad day for his wife since their daughter died and today was the girl''s death anniversary. Since his wife was having fun, he really wanted the fun to continue.

    "Mum and Rose. They ganged up against me," Anna whined with a conflicted expression.

    "She got herself a boyfriend," Valerie reported Anna immediately to him.

    "Of course, why not? She is very beautiful and so boys are disturbing her. That is not her fault. Is it her fault for being beautiful?" Justin supported Anna.

    Rose and Valerieughed. It was really funny to see Justin act so close to the girls. It was something they hardly witness. He was serious half of the time with no time for jokes or fun.

    Anna, who was expecting to get scolded but did not get scolded, sighed secretly in relief as she had already broken out a few cold sweats. "Dad, Rose also has a crush on my so called boyfriend''s brother."

    This actually caught Justin''s attention. "So what is their family name?"

 Chapter 34 - Dinner Invitation

    34.

    "Hart," Valerie answered while the girls were hesitating to say the name.

    Shocked at the mention of his friend family''s name, Justin parted his lips but after a while he smiled to pacify his wife. She was watching him with expectation hoping he would say something nice and not kill the mood. "I will invite them for dinner soon."

    "Jace came to celebrate Anna''s birthday," Valerie reminded seeing no need for that.

    "I am sure you have not seen the well-known Liam. I will have all of theme for dinner."

    "Dad, I . .. ." Rose began feeling ufortable with the thought of Jace''s brother visiting. "I don''t think there is any need to bother them," Rose had toe up with a reason why it was not necessary.

    "Damon is my best friend and think it is most appropriate theye to visit us after all these while," Justin justified the reason why he was bent on bringing his friend''s family over for dinner.

    If one of his daughters could be a member of the Hart family, it will be a very great breakthrough for his family and perhaps he might get fully epted as a member of therge prominent Whitfred family. He silently apologized to his friend for having such thoughts towards his sons.

    ***

    "I wonder why you would suddenly ask me out for a drink. It has been a while," Damon told his friend as he sat down to drink from the cup of drink his friend pushed towards him.

    "Dinner. I want to invite you for dinner at my ce," Justin did not hesitate to put out his request as he sipped from the brown liquid in his ss.

    "Why do you think I will want to have dinner at your ce?" Damon asked with a mysterious look on his face as he stared at his friend and could easily see that his friend was nning something.

    "You rmended the orphanage I adopted my two daughters from and I got the best daughters anyone would want. I want you toe with your family to meet them. You have met Anna but I am sure you have not met Rose. She looks like thete queen," Justin narrated hoping his narration was a good enough bait to bring his friend to his house with.

    "You want me toe with my family, right?" Damon asked now understanding why his friend wanted him toe over to his house.

    "Yes. Your son is my daughter''s ssmate and he came over for Anna''s birthday. I heard they are friends."

    "I also heard that from my son. It will be easy to bring Jace with me but I am not sure Liam will be willing toe," Damon exined to his friend as he watched his friend closely with his dark mysterious eyes.

    "Why?" Justin had to ask because he seriously wanted Liam toe over. His adopted daughter Rose was growing up to be a very beautiful girl and if she could trap the young Hart, it would be to his advantage. His family did not like the Hart family because of the issue between thete queen and his friend.

    Having his friend''s son fall for his daughter in the manner he yed over and over on his mind will put his family in semi-control over the Hart family which will please his uncle. The jealousy they felt towards the Hart family will turn to pride and it will be because of him.

    "Justin, aren''t you tired of trying hard to please the family that does not give a damn about you? They will never acknowledge you regardless of how hard you try," Damon had to state the bitter truth as he stared at his friend with pity. "Even if you sell my family over to them, they will never acknowledge your effort because those girls are not your biological children."

    Justin dropped his head avoiding his friend''s gaze which now held a very cold and distant look. This was not his first attempt in handing his friend over to his family and he always got caught affecting their close friendship. He lost his friend''s trust over and over that it could never be regained and he keeps losing the little closeness between them with his every attempt.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know you are sorry but I want you to stop this already. The next time I suspect a scheme behind your words, I might just end our friendship," Damon warned him but he did not mean it. Till Rose was willing toe out to the world, he still needed this friend of his. Justin was his friend and he benefitted well from their friendship. Anna and Rose were important to him making his friend equally important.

    "No dinner, right?" Jace asked looking at his friend without lifting up his head as he felt guilt make him shiver because he knew very well what his friend was capable of doing to anyone who betrays him. "Please tell me when my cup of mercy overflows so I could prepare for my death."

    "I will never kill my friend if it is avoidable. I will only advice you to stop trying to get my family under your family because our hatred runs for generations. It also continued with me. My family left A country because we could not stand your family."

    "We have been friends for too long and I know you more than you know yourself. The moment you married Valerie, you killed the little rtionship between you and your family and there is no going back. I cannot make things better between you and your family. They never even cared about your father so why should they care about you?," Damon continued.

    While Justin drank alcohol, he listened to his friend''s advice and sighed. He was bullied and disregarded because his father was adopted. His father bowed to them almost worshipped them just to get recognized but they made fun of his father even in front of him. His mother could not take it any longer when his father began doing their family''s dirty jobs so she abandoned him and his father.

    Now he was doing the same. Damon''s words made him wonder if Valerie will leave the moment she finds out how much he was willing to do for his family. A family she despised after her cousin was tagged with a very bad title that had being written in the history of their kingdom and will be carried on for generations.

    The future generations will know thete queen with that same title and she was responsible for the down fall of her country causing great economic crises among both the rich and the poor. She will definitely leave if she does not attempt to kill him to avenge against his family before he goes away.

    "You won''te for dinner, right?" he asked unwilling to disappoint his wife and daughters that believed he would be able to bring the most powerful family to their home for dinner.

    "I wille with Jace. I am not sure Liam will want toe. He tends to hate associating with strangers and I can''t force him toe."

    Justin nodded. He still had an ounce of hope that even Jace could be the mode with which he could infiltrate the Hart family through his daughter Anna. "Thank you. Will Saturday be okay?" Justin asked fully aware that his friend knew he was still having little thoughts of betraying him but he knew he was still important to his friend although he could not figure out why.

    He had long concluded that it was because Damon had no other friend except him. The king was too busy with his work and the animosity between them made them drift apart. So, he was the only friend of the head of the Hart family and with that his friend will keep valuing their friendship in spite of anything he does.

    Damon could not hold back the smirk from his lips as he watched his very na?ve friend. He was a business man and all the rtionships he had kept in his life were those with really great benefits for him.

    His friend was an important tool in paving the way for the rightful queen to take her ce. He lifted his refilled ss for a toast to his friend and gulped down the liquid. ''Doris, soon, very soon I will make your daughter get back what belongs to her.''

    ***

    "My father said we would be having dinner at your ce on Saturday," Jace sat down with his friends to eat lunch with his friend as he narrated.

    "Wow. How does it feel to be the best friend of the head of the Hart family?" Wayne asked with a dreamy expression.

    "I can ask my brother''s friend but I am not sure when I will get to see his friend,"Jace answered. "You could also ask Mr. Whitfred."

    "How does feel to be the friend of the Head of the Hart family?" Wayne asked now looking at Anna.

    "Ask my father not me but I think it will feel like threading on broken bottle," Rose replied thoughtfully.

 Chapter 35 - Meeting Mr. Harts

    "How? Why? My father has been your father''s childhood friend," Jace asked looking wronged.

    "Your father is a very strict man and I don''t want to have someone that serious-minded as a friend."

    Wayne who was fantasizing about being the friend of the head of the Hart family got discouraged. His excitement was destroyed and he nodded his head in agreement with Anna.

    "What about how it might feel to be my brother''s girlfriend?" Jace directed his gaze to Rose who was busy eating her lunch but stopped when that question was asked.

    "I know it would be like heaven on earth," Debby answered already fantasizing with a sheepish smile.

    "As well as hell on earth," Rose answered knowing fully well Jace was using that opportunity to try to persuade her.

    "Why?!" all of them chorused except the guard who sat quietly and Rose who had spoken earlier.

    .

    "He appears cold in his pictures and interviews. He is handsome but not the ideal boyfriend for a bright jovial teenager like me," Rose replied remembering how cold those grey eyes looked in the picture. It made him look hotter but he looked like a very distant being impossible to touch. So close yet so far.

    "He is the ideal boyfriend for any girl in the world. Don''t let a member of his fan club hear that from you," Anna had to warn her sister as she thought it would be helpful in preventing her sister from making unwanted enemies.

    "My brother''s icy personality will definitely melt for any girl he likes," Jace tried to persuade Rose that his brother had a warm heart.

    "Please don''t let his fan girls hear that. Don''t destroy the beautiful image we have of him," Debby warned sternly shaking a warning finger at Jace.

    "Men like that will never love any girl," Rose murmured to herself but everyone at the table heard her making them all turn and stare at her once again. Rose felt their gazes on her but continued to eat her lunch ignoring them.

    At this point, Jace was crying inwardly for his brother''s messed up rtionship that had not even started at all. The idea of telling his brother to see another change in his expression popped up but he shook his head furiously scared that this time he might really wet his trousers in fear.

    "I want your family toe over for dinner in my house too," Debbyined giving Jace a sad puppy look.

    Jace shook his head and looked away. "We have to eat or we would bete for sster," Jace advised them. His mood was now bad because his lonely brother had apparently lost the love had not yet won. He nced at his cruel sister-inw and frowned pouting.

    Anna did not miss that and she dragged Rose aside after lunch. "What is happening between you and Jace?" she asked curiosity boldly shown on her fair beautiful face.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Rose told her truthfully.

    "Jace was talking about his brother," Anna tried to hint what she meant.

    "I don''t like his brother. I don''t even know him. If you are worried that I might take your boyfriend away, don''t bother because I don''t like Jace either."

    "I . . ." Anna could not continue and stood as she watched he sister walk away. Her sister''s weapon was really effective but they were going back home and she would do a good job cornering her sister again and that time she will have the right words to say. She could easily smell matchmaking in the air and it was stronger around Jace and Rose.

    ***

    "I am not going," Liam told his father as soon as his father was done telling him about the dinner they were to have the following day in the Whitfred''s home.

    "Uh?" both Jace and his father asked looking at Liam confused.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I said I won''t go," Liam repeated as he stood up from the chair he sat and headed upstairs.

    "Dad why do you think he won''t go?" Jace had to ask when he watched his brother go upstairs obviously not nning to rethink about going.

    "I don''t know," Damon answered shaking his head. He really could not understand the thought of his son. Liam was a veryplicated human being. He knew Liam will have a very good reason why he did not want to go but he could not pinpoint what the reason could be. He had suspected it already and he felt it was a good choice.

    "I will try to persuade him," Jace said going upstairs towards his brother''s room. If anyone should be excited about the dinner, it should be Liam. Liam had waited for about a decade working really hard in everything he did just to be good enough to stand beside the queen and help her get what really belonged to her but he just gave up.

    His brother was in the living room on the side of the house that solely belonged to him. Liam sat on the ck leather couch with a cigarette between his fingers as expressionless as always. He sighed and knocked on the door when he remembered he was too anxious to talk to his brother that he forgot to knock.

    "Brother why won''t you go?" he asked as he walked into the living room and stood in front of his brother. "I thought you always wanted to meet her again since we left the orphanage."

    Liam remained silent making Jace feel the air go cold as he moved his gaze to Jace. He only nced at Jace for a while and returned his gaze to the white wall of his living room. "Leave," he said in a low cold tone.

    "Okay. Sorry," Jace apologized and hastily left the room. He did not forget to give himself a knock on his head when he was outside the room.

    The cigarette he saw with his brother was enough to tell him his brother was not in the mood to talk or disturbed. His brother hardly smoked cigarettes except when he was in a tight situation and he could be really sensitive.

    Liam shook his head, Jace could not withstand the smell of cigarettes and he had to send him out for that reason but he knew his brother was hurt.

    When Jace left, Liam could not hold back anymore and sighed dropping the cigarette into the ash tray. More than anyone, he wanted to meet Rose again but he was not ready. He had more things to do. He had to make a lot of things ready for her. He had only two years left to aplish them. Once they are ready, he will go after her himself.

    ***

    Rose denied over and over again that she was nervous and she was not excited about meeting young master Liam but she knew it was a lie when she kept checking and rechecking the clothes she wanted to wear. For the first time since she got adopted, she was not pleased at all by all the clothes she had in her closet. She wanted him to see her for a beautiful, confident and smartdy.

    "What is taking you so long?" Anna asked walking into the closet with a pout as she saw the worried look on her sister''s face.

    "Nothing. I just want to get dressed and that''s all,'' she answered and snapped back to reality. Why the hell does she care about what he thinks about her?

    "Oh but you are taking a lot of time trying to get dressed," Anna stated the obvious with a teasing smile.

    "I am not," Rose disagreed strongly and nced at herself in the tall mirror in her closet. She was already wearing a cream gown with its length stopping just above her knee but she thought it was not good enough earlier but now she thinks otherwise. "Let us go," she told her sister and pulled Anna out of the closet.

    Anna''s sharp hawk-like eyes did not miss the deep breathe Rose took before stepping out of the elevator on the ground floor. She smiled and shook her head very sure that Rose was having her first huge crush on this young multi-millionaire. She hoped deep down that this young manes to love her sister dearly.

    When the Harts finally arrived, the Whitfreds went to wee them in front of their house. After a quick greeting since Mr. Hart told them not to be too formal, they went to the dining room for dinner.

    Damon was very excited although he did not show it at all to see Rose. He had tried not to associate with her much when she was in the orphanage so as to not call too much attention to the young girl.

    Infact he avoided herpletely in the orphanage only watching from afar until a few years before her adoption when he got so busy he could not check on her again.

 Chapter 36 - Talking During Dinner

    "You look like thete Queen," Mr. Hartmented as soon as they sat to eat.

    Rose was taken aback by thatment and dropped her head down when she remembered the rumors about her mother were strongly connected to the Mr. Hart before her.

    "Thank you," she appreciated although it was not right for her to. In history ss, thete queen was tagged to be a woman who abandoned her kingdom but she was epting the fact that she was the queen''s look alike.

    "Do you know thete queen died betraying the empire?" Damon said watching her closely for her reaction. He really wanted to hear her talk more. She seemed to be shy and kept her formality in his presence but he did not want that sort of attitude from her. She was the queen after all.

    "I also heard she was the most was the most beautiful woman before her death.. So, I guess that was apliment," Rose answered with a bright smile while gripping the hem of her gown tightly to prevent herself from supporting the queen in a suspicious manner.

    "Hmm, yeah she was, even your dad can confess that," Damon said with a smile. He felt really pleased with Rose''s self-control. If it were him, he would have stood up andnded a punch on whoever badmouths Doris before him. She also showed an impressive ability to change the direction of a discussion.

    "Yes, that was right," Justin confirmed chuckling awkwardly. He turned to his wife hoping she was not get agitated by Damon''s statement.

    "The queen did not betray the empire. Also, do not forget about what the rumors says about you and myte cousin," Valerie said her voice thick with emotions and her head felt too stuffy as she continued the topic Rose was trying hard to take off the table as they all sat down tiger.

    Damon smiled inwardly. He was nning to slow down and drag this on for a while but since Valerie decided to talk on her own he decided to help her. "Obviously she did. That is what our kids were taught in history sses," Damon reminded her, his eyes cold despite the smile curving up the sides of his lips.

    "I wonder why your name was not mentioned too," Valerie replied him sarcastically. There were rumors about him being involved with the queen and that added to the damage on the queen''s reputation.

    "My name will be mentioned in history. I protected this country from experiencing and economic crisis when the queen died," Damon reminded her as he slowly cut his steak. What he was waiting for was about toe he just needed to push her a little more. "I did not betray the country like thete queen did."

    Justin shifted on his seat ufortable. His friend believed the queen was innocent for more than a decade but why was he intentionally condemning the queen before his family. He knew something was wrong but he could not pin point it.

    From Rose point of view, she felt Mr. Hart was trying to force either her or her mother to speak. He was ncing at her asionally. She did not know the motive behind it but it was not helping her because at this point, she could not hold back.

    "The queen did not betray her country rather she was betrayed," Valerie blurted out as her anger could not be kept under control anymore although she still maintained a proper appearance but she really want to go across the room and hit Mr. Hart as hard as she could on his face.

    She hated the arrogance with which he looked down on her cousin with. She was thete queen either with a bad reputation or not, Doris was still a queen and she deserved respect not ridicule from the man Doris had respected before her death.

    Everyone was shocked by the sudden revtion. Rose wondered what she meant by betraying although she knew very well that her mother was betrayed but how did her foster mother know about it. Justin was surprised his wife knew about the truth and began wondering how much of the truth she knew.

    "I thought the queen betrayed the country?" Rose asked hoping her mother shares more light.

    "Everyone knows she betrayed the country," Damon added with a firm tone.

    "She was kidnapped before her death she did not leave the country on her own," Valerie finally said what Damon was waiting to confirm from her lips.

    Damon nced at Rose who was now doing a bad job at maintaining herposure before turning his gaze to Valerie as he waited for her to go on hoping she knows more. He knew the queen was betrayed and kidnapped but he needed more information.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Why was it not on the news?" Rose asked as the grip on her gown increased. She thought the only people who knew about what happened were those people who did it and herte mother.

    "Those people don''t know the queen as well I do and I hope you don''t believe the rumors too. I know my cousin will never betray the country. She had no reason to. She was the queen and what will it profit her to abandon the country her ancestors took centuries to build," Valerie answered as watched her voice firm with trust.

    Even if nobody believed thete queen, she wanted her family to believe thete queen was too good to betray the country for any reason.

    Damon was back where he started with her answer although he did not believe she said it out of the trust she had for her cousin. He nced at Rose and hoped Rose was smart enough to notice something was off and will try to find out the truth.

    The air felt so tense and the heavy atmosphere was not doing any good making Anna ufortable. She turned to Jace, "Where is your brother?" she asked in a manner which was a whisper but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

    "Oh . . . Uhm . . ." Jace stuttered shocked by the sudden question. He nced around the table to find everyone now staring at both of them and the earlier tensed atmosphere felt lighter. "I . . . He . . ."

    Rose watched him her mouth twitching as she waited impatiently for Jace to answer the questions. She actually wanted to ask all long but the issue about thete queen prevented her. She gave herself a mental knock for actually expecting his arrival when he did note.

    "He did note," Jace finally answered when he got the expression he wanted to see on Rose''s face. She was actually anxious and that told him clearly that she had feelings for his brother. He added it to the list of things he intended to tell his brother about the dinner including the fact that Rose looked exceptionally beautiful and dressed up for the dinner.

    "Why?" Anna asked when she saw her sister''s shoulder slump with her head bowed as she slowly cut her steak.

    "He was . . ." Jace thought of an answer to give as he nced at his father for support.

    "He did not want toe," Damon helped his son but not in the manner Jace expected him to.

    "Why?" Anna continued to help her sister ask all the questions her sister must want to ask.

    "He does not like associating with strangers," Damon answered as he also watched Rose closely for her reaction and he noticed she sighed when he answered.

    "How is it possible to be an executive in your cooperation or a business man and still be scared of strangers?" Anna said with an obvious hint of sarcasm.

    She was beginning to dislike the first son of the Hart''s family. She tagged him as someone who was arrogant immediately on her mind and she also did not like Jace''s father. She felt it would be better for him to lie that his son was busy to at least appear polite but he called their family strangers.

    First Mr. Hart said a bad thing about her mother''s sister now he was so arrogant about his soning over for dinner. She began to doubt if Jace was a true son of the family because he was so different. She knew Jace was looking for the right answer when he was stuttering but his father decided to tell them the truth and hurt her sister''s feeling.

    "Business meetings are different, the offer benefits," Mr. Hart replied as he watched Anna fight for her sister with all her might and her wondered how it will be in the future. Will Anna continue to stand with Rose when the two finds out about each other''s true identity?

    "I don''t think it matters much if hees or not," Rose finally spoke after taking a deep soothing breath and consoling herself for being the foolish teenager girl having a crush she was earlier. "I don''t think it is right for us to keep talking while eating in this manner," she also added in a gentle respectful manner before taking a thin cut of steak.

 Chapter 37 - You Are The Princess

    "You look very much like the princess," Mr. Harts said standing beside Rose with his eyes holding more mysteries in them.

    "No, I don''t. The princess died when she was only a child," Rose replied smiling despite the fast beating of her heart and the need to leave his presence she felt knowing that someone recognized her resemnce to the princess.

    "You do because you are the princess," he told her inly rather than beating around the bush. As much as he liked teasing her to hear her speak, this was a serious issue and he was not going to y with his words.

    "I have heard a lot of peoplemend myportment and elegance. It is not surprising that Mr. Hart think I am the princess," she decided to y the innocent card since arguing with Mr. Hart was going to do her no good. It was obvious the man knew about her real identity and she wondered what his intention was towards her.

    .

    Damon stared around at his son and the Whitfred couple, Jace was doing a good job keeping them all upied especially Anna who seemed to want to stick to Rose every time of the day. "You know very well what I am talking about and if anyone is your enemy, it can''t be me. I know your mother was killed and I am carrying out an investigation. I will also try to protect you. When you need my help, tell Jace and I will offer you any assistance you need."

    Rose gulped as she froze. At this point, she knew she was not as hidden as she thought she was. Long ago, someone knew and he was doing a good job watching her closely through his son and his son''s guard. "I really don''t know what you are talking about Mr. Hart," she continued to deny her true identity. Even if she gets tortured to death, at this point she could not ept her identity it was too much of a burden for her to bear.

    She had thought of seeking help from the Harts before but when the help was offered to her freely, she felt it was very suspicious and could not trust the person offering it. She was not offered help in her past life till she died, then why was he offering her help now?

    "I know you do. Just remember I will be of help whenever you need my help," he reminded her.

    "Please excuse me," she replied hastily as she walked away as elegant as always despite the hell of a battle she was fighting with her emotions. Why? Why did no one offer her help before she died in her past life? There had to be a reason. She went into the nearest bathroom on the ground floor.

    With door closed behind her, she leaned against the door and sighed. She had never been so confused in her life. She was offered help by someone she once thought to seek for help and she no longer trusted that person. Was that the right way to react? Shouldn''t she be jumping up happily? Shouldn''t she ept the help immediately and get the vengeance she always dreamt of since her rebirth?

    "Rose, are you okay?" Anna asked knocking the door of the bathroom softly. She knew things were not good from the expression Rose gave why talking to Mr. Hart.

    "I am fine," Rose replied taking deep breathes to rx. She sshed cold water on her face and mopped the water off before opening the door of the bathroom and stepped out with a sad smile on her face. "I really thought he was going toe," she murmured pouting her lower lips.

    "Oh my poor sister," Anna softly as though she was trying to coax a child. She pulled Rose into her embrace and rubbed her back gently. "Should I go and beat him up?" she asked with a determined tone and she really intends to do it if her sister says yes.

    To y her present role well, Rose nodded. "Yes," she murmured resting her head on Anna''s shoulder.

    "Don''t worry I will. I will go and beat him up tomorrow," she promised her sister sincerely. Whoever tries to mess with her sister was going to get some beating from her.

    "You can''t beat him up. He is member of the Hart family," Rose told her sister as she pulled away from her sister with a gentle smile.

    "Don''t think I am joking," Anna replied with a frown. "Or should I start with Jace?"

    "Your boyfriend?" Rose asked as she began chuckling. "Remember Mr. Hart and his guards came along."

    "I should just start with Mr. Hart. I saw him talking to you and you did not look too good."

    "It was not him. I only wanted to find out if young master Liam was feeling okay. I thought he did note because he was not feeling well but Mr. Harts said he was fine," Rose lied hoping her sister will believe her without any doubt.

    "I thought you said you did not like him," Anna asked with her brow wriggling teasingly.

    Happy that Anna believed her lie, Rose decided to keep ying that role. "Hey stop it. I am only concerned about a friend''s brother," Rose answered shyly and turned away to avoid her sister''s gaze as a tint of pink appeared on her cheeks.

    "You are blushing," Anna continued teasing her sister. "They are leaving by the way. Do you want to say good bye to them?"

    "No. I am going upstairs tell Jace to keep out of my sight," she replied and headed towards the elevator by stopped. "No, it is only proper I go to say good bye," she murmured and followed her sister to the living room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Remember," Mr. Hart reminded Rose when he passed by her into his car.

    Rose ignored him as though she did not hear a thing from him.

    ***

    Throughout the ride back home, Jace was calcting whether to tell his brother about what happened at the dinner and after careful consideration, he decided to keep quiet about it. Liam was still eating histe dinner when they got back home and he went to greet him as usual.

    "Why are you having dinnerte?" Jace had to ask his disciplined brother after greeting him.

    "Busy," Liam answered with a frown as he continued eating his dinner.

    "Oh," Jace said as he fought the urge he had to tell his brother he was actually expected toe and he had disappointed his sister-inw.

    "How was the dinner?" Liam asked.

    Jace opened his mouth and looked at his brother unwilling to be the one to tell him when he remembered the look he got thest time. "It was fine," he answered sharply when he nced at his father who ignored him immediately and went upstairs.

    "Okay?"

    Jace found himself at a corner unsure of what to do. He was not sure if that okay was meant to be a question or an answer. He hoped it was just a simple statement but he knew very well that it was a sign for him to go on. He nced at his brother and immediately dropped his gaze.

    "We had steaks and the dessert was very sweet," he told his brother hoping that would give him an escape route despite the little voice urging him to say the truth. She smiled awkwardly when his brother kept looking at him unblinking.

    Will anyone me him at this point for wetting his trouser? He had not spoken yet but already suffering under that gaze. He might as well just say it. "Rose asked about you and dad said you did not want toe," he said hastily in an almost illegible manner. He began shaking as his mouth wentpletely dry.

    He knocked himself mentally over and over again as he watched his brother still waiting for him to keep speaking. "I cannot remember what happened next."

    " . . ."

    At this point he could not keep the truth any longer. "She said it does not matter if youe or not."

    "Sleep earlier," Liam ordered with a big brother tone.

    "Uh?" That was unexpected.

    "We will y gulf tomorrow," his brother continued.

    "Uh?" Jace had to ask again. Was his brother going crazy?

    "We leave at noon for lunch outside," Liam continued making Jace feel a lump in his throat. He was going to eat lunch with his brother for the first time. Not just that alone, he was going to y gulf with his brother. Hurray!!

    "Yes!" he shouted with his fist thrown up into the air. "Don''t back outter," he warned his brother as he ran to his room to prepare his outfit.

    Liam shook his head when his brother left. He felt guilty because he was actually nning to use that lunch as an opportunity to tell his brother he was living again and might not be back in a while.

 Chapter 38 - The Figures Visit

    Rose took her bath and sat down reading one of the books she always read at night when she can''t sleep although the words on the book was not what her mind was on. She was ying the scene where Mr. Whitfred offered her his help over and over again on her mind pausing sometimes to remember the look he wore on his face.

    She shook her head and closed her book. Mr. Harts always seemed to be wearing an appearance of someone with a lot of evil on his mind. He was like a big book with so much unreadable pages. He appeared too mischievous for her to trust.

    She sighed for the tenth time that night since she retired to her room. This was way moreplicated than it should be. She closed the book and stretched her hand to drop the book on her bedside table. She leaned against the headboard and messaged her temple.

    .

    "Go to him for help?" she asked into the empty space in herrge room. She scoffed and shook her head. She knew he did not want to harm her at least not now because if his aim was to harm her, he would have done that long ago. The only possibility was that she had something he wanted but she could note up with anything she had except her identity.

    She decided to sleep over it perhaps after a few hours of rest she would be able toe up with the right decision. She pped the lights of her room off andy down properly. She pulled theforter up and closed her eyes. It was just the right time for her to sleep well at least before her nightmares wake her up.

    An hourter, a ck figure walked into her room through the door leading into the room from the balcony. That ck figure walked with light steps, so soundless that Rose who was a very light sleeper did not wake up. The figure was tall and built with a well-toned body that could be obvious in the dim lighting in from the door from the balcony and the windows.

    The figure walked to her bed where Rose was asleep already slipping into the day she was brutally killed. She kept trying to stop herself from going to the pce. "Stop dressing up. Your clothes will get ruinedter on," she begged her na?ve self hoping subconsciously that she will not go there in this dream at least she won''t get killed then.

    The figure paused when he saw the girl''s body move a little. He could see clearly enough to notice her movements and the changes in her facial expression in the dark after years of training his night vision.

    "Stop, don''t get into the taxi. You still have a chance," she begged and tried to grip the hand of the girl naively paying the taxi driver to get a ride to her death but her hand simply passed through the girl''s hand like a ghost. This was the first time she had such a dream and she began panicking as she tried over and over again to grip the girl''s hand.

    "Don''t worry, Uncle Hart is a good man," she heard that soft, musical, and motherly voice assure her. She stopped her panicky movement and stared around.

    Seeing the excited girl talk to the guards at the pce, her heart froze. "Go to Uncle Hart, he will help you meet the king," she said hastily. And the girl actually turned and when their gaze met, she was suddenly at her dying point with her strong urge to live despite the pain and the humiliation.

    The figure sat down beside her and mopped off the sweat from her brow and rubbed her smooth cheeks with the back his hand. He looked very sad and worried. He used his fingers to smoothen her furrowed brow.

    "Rosaline. You are not alone," the figures deep musical voice assured her in a gentle whisper close to her ear.

    That voice so caring was like a pir pulling Rose out of her nightmare. She subconsciously reached out to the where the voice came from and hugged a hand close to her. She slowly opened her eyes in her sleepy state but the sweet familiar scent that came from whoever had that hand was too much a sleeping pill for her to remain awake and she drifted deeper into her sleep.

    This was the first time since her rebirth that she got to sleep so deep and peaceful. Apletely dreamless sleep without the stress of the hell she goes through during her nightmares. The figure allowed her to keep hugging his arm as he felt really happy seeing her sleep so peacefully.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He wondered what her nightmares were about and seriously wished he could pull her out of them every night but it was impossible for him to do so. "Rose, I want to leave now, in the next two years, I wille looking for you. There is something I started that I must finish. I want you to stay well till I return," he whispered caressing her soft long hair.

    Rose subconsciously pulled the hand closer to her chest when she heard her pir of support was leaving despite how deep she was in her sleep. She only loosened her hold when she heard the voice assure her he was going to return after a couple of years.

    The Rose, before him, had always showed a sign of turning out to be very pretty since she was child and he had seen pictures of her before but the girl he now saw was way prettier than any picture could make her look. He heard her eyes looked different from before and he saw it in the pictures but he could not help but feel regret that her eyes were closed and he could not see her.

    He also wished he could sit this close to her in the day light but it was not possible yet. He was not prepared enough to help her. He felt the softest from her chest hugging his arm to get support she needed and like a healthy young man so close to the girl he loved, he felt the room suddenly feel hot as his body temperature increased. He tried to shake the feeling off but his eyes only dropped to her exposed shoulder.

    He felt sorry that he had to pull his hand away from her grip to prevent an unwanted incident. Although he wants whatever that incident was to happen but it was not the right time. He tried but Rose tightened her grip on his arm. He gulped when his mouth became dry from the heat and the tightened grip. He reached for another pillow and slowly pulled away his hand away despite how tightly this beautiful ko held him.

    He immediately ced the pillow where his hand was feeling a certain hatred towards the pillow, he frowned and got up. He was already wishing he did note at all and stayed away since she was really distracting and he did not want a distraction on this two years mission but he felt motivated to finish his mission as fast as he can so that he could return to her before someone else takes her away.

    He kissed her forehead lightly before leaving the room hastily as he could not guaranty that he would not try to take that damn pillow away and put his hand where it truly belonged which was as a support to Rose even in her sleep.

    The figure only left for a while but Rose frowned in her sleep in a very dissatisfied manner. It was a good thing the figure had left before she made such pitiful face with her sexy pink lips pouted or the figure would have lost his self-control and remained with her till he gets caught in the morning.

    That scent was no longer as strong and concentrated as before and she was unhappy about that. She hugged the pillow which was softer than the pir she hugged earlier but she still continued to sleep deeply.

    ***

    "Rose, wake up," Anna said shaking her sister who she had being trying to wake up for over twenty minutes. Her sister did not wake up. She was that scared that something was wrong but her sister only sleeping deeply while hugging her pillow like a ko with her brow furrowed and lips pouted.

    Rose further frowned when someone began disturbing her dreamless beautiful sleep. She hugged the pillow tighter and moaned angrily.

    Seeing this reaction, Anna concluded that her sister must have stayed as wake crying over her crush although it did not seem logical. She gave up trying and left the room. She might as well leave with Debby. If he sister wants to go when she wakes up, she will join theme over herself.

 Chapter 39 - Deceiving Jace

    Rose rolled and opened her eyes which she closed immediately due to the bright light streaming into the room through the window and door. She rubbed her eyes and stretchedzily wondering why the morning was so bright.

    The pillow she found beside her was out of ce and it made her pause shortly when she opened her eyes finally and stepped down from her bed further stretching her hands up. The sun was high up in the sky and she had to nce at the rm clock on the bedside table because she could not understand why this morning was unusually bright.

    She always woke up early to go down stairs to do yoga with her sister. The cute pink digital rm clock told her it was already half past twelve in the afternoon and she was too shocked to hold back the slight scream that escaped her lips.

    "How did I sleep for so long?" she asked as she walked to the bathroom hastily. She missed her breakfast and had only thirty minutes to be on time for her lunch. She scolded Anna on her mind for not waking her up early. Such an important day got wasted on the bed sleeping. She frowned unhappily.

    .

    Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, it suddenly urred to her that she had never slept for so long since the death of her mother. In the orphanage, they had to wake up early to do their chores as well as prepare for school. After her rebirth, she was haunted by nightmares that shortened her night rests that she could not sleep throughout the night at times.

    "What happened?" she asked her reflection on the mirror before her but she got no answer as her reflection stared back at her with a sleepy look on her slightly swollen face. She turned the tap on letting the water pour on her hand before rinsing her face with the warm water.

    She could still not understand what happened. She slept off at eleven as usual but woke up past twelve the following day. She slept for more than twelve hours when she had not slept for more six hours in a day without torment in her dreams since her rebirth. What was the cause of the sudden change?

    After washing up, she decided to shift her heavy thoughts to the back of her mind. She went downstairs and met Mara in the kitchen.

    "Miss Anna went to the spa with her friend," Mara replied when she asked for Anna''s where about. She expected Anna to be downstairs eating lunch as usual but the dining room was empty.

    "Oh, she did not call me," she murmured as she returned to the living room. She hated eating alone in the empty dining room. The empty chairs always reminded her of being an orphan with a father she could not trust and a step mother who will kill her as soon as she gets an opportunity to. Anna was the one who helped her forget it all.

    "She checked on you but you were still asleep," Mara informed her also surprised that Rose slept for so long.

    "I really don''t know what made me sleep for so long," sheined as she waited for her lunch.

    Mara nodded. "You really slept for so long. I don''t think it is right for you to stay upte," Mara advised.

    "I slept early," she replied. Eleven o''clock was early enough for someone like her sleep since they were night not fall asleep at all.

    "Oh," Mara could only say nodding head as she could not help but wonder what made Rose sleep for so long. She remembered when Rose passed out a couple of years ago due to sleep deprivation couple of years ago.

    Valerie made sure Rose underwent enough therapy with the therapist hoping her nightmares stops but she wondered if the young girl was suffering for more than twelve hours. It would be a very great torture to the young girl''s body.

    "Did you have any nightmare?" Mara asked worriedly so she could make an appointment with the therapist to pay a visit if that was needed.

    "Oh! That is right!" Rose remembered nodding her head thoughtfully. She really did not have any nightmarest night. "No . . . I think I did but . . . I can''t remember. I thought I saw someone," she murmured in a low voice too low for Mara to hear her.

    "What did you say Miss Rose?" Mara asked walking to closer to Rose to hear her better.

    "No, I did not," she answered immediately wearing a smile of assurance on her face hoping Mara does not notice the lie in her words.

    "That is a good thing then," Mara told her smiling in sincere relief.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Perhaps I felt too tired. I was busy yesterday afternoon before dinner," she lied hoping no one takes her excess sleep as some sort of psychological illness because she did not want to be forced to spend an hour in front of Valerie''s beautiful therapist.

    "I will have them bring your lunch. Madam is busy in her studio upstairs and sir went out a few hours ago," Mara informed her as she headed to the kitchen. She stopped in front of the kitchen door and looked back at Rose. "Should I have them take it upstairs for you?" Mara asked when she remembered Rose disliked eating alone in the dining room.

    "No I will eat here," she answered immediately with an it-doesn''t-matter look on her face.

    "Joyce will clean up your room while you eat," Mara informed her before disappearing into the kitchen.

    ***

    "Hello," Anna said in an unusual soft tone when Jace picked her call.

    "Oh hello," Jace said with a slight tint of pink now appearing on his cheeks due to how gentle and soft Anna''s voice sounded on the phone.

    "Where are you now?" Anna asked trying her best to let her question sound like she cared and not like the interrogation it truly was.

    "I am going out for lunch with my brother," Jace answered immediately without a second thought. All the teachings he got from his father when he was newly adopted to keep shut about his where about and prevent telling people randomly thrown out of closed window of the car he sat in with his brother at the fact that Anna sounded like she cared about him.

    "Wow, that sounds cool," Anna eximed with excitement. "Where are you having lunch at?" she continued her sneaky interrogation with the alluring tone in her voice.

    Debby beside her covered her mouth with the fashion magazine she picked up in the spa which was made avable for customers while her toe nails were being taken care of by a staff in the spa to prevent herself fromughing out loud. Anna red her yfully hoping Debby doesn''t make herugh and praying Jace''s IQ was low enough to tell her.

    Jace''s very high IQ simply disappeared into the thin air since he was still hypnotized by the excitement her heard in Anna''s voice and he bbered out the name of the five star restaurant he was going to with his brother without a single atom of restraint despite the cold gaze his brother was shooting at him.

    "Wow! That is so cool. I envy you," she told him still using her fake soft voice before hanging up as she could not hold back herughter any longer. She felt a strong need to teach this friend of hers that he was not supposed to tell her so easily. She could send assassins after them if she wanted.

    She was really happy things went easily though. She wanted to stop over at his home but she knew that their house was almost, if not more secured than the pce which was the most secured building in the world, on record. With this information, she could easily meet them outside. She could only hope her n continues smoothly.

    She red at Debby who wore a disgusted look towards Anna''s voice. She shivered rubbing the non-existing goose bumps on her arms.

    She further red at Debby with her beautiful before she also continuedughing. "You almost made meugh," Annained when her stomach began hurting her fromughing so hard.

    "Poor boy. I truly envy you," Debby giggled. To be able to make a son of the Hart family do as she wished was more than winning the lottery three times continuously. It was like you became queen because they were even more respected than the royal family in B city.

    "I really pity him. If I was someone wicked, I would have gotten that information to do something bad," Anna said seriously.

    "Do you think it is easy to harm someone from the Hart family? They are way more protected than the prime minister," Debby reminded her making her heart calm down. She sighed and impatiently waited for the staff helping her with her nails to finish up while ncing at her wrist watch.

 Chapter 40 - Meeting The Male God

    "Are you really going to talk to him," Debby asked.

    "Yes. I wish I could force him but he is just too powerful for me to consider that an option. I will try to bargain with him. After all he is a business man. And I also heard he loves Jace a lot," Anna said calmly as though she was not nning to do something that might cost her life.

    "Anna you are really fearless," Debby said shaking her head at her friend who was willing to do anything crazy or not to help her sister. "Rose might not be happy when she finds out," Debby reminded her.

    "It does not matter because she won''t find out. I will threaten him to keep it secret and I trust that he will be a gentleman enough not to tell that to a girl," Anna answered confidently as she stood up. she smiled at her nails pleased and returned her gaze to her friend. "Don''t give me that look like it is not possible.. He is a human being after all. And I will not do anything to embarrass my family. This is a pure business meeting."

    "I heard the Harts are more ruthless than the royal family. They used to be a family of generals in the past," she reminded Anna who seemed to have forgotten the reputation of her friend Jace''s family.

    "I know. I love my nails," Anna said in a carefree tone. "Let us go to the restaurant, it is twenty minutes ride from here. We have to get there in time. I hope they are still far away," Anna told her friend as she pulled Debby from the chair she sat downfortably.

    "Ohhh please," Debby begged, she really did not want to stand up. She tried to shake off Anna''s hand gripping her wrist. "Seek trouble alone. I don''t want to go with you," Debby tried to protest.

    "Don''t you want to see Scott?" Anna tried to entice her friend with a teasing look.

    Debby blushedpletely shaking her friend''s hand off. "I don''t want to I will see him on Monday," Debby lied as she avoided her friend''s teasing gaze which made her further blush.

    "In his school uniform," Anna said shaking her head in pity.

    "He looks good in his uniform too," Debby argued with a frown.

    "Ok, he does," Anna epted defeat but not totally as she began pulling her friend''s hand.

    "Fine but stop pulling me," Debby murmured shyly.

    "I don''t have a credit card with me now but you do. You have toe along," Anna told her friend of the real reason why she wanted her toe along.

    "Fine, I will go with you but stop pulling my wrist. It will turn red."

    "Oh sorry." Anna let go of her friend''s wrist immediately as though she got burnt by it.

    Debby pouted annoyed while rubbing her wrist which was already having a tint of pink color showing the mark of Anna''s fingers.

    "I am really sorry," Anna apologized sincerely.

    "Who was that?" Liam asked when Liam finished talking to Anna.

    "Rosaline''s sister," he answered naturally but made sure to use her identity as Rose''s sister not Justin''s daughter or his ssmate to make his brother rx a little. He stared dreamingly at his smartphone which showed Anna''s name on his call log.

    Liam remained expressionless but his gaze remained on Jace who was blushing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Jace felt someone''s eyes shooting daggers at him and he turned to his brother. When he met his brother''s icy cold gaze, he gulped and looked away as he began surfing his brain for what he did wrong. That was his brother''s scolding gaze; tightly held lips and eyes telling him ''You have done wrong''.

    "I am sorry," he apologized staring out of the window of the car in shame. "But I don''t think there is anything wrong with me telling her," Jace said confidently staring at his brother with a righteous look.

    Liam''s gaze became colder making Jace shiver in fear. This was still his brother''s scolding gaze but the kind of scolding gaze told him to expect a punishment. "I wish she will show up to have lunch with me," Jace murmured as he turned his face away despite the chill he felt down his spine.

    Liam really wanted to sigh at his brother''s naivety but turned his gaze to the tablet he held and continued scrolling still wearing his expressionless look.

    Jace really wanted to turn and look at his brother since he got no punishment despite rebelling but he was frozen in fear that he could not even move an inch. It seemed staying around a fearless Anna had influenced him badly that he dared standing up against his brother. He gulped trying to swallow the ufortable lump down in his throat.

    Liam allowed his brother to do as it pleased him since he was trying to please his brother with the lunch before his departure and very soon he was leaving the position of an executive in his father''s cooperation as well as the position of the next heir of the Hart family and his position as his Jace''s brother.

    He could not hold back the sigh he had being trying to hold back and sighed. "Jace, I am sorry," he said under his breathe and closed his eyes. He promised to make it up to his brother when he fulfill his mission but before he fulfill his mission and fully carry out his n, his life belonged to someone else not him or even the Hart family.

    Just as Anna stepped into the door of the restaurant, she saw Jace and his brother. The two of them were not hard to miss because of their very extraordinary experience that could rival the royal family. Two very beautiful young men exuding superiority with ease were an object of attraction even in such a prominent five star restaurant.

    She smiled and could not help but gulp at how magnificent Jace appeared unlike the yful jovial boy she stepped on in school. This was the really the second young master of the Hart family in his simple but attractive outfit and the young man beside him was not hard to miss.

    The first young master of the Hart family was dressed in a very simple manner with the sleeves of the ck shirt he wore rolled up to few inches below his elbow but no one would be foolish enough not to recognize the strong deadly aura surrounding him. The aura was one that could not be imitated or faked and it was an aura that only the heir to the Hart business cooperation could have.

    She heard the heir had to undergo a lot of training to get to that position and what she saw made her believe it whole heartedly because the look the young man had would take years of training even the present prince won''t be able to have such an aura.

    She gulped as they got closer. Those eyes looked so grey and beautiful but too icy as well she could not hold back the shiver as she felt chill run down her spine. This man before her was the epitome of a male god. An unrivaled male god that was very aware of his power and did not hesitate to wield his beauty to his own benefit crush the hearts of many was only a few meters away from her.

    She had seen his pictures but he looked way more powerful and beautiful in person. The fear the pictures could not show wear fully shown in person. Those around also had their eyes on the young man. She could clearly see the reason her sister had a crush on him. He sister had eyes for beauties. She felt jealous to meet a man that appeared better looking than she was.

    She began rethinking her decision and n. Jace was handsome but his brother was beyond handsome in every way. She could not bargain with him. She doubt se will be able to open her mouth to speak in such an intimidating presence.

    She pulled Debby who was standing petrified as she looked at the male god in infatuation. "I don''t think I can do it," Anna murmured as she prayed Jace won''t try to stop her from leaving.

    "Why?" Debby asked reluctant to leave. Who would want to miss out on such a bountiful feast for the eyes. She will just sit behind Anna and look at him from afar off with Anna as her shield. He was a beauty afar off she could not even consider dreaming of him.

    "I don''t want to do it again," Anna murmured her reply as she released Debby who dying her escape.

    "Okay," Debby who saw her friend leaving her answered in defeat as she walked after her human shield.

    "Anna," Jace called out confused.

    Anna pretended not to hear him and kept walking out. "Please, It is not me," her lips moved without sound as she said.

 Chapter 41 - Running Away

    How will Jace allow such an opportunity to slip away? "I want you to meet my brother," he told her holding her wrist in a gentle but firm grip. He pulled her towards his brother with Debby following close behind them.

    Liam nced at Rose''s sister, Anna for a couple of seconds before following the restaurant manager who came to wee them specially into the elevator. If only his brother knew Anna''s identity, he would not get involved with her and he was not going to be person to tell him because his father was also quiet about it.

    One of the reasons he did not take her life was because his father had ns for her and he did not want to sabotage his father''s n. The other was because he had she was nice to Rose. He decided to stay calm till she dares to harm Rose. He trusted his self-control but he was not sure he was not going to put a knife into the girl''s throat if he stays close to her.

    Anna felt very ufortable around Jace''s older brother. The man had a normal cold aura but the look her gave her despite not holding much emotions, made her feel like amb about to get ughtered. She gulped and pulled Jace back.

    .

    "I am really not going to have lunch with your brother so take your hand off," she warned him coldly as that was the only way she could get this thick skinned friend of hers to know she was serious.

    Jace''s jaw dropped at that, Anna might be a fearless miss but she had never spoken to him in such manner before and from what he saw he knew she might bash his head against the wall if he does not let go of her hand.

    He released her hand immediately. "Why?"

    "I don''t know your brother."

    "Yeah," Debby said nodding in an over-dramatic manner. She was happy earlier that Jace pulled Anna, at least she will get to see more of this peerless beauty but she could imagine how awkward the lunch will be with Jace''s brother. She and Anna loved talking a lot and that man''s presence though beautiful, will simply make them have indigestion because it was just too intimidating.

    "Oh, then get to know him," Jace tried to persuade them. The first time Anna took the initiative to have lunch with him, was ruined by his brother.

    "I don''t want to know him," Anna answered in a colder manner. "Let us go Debby," Anna said and walked away with her friend following her behind while Jace watched them leave helplessly.

    When Jace turned to the elevator, he found the door closed and his brother had long gone. Groaning, he scolded his brother on his mind saying all the things he would have said if his brother was not as scary as he was. If only he knew the reason why Anna came to meet them he would have . . .

    Anna sighed for the seventh time since they returned to their car and Debby followed her and sighed too. Debby was happy Anna did not carry out her foolish n or they might be six foot below the ground or thrown into the ocean as food for sharks.

    Anna was cursing all the photographers who took the pictures she saw on inte of Liam. He was way different form attractive young man in the pictures. She knew from rumors that he was scary and distant but she concluded it was not that bad when she saw the pictures because all she saw was a handsome young man but when facing him in person, she really thought he was going to strangle her.

    His gaze when their eyes met still sent shivers down her spine it was as though his gaze had tentacles stretching out to her neck, wrapping themselves around her neck till she gets strangled to death. It was suffocating. She wondered why Jace was different.

    If she had to eat lunch under that same gaze, she doubts her sanity will remain intact. She might begin crying or at worse simply run out of the room.

    "Are you okay?" Debby asked her friend who she could not believe was the same confident young girl serious about talking to Liam.

    "I am okay. I wonder what made mee up with such senseless idea," Anna answered staring out of the window with horror boldly written on her face. "Now I know how powerful the Hart family is," she said truthfully.

    It seemed staying with the jovial overly friendly Jace had made her assume the Harts were not as scary as everyone thought they were. She remembered the dinner they with the head of the family and he did not seem to be the ruthless powerful business man the rumors said he was.

    As she stared at traffic outside the window of the car, she could not help but pity her sister who showed she liked that cold blooded human being she got to meet today. She felt her sister did not have a ce with the young male god. She began calcting a nning how to help her sister to get over the crush she had on him.

    If only she knew the position Rose held in the young master''s heart . . .

    "Don''t tell anyone about today, please," Anna asked her friend. It won''t be good if her sister found out and she remembered the excited look Jace wore when he saw them, she did not want him to feel disappointed.

    "Sure," Debby nodded immediately. If it gets out then she will be tagged as an aplice. After all she really wanted them to stay so she could look at the very good looking young man to her satisfaction.

    ***

    "Where did you two go to?" Rose asked as soon as her sister stepped into the living room with Debby with solemn looks on their faces.

    "Out," Anna and Debby chorused as they fell on sofas as though they had carefully rehearsed it all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Good for you," Rose said standing up with a frown. She really was not happy her sister left her out in the fun. "Why did you two leave me behind?"

    "You were sleeping like a log of wood," Anna answered tiredly. "I tried to wake you up but you kept sleeping."

    "Did something happen to the two of you?" Rose asked finding it weird that the two bright girls were actually very quiet today.

    "We saw a male god," Debby answered truthfully as she stared at the ceiling dreamingly.

    "Who?"

    "No one. Shouldn''t you be on your way home?"

    "Oh, that is right. Next weekend I will sleep over," Debby warned her friend as she got up.

    "Just leave for now," Anna answered irritated. She clearly told her fried to keep shut about what happened.

    "We met Liam, Jace''s brother. He is way better looking than in the pictures," Debby disregarded her friend''s warning as she poured it all out.

    "What is good about meeting him?" Rose asked more irritated than Anna was. That name she had tried to forget, she did not care about the rich guy she saw on the inte that she had a short crush on.

    "I will get going. See you guys tomorrow," Debby said as she tried to escape the awkward moment caused by what she said. She waved at her best friend and friend before almost sprinting out of the room.

    "There is nothing good about meeting him," Anna answered her sister staring ahead as though she was in a trance. The feeling she got from Liam''s gaze made her shiver subconsciously. She had never feared anyone in her life but that powerful young man showed her she was not totally fearless.

    She felt it was weird that she actually felt hostility and little drop of hatred from his gaze but when she weighed it all, she could not find a reason why he will hate her. She was meeting him for the first time in her life so there was no reason why he will hate her, right? After careful thought, she concluded she was only thinking too much.

    "What made you sleep for so long?" Anna brushed off that thought after swearing to stay far away from Jace''s brother and never cross parts with him.

    "I was just sleeping and did not want to wake up," Rose answered walking out of the living room.

    Anna followed her behind. "Your nightmares?" she asked worriedly.

    "I did not have any," Rose replied her sister as they stepped into the elevator.

    "Uh? How did you do it?" Anna asked since she still experienced nightmares where she was trying hard to see the face of her kidnapper.

    "I don''t know. I just slept and somehow did not wake up till twelve today," Rose answered naturally.

    Anna''s lower jaw dropped in a dramatic manner. "You are lying right?" Anna asked in disbelief.

    "I have no reason to lie."

    "Now, don''t lie. Did you take sleeping pills?"

    "No."

    "Did you take any other drug?"

 Chapter 42 - Birthday Gift

    "No, I slept naturally."

    "Without nightmares? You almost never sleep without nightmare. When I went to wake you up in the morning, you were enjoying your sleep while hugging your pillow like your life depended on it," Anna narrated as she could not believe her sister.

    "I did not take any drug. I read before sleeping."

    "Is it the boring book on your bedside?"

    "Hmm."

    "Well, I envy you."

    "Do you still nightmares?"

    "No, just a new type of dream where a voice keeps haunting me.."

    "A haunting voice is a nightmare. I think you should visit the therapist."

    "I willter this week."

    "Good for you."

    Anna found it easy to let go of her pain after talking to someone and talking to Rose, Valerie and the therapist, helped her back after the incident that almost cost her life but Rose could not tell anyone the truth about what she was really going through and keeping it bottled up was not helping her. She could only hope that she gets to sleep better from today.

    ***

    "I have your birthday gift," Rose told Anna as she pulled her to her room.

    "What is it?"

    "It is a surprise," she told with an enticing smile.

    "I hope it is something good," Anna murmured suspiciously. She was aware more than anyone of how broke her sister was.

    "Yes. I made something for you," Rose told her as she pulled her into her walk-in closet. She removed a dress from the wardrobe and gave it to her sister. "Put it on. I made it for you."

    Anna still stood staring at her sister in disbelief because she had being with her sister almost every time and she had not seen her sister make any cloth for her.

    "I really made it myself. It was a work in school but you inspired the creation of the cloth so I decided to give it to you."

    "What will I use such formal dress for?"

    "Be my model."

    "You gave me a gift but want something in return," Anna frowned.

    "I will need to give this to the teacher tomorrow but I need you to wear it. It is yours afterwards."

    "I don''t want to," Anna refused waiting for her sister to coax her.

    "I want you to. You will look really beautiful in it."

    "When did you do this without me? I should have known. I heard about it in school but I did not know you were participating. So, you want to go to the fashion school?"

    "Yes, I want to go. You also want to go to A city right? We can go together. This also a birthday gift, right? I promise that we will study in the same town."

    "Don''t forget to cut and die your hair to ck when we enter college," Anna reminded her as well as told Rose her new conditions.

    "I only said I was going to cut it," Rose frowned.

    "I will not wear the cloth for you then."

    "Okay, fine. I will dye it to whatever color you want," Rose agreed scared that her sister might really back out.

    "Promise?" Anna asked with her ck eyes brightened up excitedly.

    "Yes, promise," Rose agreed with a nod but only stopped when she understood the mischievousness she saw in Anna''s eyes. "Not any color, ck," Rose tried to take it back but Anna was not listening as she took the clothes to wear them. "Just ck not any color."

    Rose sighed when she Anna was not going to let go of such an opportunity but since she needed Anna to be her model for the project, she decided to swallow her disagreement. She could only hope that Anna will be in a quiet mood when she tells her the color she chose for her or she might really go around with neon red or purple hairstyle for a year.

    "I can''t wait to go to college," Anna giggled excitedly as she stepped in wearing the ck and purple dress that wrapped her slender sexy body perfectly enhancing her wide untamed beauty.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have found my muse," Rose murmured pleased as she walked to her sister and began helping her adjust those parts that needed little adjustment. "What do you think?" Rose asked pushing her sister in front of the mirror.

    "I look like a supermodel," Anna answered hastily turning to the left and then to the right again showcasing her extraordinary beauty in front of the mirror a confident smile lifting the corners of her lips.

    "Yeah you do but . . .," Rose began displeased that her work of art was ignored by this narcissist.

    "The cloth makes me look like a supermodel," Anna immediately interrupted her sister when she noticed the displeasure on her sister''s face. "You are just too proud," she added afterwards.

    "You are proud too," Rose pointed out with a yful frown on her face. "Do you like the dress?" she asked her sister hoping to get a positive answer because that was her main aim; customer''s satisfaction.

    "I love it. I wish I could wear it out to some big even so that everyone will see it."

    "You will wear it to a big event because the showcase will be a big event."

    "I wish you told me earlier. I would have helped you. Mum would have helped too."

    "I asked Mara to help with what I needed and the school also made the other things avable so it was not difficult and I wanted it to be a surprise for you."

    "The showcase will really be a big event if that is the show case I think you are talking about."

    "Yes. It is the one and only showcase. My teacher told me to participate because she thinks I am as good as the seniors."

    "Don''t you think I am not good enough to wear this?"

    "What?" Rose could not believe her ears. Did the queen narcissist doubt her ability? "Ohe on. You are better than any model because I designed the cloth for you. What about bing my model in the future?"

    "I am going to study engineering so I am not considering your offer."

    "It will only be your part time job."

    "Let us talk about thister because I think I have no intention to abandon my motorcycles."

    Rose chuckled lightly and shook her head. ''Anna and her motorcycles . . .''

    "Why don''t you show mum?"

    "Mum wille for the showcase. She will be one of the judges. I don''t think we should let her know now."

    "I think Mara will tell her." Anna was impressed by her sister''s confident in her skills.

    "I made Mara promise not to tell her."

    Anna nodded her head turning around to see the back of the gown on the mirror, the metallic texture shining in the lights of the closet. "It is beautiful," she said sincerely under her breathe. She felt happy that her sister was interested in fashion.

    Before she got kidnapped, she always followed her mother to work when she could hoping she will learn about fashion and get to love it but she never got the desire to be a fashion designer rather she admired the models.

    She went more often when she found out she had not love for fashion designing and tried to build the love but she found herself unable to. After she got kidnapped, she stayed in door and when she began going out, she had not gone back again.

    Seeing the love Rose had for fashion designing made the guilt she felt earlier disappear because now her mother had a talented daughter to help her.

    Rose found this as an opportunity toe out to the world. Since Mr. Hart spoke to her about her identity, she knew she could not hide for too long and she had to have a reputation before going out. She decided to build that reputation slowly.

    She began designing the dress before the announcement of the showcase was made. She had the sketch ready a week after Anna''s birthday but she could not bring it to life because she did not have the resource to.

    When she heard about the show case, she decided to join since the school will take care of most of their expenses and make the materials avable. With that, she could make Anna''s birthday gift ready but after meeting Mr. Hart she decided to bring the cloth out for the showcase.

    ***

    "How was your lunch?" Damon asked his sons when they walked into the living room.

    "He is leaving again," Jace told his father without hesitation with his voice, his eyes re and his face tear-stained.

    "Where is he going to?" Damon had to ask because he did not understand a bit of what Jace meant.

    "He is leaving for another two years," Jace said shooting using nces at his brother.

    "Is that what made you cry?"

    "I had to cry. I thought crying will change his mind," Jace murmured feeling wrong. He cried until his throat became sore but his brother did not reconsider.

 Chapter 43 - Hey, Thief

    "When he leaves, I really need to send you to Hill Mansion," Damon said hoping to make his second son stop his babyish behavior and stop pouting.

    "Uh?" Jace asked in horror with his mouth left agape.

    "Yes. You cannot remain a cry baby after he leaves because no one who leaves after bing the heir can return."

    This information made Jace cry from the depth of his heart as he hugged his brother tightly. "Please don''t leave okay?"

    "I need to do something," Liam told him and pried open his brother''s fingers which were tightly holding unto his hand.

    "I really don''t mean anything to the both of you," he dropped his head till his chin touched his chest when he heard the coldness in his brother''s voice.

    "When he returns, I will let you know why he has to leave and why helping the princess is more important than his life. Without thete queen, we won''t exist as the powerful family we are now. We have to repay her although your brother is going beyond I have ever gone," Damon narrated too his sulking son.

    "I don''t care about the princess just as much as the two of you don''t care about me," he mumbled before running upstairs.

    "Do you know what it means to abandon your duties and leave?" Damon asked his older son when Jace left.

    "Yes, I do," Liam answered without hesitation.

    "It automatically makes you a traitor."

    "I know."

    "Why can''t you do it here in this family?"

    "I don''t want to."

    "There has to be a reason."

    "There is no reason."

    Damon sighed when he noticed he was not going anywhere with the argument. "Are those three going with you?"

    "I don''t know. They will have to decide it on their own."

    "Don''t try returning when you leave or I will personally break your legs," Damon threatened hoping to break down his eldest son''s determination.

    "Yes sir," Liam replied with a bow of his head.

    "And don''t deceive yourself that you are leaving to protect this family because there is no family as strong as this family." Liam nodded expressionless as ever. "You know the rules. Keep off while you are gone or I am not sure my boys won''t hurt you. What subordinates hate most is getting abandoned by their leader."

    "I am not their leader, you are," Liam told his father respectfully. He nodded one more time before walking off to his room.

    Damon frowned at Liam''s leaving back and shook his head. He suspected Liam was nning to leave since he returned to from the Hill Mansion but after a lot of investigations, his subordinates could not find out why his son wanted to leave but he knew it was for something very important.

    He might tag him as a traitor as soon as he leaves officially but he hoped Liam stays safe and finishes what he has to do soon so he could return even if he had to get punished for leaving but he wanted his son to return.

    ***

    "Hey, thief," Jace said with thest word murmured under his breath as her sat on the empty seat close to Rose ring at her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose narrowed her eyes at thest word and looked at him with a puzzled innocent expression waiting for him to exin himself.

    Jace who thought no one heard thest word raise his head to see Rose staring at him and he dropped his head blushing in shame.

    "What do you mean by that?" Rose had to verbally ask him when he did not give her an exnation immediately.

    "Mean by what?" Jace decided to y the innocent card as he tried to stand up but Anna ced a hand on his shoulder and pressed him down gently but with enough strength to send him back to his seat despite his struggle.

    "My sister said what do you by that?" Anna echoed. She stepped in the moment she saw the unhappy expression on Rose''s face demanding an exnation. She gave him a bright smile still exerting pressure on his shoulder.

    "I . . . I . . .," Jace lost his tongue as he stared into Anna''s bright obsidian eyes that sparkled like the most precious ck gem in the world. "Ouch," he cried quietly clinching his teeth with a distorted expression when Anna increased the pressure on his shoulder.

    On a normal day, Rose would have stopped her sister immediately but after being used by Jace, se had no intention of stopping Anna until she got the exnation she wanted.

    After getting used for crimes she nevermitted in the orphanage, one the thing she hated most was getting wrongfully used. She knew Jace was not unreasonable and thoughtless so, there had to be a reason behind it which was what she wanted to hear.

    "I . . . I did not mean anything," Jace lied as he nced between the sisters. Rose was not a stopping Anna and Anna was not going to stop. He wanted to cry over his pitiful self but he held back his tears, he really thought Anna liked him just yesterday and here he was getting bullied by the girl he liked.

    "Ok," Rose said and looked away but she did not stop her sister who proceeded to squeeze his shoulder as though she was trying to drain all the water from a wet cloth.

    He gritted his teeth and stared around for his body guard but he remembered his body was called by a teacher to his office. What a terrible coincidence. "Fine. I will tell you," Jace agreed sighing in relief when Anna released her grip on his shoulder and gave him a light squeeze as though massaging his shoulder.

    He concluded it was his wishful thinking when Anna went to sit down beside her best friend who was ying a video game on his phone and began disturbing him.

    "You stole my brother," he finally said in a low tone with his chin touching his chest. He looked through his bent head to see everyone on the table staring at him.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Rose asked now wearing a more puzzled look. How did she still his brother she has never seen face to face?

    "You stole him away from me. You also stole my father from us. You took everything away," Jace continued to use her. "You took the whole Hart family to yourself," he whispered thest three sentences that only Rose could hear him.

    Now the usations were getting much. "What do you mean by that?"

    "You will not know now. Later in the future, you will know what I am talking about. You are just ignorant. You got back some of your memories but threw away some important ones. I want to hate you and my brother but I can''t find it possible for me to do so," Jace continued in the same quiet whisper that somehow did not let others on the table hear but Rose heard him well.

    Rose frowned lines forming between her beautifully shaped eyebrows. She opened her mouth to speak but she could not form the words. She got up and pulled his wrist out of the private room of the cafeteria. Closing the door behind her, she looked at him with her eyes clearly asking for an exnation.

    "That is all I can say," Jace told her truthfully raising his hands. "If you want to know more ask my dad. I don''t know much myself but my brother and father know it all. I only called you a thief because my brother left home because of you," he exined all he could at that moment.

    "Oh . . ." was all Rose could say as her pink lips twitched slightly. He was still not making sense. She opened the door and walked in. Everyone at the table had their eyes wide opened at her with their lips parted. Rose remembered her behavior just now was not in line with the image she set in front her friends and felt really ufortable.

    "You are about to steal my sister, right?" Anna saved Rose unconsciously with her question.

    "I . . .," it was Jace''s turn for his lips to twitch and for him to feel awkward.

    "You want to steal my friend''s sister," Wayne immediately supported his best friend dropping his phone which he was closely attached to on the table and folded his hands on his chest with an exin-yourself stance.

    "I really wish it was the same thing," Jace murmured under his breath as he looked at Wayne who was shooting toy daggers at him with his eyes. He nced at Rose who was smiling. He wanted her to say the word he was waiting for but she did not and it made him more heartbroken over his brother''s departure.

    If only they could finish it up and have her take the throne, it was going to relief his brother of whatever thing he was doing. That way, they will spend more time together but Rose obviously did not trust them or she was not desperate enough to cry out for help.

 Chapter 44 - About The Missing Girl

    "Let him steal me for a while," Anna said standing up as she pulled Jace out of the room saving him from the awkward moment she created to help her sister from the rain of questions her friend had nned for Rose concerning Jace''s usation. When they were outside, she unconsciously still held unto his wrist.

    Jace looked down at the wrist which was held by his first and only crush. It created a pleasurable warmth around his wrist making him which she keeps holding him. He remembered the massage he thought he got from her in the private room and his already pink face became a light shade of red.

    "I . . ." Anna began but stopped when she saw Jace''s blushing face. She looked down at his wrist in her grip and immediately let go as though it was toxic burning the skin of her palm. "You look like tomatoes," She murmured under her breath finding him cute.

    "I .. . ." Jace began but dropped his head looking at his wrist with the warmth gone.

    What the hell? She clearly saved him from an awkward situation and created a more awkward situation. What was the nonsense about tomatoes? She shook her head as she decided to visit the therapist after school. Why on earth will she associate a human being with a fruit?

    "You . . ."

    "I wanted to talk to you about the missing girl," she immediately interrupted when she saw the red-haired boy pass below through the window.

    "I intended to tell you today. I found nothing. They left no trace. Whoever took her has to be a professional. I tried tracing them through the CCTV but they escaped somehow. Thest ce they got lost was in a remote area, the same area you got missing from the security cameras and the satellite. I asked my brother to help but he had being busy and he is no longer at home to help me."

    Anna saw the sadness in his eyes when he said thest sentence. "It is okay. I just hope your brother returns soon and about the girl . . . I wish shees back soon too."

    "Be careful, those people are close by, it seems they are watching you. I thought about a way to lure them out but . . ."

    "What way?" Anna asked happy about the new hope despite the downcast look on Jace''s face.

    "By beating up another girl, I know it is a crazy idea but . . ."

    Anna shook her head strongly with no room for a second thought. "I will not send another innocent girl into their dungeon. I feel guilty enough that a girl went missing because of me. I will not repeat the same mistake."

    "What if theye for you next time?" Jace asked now seriously considering that option.

    "I will fight my way out. My closebat teacher was sent to us by your father so, I won''t have a problem escaping."

    Jace sighed but did not push the issue since his father had people watching Rose and Anna to prevent any ident. "I will keep watching out for them because they might return the girl soon."

    "Yes. Thank you by the way," Anna told him avoiding his gaze.

    "You are . . ."

    "You stole my best friend you thief," Wayne shouted pulling Anna away from Jace with his hand around her shoulder.

    Jace sighed. He really wanted to punch himself for not bottling up his emotion. He wondered what made his mouth slip out that usation. His friends were obviously not going to let go of this issue and might him tease forever over it. He wanted to re at Anna who started it all but he blushed deeper when he met her beautiful eyes.

    "Who will I steal?" Debby who had being silent all along asked when she saw Scott walking towards them and ran to him before hugging his arm. "I will steal your friend," Debby said to Jace.

    "Now she is stealing my best friend. All of you are thieves I am the only one not stealing," Wayneined yfully when Rose called Anna to her.

    "You are a thief too. You stole her sister. Scott is the only one not stealing here," Debby corrected him.

    "Now, he is stealing you from me," Scott replied her when his eyes fell on where Debby hugged Scott hand.

    "Excuse me," Scott said under Wayne''s gaze and pulled her hand off gently but swiftly and found his ce standing beside Jace. "I am sorry," he apologized in a low voice bowing to his boss.

    "What did you guys talk about?" the two sisters asked in a chorus but shook their heads motioning to each other to talk first. They looked like they were performing a well-practiced choreography. "Nothing."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose sighed and waited for her sister to keep talking while Anna also waited for Rose to speak. "Are you keeping secrets from me?" another chorus and the two girls tried to suppress theirughter.

    "If you keep your secrets, I will keep mine. I just wonder what is really going on between you and Jace''s brother. I will only advice you to be careful because that young man has the most dangerous aura I have seen. You should be careful around him."

    "If you really like Jace stop holding back," Rose paid for her sister''s advice with her own advice and the two returned to their friends.

    "Jace, did you know about my sister''s project?"

    "What project?"

    "Fashion."

    "Oh . . . that is the only subject we don''t offer together."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. I wanted to see what you designed."

    "Oh . . . I helped to make some adjustment to the cloth."

    "Now you lied," Anna said walking towards him tounch her attack.

    "I feel sorry for you," Wayne said out of experience.

    ? "What project are you two talking about?" Debby asked feeling confused.

    "Just an assignment," Jace answered as he waited for Anna to attack him since that will be a sign that they had gotten closer although he did not want to be her friend but he did not mind if she became his friend. He could always advance from friendship to a solid rtionship.

    "Yeah," Rose answered nodding her head. She did not want much people to know she was participating to avoid rumors since her foster mother was going to be a judge. "I am going back to ss."

    "Why? Are you not going to eat?" Anna asked concerned.

    "No," Rose answered and walked away. What she needed at this moment was an alone time to think over what Jace''s said. She was very tempted to tell him she wanted to meet his father she felt she could not trust them.

    She took the steps to the roof top from the top floor. When she opened the door, she inhaled deeply with her eyes closed when the cool breeze hit her face gently blowing into her hair. Where was Mr. Hart in her past life? Where were they? Why did they not give her help when she needed it most? Why did she die so miserably when there was someone who could help?

    The cold feeling of her warm tears cooling as they rolled down her cheeks and the breeze dried them up made her snap back to reality. She hurriedly cleaned her face with a determined expression on her face as she stared down now at the green that surrounded her close by and farther at the buildings afar off and the smiled.

    This was all hers but she needed a little more time and trusting people easily was not an option till they proof to her that they were worthy of her trust and above all, she was the queen and a queen never begs for help. When she is sure she has something she could offer in exchange for their help, then she could bargain.

    ***

    A young man dressed in ck suit wearing a pair a gold framed sun ss stood few steps away from a car and waited while on of his subordinate opened the trunk of a car. There was a ck suitcase in it and he motioned to them to open it.

    When the suitcase was opened, the battered lifeless body of a girl was revealed and he nodded in satisfaction before gesturing to them to zip up the suitcase which they did immediately under hismand.

    "I want it to be left in a way those girls will know that Anna is not to be messed with," the young man ordered rubbing his hand in excitement. "Tomorrow . . . they should all see it tomorrow," he told his subordinates with a blood thirsty smile on his face.

    Humming a tone, the young man walked back into his house and went to a room with a lot ofputers. Sitting on a big leather chair in front of a set of monitors and otherputer parts on arge table, he rubbed his hands with excitement after removing his sunsses with a frown. His cold blooded smile returned when his fingers began dancing on the keyboard.

 Chapter 45 - The Queens Weapon

    A female student screamed aloud as high as her throat let her as she stared in horror at the horrible sight in the female''s restroom.

    Rose who was about to enter the elevator with her friends ran towards the sound they all heard. Her friends and all the other students ran to the source of the sound and a girl was sitting on the floor as she shook violently pointing into the female restroom. A few secondster, the girl passed out.

    Anna and Debby wanted to enter the restroom but Rose held their wrists. "It made her faint, I don''t think you should go," Rose advised them reasonably.

    They both nodded considering her advice to them. A couple of girls walked in despite being scared and ran out together as they began shaking in fear as tears ran down their cheeks.

    "What was in the restroom?" Anna asked the girls as her curiosity kept building up.

    "ire," one of the girls answered before passing out in to her friend''s weak arm..

    ire . . .? ire? ire?! Oh goodness. Anna ran into the restroom to the horrible sight of the girl she hit tied to polls in the wall with her hands spread and her legs tied together below. The bruises on the girl''s body were so much that there was not a single spot left untouched.

    There was little wound on her face, only a cut on her cheeks and another on her lips as though the person wanted everyone to recognize the girl. Below the girl''s tied up feet, whoever did it, left a message written with blood. ''Mind the words of your mouth.''

    At point, Anna could not ignore the feeling of a hand reaching into her stomach turning the breakfast she ate around and trying to pull it out.

    "How could you forget an old friend?" that haunting voice asked her in his psychopathic whisper. "That is not nice of you. You should remember me even if nobody else does."

    The difort in her stomach became insignificant when her vision became blurry and her body remembered the pain it felt from being maltreated. "Oh," was also she said before she lost the strength to keep her body standing.

    "Anna!!" Rose shouted when she entered the restroom to see her sister dropping to the floor. She smelt the familiar smell of blood but ignored it and every other thing in her environment as she tried to get her sister to wake up. "Anna please wake up," she called as tears clouded her eyes.

    "She is not breathing," a voice said pushing Rose away from Anna. The owner of the voice began CPR as soon she ordered the shocked Rose to call an ambnce which Rose did immediately.

    Scream followed when more students came into the restroom running out immediately or fainting while some could not hold their breakfast in their body food sack as they poured it all out. Most of them were young masters or misses of their families and they had never seen such a scene.

    Soon the teacher came to the restroom and after a short while, the ambnce arrived followed by the police.

    ***

    "Don''t you think it is rude to forget an old friend?" the voice she dreaded but wanted to find asked her.

    That thick darkness she was slowly forced to be ustomed withheld her back but she pushed forward. "You killed her, you bastard," she shouted in anger as she fought with the darkness that held her back like being wrapped in silk and tied to and end of a room and trying to get to the other end of the room.

    It was almost impossible to move but she kept struggling. Or getting stuck in a gel box unable to move or stuck in a world with a very slowly time movement. There was a lot of ways she could describe the feeling she felt from being locked up in that darkness whatever it is, but with it was a bad experience and she wanted it to stop.

    "I am not happy at all," the voice told her displeased and chuckled in a very creepy manner. "You should apologize, don''t you think so?"

    Anna ignored his question as she struggled to free herself from the invisible fabric wrapped around her body.

    "I was the only one you had but you forgot me as soon as you left the orphanage, isn''t that very bad of you? Even if anyone should forget me, it should not be you. You should remember me," the voice angrily shouted.

    "Come out here you coward," Anna called out and kept trying to move forward. As soon as the darkness was lifted after draining all her energy, she saw a blurry figure afar off. It was a child about eight years old. The child wore a simple ck and blue stripped t-shirt and a pair of brown khaki shorts. The child had ck short hair with short bangs resting on his forehead.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This revtion energized her as she began running towards the boy as fast as she could to see his face but she remained on the same spot as though running on a treadmill. She did not give up determined to keep running but she left that endless world and opened her eyes to a new light. She had a sudden sh of memory of a hand holding her wrist tightly while she struggled.

    "Anna, are you awake?" Rose asked looking over her sister.

    She closed her eyes and rubbed them gently with the back of her hand and moaned tiredly. "I almost saw his face," she murmured as she tried to sit up but the splitting headache she felt from that slight movement made her wince and return to her former position.

    "Saw who?" Rose had to ask confused.

    "I almost saw the face of my kidnapper in my dream. I know him," Anna said still lying on the bed with her gaze fixed on the white flower patterned ceiling.

    "What? Then who is he?" Rose asked moving closer to the bed.

    "He was with me in the orphanage but I can''t remember clearly. His hair is ck with bangs. I know him. I can find him and kill him with my own hands."

    "You scared me when I saw you unconscious. You should be bothered about your heart too, right? If not for that young man, I will not know what to do. He saved your life," Rose narrated.

    "What young man?"

    "He said he is a new temporary teacher and he seemed to be a very nice person."

    ***

    "She still refuses to pick my call," a woman with said in a weak voice as she walked to a rocking chair in a balcony with the support of a man who held her hand.

    "I think you should visit her in the pce," the man supporting her advised as he helped her settle down on the rocking chair.

    "In my state? She will . . . I don''t want to visit her. I hold something dear to her and she does not care. If things don''t go the way she ns and the princess returns, it won''t be my fault but her pride," the woman replied and rxed her back gently on the rocking chair.

    "Your sister is the queen and she is busy most of the time. I am sure she will have some time for you if you go to the pce. At least we could gain a lot from the revtion," the man still continued advising her.

    "I will not go to the pce. We won''t die if we don''t get that support we need from her. I will stand aside and watch all she stole return to its owner. Her pride will ruin her life and family. That son of hers she freed like a wild animal will cause more trouble to the citizens and it will lead to her downfall," she continued smiling at the beautiful sunset from the balcony.

    The man sighed and went into the roomter running to the balcony with a stole which he sat on beside the woman as he watched the orange sun sink into the horizon. "He is her weapon. No one will be able to trace him to her. A war is going to be fought soon and she will use every single weapon sheys her hands on and dispose them afterwards," the man narrated to her.

    "I am a weapon too, right?"

    The man sighed again looking at the beautiful face of the woman beside him who was now was now wearing a sad smile. "I think you should tell her about the girl." He took her hand frail hand in his and patted the back soothingly.

    "I will not tell her. Only you and I know about her so, we should keep it a secret."

    "Why?" the man asked baffled. "Shouldn''t we try to make her trust us? Remember what happened thest time. We need to regain the trust we lost."

 Chapter 46 - Leaving Home

    "There is not trust to regain. She is my sister, I know her better than anyone. Do you know how many times she tried to kill me while we were growing up? I will not reveal the presence of the princess until I am sure she won''t kill me or until I am in situation where I need it to use that information to save my life."

    "I don''t . . ."

    "I will not give them a reason to start the war sooner than expected. The earlier it starts the earlier we be useless and a threat that knows her secret. We be a weed she needs to uproot to protect her n."

    "The war you are talking about, what is it about?"

    "Hmm," the woman simply smiled watching the sun go down.

    .

    "Who is she fighting the war against?"

    "It is not just her alone. They are fighting against but the powerful and the powerless. Bloodshed will begin and a war for revolution will begin. It might not be a normal war but people will die silently. It is war they nned even before my sister and I were given birth to. B country . . . tsk"

    "Who is the war against? What are their names?" he asked anxious for an answer. He was getting impatient as she kept going in circles.

    "Don''t worry. We are too insignificant for a war to be fought because of us. We might die in our sleep. Their names will be known soon but that will be after their death. Either after they kill the princess or after the princess kill them. They will find the princess on their own but by that time; it will be toote to kill the princess like an insignificant person. It is almost impossible to do that even at this moment."

    "Hmm that is right," the man nodded in relief. "I will protect you," he assured her wearing a sad smile.

    When she saw hum rx, she knew he did not understand what she said so she decided to say something that will help him forget about the war she mentioned. "I have done a lot of bad things and I am still alive perhaps I won''t die so easily." The womanughed in a gentle manner with the back of her hand covering her mouth slightly.

    "When the princess takes over, she will kill you too," the man said.

    "You said you will protect me. Just protect me like you said you will and I doubt if the princess makes it. There are too many people trying to kill her. If she takes over, then the future will take care of itself." The woman sighed.

    ***

    "Are you sure?" Liam asked his most trusted subordinates.

    "Yes sir," the three young men agreed with a second thought.

    "A you going to betray the Hart family?" Liam asked to make them sure of their decisions although he knew they will go with him even through fire and brimstone.

    "Yes sir," the three young men chorus.

    "We started something together during the past couple of years and it is only normal we go with you toplete it," one of them said with a bright boyish smile his eyes shining bright with confidence.

    "We are meant to stand with you always either in the Hart family or anywhere else," another said adjusting the reading sses he wore.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The third person standing in front of Liam only nodded his head in agreement with his almost expressionless face.

    "We should leave. It is time," Liam said nodding his head. He patted the guy wearing the sses on his shoulder as he passed by. He only wished none of them will suffer too much because of his decision to turn against his family for his own selfish interest.

    "The young master . . ." the guy with the bright smile started but stopped with his smile disappearing and he stared at his boss and friend with a worried look. "Should I check on him?"

    "Do you know where his room is?" the guy with the reading sses asked with a frown as he stared at his friend.

    "Don''t look at me in that manner. I am the only one that gets along with the young master among the fo . . . no three of us," the guy replied with a smile of pride on his face. He scratched his head rumpling his brown hair that looked just like the fur of a lion when he met Liam gaze.

    "Let us go," Liam said in a monotone voice as he took the steps down stairs. He was not sure he was going to be able to leave if he faces his brother. Jace must hate him right now but he hoped to be able to fix everything when he returns. He only hoped his younger brother will remain the kindhearted boy he is now only getting bold to protect himself as the new heir.

    Liam paused at the door and looked back at the home he lived in for over a decade and sighed. He was sorry but there was nothing he was not willing to do to get Rose on his side. He had his own selfish interest to satisfy and even the Hart family won''t stand on his way.

    ***

    Jace who was typing on his keyboard as fast as he could with the sound of its keys filling the whole room suddenly stopped and stood up from the seat he sat on for more than a couple of hours. He nced at his wall clock it was about time for his brother to leave. He ran to the window and pulled the white curtain aside and stared down.

    Below, he brother was about to enter the car that will take him out of the Hart family perhaps forever. He watched his brother pause and looked up. He was shocked at first and closed the window hurriedly taking a step back from the window.

    After taking a deep breath, he returned to the window but his brother was now in the ck tinted jeep and he could not see his brother. He had a feeling his brother will returned to find him but when the jeep began moving towards the gate he knew his brother had truly betrayed him and the Hart family.

    He sniffled as he kept warning his very fragile heart to not get heartbroken. His crush was in the hospital and he was trying had for hours to get the videos of the whole incident from the CCTVs but he was not making any progress. Whoever did it made sure to clean all their traces and the person was a better hacker than he was and he might ever be.

    His brother was the best but he could not ask his brother who was abandoning him over a girl and his own selfish interest for help because that brother of his will not be willing to help him. He felt like the most useless boy in the over Anna''s issue and felt like the most unloved brother and child over his brother''s issue.

    He had a dark thought wishing it was Rose who went through all Anna went through because she had a lot of people around her who will be willing to help her. None of his family member''s cared about Anna although her adoption was arranged by his father. As soon as he took note of what was on his mind, he shook his head furiously. It was a taboo to wish bad for the princess.

    There were a lot of things he did not understand and that made him more frustrated than he had ever being in his life. He did not realize he was on the floor crying until he had to stand up as his legs began feeling numb and the tears wetting his cheeks as well as the cloudy feeling of his eyes that he had to wipe off brought him back from his thoughts about how miserable he was.

    He decided to tick today on his calendar as the most miserable day of his life. He dragged his weak body as the event in school that made Anna pass out reyed on his mind. He wished he was close by. It should have been him.

    He should have been the person to help her with the first aid but that stranger took his ce and ced his disgusting lips on his precious Anna''s lips. The stranger saved her life but he did not like that fact. He wanted to be the one to make Anna indebted.

    He really wanted to find the bastard that hurt Anna and drag him before Anna after beating him to a bag of mashed flesh.

    He could not make that happen when he could not even trace the person because the person was better than him. He dragged his feet to his bed and fell on the soft bed that immediately embraced him but it was too cold which made him frown a little.

 Chapter 47 - Bargaining With Her Model

    When his whole body felt too tired to keep going, he fell asleep a while after he begged his subconscious mind to wake him up after an hour so he could visit Anna in the hospital.

    He might have lost this round to an unknown new temporary teacher but he was not going to lose the next round if he wakes up early enough. "Brother, bye," he murmured as his eyes closed finally.

    Liam who just walked in to hear his brother bid him farewell in his sleep sighed for the second time in months. He reached to his brother and rubbed his forehead and pats his hair gently. "I am sorry brother," Liam apologized before walking out of the room.

    "Mum .. . . Please do not leave us," a little Jace cried holding the hem of his mother''s skirt. He looked out into the dark endless world thaty outside the car. It looked so scary.

    The woman paid no heed to the little boys cry but kept pulling the boy her fingers digging into his soft skin.

    Liam who saw his brother bled from the injury his own mother gave his little brother stopped her with a tight grip on her wrist. Looking up at her coldly despite the little light that was avable from the car''s heamp and the big bright moon his eyes looked so cold he froze her.

    "I will leave with him. Just let go," he told her as he kept encouraging himself to remain strong for his brother. He took Jace''s hand and got down from the car.

    "You are just like him," the woman said in disgust as she let go obediently masking up the scared look on her face with a wicked smile.

    The man who they always called a called their father sat at the driver''s seat nodding in agreement enjoying the whole show.

    "Brother, we should not leave mother,'' little Jace begged his brother holding Liam back from leaving.

    "We don''t need her, she does not love us," he made his little innocent brother see the truth of the life thaty ahead of them.

    Jace was too young to understand but Liam was not good at expressing his emotions in the right way to coax his brother which led to Jace struggling to return to the car.

    The woman closed the door and soon the car drove off leaving the two little boys on the road at night in the middle of nowhere. Jace cried beating his brother.

    "Why? We should not have gone down."

    "She sent us away. Do you want her to kill us? It was only right we left immediately. I will protect you."

    "Brother, don''t leave," Jace murmured in sleep. This plea waste because his brother was long gone and now tagged a traitor of his family.

    ***

    Rose sat down beside her sister who keptining that she was tired of staying at the hospital. "It has only been a day," she reminded Anna who seemed to have forgotten that she was brought to the hospital less than twenty-four hours ago.

    "Who cares, I just want to go back home. Staying in the here makes me feel like I have some serious mental illness because obviously, I am not physically ill," Anna said. She was willing to do almost anything to leave the hospital.

    "You are not mentally ill but physically ill. You stopped breathing when you fainted. I thought you were going to die. Mum only went out for a few minutes you can tell her," Rose advised her when she saw that look of difort on her sister''s face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

    "Did you see what was done to that girl?" Anna asked clinching her fist with her nails digging into the softness of her palm.

    "No, but I smelt blood," Rose replied sincerely.

    "The things they did to me, they did worse to her. The person was so inhuman to leave the poor girl naked. I had clothes on, right?" Anna asked as she hugged her knees.

    "Yes, you even had a nket wrapped around you," Rose replied from what she saw on the new only leaving out the fact that Anna was bleeding severely when she was found.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That does not make me feel better. It only confirms that whoever did it was someone that knows me and cares for me in his own psychopathic way. It puts me in more danger because I don''t know when the person wille for me. That is the reason I need to go back home. No one can hurt me at home, right?"

    "Yes." Rose stood up and sat beside Anna as her thoughts wandered far. She thought of who Anna''s kidnapper was and had a strong desire to get him and soon her train of thoughts drove her to her past life where she was brutally killed.

    She made up her mind to put an end to the life of any person that hurts an innocent person for his own animalistic desire. She decided to make it her first mission when she bes the queen to hunt down Anna''s kidnapper with the massivemunicationwork the royal family has.

    "How is she?" Valerie asked when she stepped into the room.

    Anna was sleeping after Rose persuaded her that nothing was going to hurt her in the hospital. "She wants to leave the hospital," Rose answered truthfully.

    "I will talk to the doctor immediately. When she wakes up, we will leave this ce," Valerie said sitting on the couch in therge VIP hospital room.

    ***

    Anna was back from the hospital for weeks she refused to leave the house or see anyone else. The fact that the person behind it was someone she knew scared her. Even if the person was from her past, she could not easily continue to rte with her friends although she trusted them all but her subconscious mind made her scared.

    "Anna, I aming in," Rose said after knocking on the door to Anna''s room for more than five minutes without getting an answer from inside.

    The fashion show was only a few days away and she needed her model to be ready. She also wanted Anna to stop hiding. Since she knew the culprit was not after her life and rather helped her avenge against a girl who badmouth her.

    "Stop trying to persuade me to leave. It is less scary in here," Anna said as soon as her sister opened the door and stepped into her room.

    "I am not here to persuade you. I want to hire you. You are my model and I need your service soon. I won''t force you to take the job but remember the payment," Rose told her sister on the couch in the living area while Anna stood outside in the balcony.

    "What will the payment be?" Anna asked her ck eyes shining with curiousity.

    "More dresses. I will also take care of your casual outfit. I will be your personal stylist in college," Rose seriously wished this will work.

    "I know more about my personal taste than you do," Anna answered not falling into her sister''s trap to take her out of the house.

    "It''s okay then," Rose said standing up with a slight pout. "I don''t need your help any longer. I will just ask Debby for help. Just lend me your birthday gift," Rose said truly giving up on asking her sister for help.

    She wanted to bergain since that was the only way she could ask for help since her rebirth. She wanted to give her sister something in return but since her sister was not interested in what she had to offer, she could no longer bergain with her sister. She had no intention to beg and she was not offended since she knew her sister was going through a serious mental turmoil over the incident that took ce weeks ago.

    "I will get going. I will check you outter. I have something to do," Rose headed to the door without wasting any time.

    "I won''t lend my birthday gift to anyone," Anna told her with a serious frown on her face. "No one wears my cloth out before me."

    "I will make a new dress for you," Rose replied calcting fast on what to use to bergain with Debby. Debby was just like Anna in many ways especially their choice of hairstyles, makeup and outfits. Other students were employing popr models to wear their clothes but she wanted Anna to wear the cloth since it was made specially for Anna.

    "I don''t want a new dress," Anna replied bent on acting spoilt with her sister.

    "Ok then," Rose said immediately and without pausing to look at her sister, she opened the door and walked out. She had to just wait for her good-natured sister''s guilty conscience to judge her well. When Anna gets beaten up by guilt, she will runing to disturb her sister and try to ask for her forgiveness.

    She went to her room nning to wait to ten minutes. If Anna does note looking for her, then Anna was really serious about remaining indoor. She could only hope as she sat cross-legged on her bed ncing at the clock almost as frequently as her eyes blink.

 Chapter 48 - About The Fashion Show

    Ten minutes of waiting and did note in to ept her offer. She sighed with a slight pout. She was disappointed but picked her smartphone and dialed Debby''s phone number. This show meant a lot to her. It was her first public leap.

    She knew she had a talent for fashion designing and her clothes will not lose face among the clothes otherpetitors made. Her mind was set on Anna wearing the dress since it was her birthday gift to her and Anna was easily persuaded so nothing was going to go wrong.

    However, Anna failed her. She could only me herself for not making an alternative good enough. She sighed again as the number kept dialing.

    "Hello," she said as soon as Debby responded.

    "Hey, why are you calling me all of a sudden?" Debby asked with a teasing tone since Rose has almost never called before. At least she could not remember an asion where Rose called her.

    "Did you hear about the fashion show the school is organizing?" she asked immediately without beating around the bush although hiding her impatience.

    "Yeah. My cousin is participating. I heard you are going to participate too," Debby answered.

    "Yeah but I need a model. I want you to do it," she told her straightforwardly hoping Debby epts her offer.

    "I can''t," her answer almost literally crushed Rose''s heart.

    "Why?" Rose asked hurriedly unable to hide her impatience any longer.

    "I don''t know anything about modelling. Ask your sister to help. She spent a lot time with your mum at her work ce. She knows more about fashion than I do. I could be your model''s make up artist though. Sorry," Debby replied truthfully.

    "Oh . . ." Rose''s shoulder slumped at she really wanted to scream out as loud as she can hoping it shakes the whole building but a thread of restraint held her back. "Thank you then," she said as she hung up as dropped her bed with her back.

    This was nearly the first step. She crushed and smashed the thought she had of it being her first leap. She was obviously unable to even crawl. She was the best art student from test, projects and thest midterm examination.

    Herpetitive spirit told her she was going great and could do better but he she was so unable to make it to the school she hoped to make it to in order to enter the pce. She really wanted to cry at this point but she shook off that thought.

    I was actually not over yet. She picked her phone which she had dropped beside her on the bed. She was disappointed with her poor nning skill that messed up what she had not even started. She was supposed to have a ready alternative but she was too busy cing her hope on a single person.

    She did not hate Rose for this but she was not happy about it either. It was all her fault. She built something but she did not make an escape route for herself. She had no money, she did not want her mother to interfere with this project.

    It had to be done solely by her effort and at this point she was angry with herself for being so na?ve. She had only five days to the show. The show was visited by a lot people to see what the new talents of the year would be.

    It was going to be aired live and the judges were five renowned fashion designers including her mother. They are so good that the best among them was definitely not going to be left unknown in the fashion industry.

    Her school took all their talent shows very important because it was a huge source of publicity as well as funds. Their talents in fashion designing were not to be looked down upon because someone has to be talented and smart to strive in the ss.

    That was the same thing for other talents. They were strict about bringing the best in their shows to keep their world known reputation going. All their students could make it to very good colleges after graduation. Their talent shows were a good enough debut for most of their students and some of them just simply dive into whatever they want to after that debut.

    She had considered moving right into the fashion designing world but she concluded it was best for her to go to college. She wanted to go to the college she always dreamt of attending in her past life. It was her dream college but she could not since she graduated from a no name high school somewhere in Y country and she had nothing to boast of her talent with.

    This was a better opportunity. She had could shine through this show. She was confident of her talent. It took her two years to study hard and few months of practical in school but she was still confident. Her teacher also told her she was going to do better than anyone else.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Getting a model was not hard since this show was also a debut for the models. Three world supermodels made their debut during the fashion show. It was a hope for a lot of people and a lot of them will be willing to do it for free since most of the other students were using professional models.

    Not using a professional model could turn out to be a disadvantage on her part but shecked money and she trust that Anna was not going to do bad. She decided to post a job offer on the school''s website. Most of the students in the school were rich and might not need money from her to do the job but she promised them a dress.

    And for those who might want the money, she was willing to pay but there was a very low possibility that any of them might ask for money. She decided to hypnotize herself with that thought since she no money to pay.

    The winner of thepetition leaves with an almost sure college admission, half a million dors, a high probability of find a fashion designing who is ready to train him or her as an apprentice, job after high without needing to go to college, and a poprity.

    This event and many other events organized makes a lot of students leave their countries just to attend the high school.

    A whileter, her phone made a ding sound indicate a new message. Someone was interested in the offer. ''Hi, I am a model, I have always wanted to appear in a fashion show. I only got to do a fewmercials but I really hope I will get to appear on a fashion show.''

    Rose sat up cross-legged on her bed ready to talk more with the girl to see if she was fit. She had to find someone the cloth would fit. The theme was ''night time date''.

    Her hand barely touched the keys on the screen of her smartphone when Anna ran into the room and grabbed the phone from Rose. She nced at the message with a frown and began typing something fast on the screen. She returned the phone back to Rose and kept frowning with her hands folded on her chest while Rose read the what she just typed and sent to the girl.

    "Thank you very much but I have found a model," Rose read out loud and looked at her sister waiting for an exnation.

    "Well, you have a model why are you trying to find someone else," Anna asked trying her best not to sound awkward.

    "My model quit. I need a new model," Rose answered sternly and began typing on the screen.

    "I said you have a model," Anna repeated her hands slowly unfolding and she sat on Rose''s.

    "This fashion show is important. I might not get the chance to do it again next year so . . ."

    "Rx I have it covered."

    Rose did not answer her but kept using her phone.

    "Fine, I am sorry."

    "You did nothing wrong. I found a new model. This girl have a good record and she is popr. You should know her in school. I see her frequently. She is perfect," Rose answered getting down from her bed. The girl had sent her picture to Rose and Rose was interested in the girl. With a little make-up, the girl will have a sharp wild beauty. The girl also had a little experience so, she was good enough.

    "I used to model when I was very young. I stopped because I felt it was a waste of time. Mum saw I didn''t like it so, she told me to stop. This girl have never walked on the runaway. I will do it," Anna said confident of her ability.

    "You are perhaps worse than her. She . . ."

    "There is no way she is better than me." Anna humped pouting her lower lips.

 Chapter 49 - Idea Changed

    "Persuade me," Rose said frowning as she folded her hand on her chest.

    "I took modelling sses when I was young," Anna began her persuasion with pride.

    " She has more recent job than you do."

    "I am prettier."

    "She has a nicer body."

    Rose answer made Anna annoyed as she threw her hand around Rose''s shoulder and pulled her neck with her elbow making sure not to hurt her sister.

    "Hey stop it," Rose said tapping on her sister''s elbow.

    "Promise to give me the job," Anna answered determined to keep her elbow where it was forgetting her sister was stronger..

    "No," Rose answered sharply removing her sister''s hand and threw her sister on the bed with her hands held behind. "Careful," Rose said patting her sister''s back gently and walked to her table in the living area.

    "Ouch. You are cruel," Annained. "You are annoyed right?"

    "No I am not. I think you should rest at home. I heard about a well known modelling agency. I will make a request. I don''t mind a newbie."

    "You are broke." Anna closed Rose''sptop and leaned on the study table. "You will never fight me back except we are on the mat. But you almost broke my hands."

    "Sorry. I needed to stop you so that I could find a model," Rose apologized immediately.

    "I sad I will do it. Now you are being cruel by ignoring me," Annained with a slight pout of her lower lips trying her best to look like a wronged puppy.

    "Fine. You have the job but I will beat you up really hard if you fail me," Rose warned sternly as she leaned back on her study chair.

    "Sister, have you ever thought of changing a few things around in this room? It looks too much of a little girl''s room than a beautiful teenager''s room," Anna suggested staring around her sister''s room that looked just too the same. Almost every time she gets an opportunity, she wants to change a few things around her room but Rose obviously did not care much.

    "It has only been two years. I might want to change a few things and reduce the pink in the room when I turn twenty," Rose answered bored by her sister''s never ending stream of questions.

    Anna suddenly pulled Rose up from her seat and hugged her tightly. "I am sorry and excited about thispetition. I will do my best," Anna promised sincerely.

    "Ok. Thanks you for helping too," Rose appreciated patting her sister''s back.

    "Stay close by to protect me if that bastard shows up."

    "Together, we will beat him and give his body to sharks," Rose suggested when they separated.

    "Great idea but that is not an elegant thing to say youngdy."

    The two smiled together.

    "Where I''d the dress? I want to see it again," Anna asked.

    "I took it back to school."

    "Why?!"

    " I only brought it home for you to try it out. It will be in school till the day of thepetition afterwards, you can leave with it."

    "Okay then."

    ***

    "I promised to do the make up for your model," Debby reminded Rose as she sat down beside Scott.

    "Oh . . . Could I trust your skill?" Rose asked unsure if Debby''s make up skill.

    "Yeah. You can. Why did you need to tell your sister about me?" Debby asked Anna a little offended.

    "Well, her family owns the biggest cosmeticpany in the world. One if her sister is a stic surgeon well known all over the world and the other is a popr make up artist. Her brother is the heir," Anna narrated.

    "Are you really a friend? You don''t know anything about me," Debby said obviously displeased.

    "Sorry I will try to know better about you guys," Rose apologized sincerely with a slight bow of her head to lighten the mood.

    "My family own a gamepany," Wayne said removing his reading sses and dropped it on the table with a yful proud smile. "My family also own a taxipany, although it is not the best in the country. Jace''s dad is ourpetitor."<novelnext></novelnext>

    " He also wears that sses for fun. He always said he wanted to look like a nerd that is why he wears but most people don''t know," Anna added.

    "Now you know," Debby added.

    "Wow, it actually looks good on you but to be frank, you look better without your reading sses," Rosemented when she noticed how bright his brown eyes were.

    "No you can''t change my mind but thanks for thepliment," Wayne appreciated with a slight blush on his face.

    "My family . . .," Jace began but stopped when he noticed Anna ring at him.

    "Don''t rub it on our face that your father happens to be the richest man in B country," she interrupted him. "You guys own almost every business in the world."

    "That''s a lie," Jace objected feeling bad.

    "My dad runs the entertainment world. He has a TV station and a lot of cinemas. You all know my mother," Anna said ignoring Jace''s wronged expression.

    "You are actually the person rubbing it off on my face," Jace told her with yful frown.

    "Anna is a narcissist don''t be too shocked. She has gotten better. In the past, she will not hesitate to tell you she is beautiful or something else about herself."

    "That is cute," Jace mumbled. "Well you all know what my family own. So, . . ."

    "I don''t know," Rose replied wanting to hear it all from Jace''s lips.

    "They own a securitypany," Anna answered before Jace could part his lips to talk.

    "They own a taxipany," Wayne added immediately.

    "They own buildings andnds everywhere," it was Debby''s turn to speak.

    "There is nothing more," Jace lied to make them stop it with a smile.

    They all looked at his flushed face and beganughing together at him.

    ***

    Rose friends supported her in every way as she prepared for her show. The show began in the evening and everything went well with the fashion show each models did well and ten of the designers out of twenty of them got eliminated.

    But the host suddenly brought up something. Valerie was shocked to see Anna walk on the runway again after so many years in a dress that spoke of how excellent it''s maker''s talent was. The dresses got a stand up ovation from most of the audience.

    When the ten remaining designers assembled, a lot of the people in the audience were shocked by the resemnce between Rose and Valerie. Valerie felt it was going to be a bad thing for both Rose and herself if people begin talking about how she might have helped the girl win since the judges and everyone else was please with the job.

    Her worries was lifted when ain got to the host and someone requested for the show to be repeated. They wanted each designer to cut and saw the clothes right before the whole world with cameras all around the room to be used.

    Valerie trusted that Rose did not cheat so she was not worried in any way. The judges were given the right to decide if the show takes that direction even after they decided who the winner was.

    Rose rubbed her fingers against each other behind her back. She could feel sweat run down her back as she heard the announcement. The judges agreedpletely and host asked the participants for their opinion and they agreed including Rose.

    They were just beginners but they were given a short time to cut the materials provided in the room and sew it. The host asked for a new designer and so, Rose stood at her table in their work room and immediately designed a new dress. They wanted a cloth made with the original theme.

    Anna was her model and she had to look good in the cloth. Remembering all she needed to remember about Anna, she sketched a new dress.

    The nced at the clock on the wall and began cutting the fabric.

    ***

    "Will she be able to do it?" Wayne asked worriedly as he watched the screen with his friends.

    "Yes, don''t jinx it all," Debby answered.

    "I heard it was all nned from the beginning," Anna said as her legs shook nervously.

    "Yeah I think so too," Debby agreed whole heatedly. "When I stepped in here and saw the screen I was wondering what it was meant for but they actually put it here for this."

    "I pray they don''t do this during the music talent show," Wayne said rubbing his hands together as though praying hard for life.

    "I wonder how they can do this during the music talent show it does not make sense," Debby argued with him as she felt really nervous for her friend and wanted to find something to ease it.

    Wayne sensed that a quickly raised his hands up admitting defeat or she might really go on.

 Chapter 50 - Encouragements

    "I will have to walk again. I will but I really don''t want to," Annained. She thought it was all over at first but it seemed they wanted her to appear again.

    "You are very beautiful. That should not be a problem. Your confidence is good enough and beside Rose is your sister," Debby said rubbing her friend''s back obviously her friend was nervous.

    They spent a few minutes encouraging her before the show began or Anna would have backed out. Wayne got up and sat down on the arm of the chair his friend sat on. He ced his hand on her shoulder. Rose did more of the persuasion earlier but since Rose was busy, he decided to step in.

    "I have . .. .I don''t think I can do it," Anna said standing up.

    "Hey, you should not back out," Jace said standing up too and walked over to his friend and crush.

    "I . . .," Anna began.

    "You can do it," Debby interrupted. "Rose will fail if you back out."

    "Hey, Rose is trying hard and you are trying to run away. If you do it well, you will make your mother proud. Your mother will be proud of you. If you don''t want to do it for yourself, do it for Rose," Jace tried to persuade her.

    "Fine, I guess Rose have stolen all my friends," she murmured with a nervous smile.

    "No, we stole her from you," Wayne answered with his bright boyish smile lifting the corners of his lips. He pulled her into his embrace and rubbed her back encouragingly. "I will be watching you so make sure you do your best."

    "Enough! I want to hug her too," Debby said pulling his friend away yfully. She nced at Jace whose expression was not too good.

    "Okay." Wayne pulled away without hesitating when he saw the jealous look on Jace''s face. It was pity that he was used to hugging his childhood friend and it only got worse because Anna was away for over two years and his other friend left shortly after Anna did.

    Jace gulped as he tried to calm his raging heart. Soon, he will leave too but Anna was still far from him. He was not even as close to her as her friends were and it hurts. Wayne was not restrained in behavior with Anna although he was a little restrained with Debby.

    He could only guess that was the difference between a childhood friend, a best friend and a friend. He remained seated as he watched his friends encourage his crush while he felt he was more of a failure in going after a girl than his brother was.

    He moved his attention to his brother''s crush on the screen. She was the girl his brother left home for and abandoned him. He could only conclude that his brother who was willing to do anything for the woman he loved was not a failure at all.

    Rose was doing very well and soon all the friends had their attention on the screen each hoping and praying in their heart that their friend wins the prize.

    "Excuse me. I will be right back?" Jace said standing up.

    "Where are you going to?" Anna asked impulsely with an obvious hint of anxiety. She immediately regretted it when she noticed everyone in the room staring at her surprised.

    "I am going out to . . . to the rest room," Jace replied shocked by the sudden question from his crush and he could not hide the blush that slowly crawled up to his face. He immediately walked out of the room to hide his flushed face.

    "Oh," Anna said awkwardly. She nced at her friend who was wriggling her brow teasingly and immediately dropped her eyes to her fingers biting her lower lips.

    Jace stepped out of the building into the night. He really needed to leave because he was not having a good time remembering his brother. The feeling of getting abandoned was something his brother knows very well. He hated that feeling. It was enough that their father adopted them.

    Perhaps it was a mistake they got to meet Rose. Rose changed their lives. Rose is behind almost every thing and he hated that fact. She stole his brother, she is a princess his family supportedpletely and she was his crush''s sister.

    A figure stood a few steps away from him. He noticed the man wearing ck jeans, a ck hood along with the cap and a ck face mask. The build was so familiar but he could not figure out who it was. He walked to person fearless fully aware his guards were hidden all over and over watching him.

    "Who are you?" he asked as he got closer.

    "Go to hell," the person said and hugged him. He felt a sharp pain in his abdomen that came along with the warm feeling of the person against him. "This just a warning."

    "Shit," Jace hissed when the sharp pain intensified and the person moved away from the embrace and ran away. The only thing he could think of at that moment was to call his brother. He dialled his brother''s number immediately after his body fell to the floor to weak to keep standing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He could not remember what he said to his brother and he was slowly losing his consciousness. He did not have the luxury to look around for his guards and Scott. Whoever nned this must have kept them all away. No one else but his brother came to his mind.

    "Jace!" Liam called out holding his brother in his arms using his hand to put pressure on the bleeding injury.

    "Brother, you came back for me," Jace said as he began feeling dizzy. It was really a gamble,his brother who abandoned him for a girl returned for him. He used is life to gamble. If his brother did note for him, he might have lost her life.

    "Shhh . . . My car is away from here. I will call Charles," he said trying his best to remain calm. His brother was bleeding slowly to death.

    "Brother you still love me right?" Jace asked holding his brother''s hand.

    "Shh. I love you."

    "More than Rose?"

    "Yes," Liam answered immediately. Jace released his hand and he dialled Charlie''s number.

    ***

    "Congrattions," Rose''s friends chorused as they threw their hands around Rose and hugged her till they were all hugging her at once.

    "Oh God, I''m suffocating," Rose had to cry out when Anna who hugged her first was squeezing the life out of her.

    "Thank you," Rose appreciated sincerely taking the bouquet of red roses Wayne gave her.

    "You are wee. I knew you will win. My beautiful friend over here was brighter than a star on the runway. How many people tried to scout you?" Wayne asked his friend.

    "Three," Anna answered with a proud smile.

    "Where is Jace?" Wayne asked checking around when he noticed his friend was missing.

    "I don''t know. Where is Scott?" Debby asked staring around.

    "I don''t know."

    They found it weird but they did not suspect what had really happened. There was going to be an interview afterwards.

    Rose felt happy although a little nervous and scared. The number of daggers that will be pointed at her from this moment won''t be a joke and she might not survive it but she had to start somewhere.

    Valerie kept talking about how she did not know Rose was talented and Rose was left speechless. "You are going to work for me, right?" Valerie asked.

    "I am going to college," Rose answered immediately without a second thought. Working for her mother was a very good idea but her target was the pce.

    "Yeah. When you graduate, there will be a job waiting for you," Valerie told her as she did notwant Rose to work some where else. She could not help but admire her daughter''s talent. Rose had a bright future ahead of her and she wanted to help her daughter be the best. Rose was the heir she always dreamt of having in Anna.

    She made Anna be a model when she was young introducing her to the fashion designing world but Anna was never interested but she found a talent designer in her second daughter. It was something she wanted to celebrate so badly.

    Anna was happy. She had always felt guilty towards her mother for not having the talent she needed to survive and do well in the fashion world. She tried over and over designing clothes to help her mother but none of those clothes were good enough. At least Rose was saving her from that feeling of guilt.

    Rose knew what was going on her foster mother''s mind and she did not disappoint her. There was no harm in working with her mother while she worked with the royal family. She could learn more and have a good experience until she is ready to open her ownpany.

 Chapter 51 - Fearless Not Stupid

    "This girl," a woman said in disbelief staring at the TV screen in her room and signed.

    "She is fearless," the man sitting beside hermented.

    "Fearless but not stupid. She has a bright future ahead with that talent and I am sure a lot of people will want her to work for them. She knows who she is and what she wants. She is definitely nning something."

    "Isn''t that foolish? A lot people will hunt her life," the man said shaking his head in pity.

    "Last time you told her family is under the protection of the Hart family. I don''t think it will be easy to hurt her."

    "During the event two days ago, the second son of the Hart family got stabbed.. They hid it well from everybody but I got to know," the man narrated. "They will have too much trouble to take care of that they won''t notice when the girl dies."

    "Do know who did it?" the woman asked curiously.

    "I can guess but I don''t know. They have too many peopleing after them. It could be anyone," the man answered truthfully.

    "Who could it be?"

    "Your sister''s son or one of the boy''s friends," the man answered confidently.

    "Why will my sister''s son go after the Hart family?" the woman asked confused.

    "Too many reasons but he is a psychopath and half of the time, they don''t have reasons behind their killing," the man answered.

    The woman leaned on the backrest of the chair weakly and closed her. "I don''t need to tell my sister anymore. She will find out on her own. I want you to stir the minds of people far from the fact that she could be thete princess. Stir the gossip towards the fact that she could be Valerie''s daughter out of wedlock," the woman ordered with a small smile across her lips.

    "Okay I will take care of that," the man answered standing up.

    "Do it well. The fact that she is the princess should not be mentioned in anyway. No one should even suspect it at all. She is the ticket to my survival . . . No our survival."

    "I will do that right away," the man answered before adjusting the nket she used to cover her leg and left the room.

    ***

    Liam sat beside his unconscious brother and reached to rub his brother''s head gently. He felt really guilty but he tried not let it show as he prayed silently that his younger brother will wake up.

    It has been two weeks since Jace got stabbed and he was unconscious after the surgery he had to undergo. His father was angry and disappointed with him for leaving home but let him stay with Jace because Jace will need him close by.

    He spent the first week searching for the culprit but the culprit seemed to have disappeared out of the face of the Earth. He had not given up and still searched along with his three subordinates.

    "Boss," Charlie said walking into the room. He stopped and looked his boss sadly. This incident affected his boss in everyway possible. The boss who was always calm still looked calm but the sadness and guilt could not be hidden in his eyes.

    "Did you find him?" Liam asked without lifting his head to look at his friend.

    "Yes we did but he shot himself immediately. We could not get a thing from him," Charlie replied bowing his head in shame.

    "Okay," Liam answered still wearing the calm countenance. He pulled his hand from his brother''s forehead and stood up. "We will leave tomorrow," Liam told Charlie and walked to the window.

    Charlie could not help but scratch his head rumpling his already rumpled brown hair that looked like lion fur in confusion. He thought his boss will try to stay longer with his brother.

    "Boss. I think . . .," Charlie started but stopped midway unwilling to offend his friend.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We leave before lunch time tomorrow," Liam told his friend still staring out of the ss window at the view below and ahead. He did nothing to enough time to spend with his brother and he regretted that fact but it was not in his power to decide. He had only two years before those royalspletely take away what belongs to the true Queen and kill her afterwards.

    If anyone will understand him, it should be his brother who witnessed what took his life from him. He could not live for himself. It was also for his selfish interest but the whole kingdom will be saved by him.

    His reward was also important because he could have the woman he loves by doing that good deed. It was dangerous but he was willing. His life was not his after all. He will never be with Rose if he remains with the Hart family. Even if he might not be with her forever, he was still wiling. Life was short for him and he wanted to live it doing the best he could for the princess and with the princess.

    He walked back to Jace''s bed and sighed. "I am sorry," he apologized and walked out of the room.

    Jace who was unconscious twitched his fingers as though using his whole strength to reach for his brother.

    ***

    "Hey, Miss Fashion Designer," Anna said sitting beside her sister on the couch in her room while Rose was watching the TV with the rey of the show she participated in.

    "I did not realize you were this pretty," Rose teased her sister when her sister appeared on the screen walking.

    "I have always been pretty," Anna said with pride.

    "I meant the dress," Rose answered with obvious sarcasm as she tried her beat not tough out.

    "Good for you," Anna said and scoffed ring at her sister. "I made it more beautiful for you."

    "Yeah you did," Rose answered sincerely the sarcasmpletely gone. If it was not Anna wearing the dress perhaps she would not have been as impressed as she was.

    "Be my model. You will get to wear all my best clothes on the runway. I want you to do it for me. You are my muse," Rose suggested her sister.

    "That is so much of apliment Mis Rose but I don''t want to be a model. I quit long ago and I don''t have any intention of going back. I did it in the past because of mum. She started making children clothes a year after my adoption. She never made kids clothes but when she did it for me, I had to wear them a yearter.

    "I was so scared. Then, I had a serious case of stage fright. There was a time I was asked to sing in the orphanage during an event, I could not. I ran away from the stage in fear. I took modelling sses and it helped me when I was adopted. I hated the sound and lights of cameras.

    "I got used to it but it took a while to get used to it. I did it for mum. I wanted her to be proud of me and she was very proud. I also got to understand as I grew up that I was going to be a center of attention all my life as her daughter.

    "I am d you can. We could share the attention now," Anna narrated andughed.

    "Yeah I guess but you will be a model for me so that we could really share the attention with me. I intend to go a long way in fashion and you have toe with me," Rose pleaded acting scared of being alone. "I am not use to the attention."

    "I think you are doing good enough. During the interviews and the whole ceremony you were not scared. You had your confidence showing. Do you remember your vote of thanks? I was impressed."

    "Don''t be. Do you know how long I practiced that speech? Every time I get to work, I repeated it over and over. I wanted to win so badly. I remembered having to destroy some of my work because they were not good of enough. Every time I made a mistake, I went back to the speech and read it. It was my motivation. How could I forget it?"

    Anna stood up pping with nodding her head impressed beforeughing softly. "Wow, I guess I should interview you for my new video for my new channel. This speech will be used to encourage new fashion designers," she said and sat down wriggling her brow. "Should I bring my camera?"

    "When did you buy a camera?" Rose had to ask.

    "Three days ago," Anna replied as she stood up again. "Mum invited the teacher that saved my life for dinner," Anna said as she walked into her closet.

    "Oh. I don''t know him," Rose said remembering that when she saw the teacher in school, she felt he looked familiar but she could not remember where she knew him from. Who could he be?

 Chapter 52 - Temporary Teacher

    Staring at the young man before her, she could easily remember why she felt he looked so familiar. He reminded her very much of a man she knew all her life before her mother died.

    Remembering it was rude to stare, she dropped her gaze from his head but stole asional nces at him. He had ck eyes and ck hair with a professional style that made him look both stylish and smart. His thin lips, slim high bridge nose and tall height were what she felt looked the same to the person.

    Anna tapped Roseps under the table and gave her a questioning look but Rose shook her head slightly and kept eating. There was something she also felt in the presence of this teacher but she could not pin point what it was. His voice was gentle and mumusical.

    With every word he said, she felt chill run down her spine and back to her chest. Her chest felt stuffy and her heart began beating fast. She noticed Rose staring at him the way she did and she knew there had to be something wrong.

    .

    The man noticed the exchange between the two girls and a slight smirk lifted a corner of his lips and a sharp mischievous glint shed in his eyes before he dropped his gaze down to the te of desert before him.

    That did not escape Rose''s nce and she could not but shiver slightly from the thoughts she imagined that could have made him smirk in such manner but none of her imaginations made no sense. There was no way their teacher liked Anna right?

    She nced at Anna shortly and noticed something but she shook it off. The man looked . . .

    It was her duty as an elder sister to protect her sister from every hungry wolf. She did not hide to stare. This time she met his gaze and kept staring without breaking eye contact until her mother cleared her throat.

    She nced at Valerie who was hinting that she should drop her gaze. Rose smiled slightly exuding as much elegance and moved her gaze to the dessert in her dessert spoon but returned her gaze to the young man when the dessert was less than half centimeter close her lips.

    He was still staring her and she kept her eyes locked on his ck eyes as she ate her dessert. Valerie could not hold back a sigh as she watched her elder daughter re at a teacher from her school. She wasa mother that believed that children should be well behaved and get do well academically.

    She doesn''t support unruly behaviors especially being disrespectful to a teacher being a teacher her self. She met Anna''s gaze and moved it to Rose who always seemed to be the calmest who was now boring holes into her teacher with her eyes. When Anna followed her gaze, she moved her gaze from them.

    Anna immediately tapped her sister under the table. She frowned when Rose met her gaze. She leaned close to Rose, "let us talk after dinner," she whispered to her sister hoping her very obedient sister stops ring at a teacher from their school.

    "Thank you for saving my daughter''s life," Valerie said after dinner. She had thought it over and over again but she could note up with the right gift to give the man who saved her daughter''s life. Anna could have died but his little effort sced her daughter''s life. If he had not done what he did, she would have lost yet another child.

    "You are wee. I only did it out if instincts," he answered his head bowed humbly.

    Valerie smiled and nodded.

    "I heard you are a doctor in mathematics," Justin said standing beside his wife with his hands wrapping around her back

    "Yes, I only became a doctor few months ago," the young man answered with a shy smile.

    As Rose watched from the side, she could not help but feel the man''s humility did not fit his appearance. He was definitely a genius but he was not as poor or as na?ve as he tried to appear as with that humility he wore.

    As she watched him, she concluded it was only because he was a doctor at his young age. She felt he deserved that pride any way. Perhaps since her parents were of higher status than him, he tried to be as humble as he could be.

    "I hope you be a permanent teacher. Men of great potential like you should be epted immediately. Our kids need more geniuses to help them," Justin said as he watched the man closely. The more he looked, the more he felt this young man looked familiar.

    "Some of the teachers are professors and their experiences are priceless. The teachers are really trying hard. I can assure you that your kids will be taught well. I graduated from the school and they helped me. They will definitely make your daughters the best they can be," the man said still maintaining that humble fa?ade.

    "Yes, I know that. Rose was taught well and she made my wife and I am proud of her," Justin immediately boasted about his eldest daughter.

    "I heard she broke a record. I also saw her on the inte and I think she is better than anyone else," the teacher agreed immediately as his gaze moved to Rose. Rose was a very interesting girl and she was also a genius. She was definitely going to survive and make a name for herself in the fashion world.

    He moved his gaze Anna shortly before returning it to the couple before him. The girl, Rose looked so much like thete Queen and her countenance was fit to be a royal perhaps even the princess.<novelnext></novelnext>

    His eyes shone with excitement, he was actually loving the way things were turning out to be. He had to find a way to get really close to their family and find out all he can. He knew the kids mother was thete Queen''s cousin.

    The Queen and their mother looked do a like that people called them twin. Could it also be that Rose was Valerie''s daughter? His eyes immediately lost the excitement it once had. He thought it was going to be fun but there was no fun in digging out the dirty secret of someone''s family.

    A little closer to the family and he will be able to confirm if Rose was Valerie''s daughter or the princess. If she was the princess, he mentally rubbed his hands together in excitement.

    "Why do I feel this man is weird?"Anna asked stealing nces at the man.

    "I think so too." Rose nodded thoughtfully. Should she tell her sister what she thinks?

    "You were also behaving weird during dinner, what''s wrong with you?"

    "I just think he looks familiar."

    "Same here, I think I know him very well."

    "He looks at you in a weird way too."

    "You also looked at him in a weird way too."

    "He took your first kiss," Rose whispered teasingly.

    Anna dropped her head in embarrassment before beating Rose''s hand yfully. "He saved my life," she argued. She raised her head slightly and stared at the young man who was good looking. He had ck eyes like her and she could not help but smile at that but his voice . . .

    "I have to call Wayne and Debby toe over for lunch tomorrow. I also want to go through my assignment with Wayne," Anna excused herself and walked out.

    "What about Jace?" Rose asked remembering that funny guy had been missing for almost a three weeks.

    "I don''t know. I think it''s some family issue. He sent a text on the night he left. He said he had something to take care of," Anna replied with a sadden expression. She pouted her lips slightly with her brow furrowed. Did she miss him?

    She shuddered at that thought. There is no way she miss him right?

    "How about we check on him with Debby and Wayne tomorrow? Perhaps we will get to hear it from him directly," Rose suggested to take the frown off her sister''s face.

    Anna''s eyes brightened and she smiled. "Great idea! No . . . I mean good idea," she agreed without a second thought.

    "I have an interview after lunch time tomorrow for a youth fashion magazine," Rose reminded her sister.

    "Yeah that''s right but I told you the magazine is not popr enough," Anna disagreed.

    "I''m not asking for your permission. I only want to tell you we have to go to see Jace before lunch time so tell Wayne and Debby," Rose answered.

    "Cruel," Annamented with a slightly pout. She shook her head slightly and wore a teasing smile. "You want to check on Jace so you could see his brother, right? We can go before breakfast if you are so much in a hurry. Hmph."

    Rose face turned a light shade of pink. She opened her mouth to talk but she closed it at the end of the day as she red at her sister.

 Chapter 53 - Ex-Crush

    Rose face turned a light shade of pink. She opened her mouth to talk but she closed it at the end of the day as she red at her sister. That was really not what was on her mind.

    She truly hard a crush on the young man but it was just a crush she had no reason to keep thinking about someone who probably does not know about her existence. She felt too busy to dwell on unnecessary things and issue.

    "A crush neverst for long," she finally said something with a frown. The pink tint on her skin disappeared long ago now reced by an indifferent attitude.

    "Oh," Anna said after pausing for a while watching her sister. It was good to know. She was d her sister did not dwell on the crush she had on the man.

    "I have never even seen him before," Rose said shaking her head.. "He doesn''t matter."

    "Yeah right. You only saw his picture on the inte. Oh I''m happy."

    "Why?"

    "I saw him in a restaurant and he is definitely not your type of guy. He looks like he could crush anyone with his aura. I was so scared I ran away," Anna narrated and shuddered at the memory.

    "Oh. That is definitely not my type," Rose immediately agreed with a nod.

    The teacher spoke with the couple for a while before leaving. Rose and her sister could finally release a breath of relief the both felt something weird about the teacher but they could identify what it was.

    The couple also had the same feeling about the man they invited for dinner with their family to appreciate his life-saving intervention but just like their daughters, the could not find what it was.

    Justin shook his head thoughtfully as he headed towards the elevator with his wife and Valerie squinted with a slight tilt of her head but shook her head. It could not be, right? He could not be the one, right? Perhaps it was just a random resemnce. Or at least she hoped so.

    ***

    "I saw your text. Do you think it is possible for us to get into the Hart''s family home easily?" Wayne asked.

    "Yes. My father is Mr. Hart''s friend," Anna answered confidently.

    "Oh," Wayne ohhed in a dramatic manner shaking his head. "I want to see Jace but just as it is hard to get in to the pce like visiting a friend, it is hard to get into the Hart''s home," Wayne said unwilling to take the risk.

    "Jace is our friend right?" Rose had to ask when she saw them all hesitating.

    "Yes he is our friend and we should visit him," Debby answered although visibly hesitating but she wanted to see Scott through Jace.

    "So, we are going," Anna agreed too.

    As though the Harts were expecting their visit, they were weed warmly by the head of the family. The four friends were nervous before this man who had very intimidating aura.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Anna fiddled with her fingers, Wayne gripped the fabric of his trouser tightly through the pocket, Debby tightly held her lips and right her best to minimize the frequent slight movements she made with her feet. Rose who knew this man before her knew she was the princess gulped as a lump formed in her throat.

    She wore a confident appearance maintaining her elegance as best as she could. She met his eyes fearlessly although she was scared. He knew her secret and could kill her in his living room or anywhere else and Bry her body and no one will be aware of her death. No body will know a princess was killed.

    Her palm began sweating. The man''s brown eyes squinted but he soon raised his eyebrows are her. She nced at around her friends and nodded her head. With every good deed she believe the doer wanted something in return.

    What did he possibly want from helping her. If he tells her what he wants and it is in his power to do so, she will give to him but if he asked her for nothing, she won''t be able to trust him.

    "Jace told me a lot about you all," Damon began when when Rose nodded at him.

    The teenagers noddedughing nervously.

    "Jace have not been to school for a while now and he have not been answering out texts," Anna said when the atmosphere became awkward with Mr. Hart staring at them and they sat down quietly with nervous smiles on their faces.

    "Oh, he is not feeling fine. He went away for while to recover," Damon had to lie. It was no need in the underground world that the heir of the Hart family was now a traitor so automatically, Jace was the new heir and it will be bad for the underground world to find out about Jace''s state.

    "Is it very bad?" Anna asked with concern when she heard him.

    "No, he intends to continue studying there. He might be away for a while," Damon replied when he moved his attention to Anna from Rose and he could easily notice that the girl was growing to look more and more like her biological father. She also had slight resemnce to her biological mother.

    "How long?" Anna asked with a hint of anxiety.

    "Perhaps two years," Damon answered hoping his son wakes up before the two years is over. It was just the right time for him to return go for the retreat of the heirs.

    "Oh that''s long," Anna murmured looking down at her fingers.

    "I think we should get going then," Wayne said standing up. "We are sorry for showing up without prior notice. I hope Jace gets well soon."

    "Yeah. I hope so too," Mr. Hart answered with a sad smile that none except Rose noticed because they all had their heads down.

    Rose knew Jace''s illness was more than Mr. Hart showed them and she hoped Jace gets better soon. She wanted to see that lovely boy.

    She sighed when they got to the door. It was time to leave. Wayne held her wrist and pulled her away from the door and the Liam passed by.

    She could not help but inhale deeply.

 Chapter 54 - Finding The Scent

    There was a soft appeasing male scent that flooded through her nose. It was too familiar but the fact that she was entranced by the very handsome man. It seemed time slowed almost stoping taking almost forever for him to pass by her.

    He was the most beautiful being she had ever seen like a guardian angel. The white shirt he wore did not do a good job of hiding the muscles he had under it. He was tall she had to raise her head to see his ck hair. His thin lips and high-bridged slim nose. She gulped at the sight as her heart began a drumline contest in her chest.

    She could literally hear her heart beat. She took note of him and him alone. Everything else seemed to have lost there presence around her at that moment. He exuded a domineering cold aura that made her feel weak in her legs and thousands of butterfly threatened to invade her stomach.

    .

    How could a human be so magnificent? How could a human be so beautiful? At this point, she was tempted to ask him if he was really human. She wanted to reach out for his hand and stop him from going to that soft almost non-existing scent stays with her.

    A hand on her wrist pulled her back to reality and she turned to see Anna looking at her. "That guy scares the hell out of me," Anna whispered as low as she could when she could not stop the feeling of fear like a prey caught for ughter in the presence of the Hart family heir and immediately turned to her sister for rescue.

    Rose turned to the direction where the young man was leaving in a car ringser lights at him for scaring her sister and having the effect he had in her. She hated that fact. She turned to Wayne who held her wrist and frowned.

    Why should she, a princess although lost and totally powerless feel intimidated in a stranger''s presence. The guy gave her a weird beautiful feeling although she did not want to acknowledge it. His scent made her want to sleep, it felt like a sleeping pill.

    "Lets us go," she pulling her sister''s wrist towards their car she said when she remembered where she inhaled that scent.

    A pair of grey cold eyes watched Rose disregard his presence and walked away. He squinted but remained calm. He knew she will not recognize him but he also wanted to her to look to him at least meet his gaze before going running off in the manner she did.

    His grey cold eyes got colder when he remembered the hand that pulled her away from his part belonged to a boy. She felt a strong urge to clean his handprint off her beautiful delicate wrist and leave his own prints.

    Rose ran into her room as soon as she arrived back home and picked one of her pillows putting it close to her nose but it smelt of Rose from her and theundry agents used to wash it.

    She dropped the first pillow and picked another but to her disappointment it smelt just like the first. She noticed the bedsheets as well as the pillow cases had been changed twice. She ran to her closet and opened the wardrobe where her beddings are kept and pulled out the bedding but the one which was there that night was gone.

    "Oh goodness. Why?" She asked rubbing her face. Without the old bedding which she could only guess has been abandoned and reced with a new one by Joyce, she could not rectify it.

    She paused and stared at the wardrobe she scattered just now and frowned. What the he*l is wrong with me? She had to ask herself since she can not remember thest time she lost her cool in such manner.

    She returned to her room and sat on the bed running her hand through her long hair. It has been a very troubling experience. She suddenly wished she did not go to check on Jace at all. She ended up agreeing to meet with Mr. Hart with the nod of her head so that he will answer them about their friend.

    She met a stranger who had a strange pleasant effect on her. She also found it strange that Anna felt he was hostile to her. She got up and rearranged everything she scattered in her room in search of the familiar scent also scolding herself for suspecting that guy''s scent will find itself into her room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She went in search of her sister who was doing a group assignment with Wayne who was her ss mate. The two if them were in the library working seriously. "Anna please excuse me for a moment," she called out when she got to the table with wires and some electronic stuff on it.

    "Sure," Anna answered immediately and went to Rose wondering what could be the reason Rose looked so serious. "I will be right back," she told her group member and went out of the library with her sister.

    "Ok," Wayne replied with his head still bent as he continued working their assignment.

    "Why do you think Jace''s brother was hostile to you?" She asked when they sat down in the living room.

    "I don''t know but that was the same way it felt like the first time I met him. Why do you ask?" Anna asked worried he was also hostile to her sister.

    "I just wanted to find out if you did anything to offend him. I think he hostile to everyone but for you to feel singled out by his hostility, it think that''s odd."

    "No, it''s not. That guy is a very cold heartless person he makes people so scared just from his gaze so, you were not singled out," Debby said walking into the living room with a te of strawberry cake. "Do you want some?" She asked making herselffortable on a sofa.

    "Yeah. I think I do," Anna said taking a slice immediately.

    "Liam is now a traitor of the Hart family. I heard my father talk about it. My father also said he is starting his own empire because he wants to break one of their family rules. I think that''s why Jace went away. They always go away for two years for a training," Jace said leaning against the doorway into the living room.

    "Why will he betray his own family over a rule?" Debby asked shaking her head in disbelief.

    "A few people say it is over a girl or something but most people believe he wants to be a real mafia boss but his family''s rules wants him to be subject to the throne. He is breaking free to creat e his own empire," Wayne continued his narration." Give me a slice of cake," he said reaching towards Debby for a slice of cake when he sat on the arm of the chair.

    "So, Jace went away without letting us know. That traitor," Annained over the only thing she heard from all Wayne''s narration.

    "Rose I heard you have an interview today. Shouldn''t you . . .?" Debby began reminding her friend.

    "Oh! I forgot. Thanks by the way," Rose interrupted and hurried into the elevator. They must have been trying to get to her on her smartphone but her phone was in her room.

 Chapter 55 - Offered Help

    After wearing a dress that did a good job of showing her elegance, she went to the caf¨¦ she chose as the venue for the interview. It was a short interview since this was just the beginning of her game and she got a small space in a popr fashion magazine for teens. When she was done, Mr. Hart sent her the address of the ce he wanted to meet her.

    As soon as she arrived, she was led to the seventh floor of the building by his body guards.

    They both sat opposite each other in the private room of a well-known five star restaurant with Mr. Hart she could not help but feel ufortable. She remained calm on the outside while her heart was beating fast.

    "Why do you want to help me?" She asked first. There had to be a reason behind this attempt to help her when he knew nothing about her.

    "I want to help you because you are the princess," Mr.. Hart replied easily as he watched her closely. He could not help but smile seeing the very close resemnce she had to her mother.

    At the mention of her real identity, Rose began scolding herself foring out alone to see him. He could kill her and no one will know about about it. She did not trust him but she chose toe because she had agreed to with the nod she gave him earlier.

    She wished she could run away but it was toote. If he wanted her dead at any moment, she will die right away although she swore to put up a fight to defend herself for as long as she could and perhaps the angel that came for her in her dying minutes in her past life, wille for her while she was still alive.

    She nced at the appetizing dishes on the table before her but did not move to eat any of them. Thest thing she wanted was to get drugged.

    Mr. Hart knew very well that the princess did not trust him at all but the fact she was willing to talk to him, made him very pleased.

    "I need some other reason," she said looking into his eyes fearlessly despite the fear that gripped her heart. If she wanted to take over the throne, she had to be ready and fearless enough to face anyone.

    "That is the only reason. My family have worked for the royal family for generations and it is only reasonable that we continue our job with you," he replied his deep voice filling therge room.

    "What do you want in return for your help?" she asked not believing a word of what he said earlier.

    "I don''t want anything, your highness," he answered immediately bowing his head respectfully. "It is a duty bestowed upon me as the head of my family."

    "No. Either duty or not everyone wants something in return for their goodwill," she murmured remembering how she died all alone in her past life. Where was he when she was dying? The people who abandoned her and her mother now wanted to help her iming they want to do it as a duty. She could not find any lie as despicable as that.

    She had never seen it anywhere that the Hart family worked for the royal family they even called them one of the royal family''s greatest enemy.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Since I can''t get a tangible reason from you, I guess I will just leave," she said watching him closely as she stood up expecting and ready for any attack.

    "You have made yourself known to the whole world," he said when she stood up with her purse.

    "No I did not. I am just a fashion designer," she refuted immediately.

    "They wille for you soon and you will have no shield protecting you," he continued not wanting her to leave.

    "Take the bullet they shoot at me and proof you really want to help me then," she answered hoping that ends their discussion.

    Mr. Hart chuckled at that ''like mother like daughter''. The princess was just like her mother thete queen. She could sound ruthless when she wanted and nice when she wanted to. "Rx Your highness. There are many things I have to show and give to you. The things that right fully belong to you and you alone can get ess to it. Those things will make your journey to the throne easier," he told her hoping to make her ept.

    Smiling despite the heightened fear she felt at that revtion, she answered, "I will think about it and contact you. Give me sometime." She walked out of the room and sighed outside the door in relief.

    During her journey back home, sheid all her cards on the table. What she had and what she did not have, she went through them all. She almost had nothing significant except for her life, her talent and the opportunities she got by being a member of the Whitfred family.

    She remembered the reason Mr. Hart gave her and it scared her more. What if he wanted to help her to get those things he said only she had had the ess to them?

    If he wanted to kill he due to her identity, he had the power to do so more than a hundred times over but he kept her alive. She imagined arge safe with a lot of gold locked up in it and she is the only person who could open it. If that was the reason, then she was better for him alive than dead.

    The moment she gets what he wants, he will kill her but she could still not answer the question which was why she had not faced such opportunity to get the throne so easily in her past life. In her past life she died when she was almost neen but right now, she was sixteen and she was offered help.

    She wanted so badly to ask Mr. Hart but it will the biggest surprise of her life if he knew the answer to that question.

    As she sat on her bed with a worried and confused expression, she concluded that she will try it on her own first since she could not trust anyone until she was sure she could trust him or she found somebody else.

    She was very much unsure of her decision to ignore his help but she sealed the decision as a result of the fear she felt of getting killed just like in her past life.

 Chapter 56 - The Surprise

    "Rose," Anna called out walking into Rose''s bedroom with a ck stripe of fabric hidden behind her back.

    "Yes, I''m here," Rose answered from the walk-in closet.

    "I have something to show you," Anna said leaning on the door way of the closet.

    "What?" Rose asked uninterestedly since she had other things on her mind to be bothered by whatever joke Anna might be making.

    "Seriously," Anna said pulling her by her wrist out if the closet into the room. "It is a surprise for you. Mum and I prepared it for you. I am sure you will love it," Anna tried to persuaded her as she lifted the ck stripe of silk fabric towards Rose.

    "What is that for?" Rose had to ask watching her sister closely for a sign that she was joking as well as a tip about whatever this was about.

    "Rx. How will I harm you in here? I will never harm you. I can''t imagine that you think I want to do anything bad to you," Anna said frowning displeased.

    "Do this fast. I have something to take care of. What is that for?" She asked ncing at the fabric and back to her sister.

    "Oh. I want to use it to blindfold you," Anna answered excitedly.

    "Please make it fast," Rose hastened her as she turned her back so Anna would tie the fabric over her eyes.

    "Sure," Anna asked enthusiastically as she tied the ck silk over her sister''s face and supported her sister out of the room.

    Rose sighed over and over when it seemed they kept on going forever. She was tired of the darkness but left her eyes closed as she followed her sister to wherever the girl was taking her to.

    "Mum wanted to be here to do this but I decided to do it on my own since she won''t be back till Tuesday and I really can''t wait till then," Anna narrated as she opened a door and held her sister and led her in careful to prevent her from getting hurt since Rose was blindfolded.

    "Are we there yet?" Rose asked getting tired of the darkness as her mind began running wild.

    "Yes we are," Anna replied reaching to help her sister loosen the covering on her eyes but Rose had began loosing it herself.

    "Oh my God!" Rose could not hold back her exmation as she stared around the room with her hand on her chest and mouth left slightly open.

    "Do you love it?" Anna asked watching Rose closely. She wanted Rose to love it but if Rose did not love it, then she was willing to make all the necessary adjustments to make it good enough for her sister.

    "I do. I love it. Is this mum''s workroom?" she asked forgetting the route she had to go through to get there. It was fully equipped with all a professional fashion designer will need to do his or her job easily andfortably.

    It was painted white and pink based on one of her favorite colors giving a cool feeling. It will be very easy for anyone to workfortably with enough space to move around easily with two very big work desk for perhaps cutting. The lighting system was good.

    She almost began thinking the room belonged to her since she could not see any sign of use by someone. She immediately shook off that wishful thinking since there was no reason why they will buy her the best brand of equipments and machines which will cost far more than she won during thepetition.

    They were too good to be hers at least not until she makes more progress with her talent or when she bes the kingdom''s queen.

    "No this is your studio. Mum did it for you while I bought a few things like the table, chair and a box of different scissors and measuring stuff . . . You know. I ordered for them online. I hope you love them," Anna answered as her heart was jumping for joy that Rose loved it and her effort was not in vain.

    "I do but I don''t think I can take them," Rose said shaking her head. This was too much for her to ept without hesitation.

    "You must take them and use them. I need new dresses," Anna said shaking her head as she pushed towards the chair in front of the sewing machine. "I also spent a fortune buying those things for you. I even ordered for some special threads for you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Anna I . . ." Rose began but stopped when Anna ced a finger against her lips to shush her.

    "I said I need new dresses. I want a new dress from you," Anna said firmly.

    "What do you need the dresses for?" Rose had to ask. Anna was the type of girl to always wear a dress out. She wore mostly shorts, overalls, or trousers.

    Since she joined their family, she had never gone for a formal outing or party because Anna had to stay at home and when Anna began going out, they have never been invited. It was sure that her parents always went for such asions but they had never gone.

    "Dad got invited for the King''s birthday party and he wants us toe with him," Anna answered walking to the other end of therge studio where a tall wardrobe was.

    "What?" Rose had to ask because she could only guess she must have heard wrong.

    "The King invited this family for his birthday party. Dad wants us all to go. I saw the invitation card and it was said we should all go so I need a dress," Anna answered immediately.

    Rose could not calm her raging heart. She clinched her fist digging her nails into her now soft palm. She wished her father and his wife were small enough to fit into her palm that she could crush them down till blood rush like squeezing the juice out of orange or persimmon.

    "I want to wear ck just like the dress you designed for me earlier but I want it to be very formal and for a royal. You know mum is from the royal family. She is from the family of thete queen," Anna continued narrating not noticing the change in her sister''s expression.

    Anna''s narration sounded distant as she remembered the ident that took her mother''s life. Her father must be celebrating his fiftieth birthday while her mother had to be buried six feet below before she even turned thirty.

    She did not suspect him of being an aplice but she did not trust him either. He was supposed to trust her mother even if no body else did. Why was he the first to conclude that she ran away from the kingdom to sell out the very people her mother loved almost more than herself.

    Why did he join the world to defame her mother. He might have not killed her mother physical but he killed her mother''s reputation. He tarnished her mother''s imagine and married some other woman almost immediately.

    If he stood up for his mother and prevented what was written down about her in her history from being written, her mother would have still remained the very loving queen everyone said she was before she died. She felt her heart get crushed in her chest so hard the pain was suffocating.

    She gasped for air as tears ran down her cheeks. She pressed her hand to her chest hoping to relieve it of the stuffy pain she felt. She pat her chest gently as she pleaded with herself to remain calm. She had been doing well for all these while but why was this happening now?

    "Oh my God Rose!" Anna called when she saw her sister face flushed and Rose kept hitting on her chest gasping for air. She held Rose confused and unsure of what to do. "Rose please wake up. Stop it, you are scaring me."

    She could not shout out for help because no one will hear her through the soundproof walls and ceiling of the room.

    The memories of her death returned to her as she tried so hard to breathe but air seemed to be unwilling to fill her lungs. The pain, the pain she faced in her nightmares returned as she tried to scream but theck of air prevented her.

    This was the greatest pain she had felt in both of her lives. Her eyes closed as she felt that familiar pain in the back of her head and she lost her consciousness.

    She was very unwilling to die at this moment just like her past life where she tried desperately to save herself. There was nothing she hated more than the feeling of dying hopelessly.

    She had never expected the thought of returning to the pce to see all those people who had hurt her both physically and psychologically to have such effect on her.

    She felt very pathetic since the people she swore to use this her life to avenge against made her very vulnerable even just at the mention of their names. How will she fight and win in this state? How will she face very powerful people and bring them under submission?

    ***

 Chapter 57 - The Visit

    "How is she?" Liam asked when Charlie and his other close subordinates walked into his study.

    "She is fine. She only needs to rest in the hospital for a few days. I spoke to her sister and she said she was only talking to her sister naturally when she began hyperventting and went unconscious," Edward the serious genius answered adjusting his pair of reading sses.

    "What were they talking about?" Liam had to ask. He wondered what sort of discussion will get Rose into the situation she was.

    "Making a dress for the King''s birthday party. I guess he invited her family," Edward answered immediately.

    "After so many years, the king invited them for a party. Don''t you find that weird?" Charlie asked thoughtfully.

    "I think he saw her on television and he is trying to confirm," Edward replied.

    "Since she is fine now, she might be asked to go for the birthday party and that will not be good for her health. I will ensure to take care of that," Charlie said.

    "We might have to speed up somethings," Liam said frowning.

    "Yes. We will. The king won''t be the only person watching her now," Edward answered nodding.

    "My team and I will watch out for any suspicious persons and deal with them," Grey said with his deep voice filling the whole study.

    With the short discussion over, the other young men left their boss'' office and Liam could finally wear the sad angry expression that he had being trying really hard to hide away in front of his subordinates.

    From the moment Grey got the message that Rose was rushed to a hospital, he had been feeling a very painful feeling in his chest. She could not die. There were too many things he wanted to give her and he did not want her to die before him.

    She had every right to live till she is an old grandmother but not as a young girl with too many dreams. She was yet to take the throne. She was yet to be the fashion designer she wants to be. She could not die before her enemies.

    He could not imagine what pain she went through before going unconscious. It must have been very painful. Knowing she had been in pain made him hurt. It hurt even more because he was not by her side to help her.

    He was yet to acquire what she really needed. His father also talked to her earlier about offering her a helping hand but she refused to take his help.

    It pleased him at first that his father did not steal the role he wanted to y in her fight for the throne but at this point, he was seriously considering creating a force to push her towards taking his father''s help.

    It was the best way to protect her from all those targeting her since he was yet to be fully equipped for the war. His father was not equipped enough and he might never be equipped enough to truly protect her but as the saying goes, a half loaf of bread is better than none.

    As soon as he gets what he needs, what Rose needs, what the kingdom needs, it will it be a matter of time before the kingdom crowns the new Queen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He really wanted to pay her a visit at the hospital despite how much he hated hospitals but he knew her family members will be with her so, he had to wait for the right time.

    "Rose!!!" he shouted watching her get hit on her head. He felt time stop almost literally and he ran to her taking her into his arms. He wanted to stop the blood from flowing from her head. Too bad he came alone. Charlie was away to do an important task and he got the news about her toote.

    He hugged her warmly holding the back of her head to stop the bleeding. He began crying, his tears falling down her cheeks. He seriously med himself for being so useless to her. He regretted not studying medicine or he would have helped her immediately or so he thought.

    Liam sat up mopping the sweat on his forehead. He sighed, it was a dream.

    It felt so real he could almost argue confidently that it was not a dream. He got down from therge bed. "Lights," hemanded and the room became bright.

    He could not see himself sleeping anytime soon when he nced at the digital clock on the set of drawers. He went into his walk in closet to change into something else.

    Getting his car key now dressed in all ck with a hoodie and face mask, he stopped shortly outside his door and texted Gray. He then walked out of his room.

    It took more than an hour to get to the hospital and it was already an hour past midnight. He stepped into her room. The room was empty with her sister gone through Gray''s effort. He walked to her bed and sat on a stool beside her.

    Seeing her sleeping, he sighed. She was alive. That was all he wanted to confirm. He wanted to confirm that it was just a dream and he was not going to watch her die. He reached towards her and touched her forehead lightly with the back of his hand.

    His hand moved down the side of her face to her lips and he ran his fingers gently on the most sexy lips he had ever seen. She was so beautiful and alluring.

    He gulped as the room seemed to have gotten hot all of sudden. He pulled his head from her sharply despite how hesitant his hand felt to part with the soft smooth skin that will remind anyone of freshly pilled boiled eggs glowing and he had to admit, appetizing.

    "I won''t be long," he whispered. "I will work harder. My time is short and you must get it all. Just wait for a while and this will never happen again," he promised her sincerely.

    If Jace happened to witness this scene with his brother talking lovingly to someone, he will swear that it was a clone or a duplicate not his brother. He will cherish that moment forever if he ever agrees that the man was his brother.

    The girl on the bed moved slightly muttering a few words he could not make out despite his above normal hearing ability. He reached to adjust her nket in order to leave. Her hand touched his hand and she suddenly held his hand pulling his arm close, she hugged his arm tightly and continued sleeping.

    Liam smiled and pulled the stool closer. He sat on the stole and texted Gray. He waited patiently for her to enjoy his presence happy that even her subconscious mind wanted him close.

    He remembered the re he received from her when her sister whispered something to her and he felt hurt but she paid him with the hug which was good enough.

 Chapter 58 - The Scent

    The bone freezing cold she felt in that warehouse in her past life haunted her sleep making her shiver. She reached for the nket to cover herself well but her subconscious mind was very unwilling to let go of the arm she hugged tightly.

    Liam tried to stand up to get the remote control for the air-conditioner but the beautiful princess refused to let go of his hand as she kept shivering. He tried to ease the cold for her but she kept shivering.

    Rose felt a strange but pleasant force pull her out of her nightmare. She opened her eyes slowly feeling warmth in her hand but when she looked up towards whoever gave her that warmth, her eyes dropped weakly.

    She snuggled deeper into the warm embrace grateful for the very real dream which was very sweet that she was very unwilling to wake up from it. That male expensive scent filled her nose making her press her face against the chest and inhale deeply.

    Liam smiled when he felt her press herself closer to him as though seeking refuge. He closed his eyes and sighed. There was no feeling in the world as special as the feeling he felt from knowing Rose loved his embrace.. The bed was not big but the two close pressed against each other made itfortable enough.

    She was the reason he was living in this life. She was the reason he was willing to give up all his all to stay by her side. He abandoned his brother and father to be with her and there was no joy as much as he felt knowing she was willing to be in his embrace.

    He did not have much time left but he was willing to use this short time to be with Rose or helping her in every way possible. He caressed her soft silky hair and inhaled her scent. She smelt like Rose freely picked with a mixture of the soothing scent that came with a rain. He could not help but imagine how a beautiful rose garden will smell like after rain.

    Her scent was just too intoxicating as well as addicting but he was willing to indulge in it despite the fact that he knew it was not the right time for him to be in the position he was. He had no right to be with her when he isn''t aplished yet and powerful enough to help her fight for the throne.

    He tried to calm the scolding unhappy part of him with the excuse that he was also helping her with warmth since that was what she wanted most at this moment.

    Rose tried over and over to see the face of the person who held her but she could not. She touched his face but the warmth and the drug pill of a scent that filled her nose immediately sent her mind into a dreamless sleep. She lost herself into the warmth and peace she felt from being held not caring about who those arms might belong to.

    As Liam held her, he could not fight back the sleepy feeling he felt and immediately drifted off with his subconscious self praying and hoping either Charlie or Gray wakes him up before daybreak and that Edward does a good job of keeping everyone out till he is done helping the princess have good night rest.

    ***

    Rose subconsciously touched the other side of the bed when she woke and surprisingly, it felt warm and the side sheid on was also warm. She lifted her head to see a hand sliding the door of her room shut.

    She immediately jumped down from the bed and tried running to the door but a wave of dizziness hit her hard and she fell to the floor.

    "Ouch!" she eximed due to the pain she felt in her leg from hitting it that hard against the marble floor of the room. She immediately missed the soft rug in her room back at home.

    She got up almost immediately and ran to the door sliding it open but whoever it was had long gone. She gave herself a mental knock on her head when she realized it could be Anna. She shook her head embarrassed by the thought she had that it could be a man. How could it be a man?

    "Rose you are really stupid," she scolded herself now blushing realizing that she had actually dreamt about lying in the arms of a man. She chuckled awkwardly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When she got to the bed, she paused and the smile she now wore disappeared immediately and she frowned. The bed really had that male scent. She leaned down thinking she was thinking too much or hallucinating.

    She inhaled but that scent got stronger the closer her face was to the bed.

    "Hey what are you doing?" Anna asked when she walked into the room to see her sister leaning down inhaling deeply over and over again.

    "Nothing," Rose snapped standing up awkwardly. "Where did you do to? Didn''t you wake up now?"

    "I was in the room for VVIP guests," Anna answered.

    "Uh? What room?" Rose asked confused.

    "A nurse told mest night that there was a room made avable for the VVIP guests. The nurse said I could not sleep with you. The room wasfortable at least it was better than sleeping on the couch or squeezing ourselves in that bed," Anna said yawning. "I woke up too earlier to check out you. I will catch up on some sleepter."

    Rose froze as her mind became a blend of different emotions. She did not find any of that crazy blend settling well with her. She ran to Anna and pulled her to the bed. Lifting the pillow, she pressed it on Anna''s face.

    "What are you doing?" Anna asked stepping back.

    "Please does it smell strange?" Rose asked hoping the problem was in her imagination not reality.

    "Mmm . . . It scents like a very expensive perfume. Like . . . rose . . . cedarwood . . . I smell spice. Spice and . . . I think . . ."

    "That''s enough," Rose said dropping the pillow on the bed and signed worriedly.

    "Where did the scente from? I smell your shampoo and another strange perfume?" Anna asked curiously.

    "I don''t know. I guess they use really expensiveundry agents," Rose said trying not be awkward as she smiled and went into the bathroom.

    Anna nced at her sister''s back and picked up the pillow sniffing it like a dog. The scent made her look back again now at the closed door of the bathroom and frown. This could not be aundry agent.

 Chapter 59 - Back To School

    "Rose, you should have stayed at home," Debby said worriedly.

    "No I wanted toe to school," Rose replied smiling brightly as she sat down beside Anna. "If I don''te to school, Anna will stay at home too."

    "Should we punish her for you?" Debby asked yfully.

    "No need. I like to spoil her," Rose replied smiling at her sister who was blushing.

    "Don''t try to steal my sister out of jealousy," Anna warned them all at the table.

    "I miss Jace," Debby said earning a re from Anna which made her gulp. "I miss Jace and Scott."

    "You miss Scott, that''s it," Anna corrected her sternly frowning at the thought of her friend missing Jace.

    "I miss Jace, too," Wayne said sadly.

    "Whatever," Anna said looking away.

    "How was the assignment?" Rose asked Wayne.

    "I did it well . . . Alone since she refused toe to school two days ago. We got a ny percent mark. He took away the other ten percent because Anna was absent," Wayneined ring at Anna.

    "I will talk to himter," Anna said ying with the stic straw in the can of soft drink.

    "Don''t bother. Ny percent is not bad. I won''t follow you to make adjustment. I am toozy to be stressed," Wayneined.

    "Then you are lying. I know we got hundred percent," Anna said yfully beating his shoulder.

    "Ah! Stop it," he shouted holding her hand.

    As Rose watched her friend and sister y, her mind travelled to the hospital and back to her room. Who was the guy who shared her bed with her?

    He stayed in her room on her bed with her. That was very scary. She knew nothing happened but for how long will it stay that way? She hated the fact that every night since that day, she anticipated hising.

    The night he stayed with her was free of nightmare. He felt like her guardian angel. After careful thought over and over, she told herself that it was just her illusion. It had to be theundry agent or the scent from doctor who perhaps checked on her at night and went back home after his shift for that day.

    Growing up in the orphanage, she could not remember any boy that left a strong impression her mind that could possibly had be a stalker now. She could not tell the police or doctor. No one will believe her.

    When there was no other possibility to be considered, she concluded that it was just an illusion.

    "Rose, let''s get back to ss," Anna called out cing her hand on her sister''s shoulder. She tried to hide how worried she was in her expression but she was really worried about her sister.

    She tried repeatedly to get her sister to talk to her about what made her pass out thest time since the doctors said it was not caused by a physical sickness.

    She remembered the feeling she felt when she passed out in the toilet after seeing ire''s body. It was not pleasant at all and she spent hours with the therapist for a while before she could fully recover from the shock.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When their mum returned, she immediately arranged for the therapist visit but Rose refused to open up to the woman just like two years ago. She always felt being sincere about her feelings helped her ovee them and it worked but Rose was suffering all alone.

    "Excuse me," Rose said escaping to thedies'' room. She stepped into one of the cubicles and sighed. "There is no stranger, there is no stalker," she whispered to herself.

    ***

    Anna got stopped by the teacher who saved her life just before she entered the room. She remembered how he saved her life and she wished she knew how to help since Rose was in a simr situation.

    She used to just greet him and go into her ss but she decided to talk to him today. They were taught how to perform CPR during gym ss and also when she wanted to start learning how to swim but she never took any of them seriously.

    She smiled to him as she got closer. "Good afternoon, teacher," she said smiling as bright as she could.

    "Good Afternoon Anna. How is your sister?" the teacher asked with the corners of his lips slightly curved up.

    "Sir could I ask for a favor?" she asked her teacher.

    The teacher felt pleased to hear that question from Anna. He thought Anna will simply go back to ss as usual but she stayed longer and even wanted to ask him for a favor. It was a good thing that Jace was gone.

    "Sure. I have a ss to teach right now, find me in my officeter," he said and walked away without waiting for her to answer.

    Anna sighed reconsidering her decision. She could ask the sports teacher for help but she did not want to appear too forgetful since he had thought them before. Most importantly, the sport teacher did not save her life, the temporary teacher did.

    It was no big deal she will just find him in his office when school closes for the day.

    ***

    "Rose," a boy in her ss called her when she stepped out of her ss.

    "Yes," she answered immediately since she had to go to the fashion designing clubroom urgently.

    "Oh sorry for disturbing you. Are you going to the club room?" he asked with his blue eyes sparkling at her.

    "Yes," she answered hastily trying to hide her impatience.

    "I am going to the club room too. I am a member of the club too. I participated in thepetition too," he said smiling.

    Rose smiled back since that was what was right for her to do at that moment. She gave him a hidden once-over and the boy had an impressive appearance.

    He was blue eyed with a pretty boy face like one of those hot idols. The essories he wore were obviously expensive and he had a good sense of fashion because he wore them all in an extravagant but attractive manner.

    "Lets go to the club room together," he suggested.

    Rose nodded suddenly missing Jace so much. When he was around, no guy would dare talk to her or her female friends. They always avoided them in a respectful manner. However, his absence made her realize she had not taken note of a lot of people because he was also in the club because of her.

 Chapter 60 - Stabbed

    "See the dress I made for thepetition," the guy said cing his smartphone in front of her.

    She smiled and picked the phone up. The gown in the picture was beautiful. It was a navy blue dress. "It''s beautiful," sheplimented and returned his phone to him. "I remember clearly now, you are the guy who came second in thepetition," she said immediately when she recognized him.

    "Yes. I really wanted toe out as the best but since a genius was around I missed it. I love the two dresses you made. They were unique and stylish. You did a great job," he told her.

    "I don''t think I am a genius, I only tried my best.. It was tough but I guess we all have to do what we can," she replied with a sincere smile. "Are you going to get a job after high school?"

    "No. I don''t want to. I got offers but my mother wants me to get to the peak. I have to go to college to achieve that. What about you?" the guy asked his eyes fixed on her hazel eyes.

    "I will go to college too. It is best I do so," she answered truthfully.

    "I guess if someone isn''t seeking to begin making money fast, he should go to college . . . At least that is what my mother told me," he said as he could not help but get fascinated by her eyes.

    "I think that is a good idea," she replied. She wanted to go to college for the certificate. She wanted it to be part of one of her aplishment not because it waspulsory. She also wanted to use the college to get closer to the royal family.

    College life could also be fun with Anna and she could use any opportunity she gets to make new friends. She might need help and she needed a good rtionship with people.

    "Where do you n on going for college?" she asked the guy.

    "I want to go to Star city. It is the city of fashion," he replied smiling dreamingly. "What about you"

    "I am yet to decide," she told him trying to avoid telling anyone where she wanted to go to.

    "I think you should go to Star city. You might get scouted by a well-known fashion designer. Most of the lecturers are fashion designers who have done a lot of miracles in the fashion world," he narrated. "I heard Valerie also works there."

    "Uh?" she asked shocked. Howes a stranger is telling me about my family?

    "Yes, Valerie works in Star city and she is a lecturer in a university in Star city. I also heard she was a professor," the boy continued telling her more about her mother.

    "Oh . . . I see."

    "Aren''t you Valerie''s daughter?" the boy asked confused by her reaction.

    "I am her daughter. I was just thinking of what it might be like to go to a university where my mum works," she replied immediately.

    "Hello everyone," the teacher in charge of the club said from the front of therge room.

    The room became quiet and everyone''s attention moved to the beautiful well-dressed teacher.

    ***

    "Hey," the red-haired guy said standing obstructing Anna''s part as she walked to the mathematics teacher''s office.

    She stared around but students were not around. She prepared herself for defense and readied her mouth to scream if he tries to attack her after all the girl he likes was killed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What do you want?" she asked with her fist clinched ready to punch the guy. She took a step back from him.

    "I want to talk to you," he told her with a cold frown on his face.

    "Talk," she said waiting for him to speak without letting her guard down.

    "Not here," he replied looking around with a sign of nervousness appearing on his earlier cold face although he maintained his frowning expression.

    "I won''t talk to you then," she told him and walked past him.

    "I saw Jace on the night of thepetition," he said making Anna stop on her track.

    "So what?" she asked when she questioned herself of the reason she stopped when there was nothing wrong with Jace.

    "He was stabbed," the boy continued.

    Rose who lifted one of her leg to go away, stopped and looked back him doubting.

    "I can show you the sign of blood still on the ground outside," he told her.

    Anna immediately reached for his cor gripping it very tightly. "What did you do to Jace," she asked her teeth clinched.

    "Nothing. Think about why your friend almost got killed," he said with a smirk. He removed her fingers one after the other from his cor and stepped back.

    "Anna!" Rose called running towards the two of them. She caught the wrist of the guy who wanted to pass by her. "Who are you?" she asked giving him a once-over.

    The guy dressed in a simple manner with his cor wrinkled unlike the other parts of the neatly ironed uniform he wore. "Ask Anna," he answered still wearing that smirk that did not do a good job of hiding the sadness in his eyes.

    Rose released his wrist and ran to Anna. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she looked at Anna carefully for any wound.

    Anna shook her head making her a little confused. "Let us go home," Anna said pulling her sister out of the building.

    Rose swallowed all the questions she wanted to ask one after the other as they kept popping up on her mind the more she thought of it. Anna hardly kept secrets from her and she could only patiently wait trusting that Anna will tell her when she is ready.

    "Mum have been busytely to teach you how to drive. Let''s tell Mara to help us," Anna said when they sat in the car with the chauffeur who came to pick them up from school.

    "Sure thing," Rose agreed immediately. Her car was going to deteriorate in the garage if she does not have a reason to use it.

    Anna nodded since she needed a distraction at the moment to prevent her from fighting a mental war. She did not want to believe Jace was stabbed and she did not want to run to his house to find him.

    Rose nced at her sister who was lost in thought and had to ask her what was wrong with her.

 Chapter 61 - Believe

    "You don''t look too good. What happened?" Rose asked after Anna returned from talking to Mara about the driving lessons.

    "That red-haired guy was ire''s friend, thete girl that died. He said Jace got stabbed but I don''t think he did it. He is a witness and I think he knows the person who did it," Anna replied sitting on Rose''s sofa.

    "Mr. Hart told us Jace is fine. I think we should believe his father. We can''t go to his house again and request to see him because we have gone there earlier. Rx. I don''t the guy is saying the truth," Rose assured her with a smile.

    "Mara agreed to teach us together.. I think we should start learning today. Let''s go," she said excitedly although not as excited as she would have been if it was going to learn how to ride a motorcycle.

    Thinking of a motorcycle, she remembered Jace warning about riding a motorcycle at her age and she frowned but decided to believe her sister and Jace''s father.

    ***

    "The king invited the family for his birthday party," a man told a weak looking woman as he sat beside her.

    "He saw her on TV I guess. The king is not as powerful as thete Queen and there are many ways to prevent the whole family from going. You should think of something that will work well," the woman told the man as she moved her gaze from the man to the beautiful sunset before her.

    "Can''t we prevent Rose from going alone?" the man asked confused.

    "That will only make him suspicious. We must stop them all from going to prevent all suspicion. It is for the best," the woman replied. She sighed deeply.

    "I will make that happen," the man agreed.

    "Let me know the idea youe up with. Don''t make it too close to the birthday. If possible it should be carried outtest by tomorrow. Remember there father is always trying his best to please the king and his foster family. He will make sure Rose goes except he is down."

    "I think we should just have him be at the hospital unconscious during the birthday party."

    "Be careful not to kill him or the Hart family wille for our heads," the woman warned closing her eyes to enjoy the warm breeze on her skin.

    "It will be done well. I will be careful. It is getting cold outside. I think we should go inside," the man suggested although not making any room for her refusal.

    She sighed displeased but stood up obediently with the help of the man and went inside the house.

    ***

    This year, there won''t be a fashion show but some of the clothes will be chosen to appear on a magazine. She was granted the opportunity to write in a small portion of a magazine monthly to give teens fashion advice for that month.

    The pay was good but nothing close to what she wanted but since she wasn''t given allowance for an unknown reason, she had her own money to save up since she almost did not have anything to spend money on.

    ? She applied to participate this year despite participatingst year. Her teacher agreed totally seeing her desire to achieve great heights in the fashion world. However, her ssmates thought it was wrong for her to do so.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you really think I shouldn''t participate?" she asked her only friend in the club.

    "I think you should. You have every right to and from what I see, you don''t want your achievement to be tied to your mother. If you want to seed on your own, you have to use any opportunity you get," he advised her sincerely.

    "I will participate in this year''spetition. I see no reason why I shouldn''t," Rose said aloud.

    "Only three clothes will be shown on the magazine," a girl said frowning angrily.

    "It is apetition. I will try my best and every other person have the right to try their best too. I might not even win the slot," Rose replied. This was one of the very few times she actually spoke aloud to so many people.

    Most of the participants came from wealthy homes but just like her, majority of them wanted to proof to the world that they were talented and it was not only about their family''s influence. They all wanted to win so that they could have something to boast of in the future.

    She also wanted to win to add it to her list of aplishments as the future Queen. It was not just in fashion designing. She also won a paintingpetitionst year and she was the best student in her ss for that year.

    Thepetition was a zonalpetition and this year, she will be moving to the nationalpetition till she makes it to be the world best. For the junior artpetition, she was not as excited as she was for the fashionpetition.

    It had a good money prize but she also wanted to make people know her in a lot of ces before shees out as the princess.

    Although as an art student who shouldn''t know much about mathematics as many said around her, she turned out to be the school''s best mathematics student and there was a high possibility that she might represent her school for this year''s mathematicspetition.

    If she had remained home school, she might have not been involved in any of thepetitions. Anna was also doing good as the second best science student with Wayne being the best.

    Rose could feel the look of hatred, jealousy and anger from her fellow club members but the fact that they were not happy about it did not mean she was going to back out.

    "I am sorry if my participation might be an inconvenience but I really need to do this. It means a lot to me than any of you can imagine. I hope you will all understand. Just as much as you want to win, I want to win too," she tried to appease her fellow participants hoping to reduce the hate gazes she got from them.

    "I think you should all act in a matured way. You all deserve to participate in thepetition. If her participation threatens you then, it should drive you to do better," the head teacher told them with her soothing musical voice.

    They nodded in agreement and most of them moved their gaze from Rose to their work tables but a few still felt it was unfair.

    The head teacher smiled at Rose and nodded. Rose was a talent just like her mother. She could swear that Rose was not adopted but inherited her talent for Valerie and she could see that the girl wanted to do well on her own and she was willing to help her.

    She loved seeing people with talent and a drive to seed and do better than anyone else. Valerie might be her mother and sister''s biggestpetitor but she did not mind helping the interesting daughter of thepetitor. The girl''s fashion sense showed in her appearance.

    Rose maintained an young elegant appearance that impressed her but her designs seemed to bring out the fire in the girl''s soul. The fire was strong but she could not understand why the girl was hiding it.

 Chapter 62 - Straightforward Friend

    Eric smiled at her with a nod and she returned his smile. Since Jace left he had been her new friend. He did not like hanging around with Anna, Wayne and Debby but he stayed with her in ss.

    From what she knew he was nice and was an art student despite how hard his father who was a professor in mathematics and his mother who was also a professor but in a medicine field tried to stop him.

    He was intelligent and since they both shared the same area of interest, she felt it was cool to hang out with him. He was willing to learn certain things from her and she was also willing to learn from him.

    Anna had warned her that the guy had feelings for her but she refused to believe because she could not see the signs. She felt the guy was only being a nice friend to her and nothing more.

    "Rx. Thepetition is for every body there is no need to feel guilty," he advised her sincerely after their work for that day.

    "I know, thanks," she appreciated. "How are you preparing for thepetition?" she asked.

    "You are the only potential threat so I don''t have much to worry about. I will just focus on doing better than you," he replied straightforwardly.

    She smiled shaking her head. "Goodluck with that," she replied. "I could give you a ride. My sister have gone home. What about stopping for cake on the way. I bet you need it to do better than me," she teased him.

    "Sure. I could use a little bit of talisman from you," he replied.

    She loved his in straightforwardness. Last year, a girl got close to the two of them and they weed her well as a friend but she had her hatred hidden deep in her heart. She stole Rose''s design for a workshop but got exposed.

    Rose tried to believe that everyone was good until proven otherwise. Being around people like Anna, Wayne and Debby who seemed to be nice without wanting anything but friendship and closeness in return, made her try to see the best in people.

    She was not particrly close to the girl unlike how close she was with Eric but she liked the gentle looking petite girl who she could easily recognize had great potentials until the girl showed her the bad side of her. She girl imed she stole her design where as it was the other way round.

    When she saw the girl fighting over one of her simplest designs that she did not put too much effort into, she felt pity towards the girl since the girl appeared pathetic and decided to ignore the whole thing.

    The girl proved herself to be more pathetic by spreading rumors around the school that she tried stealing her work. One of the things she was trying hard not to do was to have her reputation smeared. It reminded her of her innocent mother and that made her n to expose the girl.

    It was okay that her work was stolen after all it was not something very important that might make history or even appear on a magazine but the girl added more to her crime and she spoke to the head teacher when she heard the rumor.

    The head teacher told her to prove that the design was hers but she did not have anything to proof it with and it made her more angry. She found herself stuck but she used themonly used method to get the girl''s confession.

    The girl felt really agitated when Rose lied to her that she had no future in the fashion world although Rose could see the girl had talent. Rose further pushed her by telling her to keep the trash.

    The girl would have been unaffected since she did not have any other method and she was not very good at fighting verbal wars but the girl fell into the trap through a more effective method. The girl must have really hated the fact that Rose was better than her and had a little dirty secret she did not know about.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have a future here!" the girl had replied clearly agitated.

    "By stealing other people''s work? Everybody knows you stole my work. They are only waiting for the right time to embarrass you. They all know you can''t make anything that good," Rose had tried to push the girl towards confession despite how tired she was from trying over and over with no progress.

    She had never expected themonly used method to be so hard. She read of it in novels, watched it on TV but it was harder for her than it seemed. Sighing she had considered giving up or simply beating the girl up until she confessed.

    "Rose don''t bother talking to her. I found something really interesting about her and I will post it on the school''s website," Anna said entering the locker room where she chose to get the confession since most students were in ss.

    Rose was shocked and looked at Anna confused she had not spoken to Anna about this.

    Anna gave the girl her smartphone with a video ying on it showing the girl and a teacher entangled in sexual pleasure. The girl gasped covering her mouth in a way Rose found dramatic. She wanted to stop her sister from ckmailing the girl but the girl''s reaction to the video made her stop.

    "If you don''t confess on the school''s website before midnight today, I will post the video and you will be the talk of the school. You are messed up really. Don''t you know the teacher is married?" Anna asked in disgust.

    Rose was too surprised by how effective this method waspared to her method. She immediately thought of her vengeance and the idea popped up on her mind.

    She began really considering using that method although at this point she could not find anything she could use against the Queen.

    "Where did you get that from?" Rose asked Anna afterwards.

    "I got it from Wayne. He got it from her phone. I think she did it to ckmail the teacher," Anna replied happily.

    "Thank you," Rose appreciated sincerely. She might have remained with the bad reputation.

    Parking her pink sport car in a caf¨¦ known for their amazing cakes, she got down from her car along with Eric. She liked Eric because he considered her as threat to being the best but he never used a underhand method to do better than her.

    There were times he showed her his sketchbook and asked for advice. She liked his transparency and he helped her improve in designing male clothes which she was not good at.

    "Wow, I always wanted toe here with my girlfriend," Eric said smiling excitedly.

    "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked curiously. He should have one since he was just too goodlooking.

 Chapter 63 - Overwhelming Presence

    "No I don''t," he replied with a chuckle.

    "Uh why?" She asked skeptical of his answer.

    "I don''t have a girlfriend. I like someone but she is way over my league," he said sadly and continued towards the entrance of the caf¨¦.

    This caf¨¦ was very popr for their cakes and she had being craving cake for some hours now. asionally, she goes out with Eric for some research. She hardly goes out much before and Eric said it was going to limit her creativity..

    They had to leavete along with some of the club members because of an assignment they were given by their head teacher. Her car was enough to make people look towards her, her and Eric''s appearance did not lose to the car too.

    The two goodlooking high schoolers walked into the caf¨¦ ignoring all the gazes and nces directed towards them. It was as though the were aware of their attractiveness and did not mind stealing the spot little.

    Rose looked at the cakes and bread on disy in the show ss and could not help but gulp. It was five months ago when she first tasted a cake from this shop.

    Eric bought it one day when he came to her house to see her work space. She became a fan of their cake since then. She also bought bread asionally with Eric.

    "Rose," a familiar voice whispered to her close to her ear.

    She shivered suppressing the urge to push her yful sister away. "Anna," she said with a smile that wasn''t a total smile.

    "Wicked sister. You came here all alone without me. You are a traitor," Anna said frowning yfully with a pout pretending not to see the threat in her sister''s smile.

    "I just finished my assignment in school," Rose replied smilingpletely.

    "Poor girl," Anna said further pouting her lips as she hugged her sister''s arm. "My friends are over there, go and join them. What do you want? I will order it for you," Anna said pointing at a table at the far end of the caf¨¦ where all her friends sat.

    "Ok," Rose agreed immediately since she could use some rest.

    "You actually seeded in stealing my sister from me, pretty boy," Anna said throwing her hand around Eric''s shoulder pulling to him down to her height since he was more than six inches taller than her.

    "I said, don''t call me pretty boy," Eric warned her trying to straighten his height feeling ufortable with having to bend to her height.

    "I will call you whatever I feel like calling you," she replied determined to disturb him. "I really hated you but I also like you because you are helping my sister with her work."

    "I wish you will hate me," he replied trying to remove her hand from his shoulder but decided to let her keep her hands around his neck in that ufortable manner as she led him to the seat.

    Anna chuckled and released his neck but wrapping her hand around his arm. "My sister has a boyfriend," she whispered reducing their walking speed as she nned to have enough time to warm him.

    "I don''t care," Eric replied seriously now as he found it annoying to take ten minutes to get to a ce that will normally take him two minutes to get to. "I said I don''t like your sister."

    "Then why are you hanging around her?" Anna asked in disbelief.

    "I respect her. I learn things from her and she is my friend," he replied trying to increase their pace but Anna pulled his armpletely stopping now. "What now?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t dare steal her work like that girlst year or I will have your head hung on the school''s gate," she told him sternly. She released his arm and gave him an eyes-on-you sign before going to join her sister and friends.

    "Anna misses you," Debby said after they exchanged greetings with Rose.

    "How?" Rose asked confused. She woke up everyday in the same house with Anna and they still spent time together. "I saw her this morning."

    "You are being insensitive again," Debby said shaking her head tiredly.

    Rose looked at them confused and nced at Anna who was already close to their table with Eric.

    From the second floor of the caf¨¦, someone was watching them intently with his cold unique grey eyes. He frowned when the pretty boy sat beside Rose.

    He had seen the guy a lot with Rose infact, they were together almost every time but after careful investigation, he could not find anything bad about the boy. He knew the guy''s parents well and the guy was helping Rose in some ways ording to Charlie''s report.

    Despite that, he could not rx with that guy so close to Rose. He returned to his seat and closed his eyes with a sigh as he sat down. Charlie nced at Gray and back at his boss. He might not be able to prevent himself from going to that boy, taking him away and threatening to stay away from Rose.

    "Let''s leave now," Liam said standing after he was sure that his raging heart had calmed down.

    Rose felt eyes on her almost drilling holes into her and she turned to meet a pair of grey eyes two couples of metres away from her. She gulped holding a piece of chocte cake away from her lips.

    The eyes moved away making her shocked by how much that gaze affected her. She could swear that time stopped but snapping back to reality, she knew he only nced at her. She dropped her gaze to the piece of cake she wanted to eat.

    "Wow," Wayne said under his breath when he realized the whole caf¨¦ had gone silent to reference such powerful presence. It was as though the whole caf¨¦ froze and only melted seconds after he walked out of the door. He could not remember any mortal that possessed such powerful aura like Liam.

    "Wow," Debby echoedpletely mesmerized by the beauty that just walked out of the caf¨¦. It was a pity he was too powerful for her to imagine locking him up all to herself.

    "Wow," Anna echoed swallowing the lump that formed in her throat. She rubbed the goosebumps that formed on her arms in his presence. She had long forgotten that it seemed like Jace''s brother hated her only to be reminded.

    Rose took the piece of cake into her mouth and began cutting another piece as though she had not witnessed the spectacr presence. She yed the scene over and over on her mind.

    He was dressed in a simple ck shirt tucked in a ck pair of trousers. She was surprised by how inhumanly grey his eyes were. It was the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen and it could make almost anyone freeze.

    Eric nced at his friend and at the door Liam walked out of. His parents worked with the Hart family but after Liam left the Hart family, his mother followed Liam but his dad remained with the Hart family.

    He over heard one day while his parents were talking that Liam was looking for something long lost and his father was also looking for it. Liam''s power greatly increased after he left the Hart family. He became more feared than the Hart family.

    They said he was a bigger weapon dealer than the Hart had ever been. He took over some research institutes and a lot of institutes andpanies lost their ownership to him. He was getting more and more powerful causing even the royal family to be scared of him.

    From what he also over heard from his father, Liam had being nning to leave the Hart family almost immediately after he became officially a member of the Hart family. His father also said Liam was only using the Hart family to get what he wanted.

    He found it weird to see such powerful person in a caf¨¦. A lot of people were hunting his life but he came into a caf¨¦ with only his three closest subordinates. The respect he had for Liam only amplified as he could help but smile.

 Chapter 64 - Something For A Deal

    "That was Jace''s elder brother," Debby broke the silence on the table.

    "Yeah," Wayne said sighing. "I miss them."

    "Who?" Eric whispered to Rose.

    "Jace and Scott. I heard Jace went for his training to be the family''s new heir," Debby said sad that Scott had to leave because Jace also left.

    "I guess there is another story behind. I am not sure about how solid the information is but I will investigate it," Wayne said frowning.

    "What information?" Anna asked not liking the weird unpleasant feeling of her stomach tightening when she remembered what the red-haired guy said.

    "Nothing serious," Wayne replied unwilling to tell her the rumors going around in the underground world. He avoided her gaze and dug his dessert spoon into her food cake hoping to piss her off and divert her attention Jace.

    "Did Jace get stabbed?" Anna asked seeing through Wayne''s act and immediately knew something was wrong.

    Wayne froze with the spoon of food cake a couple of centimetres away from his lips. He dropped the spoon after remaining frozen for some seconds. "What made you ask?" Wayne asked clearing his throat.

    "Don''t give that look. It won''t hurt to tell me the truth. I just want to know what happened to a friend," Anna replied taking a spoon of her fruitcake. She tried her best to act natural although she could not hide the slight trembling of her hand.

    "Who told you that?" Eric asked wondering who will lick out such secret without fear. The Hart family tried their best to hide the truth and he only knew because his father was a close subordinate of Mr. Hart.

    "A witness," Anna replied after chewing a mouth full of cake slowly.

    "How sure are you that the person isn''t the culprit?" Wayne asked frowning. "It is an unwritten rule in the underground world that if you are not the culprit, you shouldn''t know about the incident or if you know, then don''t talk about it."

    "Who wille up with such rule?" Rose had to asked. She could not find any rationality in such a rule.

    "His brother is still hunting down the culprit. His brother made the rule. He might look so hot and handsome in this caf¨¦ but he have posed himself as a greatly feared demon in the underground world. It is said that he will dice the culprit and blend him when he gets the culprit," Wayne whispered to his friends at the table.

    "What? I thought the Hart family was a business family, is that wrong?" Debby had to ask as she suppressed the urge to throw out all the dessert she had in this caf¨¦ at the mention of the punishment awaiting the culprit.

    "What did the red-haired guy tell you?" Rose asked interested in the case and pleased with what she heard from Wayne. If she could get the culprit for Liam, perhaps she could make a deal with him although that was almost impossible.

    "He said he witnessed Wayne get stabbed during the fashion show," Anna whispered taking a sip from her hot cup of coffee.

    "I guess whoever the guy is will not tell you he witnessed it if he was the culprit. What is your connection to the guy?" Eric asked.

    "He said I was the reason ire got kidnapped and killed. He thinks I did it," Anna said dropping her head. She was not liking the direction of this discussion was going.

    "I guess you should avoid that guy as best as you can. He mighte after you," Wayne tried to end the discussion when he noticed Anna''s difort.

    "Do you think there is a connection between your case and ire''s case?" Eric asked noticing her difort too but it only made him more curious.

    "Jace was helping me investigate it. Do you think that is why he got stabbed?" Anna asked dropping her hand to herp as her fingers fought against each other.

    Rose did not like seeing her sister like that and frowned. "Hey, that is not the reason. Why will anyonee after Jace because of that? I guess it must be one of their family''s rival who wanted to punish his father," Rose replied smiling.

    "Yeah that''s right," Wayne agreed cing his hand over her fighting fingers and rubbed her hand gently.

    Anna sighed fighting off her guilt. "Don''t you think a year is too long for a stab wound to heal or did . . . did he . . . did Jace die?" Anna asked looking at Wayne with her beautiful ck eyes shining with moisture.

    "No!" Wayne answered immediately shaking his head furiously.

    "Then why isn''t he back?" Anna asked frowning.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He went for his family''s training," Wayne lied.

    "Will Scott get punished for not protecting Jace well?" Debby asked taking her turn to have misty eyes as she looked at Wayne with her dark blue eyes.

    "Probably," Wayne answered thoughtlessly since he had a task of preventing Anna from crying and he did not see the tears threatening to fall down from Debby''s eyes.

    "Oh . . . My . . . Gosh. He is only a poor boy. It was not his fault," Debby began crying in aical manner that made Eric almostugh.

    With that, Anna too began crying. The two girls cried making the guys on the table confused with Rose reaching to her sister from across the table to pat her head.

    "It must have hurt really bad to be stabbed," Anna cried.

    "He might have made a mistake but he shouldn''t get punished," Debby cried.

    The crying girls attracted the attention of some of the other customers in the caf¨¦. Seeing the girls crying like little girls who had their candies stolen on the yground, Eric began getting scared of getting himself a girlfriend.

    "You two should keep quiet," Wayne said firmly getting the attention of the girls when he got tired of petting them. "Nothing happened to your crushes," he said nodding. This was the first time he had seen them cry since Anna returned and the two of them had a tearful reunion.

    "He is not my crush," Anna refuted mopping her tears with the soft handkerchief Wayne pulled out from her bag and gave her.

    Wayne smiled liking the effectiveness of this method. "Whatever," he said and moved his attention to his te of dessert.

    "See your girlfriend," Debby suddenly said directing her gaze to the front of the caf¨¦ where a girl dressed in Jean shorts and ocean green sweat shirt was standing with a guy in ck jean trousers and the same type of green sweat shirt.

    "We broke up," Wayne replied pressing his mug of coffee against his lips.

    "When?" Anna asked ncing at the pretty hot blonde.

    "Last week," he answered easily when he was done taking a sip of coffee.

    "Why?" Rose asked.

    "She said I spend more time with you guys than with her," he replied chuckling.

    "We are sorry we made you lose your girlfriend," Rose said smiling.

    "Not you Rose. Debby and Anna are the real reason behind it," Wayne replied frowning.

    Anna and Debby looked at each other beforeughing together at their friend''s misfortune.

    "Your make-up is messed up," Wayne said making it his turn tough at the two of them.

    "We will be right back," Anna said pulling Debby up as they escaped to the restroom.

    ***

    "I don''t want to sleep alone," Anna said squeezing into Rose''s bed hugging Rose tightly despite how hard Rose tried to send her out.

    "Fine. Loosen your grip a little," she was forced to agreeing knowing Anna won''t let go.

    "Ok," Anna replied happily as she released her sisterpletely and hugged a pillow.

    Rose who was subconsciously anticipating her Mr. Warm-embrace to visit despite the fact that he did note ever since she left the hospital lost hope of himimg at all. She shouldn''t be med for expecting a nightmareless night, right?

 Chapter 65 - The Visitor

    Folding herself a little, she sighed and closed her eyes. She had supported herself for over a year with the fact that the angel that came gave her peaceful night rest wille for her just like he did before ¨C sneak in and sneak out.

    She closed her eyes to her night of nightmares. Her nightmares seemed to have gotten worse like a video game that gets updated frequently or the periodic change and improvement in fashion.

    The only good thing was that she got used to it with every new trial that came and it slowly but subconsciously became her definition of sleep. A dreamless night or a night without nightmares became her fairytale.

    It took a short while for her to fall asleep after resigning to her fate like always..

    ***

    A ck figure walked into the Rose''s room through the balcony with the house''s security system under his direction. He adjusted his eyes to the darkness of the room easily and could clearly see Rose asleep but there was someone else on the bed making him pause.

    He did not like the sight. He really wanted to see Rose again after seeing her in the caf¨¦. He wished he had not gone to the caf¨¦ that day and he would have escaped the feeling of the thought of Rose clouding his mind that he could not sleep.

    He walked quietly to the bed and took a good look at the face of the person apanying her. It was her foster sister, Anna one of the people he dislikes. He cooled his raging mind when he remembered that the girl was not a threat to Anna at least not yet. At least not until she discovers her true identity.

    He moved his gaze back to Rose and smiled softly reaching to pat her head gently. She stirred slight but remained asleep. He bent and ced a kiss on her forehead before moving back sharply when Rose reached for his hand.

    He remembered how she hugged his arms those two nights and smiled. He was almost done with what he had to do. He was less than a year away from his prize. She wore a displeased expression making him feel guilty but when she began stirring to wake up, he moved really fast and escaped the room through the balcony.

    Rose woke up and ced her hand on her forehead, the warmth and softness of the kiss still remained. She got up and the lights turned on. Her eyes moved to the balcony and she noticed it was not locked although it was closed.

    Although she wanted to stay where that scent was before it gets diffused off, she ran to the balcony and opened it. Cold breeze flooded towards her making her shiver a little as the exposed skin of her arms developed goosebumps.

    She sneezed and really wanted to return into the warmfort of her room but she fought that urge off and checked around for the intruder. She felt his presence the moment he touched her head to pat it.

    "Rose," Anna called out sleepy as she got down from the bed and joined her sister on the balcony. She looked at the way her sister was dressed in a simple grey silk pyjamas trousers and a sleeveless silk singlet and frowned. "What are you doing out here?" Anna asked checking around if anything was wrong.

    "I wanted to look at the night sky," Rose replied looking up at the sky darkened by cloud. Lightening brightened up a few parts asionally.

    "It might rain soon. Let''s go inside," Anna said hugging her sister''s arm as she pulled her in the room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh sure," Rose agreed and went into her warm room although hesitating a little but what good was it going to do her? She might get cold and still won''t get to see her visitor.

    As she went under the warmth of her duvet, she sighed, who ever the visitor was he was very fast which prevented her from seeing him.

    "Rose, sleep," Anna told her as she slowly drifted off despite how hard she tried to stay awake with her sister.

    "Oh ok," Rose answered but her sister who was already asleep did not hear her response. As she fell asleep again, she did not forget to imprint it on her mind to avoid having her sister sleep in her room next time so that her visitor will give her a good night sleep.

    ***

    "Boss," Charlie called but stopping midway from the door when he noticed Liam smoking at the window of his study.

    Liam did not answer as he sucked in from the cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke. He continued that movement slowly ignoring Charlie''s presence as he tried his best not to make his boss any angrier but also tell his boss the information he had to tell him.

    "I . . ." he began but swallowed back his words as he shivered from the gradually dropping temperature of the study.

    Edward shook his head at his friend before pulling his friend out of the study. "Boss should be left alone for fifteen minutes. You can tell himter," Edward advices his friend. "Is it an emergency?"

    "No but . . .," Charlie began scratching his head.

    "Then leave," Edward said before walking away.

    Charlie scoffed as he watched his friend''s departing back view. "He really does not know how to respect his elders," Charlieined with a smirk as he left the door of his boss'' study. He sounded like an old man although he was only older than Edward with two months.

    He knew his boss was not in a good mood when he saw the stick of cigarette his boss held but his boss had not been in a good mood since they left the caf¨¦ and he had been debating talking to his boss for over twelve hours that he gave up hesitating and decided to talk to his boss only to discover Liam''s mood had gotten worse.

    He smiled slightly when he remembered his boss had less than a year to bring home the new madam or so he thought. He chuckled in excitement tap dancing as he went down stairs.

    ***

 Chapter 66 - Annas Crush

    Watching Eric eat seated with Rose, Wayne could not hold back the question that have been bothering him for over a year now. "Why did you be Rose''s friend?" Wayne asked watching the guy closely.

    The cheerful atmosphere became calm as Wayne kept his eyes fixed on the guy. The guy wore the school uniform in a manner that looked almost too attractive. His hair style was cool including the essories he wore along with his uniform; none of them looked out of ce or too extravagant.

    Everyone in their private room turned and looked at Eric then at Wayne not stopping the question from getting answered obviously because they each had their own curiosity.

    Eric sighed and ced his spoon down. "Did I offend you?" Eric had to ask since he could not point the reason behind the asked question.

    "No, just answer the question," Wayne replied. He found the guy suspicious. Why did did the guy be their friend only after Jace left.. "Why did you wait till Jace was gone?"

    "Oh . . .," Eric hummed understanding the question. "Jace had you two sister''s marked as his friends and pretty much kept every other guy away with an unwritten rule."

    This made a nket of tension engulf the room as each other them could not get a good meaning behind what he said.

    "No offense," Eric said raising his hands up with his beautiful smile lifting up the corners of his lips to form a perfect curve.

    "Exin," Wayne told him sternly.

    "Fine," he replied dropping his hands to hisp with his smile still across his lips. "From the moment Rose joined the club and the ss, I knew she was a very talented designer and I wanted to make friends with her but I got warned."

    The room remained quiet as everyone waited patiently for him to continue speaking.

    "Jace warned me off. He said Rose was taken. He said someone liked her and when I asked him who since everyone in school knows Jace liked Anna, he told me someone greater than him liked Rose and he was preserving her for that person. I told him I only wanted to be friends but he still told me to keep off," Eric narrated truthfully.

    "What?" Anna asked baffled. "What gives him the right to do that? Preserving? Uh? Ha."

    "Do you know about this?" Debby had to ask when he noticed Rose remained calm.

    "His brother . . . this should remain a secret please. He wanted me to be with his brother but I told him I was not interested," Rose replied in a quiet calm voice despite the storm raging in her heart.

    His brother clearly snubbed her like every other human around on all the asions they met. Jace was trying to set her up with someone who did not care at all about her which made her unhappy when she found out.

    "What? Do you know what it means for Jace to try to get you to date his brother. I wish he chose me," Debby said shaking her head in disbelief.

    "I did not like his brother and that was final. I doubt his brother likes me," Rose said with the truth found in the second sentence. She always thought Liam was very hot and goodlooking from the first time she saw his picture to the first time she saw him at their home to the time she saw him the caf¨¦.

    "You are lucky," Debby said giving her a thumbs up.

    "When a king likes a woman, every other person have to step aside to let the king try his best first. Have you all satisfied your curiousity?" Eric asked slightly frowning.

    "That means you like Rose," Anna said teasingly.

    "I like her in a friendly manner," Eric strongly denied. "I also advice her to consider dating the new master Liam. He is the presently the richest guy in this kingdom. He made that happen in year."

    "My curiosity has been greatly satisfied," Wayne said nodding his head in satisfaction.

    "Good thing then," Eric said as he picked his spoon hoping his food haven''t gotten cold.

    "Rose that''s right. I think you should try it out. He looked at us when he walked out of the caf¨¦ that day. I guess he did that to because of you," Debby said smiling dreamingly. "I want to be part of your bridal train."

    "Oh goodness, Rose haven''t started dating him yet why are you already dreaming of her marriage?" Anna asked ring at her friend. "So old school," Anna spat out.

    "Hey, I will be by your side on your wedding day," Debby said smiling more dreamily than earlier.

    "Please, I don''t like anyone yet. I have never dated. Please eat," Anna replied picking her friend''s spoon and ced it in her palm.

    "Really?" Wayne asked skeptically.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes. What is your problem now, Wayne?" Anna asked feeling ufortable with the discussed topic.

    "You and the teacher . . . I have always wanted to ask," Wayne asked leaning forward towards Anna.

    Debby dropped her spoon and leaned forward too very interested in hearing her friend''s answer.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Anna answered leaning back away from her friends and avoid their gaze as she thought of an escape n.

    "Really? I thought . . .," Debby began.

    "What teacher are you talking about?" Rose asked confused.

    "Nobody," Anna snapped standing up.

    "It is okay if you like the teacher. I think he is hot. He is normally very strict and cold but he is nice to you or I would have made the first move. Too bad he is taken," Debbyined with a pout.

    "I don''t like him," Anna denied strongly. "I am going to the ss," Anna replied and left the room.

    "What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

    "While you have been busy with fashion and all, your sister have been crushing on the mathematics teacher for almost a year," Debby replied picking her spoon.

    "I think you two have made Anna unhappy. I will talk to her," Rose said seriously and left the room looking for her sister.

    "She must have gone to the roof top," Debby called from behind leaning on the door of the room.

    Rose nodded her head with answering and tried to find her way to the roof top. She found her sister standing in the garden they made out of the rooftop. It looked beautiful and nerve calming.

    Her sister sat down on a bench at the far end of the garden. With a smile she walked to her sister. "Hey, are you sulking?" she asked as she sat down beside her sister.

    "Yes, I don''t know why I reacted the way I did. I shouldn''t get angry normally over that, right?" Anna asked with her lower lip pouted.

    "Yes, I guess," Rose said patting her sister''s shoulder.

    "What annoys me most is that I don''t know what to say about what I feel towards him," Anna said cing her head on Rose shoulder.

    "Tell me more," Rose urged her.

    "I think he means something important to me. Since I met him, my nightmares stopped. asionally I used to have nightmares where I try to find the owner of a voice that haunts me but when I got close to him after he visited us, I stopped having those nightmares totally."

    Rose nodded slightly remembering how she felt towards the person that his presence meant no nightmares. She did not know who he was but she felt a strong connection to him even though he had visited her a few times.

    "At first I told him to teach me how to perform CPR after you fainted. I wanted to be able to do something incase what happened to me happens to you. He felt very interesting and he was nice. I think he also looks very handsome."

    "A genius likes another genius," Rose teased her sister.

    "I am not a genius although he is a genius. You are more of a genius. You do better in mathematics than a science student like me and in fashion, you are doing very well. Mum told me you agreed to work with her," Anna replied sitting upright.

    "Yes, I did. I am only a frencer," She said chuckling. "Besides you do very good in robotics than anyone."

    "Wayne is teaching me coding," Anna said excitedly. "I want to learn how to hackputers and smartphones like he does."

    Behind a group of tall potted nts, a teacher smiled to himself. Nodding, he walked away. If he continues being nice, he will be able to trap Anna for himself even after Jace returns, right?

    "Jace please be gone for as long as you want," he murmured as he walked away.

 Chapter 67 - Meeting Rose

    "That is very nerdy of you," Rosemented sighing.

    "No it is not. We might be smart in school but we are not nerdy. Do I look nerdy in any way?" Anna asked with a yful frown.

    "No you don''t, young miss," Rose answered with obvious sarcasm.

    "Hey, my mum is the CEO of the biggest fashion brand in this kingdom, do you think I will look nerdy?" Anna asked.

    "Definitely not. Mara made sure to warn me to dress properly when I was adopted," Rose replied.

    "Oh Mara. Mum took care of my clothes when I was little and I took over when I got to middle school.."

    "You have a great fashion sense. You look good in anything you put on and besides that, you are pretty," Rose praised her sister sincerely.

    "Thank you," Anna said hugging Rose. "I miss you a little. We don''t spend much time together anymore. You are really busy preparing for thepetition and I understand that but don''t forget to create a column titled ''Anna''s time'' when preparing your schedule," Anna said.

    "Catty," Rose said patting her sister''s head.

    "No not a cat. I prefer a dog. Should I buy a dog?" Anna asked pulling away from her sister.

    Rose chuckled at that. Her mind began traveling far as the cool breeze blew on her face. Star city was only months away now. Soon, she will go to Star city. Her designs was the ticket to Star city.

    ***

    Liam held his hand tightly asionally stopping to clean the tears and snort on his face. The darkness did not seem as scary as it was when his parents dropped them off.

    "What are we going to do now?" he asked his brother.

    Liam tightened his grip on his brother''s hand. "We are all alone but we are together," his brother gave him a confusing answer that made him pout and look up at his brother.

    "What will we eat? Where will we sleep? Brother . . .," Jace said but stopped moving when his brother did not answer any of his questions.

    "Let us keep moving," Liam said pulling his hand.

    Jace pulled back his hand from his brother''s grip with a frown as he began sobbing louder. "I am hungry. I want to eat," he cried shaking his head unwilling to keep walking down the endless road.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We will find something to eat if we keep walking," Liam told him encouragingly.

    "No, my legs are aching. I can''t kept keep walking," he continued crying. The fear that reduced earlier simply heightened and he became so scared as he stared around. The only source of light being the moon which did a good job of shining bright.

    Liam simply bent and waited for Jace to stop crying. "I will carry you," Liam said after Jace got tired of crying and began feeling sleepy.

    Being too tired toin or crying, Jace nodded his head and let his brother carry him on his back. He wrapped his hands around his brother''s neck and his legs around his brother''s waist. He fell asleep as soon his brother began moving.

    Humming softly as he walked, Liam hoped his brother will sleep well at least that will keep him from crying till they find a good spot to sleep for that night. He hoped a car or two might pass so he could try stopping them but no car passed by that night.

    The night was so quiet as Liam kept walking not knowing where he was headed but he knew there had to be a town somewhere if he keeps walking. After walking for more than two hours, Liam noticed something from afar off. He saw light somewhere away from the road and he walked towards that light.

    "Brother, don''t go there," Jace begged with a shaky voice.

    Liam ignored his plea as he kept walking forward towards the light."Brother, please don''t go!" Jace shouted just before his eyes opened to the bright morning light streaming into his room through the window. He mopped the sweat on his brow and sat up gently and slowly.

    He massaged his head as soon as he found a suitable position offort. Why does he keep dreaming about that night? He was asleep when his brother got to the source of the light and woke him him up in order to try save her.

    He wondered if things would have been different if his brother kept walking without caring about the light that attracted him. Will their life be different now? Liam was toopassionate that night and took up a heavy responsibility.

    He got down from his bed with so much effort as he dragged his body to the bathroom with his willpower. Physical therapy have not been easy on him. He wished to get well enough soon. The man who stabbed him knew him but he was not sure who the person was.

    The person was familiar like someone he had met before but not taken interest in the person enough to remember him well despite the masks and hoody. The voice was also familiar. Ever since he woke up, some weeks ago, he spent time watching the videos from the security cameras of that night.

    Who was he familiar with that had such good hiding skills. The person was not shown on the tape. He scratched his head sitting in front of hisputer and began typing fast on the keyboard.He heard from his father about how his brother had made a wealth for himself in less than a year through different ways. Some said his brother began working hard on his own secretly as soon as they got adopted.

    When his brother betrayed their family, he thought it was going to be for only a short period of time but from what he saw on the inte, his brother was not stopping or returning back to the family any time soon. His brother lied to him.

    He tried his best to hate his brother but he could not no matter how he tried. He tried to hate Rose for everything she caused aftering into their lives but after careful thought, he knew she did nothing wrong.

    The people to be med are those people that killed Rose''s mother. He could still remember the car lying upside down that night with a very beautiful woman and a little girl covered in blood.

    He did not know what happened next to the woman but he knew the girl took his ce on his brother''s back and they began walking away very fast with his brother gripping his hand tightly.

 Chapter 68 - Party

    Rode did not let any other model wear her cloth for the photoshoot. She insisted that she wanted Anna to wear and Anna had to talk to those in charge to let her wear the clothes since she was a model herself.

    "I never knew you were stubborn," Anna said shaking her head as she stopped from the cup of coffee Rose bought for her after the shoot.

    "I am not stubborn. I only wanted my muse to wear my clothes, there is nothing wrong with that, right?" Rose said shaking and took a sip of the bittersweet coffee.

    "Rose, we will graduate soon," Anna thoughtfully.

    "Yeah," Rose replied nodding her head as she let her mind wander around as usual.

    "What do you have to say about thest two years you spent in highschool?" Anna asked sounding like a worried mother.

    "It''s less than two years.. I think I feel, it is good that I did not remain homeschooled," Rose replied thoughtfully.

    "Same here. I think if we had remained home schooled, I might have remained a scared little girl scared of going out into the world," Anna said.

    "Are you still scared?" Rose asked with a concerned look.

    "No, I am not scared anymore. I no longer feel like someone was going to hurt me. I feel safe with you, Debby and Wayne. I guess the best way to get over a trauma is to be around people who love and care about you but do their best not to point out the fact that you were actually traumatized by an event," Anna narrated.

    "I am d you got over it so well. We will move to Star city soon for college. I will miss Mara," Rose said sadly.

    "I will miss her too. I really wanted her toe with us but she is the only person dad can trust to be our head Butler. She has been working for dad for more than ten years now and I don''t think Dad will let here with us," Anna murmured sadly.

    "We will take care of ourselves. We can do that much, right?" Rose asked also trying to persuade herself that it won''t be hard to take care of her self from now. The fact that she hardly had to do any house chores scared her that she might have turned into a veryzy young miss.

    "I will ask mum to get us a good housekeeper. I won''t be able to do anything hectic," Anna said like the young miss she was.

    "Says the girl nning to study Engineering," Rose said shaking her head.

    "Hey, it is not as hard as you think it is. I am also the best mathematics student in school, I should not have problem doing well academically," Anna replied with a smile. "I actually pity you more."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know I will have to work hard. Mum works really hard at times but I guess that is what made her sessful," Rose said. "Mum spected along with a few other designers that the jean jacket and the other female outfit I designed will trend for a while. Although for not too long but for at least two years."

    "Are you happy?" Anna asked despite the answer written boldly on Rose excited face.

    "Yeah. It will feel really good to see people wear what I designed. I designed a special outfit to suit your taste. I will make it for you myself," Rose promised.

    "Awwn thank you," she appreciated in a dramatic manner cupping Rose face in her hands and chuckled. "I guess we should go back home. Debby and I want to go for Wayne''s birthday together."

    "Oh that''s right," Rose said nodding. "Help me pick a gift for him. I don''t know what he will want."

    "We could either go shopping at the mall or order for it online. Wayne will love anything electronic, but he has all of those ready. I think something else like a nice looking outfit will do."

    "Do you think so? An outfit will be a dyed birthday gift," Rose asked thoughtfully.

    Anna smiled at her sister who had a focused expression as she thought of what to buy for her friend. "Wayne might just want something simple made with love. He does not need much, he could have almost anything he wants and I don''t think you can afford to buy what he can''t have," Anna tried to reduce her sister''s worry.

    "I did not knowst year and since he travelled with his family, I could not give him anything so, I want to give him something good," Rose narrated with a slight pout of her lower lip.

    "I really can not think of anything. I bought him a huge box of cubes. He said he always wanted some. He wanted to design his room with them. He had been toozy to buy any. I think a nice scarf for winter or like I said earlier, design jacket or any other outfit that won''t disturb the nerdy appearance he is bent on putting on his stylish manner. I think you can also buy a nice pair of sses to add to his collection," Anna suggested a lot of options to ease her sister of her worry.

    "I will go with the outfit. Let''s go home, I won''t be able to attend the party since I have to work on the outfit. I will give it to him myself or send it to his house before next week," Rose said standing up.

    Anna nced at her sister but swallowed back her words since she did not want to state the obvious. She also did not want to force Rose toe with her because Rose have refused to attend any party they have being invited for.

    At first, she thought it was because Rose did know them well but when Eric celebrated his birthday few weeks ago, Rose did not go for the party. She stayed back at home with the excuse of being busy designing.

    She found it weird because she made sure to attend any party worth attending. She decided to leave her sister after it happened the third time.

    Rose exhaled before sitting behind the steering wheel in her car. She could only conclude that despite living another life, she might never get rid of the trauma she got from a party she attended in her past life.

 Chapter 69 - Hip Pop

    She could still remember the bass from the speakers booming making even the ground outside the house shake. It was a ssmate''s birthday party but why did she go for a party she never wanted to attend?

    Her past life was sad and lonely. She did not have any true friend, she was all alone and coupled with the scar that scared people away from her, she had no reason to go for the party but her bunkmate dragged her forparty using different threats.

    She remembered the state her bunkmate was before she left the orphanage and remembered what she looked like in her past life. The scar was not good to look upon at all. It was scary to look at herself in the mirror.

    Her eyes nced away from the road ahead to the almostpletely faded scar she got in this life. It was barely visible any longer but it still reminded her of the great cmity she was lucky enough to avoid.

    She gripped the steering tighter and nced at Anna who had turned on the radio and the bass of the song ying filled the car making her hit the brake subconsciously.

    "Oh God, Rose," Anna said her hand clutching her chest tightly as she tried to breath as deeply as she could..

    "I''m sorry. Are you okay?" Rose asked looking at her sister who was now trying to massage her neck.

    "Yes. Why did you do that? I thought Mara appraised your driving skill," Annained as she tried but could not calm the feeling she felt of her heart jumping out of her chest.

    "I got distracted by the music. Could you use your earpods?" Rose replied closing her eyes and took a deep breath. She reached towards the radio and turned it off.

    "You scared the hell out of me. I think I will have to keep music away for a while so I could pray to get home safely," Anna said frowning. "I think Mara should evaluate your driving skill again."

    "You should learn so that you could do the driving," Rose argued back. She pressed the elerator and their journey continued.

    "I will simply use a self-driving car. And don''t make fun of me because I have my driving license am just cautious about driving," Anna still stood her ground as she wore a smile knowing her sister won''t continue.the argument and that meant she won, right?

    "Says the girl who wants to ride a motorcycle," Rose did not do as Anna expected but argued back.

    "Fine, you''ve won," Anna murmured.

    She loves listening to soul music asionally but the loud beats of the hip pop song Anna toned in for, was a perfect reminder of that horrible experience she was trying really hard to forget.

    Debby joined them in front of the house as soon as they arrived. She hugged Anna as usual and threw her hands around Rose''s shoulder. "How do I look?" she whispered as though she wanted to keep that a secret from Anna.

    "Beautiful."

    "Anna said the outfit was designed by you, is that right?" Debby still whispered.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah," Rose replied nodding and praying Debby takes her hand off her shoulder, it was beginning to hurt.

    "Are youing for Wayne''s birthday party?" Debby asked removing her hand as though she read Rose''s mind.

    "No I want to design a jacket for him," Rose replied walking to the entrance door of the mansion.

    "Ohe on, we are his closest friends, I don''t think it is right for you to miss his birthday party again. Whatever thing you want to do, do itter. Today is for Wayne. Anna lead the way, Rose will pick a cloth from your wardrobe," Debby said hugging Rose''s hand and led them to the elevator.

    Rose was feeling a strong urge to pull her hand from Debby''s grip and shout to her face that she should stay away but she bit back those words and tried to remain calm by taking deep breaths in a not too noticable manner.

    The dress Debby wore was one of the designs she sold to her mother. It was an off-shoulder leather gown. The dark blue color matched Debby''s beautiful white skin. The length of the gown stopped few inches above her knees, wrapping around her body showing off the curve of her hips and her slim waist.

    Debby had matched it up with a ck heeled sandals and ck purse. It was the perfect cloth for ady who wanted to get a lot of attention in a night club. It made Debby look matured by still young.

    "Why are you dressed like this for the party?" Rose had to ask. The only party she attended in her past life, did not have people dressed in the manner Debby did. Some wore really simple short gowns and others wore jeans and blouses.

    "Oh, Wayne rented his brother''s high-ss club house for the party. He wants us to feel like adults," Debby repliedughing. "We are going to have fun which is very important. I want you toe. A lot of people wille to the party. You won''t mind a few new friends, right?"

    "Don''t ask her, she definitely minds," Anna replied before Rose coulde up with the right answer. She wanted her sister toe out of herfort zone but she did not know how to make that happen but since Debby was about to make that happen, she was ready to give her full support.

    "I have enough friends," Rose replied as soon as she came up with the right answer.

    "Fine, they must not necessarily be your friends but getting to know people is not a bad thing," Anna exined not leave room for negotiation as she hugged Rose''s other hand before half pulling her into her room then to the closet.

    "Pick one of these," Anna said opening a wardrobe.

    "None," Rose said shaking her head furiously. None of them matched the image she wanted to build for herself before getting the throne. They were all attention seeking.

    "Hey! Designer, you designed all of them for me but you don''t want to wear them?" Anna asked trying her best to sound stern and serious.

    Rose nced at the clothes, that was right, she designed them all but with Anna''s choice of fashion on her mind not her desire to be the most elegantdy anyone shees across will remember.

 Chapter 70 - Fighting Her Fears

    "They are not my size," Rose came up with an excuse to avoid wearing but the girl''s were not buying that cause Anna had picked a dress and pushed the cloth towards Rose.

    "I really don''t want to go," Rose said shaking her head furiously as she took a step back.

    "Do it for Wayne, he might have not done anything significant but he is still out friend and if anyone should be with him, it should be us," Debby said frowning as she removed the dress from the hanger and ced it on Rose''s shoulder.

    "Fine I will go but I get to wear what I want," Rose gave her terms.

    "Sure," Debby said taking the cloth away.

    Rose sighed before walking out of the closet.

    "Do you think we over did it?" Anna asked as she looked back at the door Rose just walked out of.

    "No, she will have to go for this party," Debby said firmly..

    "I am sure Wayne won''t mind if she does note after all she wants to design a jacket specially for him," Anna refused to ept that. "I will tell her not to bother."

    "Stop," Debby said holding Anna''s hand. "You and Rose have been drifting apart slowly and I want you two to spend time together this today," Debby said walking back into Anna''s bedroom from the walk-in closet.

    "That was a good choice Debby. What time can we spend together alone in a clubhouse? The music won''t even let us hear each other," Anna said shaking her head as she chose a dress to wear for the party.

    "I don''t know Anna, I just want Rose toe with us. To be frank she have been running away from every party and I guess we should let her go out a little," Debby tried to make Anna see through her point of view.

    "No one stopped her from going out, she just doesn''t want to go out. I want to see her dance and enjoy a few drinks too," Anna said nodding in agreement.

    ? "Mara showed me the cake you told them to bake for you," Debby said sitting on the couch in the living area.

    "I chose to make him his favorite grandma''s cake. He will love it I''m sure," Anna said as she began dressing up for the party.

    "I heard Wayne invited Jace for the party," Debby said picking up the remote control for the TV.

    "I don''t think Jace wille for the party. If he really got stabbed, his father night not let him out of the house again," Anna replied. She still remembered Jace but she unhappy about the fact that he did not check on any of them after getting better.

    "Wayne told me he will be leaving for his training soon," Debby said as the sound from the TV filled the room.

    "Wayne is a know-all, I hope he continues that way," Anna said shaking her head. If only he could help her find the person who almost took her life. Sighing she returned to her walk-in closet to pick a jacket to wear on her body fit knee-length biege sleeveless gown.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah me too," Debby replied dreamingly.

    "Did youe with a jacket?" Anna asked as she returned to her room fully dressed with the right essories.

    "Yeah. I left it in the living room," Debby replied.

    It was not cold in the evening but as time goes, it will get colder and it gets colder at night. "That''s good then, I will check on Rose."

    Rose looked around the wardrobe in her walk-in closet and could not chose a cloth for herself not because she did not know the right thing to wear or because she did not have the right dress to wear but because she did not know want to go for the party.

    She returned to her room and sat on the stool infront of the vanity and took a deep soothing breath. That happened in her past life, right? That means it can''te haunting her in this life since she is definitely hundreds of kilometers away from him.

    She closed her eyes and rubbed her face gently, she could still remember telling her bunkmate over and over again that she did not want to go for the party but she got ckmailed into going because her bunkmate knew she was crushing on a guy in school.

    She went for the party but it turned out to be a disaster. The confident part of herself that was given birth to in her after her rebirth kept speaking loudly to her on what to do.

    "You should go. That b*stard is nowhere close to you so don''t let him make you miss out on the fun," her confident fearless self encouraged her with a non-existing Pat on her shoulder.

    "It is best to avoid such gathering they only back bad memories. Stay at home and make your night useful," her gentle timid self warned her severely. It was the her in her past life with one of the lowest self-esteem ever, her crushed and broken self fighting to survive.

    That part of her only always stared at that scarred burnt part of her face and not the other pretty part that looked very beautiful. That part of her was still broken, right? She removed her hand from her face only to stare at herself in the mirror to see her face stained with tears.

    She looked at the very beautiful broken girl staring at her back in the mirror and sighed. There really were some traumas that could only be cured by killing the people that caused, right? She shook her head and picked a handkerchief from one of the drawers.

    What good was she going to get by killing the guy who almost had her assaulted in her past when she had not even met him in this life? She stared into the hazel eyes of the girl before her and nodded.

    "Girl, you are not weak. You will not get hurt," that confident part of her kept encouraging her to go for the party. She could only agree with that part of her despite how hesitant she felt. She could not continue living the rest of her life as some who hyperventtes due to the beat of a loud hip pop music.

    The best way she chose to fight her fears was by faces them head-on and putting a final stop to that very unusual fear.

    She returned to the closet with a smile as she nned how she will definitely revenge all her past grievances on any guy who tries to molest her in the party. When her eyes met the cold ruthless gaze in the reflection of the ceiling to floor mirror in her closet, the coldness quickly got reced by fear.

    How did shee up with such look in her eyes? She was baffled but she liked it. She wished she could be strong enough to put on that same look on her face when meeting her step mother in the future. The smile across her lips earlier was equally scary she had to rub her hand on her chest in a dramatic manner. How could a smile look so blood-hungry.

 Chapter 71 - Feigning Coldness

    Jace stepped out of the ck Jeep he drove to the Head quarter of his brother''spany. He looked up at the skyscraper but the bright sun prevented him from seeing the top as he had to close his eyes instinctively.

    With a sigh, he walked into the building majestically like the new heir of the Hart family he was. He was not surprised his all-knowing brother had Charlie waiting for him. Charlie walked over to him and bowed respectfully the usual smile Charlie always wore when talking to him before was no where to be found.

    He brushed that off since his smile too was gone. He had no reason to smile till he is done with his training and passes every test he might be made to go through.

    "Young master Jace, the boss is waiting for you," Charlie said with a slight bow of his head as he gestured towards his boss'' private elevator.

    Jace nodded and followed Charlie into the elevator. His brother have never seized to amaze him in different ways. This skyscraper that once belonged to one of the richest man in the kingdom belonged to his brother all long and everything that man owned belonged to his brother..

    He brother suddenly became to powerful when he was the young man he could still remember, taking his first sip of alcohol during hising of a party. He remembered the cold expression on his brother''s face like every other day on that day.

    He wanted to see his brotherugh like Charlie who seemed to be happier than the celebrant. Charlie had danced that night so much he feared the guy was going to pass out due to fatigue but the guy had a good stamina and remained alert till the party was over.

    The party was meant for the adults and he could not go in but he did not hesitate to prep through the window. ''Brother, who are you?'' Jace could not help but repeat that question over and over again on his mind. That was what he was here to confirm.

    Was the new most powerful man in the kingdom aside from the king and the males of the Royal family his brother? Did his brother really be more powerful than his father?

    His brother had always had one obvious goal in his heart from that night they saw and saved Rose''s life and with the rate of his the growth of his brother''s power andwork, his brother will be able to control the royal family and that will make Rose''s vengeance easy.

    Every thing was connected directly or indirectly to the royal Princess. She took his brother from him. As he began creating a mental list of how everything was Rose''s fault, a voice in his head stopped him immediately.

    Since he became the official heir, he was made to swear to love and respect the queen and Rose was the rightful queen so he had no right toin about her existence in their lives.

    The fact that she was the queen made her have every right over their lives and that was the reason why his brother left their family. He left so he could help the princess but also for his own personal interest. He will not be allowed to possess the thoughts he had of the princess in the Hart family.

    He might have lived all these years since he left the orphanage in luxury but he was impressed by his brother''s office. He nodded his head but still maintained the expressionless look he wore on his face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was only two floors from the top floor making the view from the window spectacr. He ignored his brother as he walked to the ceiling to floor window although he had to admit that no matter how hard he tried to change to look tough and manly, he was still far behind his brother.

    Liam looked at Jace who seemed to be trying his best to appearfortable in his magnificent office. It was very much worthy of the name he built for himself. The ability to know the future was the greatest gift in the world and he used that gift to his advantage.

    "Jace, what will you like to drink?" Liam asked walking to the window and joined his brother.

    "Coffee will be okay," Jace replied fighting the urge to hug his brother tightly and cry. He kissed Liam. Seeing Liam close to him looking like he owned the world in his ck tailored shirt and neatly tucked into a pair ck suit trousers.

    Liam nced back at Charlie who nodded and disappeared through the door. "I guess you have fully recovered," Liam said moving close to his brother and reached towards Jace''s head to pat his head as usual.

    He could feel the Jace trying to toughing up and act cold towards him but all he could see was that young boy abandoned on the road in the middle of the night with his elder brother who seemed to not understand human emotions by the very mother who gave birth to him and the father he had always respected and loved.

    He could see the boy he abandoned despite how much he knew the boy loved and wanted him in his life. He had been everything to Jace before their father adopted them but now, he turned his back against his brother for his own selfish interest.

    Seeing his brother''s handing close, it took almost all his willpower to avoid his brother''s hand and walk back and made himselffortable or pretended to befortable on one of the ck leather sofas in the office seating area.

    ? Charlie returned with the coffee and served his boss and his boss'' brother. His boss could not express his emotions and it made him wish he could be a channel with which his boss will let his brother know he still cared but he could not, this was an issue that had to be taken care of by the brothers alone.

    As he stepped into his office, he sighed and massaged his forehead. There were things his boss always said asionally that made him really confused. He had stopped wondering what all those terms meant but he could easily conclude that his boss was not a normal man.

    "Yeah obviously," Jace replied with as much coldness he could muster.

    "Your visit is surprising. I am a traitor of the family. Are you here to kill me?" Liam said sitting on a ck leather sofa and reached for the cup of coffee Charlie saved them.

 Chapter 72 - A Strange Room

    Jace noticed his brother had spoken more words than he had spoken to him in a day since their adoption. He wondered why his brother never felt like talking this much with him until now. "Did you build all these yourself?" Jace asked.

    "Yes," Liam replied since his brother did note to kill him.

    "How is that possible?" Jace asked confused.

    Liam did not answer but took a sip of the hot ck Charlie made brought for him.

    "You are really my brother," Jace said under his breath and got up.

    Liam heard Jace despite how low he tried to make his voice sound, it was just a whisper. He now felt really guilty for making his brother unable to recognize him any longer.

    Jace felt a strong urge to leave his brother''s presence. The fa?ade he took a lot of effort to put on was about to peel off. He wanted to cry like his usual self and brg his brother toe back home.

    "Let''s have lunch together," Liam offered seeing his brother was about to leave.

    "No, thanks. I need to return back home right away," Jace replied hastily and walked out of the office.

    "Wicked," he said between clenched teeth as he remembered how his brother''s face still remained calm despite the inner turmoil he was going through. Pressing his head on the steering, he sighed.

    He just confirmed that he had lost his brother totally. He ran his fingers through his hair and mopped the tears that streamed down his cheeks.

    "I will not care about you again," he forced out the vow before driving off to where he was supposed to be at the moment.

    ***

    "There is going to be cold at night," Anna reminded her sister as she walked in her sister''s closet to pick a jacket or shawl for her.

    "I know, I have prepared a jacket but I don''t thing I need it as much as you do," Rose said staring at her sister who wore a sleeveless corset dress that stopped way above her knees.

    "I prepared a long jacket. It will protect me well," Anna said smiling. "I will take care of your hair sit down," Anna said smiling broadly with excitement.

    "I just want a simple ponytail," Rose told her sister.

    Anna nodded in agreement. She did not need to change her hairstyle since her hair was short but she really wanted to style her sister''s hair.

    ###

    "I will be sleeping over here with the two of you," Debby said as soon as she say behind the steering of her car.

    "Sure," Anna agreed without hesitating after all Debby made that a statement not a request for permission.

    Debby texted Wayne who came out immediately to pick them. He was smiling brightly and his usual pair of sses were missing. He styled his hair in a very different way different from his usual fringe.

    "Wow, you look so different," Debby had toment as she could not help but keep staring with her mouth agape.

    "My new girlfriend wants me to change my style," he said without waiting for them to ask him why he changed.

    "You must really like her a lot but remind her that wee first," Anna said hugging his arm.

    "I don''t think she will take that easily," Wayne said. "You all look really pretty especially Rose. You look like a princess."

    "Thank you," Rose appreciated with a smile. I am really a princess.

    "Well, that is bias," Debby said hugging his other arm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t care. Guys, we need to go in. Everyone is waiting for me," he said.

    "Wait, we brought a birthday gift for you," Anna said releasing his arm and brought out a white big box from the car. "We had them bake a fruit cake for you. I know you love it."

    "Thanks but that was since elementary school. I stopped taking fruit cake since my mum died," he said hesitating to take the cake from her.

    "Wayne, I know that very well that''s why I suggested this recipe. I have eaten your mother''s fruit cake and it the best in the world. Then, I told her to write the recipe put for me and she did. I found the paper a few days ago and decided to give you this," Anna exined giving him the cake.

    "Thanks but I think it will take a lot of willpower to eat it," he said smiling sadly as he took the box from her.

    Rose looked down, she had been friends with Wayne for almost two years but she did not know his mum waste. She could not help but scold herself for not being observant.

    "I invited your friend but he might note," Wayne said trying to change the topic of the conversation.

    It took a few seconds for Rose to know he was talking to her. "Oh I did not know you invited him. I hope hees," Rose said when she noticed be was looking at her.

    "I also invited your friend and I think he wille," Wayne said looking at Anna now.

    "What?! Why?" Anna asked her eyes taking the shape of a saucer.

    "I thought you might want to hang out with him," Wayne said with a pretentious innocent expression as he walked into the clubhouse followed by his female friends.

    "Hell no!" Anna shouted stumping her feet before walking after her friends and sister. She could not hide the smile that lifted the corners of her lips at the thought of seeing him in the clubhouse with her. She really wanted to hang out with him.

    Rose froze as soon as she stepped into therge room. It was filled with people she could not help but wonder where Wayne got all of them from but then she remembered he invited the whole school. Some where sitting in and drinking, some were dancing and some standing around in groups.

    She took a deep breath and walked amidst the smell of different perfumes and sweat. The beat of the music was not doing her nerve cells any good. What she wanted most was to go to a quiet less crowded ce but for the sake of a friend, she had to undergo this mini-torture.

    She felt really dizzy and need of immediately rest when the memories of her past life came to haunt her. She sat on a stool. The handsome bartender immediately moved his attention to her on her arrival.

    "What will you like miss," he asked with a cheeky smile on his face she was too upied with her thoughts to notice.

    "Anything nerve calming," she blurted out without a second thought and regretted it almost immediately but the guy had already began mixing the drink.

    She did not stop him since a nerve calming drink did not seem to be a bad idea. She really wanted to forget how she was attacked in her past life and how she was disgraced and framed afterwards and if the drink was going to make her forget, she won''t mind.

    She gulped the whole content in the ss looking around for her sister and her friends but she could not see them with the colorful lights almost making her visually impaired.

    She got up with unsteady feet her eyes towards the entrance at the end of the room that she hoped led to the female restroom.

    She lost her footing in the heels she wore and fell but as she waited subconsciously for her body to hit the floor, it was held by a pair of warm strong hands and she could not hold back the urge she felt to inhale that beautiful scent.

    ***

    ''Where am I?'' she thought staring around the unknown room she found herself in. A sharp headache made her wince and rx back closing her eyes tightly.

    She felt a strong urge to get up and find out everything about this strange room she found herself in but the scent she suddenly got aware of, made her rx and inhale deeply.

    Liam stood leaning on the wall as he watched her sniffing into his pillow and it took him all his willpower to hold back hisughter. She actually looked so adorable.

    Rose recognized this scent as the incense that fought off her nightmares and she did not hesitate to fall asleepfortably.

 Chapter 73 - 73: Keeping It Secret

    Rose rolled and opened her eyes to the same strange room she thought she dreamt about. She closed her eyes rubbing them gently with the back of her hand and opened them once again. It was actually not a dream.

    The room was veryrge and she was lying on a king size bed. She threw the greyforter off her body to discover she was no longer in the scatter gown she wore for Wayne''s birthday party but she was wearing a grey silk pyjamas.

    She refused to ept the fact that she was in a ce she had never been to in both of her lives as her reality.

    She closed her eyes after pulling theforter to cover herself.. She hoped as she tried to fall asleep again that she will open her eyes in her room back at home.

    She prayed for sleep but she could not fall asleep no matter how hard she tried.

    Sighing in defeat, she looked out at the windows. The white curtains at the ceiling to floor window or door whatever it was, did notpletely hold back the bright afternoon sun from streaming into the room.

    She squinted and got down from the bed. The urgent need she felt to use the bathroom made her look around, left and right for the bathroom. There were two doors on each side.

    Confused and unsure of the door that led to the bathroom, decided to chose the door closest to the bed. Luckily for her, the door turned out to be the door of the bathroom.

    She told herself not to panic since she could not think of anywhere else she could be but at the home of one of her friends. She remembered the drink she had at the clubhouse and frowned.

    Whatever that drink was, it was a total knockout for someone with low alcohol tolerance.

    She could still remember watching the bartender mix the drink and she did not see him do anything suspicious so it could not be that she was drugged.

    She smiled when she remembered the scent of the bed at least her goodnight-rest incense followed her to this ce wherever it was. She inhaled with her eyes closed only to discover that the bathroom smelt like that incense.

    This new revtion did not feel good. She got up without washing her face of caring to nce at her reflection on the mirror and ran out of the bathroom. Where the h*ll was she?

    She stared around the room she woke up and took in every detail of the room. It could not be Debby''s room, it could not be Wayne''s room either.

    The maturity oozing out of everything in the spacious room, was not something she could associate with any of her friends. The warm colors of the walls, ceiling and other things in the house was actually nerve-calming.

    It could be a guest room right? A lot of thoughts ran through her mind but none did her any good at the moment and she could not stop herself from panic. She rubbed her chest taking deep breaths ¨C inhale, exhaled, inhale . . .

    She looked at the door she could only conclude was the door that led out of the room. As she ced her hand on the door her mind wandered to what she will do if the door doesn''t open.

    She closed her eyes and turned the door handle and it opened when she pulled it back. She continued her deep breaths as she stepped out of the room into a wide corridor with a door opposite the door she walked out of.

    She frowned, the house was too quiet for her sister and friends to be in it. The corridor led her to a dual curved staircase that led down stairs. She could see another corridor at the other end which led to the second staircase.

    She took the staircase closest to her and she could not help but hold her breath at the beautiful design of the living room. The simple ck, white and greybination was the most beautifulbination ever, it almost made her hate pink.

    There was a white crytal chandelier hanging down from the high ceilings. It had the shape of a rose dripping dew off its petals. It made her want to stay so she could see how beautiful it will look at night.

    Releasing the breath she held, her nose was filled with a very delicious aroma different from that male scent she smelt around the house.

    She inhaled deeply and found herself taking the steps as fast as she could support herself with the ck handrail when a wave of dizziness threatened to make her fall.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She saw the back of someone with a tall and muscled build working in front of the kitchen ind and she almost screamed. This was not what she wanted, did she get kidnapped?

    "Princess,e over. I prepared breakfast," a deep musical voice that gave her the most pleasant feeling ever.

    She froze despite how beautifully alluring the voice sounded as she prayed for the owner of the voice to turn so she could see his face.

    "It is a simple breakfast of warm milk, toasted bread and fried egg. I am not good at cooking but I am learning," the owner of the voice continued calming.

    She felt no hostility from him, he sounded like he had always known her and it scared her as well as enticed her that someone who had such beautiful build that the sweatshirt and tapered sweatpants could not hide talked so freely to her.

    She still stood frozen hoping herck of response will make him turn as her mind began wandering. She wondered what she might do if he turns and he has an unsightly appearance despite his beautiful voice and physique.

    She knew she will get scared and want to run but she stopped that wandering thought when she remembered her appearance in her past life. She actually gets scared of herself but she was beautiful underneath her deformity.

    "Do you want to eat here or on the dining table?" He asked with his deep voice that did not seize to amaze her.

    She snapped back to reality when she realized the aroma of the fried egg and the sound of his voice was making her drool. Shouldn''t she be thinking of how to get away from this ce.

    Perhaps she got drunk and followed a stranger home. She agreed with that possibility since she simply cked out after drinking that drink.

    "Thanks for not doing anything bad to me despite the state I was when you brought me here. I am grateful for your help but I need to go home. Please could you try keeping it secret? I don''t want them to know I went home with a guy I don''t know," she said hurriedly.

    With all that said, she ran towards the big ck door that hopefully, led outside the house. She ced her hand on the handle of the door when she noticed she was barefooted.

    Shaking her head furiously determined not to care no matter how hard her mind tried to scare her with the fact that she might get hurt by stones or thorns from going out barefoot.

    "You don''t want to go out that way, trust me," the musical voice told her the voice sounding close. He forced her whole being to freeze again without much effort.

    She turned to face him and further froze if that was possible. Her lower jaw could not keep itself held to held to her upper jaw any longer as it dropped almost touching her chin.

    The grey pair of eyes staring back with a handsome yfulness that made her heart skip a beat were so mesmerizing, it made her petrified.

    He appeared to having a lot of fun teasing her although she found it really weird to see him with such expression. Why was he here with her? Why will he tell her he wanted to learn how to cook? Why did he . . . Yes, that''s right. He called her princess.

    "I guess you should eat breakfast first. Kitchen or dining room?" he asked with a broad beautiful smile.

    "I am not hungry. I want to go home," she said frowning despite the number of butterflies reminding her that she had the name of a flower as a name as they yed around in her stomach like they will in a rose garden under his gaze.

    She was fully aware that a lot of girls will want to be in the line of sight of those beautiful eyes. Thest time she saw those eyes, they froze her but right now, they took time melting her from the inside.

    She blushed embarrassed when her stomach grumbled loudly. She turned to the door hastily to go but the pain she felt in her stomach told her to do otherwise of what she nned.

 Chapter 74 - Eating Brunch

    Liam chuckled and walked to her quietly. He won''t let her leave this way and get embarrassedter regretting her decision. She really did not look at the mirror.

    Rose held the handle of the door tightly as she fought with her pride. It wanted her to walk out of the house and return home immediately but she was hungry and she did not know where she was.

    "You can''t go out in your pyjamas, right?" He asked yfully with a softughter.

    She looked down at the silk pyjamas she wore and let go of the door handle. She turned toe face to face with that very handsome face, she gulped. At least he gave her a reason to stay, her pride won''t let her go back home in a pyjamas.

    "Here, sit down," he said pulling back a stool for her when she got to the ind in the kitchen.

    She nodded and sat down while he served her quickly but carefully. As she watched him serve her breakfast, she found herself so engrossed in watching him.

    The way the muscles of his hands moved as he carried the te of toasted bread, the way his back muscles flexed under the free off-white crew neck sweatshirt he wore made her wonder how they will feel under her fingers.

    "You must be really hungry, you are drooling," Liam teased her as he sat down with his te of toast, egg and mug of milk.

    Rose dropped her gaze as she used her fingers to rub all the corners of her lips. When she did not feel any moisture, she raised her head and red at him.

    He smiled at her as he took a sip of warm milk. He found her very adorable. It took more than a lifetime to be able to sit down together with her and have breakfast together and he was determined to cherish and enjoy every second of it before his time is up.

    This should not feel right in any way. Why was the cold Mafia King having breakfast with her in his mansion? Why was he smiling to her when no one have seen his smile? Why was he looking so handsome in the morning? Why did he look so handsome?

    She gave herself a mental p to bring her mind back to reality. It was not about how handsome he looked or how well-toned his body appeared even under such free out fit.

    It was really not about how good he looked in the casual outfit that she found herself debating on which outfit makes him look better. It was not about . . .

    ''Oh gosh! Get your head back here, Rose,'' she scolded sternly hoping her thoughts are generous enough to focus on the fact that she have never spoken to him until today and the first day she did, she was in his house.

    More things to focus on: why was she here? How did she get into his house? Did he kidnap her? Did he do it out of kindness? For how long have she been in this house? What was the time?!

    "Please what is the time?" she asked when her mind felt too upied to begin eating breakfast.

    He stared ahead for a few seconds and returned his gaze to her. "It''s 12 noon," he replied easily and continued eating his lunch in a way Rose found really beautiful.

    ''Naughty thoughtse back here,'' she ordered mentally. ''Did he just guess the time?''

    "Please where is the clock you got the time from?" she found herself asking immediately.

    "Behind you in the living room," he replied amused by the question she asked.

    She turned back to see a clock in the living room imbedded into the wall. She felt impressed by the work of art despite how simple it looked with the off-white paint on the wall and its ck other features.

    "I designed it," he said when she kept staring. "I wanted something simple. I did not want something that will destroy the simply appearance of the house."

    Rose turned and faced him again. Why was he telling her? He suddenly became the mostplicated human she had ever talked to.

    "Eat your breakfast or should I say lunch. The milk will get cold," he told and continued eating his brunch.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Why does he care if I eat or not? She felt the pain of hunger in her stomach and it drove her to begin eating immediately taking her time despite how she wished she was alone so she could eat it all as fast as she could.

    All her questions and uncertainties waited for her to eat her breakfast. It was nice and delicious. "Thank you," she appreciated when her tes and cups were empty.

    "You are wee. Should I get you more?" he asked.

    "No thank you," she replied shaking her head furiously. Four slices of bread should be enough, right? She could eat when she gets back home if she gets really hungry.

    "You are wee. Don''t drink alcohol again," he said with thest sentence amand.

    "Uh?" She asked confused. What gave him the right to tell me what to do and what not to do?

    "Yesterday, you werepletely knocked out by just a ss of tequ," he said shaking his head as he stood up piling up the tes. "You are lucky you did not suffer severe hangover."

    "Let me do it," she said standing up immediately. She took his te from him and he let her immediately without hesitating but took the cups. The two walked to the dish washer together.

    Liam smiled, this felt perfect.

    "I need my dress I will like to go home now," she said after arranging the dishes in the dishwasher.

    "Take a nice bath before you go. You will know you need it when you look into the mirror," he said with a soft chuckled that sounded like music in her ears until she took note of thest sentence.

    Without wasting a second, she ran up the stairs.

    "I will get your clothes for you," he called after herughing louder now. He found her very lovely and interesting. She had always been the person to make himugh. No one else could do that.

    Rose almost screamed when she saw her reflection on the mirror. "No," she cried running her fingers through her hair. "Why?" she continued crying.

    This was the worse appearance she have ever had in this life. The eye mascara Debby and Anna insisted on putting on hershes and the eyeliner had smeared around her eyes and the lipstick on her lips was not in good shape either.

    She literally cried as she walked to therge shower cubicle to take her bath ignoring therge bathing tub that did enough good of calling her attention. She wanted to take a very quick and effective bath so she could leave the house immediately.

    The shower gel smelt like him, was he really the person that gave her peaceful night rest, so it was not an angel after all although she had wished it was a human.

    It was a human and a very hot, handsome human that could melt the heart of anyone both physically and mentally.

    The white soft dressing coat she found happened to be her size which surprised her since she was more than a head shorter than him.

    She stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in the dressing coat as she tried drying her hair with a towel to see Liam standing by the bed with a hair dryer in his hand and clothes on the bed.

    Oh gosh! This was beyond a dream, although she knew she will prefer to remain in the dream than return to her reality. She really had to wonder if he had multiple personalities.

    "Thank you," she said walking to him.

 Chapter 75 - Rose Garden

    She stretched her hand towards him to take the hairdryer from him. He shook his head moving the dryer away from her reach.

    "I will do it for you. It will be hard to do it yourself," he said with his signature smile lifting the corners of his lips.

    Rose got too mesmerized in his smile she could not refuse as he guarded her to sit on the bed and he plugged the hairdryer. "This isn''t right," she said standing up as soon as he began helping her dry her hair.

    "What?" He asked stepping away from her with a very innocent look.

    "This, all this. You and I together. I don''t even know you for goodness sake. I don''t understand what is going on.. I just want to go home," she bbed unable to say all that kept bothering her. She needed a ce to think and he was not helping her in any way.

    Liam pressed his lips together and gave her the hair dryer. "Dry your hair and wear any of these. I will give you a ride home. You won''t find any taxi around here," he told her before leaving the room unhurriedly.

    She could finally breath when he left. She dried her hair as fast as the dryer could dry it before putting on one of the clothes he left on her bed. They were not hers but they were new and fit without stress.

    She opened the door and walked out of the room after checking around for her bag and cloth but she could not find them. She met him downstairs.

    "You are reading. I guess I didn''t forget your size after all," he said naturally as he stood up from the sofa he sat on watching her take the steps steadily downstairs.

    "Why do you know my cloth size?" She asked watching closely suspiciously.

    "That''s a story for some other time. I am sure your family members are waiting for you. I will take you home," he said walking to her. He ced a pair of ck sneakers on the floor in front of her. "I advice you to abstain from wearing heels for now, you hurt your leg yesterday. I am d you are not feeling pain."

    She opened her mouth to argue, at least to say something but she had to close her mouth after a few seconds of been unable toe up with the right thing to say.

    His grey eyes watched her as she wore the shoes he gave her. "The shoes fit too," he said proudly like a little child child that got all his test answers correct in a maths test.

    "How is Jace?" She asked as soon as she stood up.

    "Jace?" he asked his smilepletely gone from his face.

    "Yes, my sister and I haven''t seen him in a while. I thought he will visit us sometime before he leaves," she replied nodding.

    "Oh," Liam could only say at that moment. He found his thoughts going towards the day Jace came to visit him in his office. He tried his best to be as nice as he could to him but it seems Jace was holding his actions against him. He only hoped his brother does not seek his blood over his betrayal.

    Rose noticed the change in his mood immediately and got curious although she felt sorry for him. She did not know why he chose to betray his family but she could only conclude that like every other decisions made by people, he also had a reason why he made the decision he made.

    "I want to go home," she said breaking his chain of thoughts.

    He looked at and smiled brightly in a manner that got her heart beating really fast. She was a hundred percent sure no one will believe she received such bright smile filled with enough sincerity to literally melt someone''s heart to a poodle from the famous richest Mafia King in town.

    "Here, your clothes fromst night," he said showing her a paper bag which he held. She reached for it but he pulled it away from her. "I will carry it for you," he said walking towards the door.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This house looks really good. I love the colorbination," she found herselfplimenting his mansion as soon as they stepped out of therge door.

    "I am d you like it. I designed it with you on my mind," he said with a cheeky smile that got her frozen.

    "Why will you do that?" she had to ask confused. She really wished her lips was not fast topliment before her brain could stop it.

    "That''s a story for another day. We will be seeing each other more frequently," he said.

    "I . . . You . . ." she began but could not think of the right way to phrase all the questions she had in her throat trying hard toe out to his ears.

    "I know you have a lot of questions. You want to know why I have been visiting you. You want to know a lot of things and I am more than willing to tell you but that will be a discussion for some other time," he said leading the way down the steps infront of the house.

    She was weed by the most beautiful Rose garden she had ever seen in her life. Their colors were just so beautiful and unique. They nted each color to form a pattern that spelt her name in a very beautiful cursive writing.

    Their beauty was magnificent it made her teary. Some had colors she had never seen before. "How is this possible?" she had to ask unable to take her eyes off them.

    "Some of them were made specifically for me by a friend of mine. I love roses," he replied pleased with her reaction. He was sure she will get a lot more emotional reaction from her if she sees the roses he nted for her in Star city.

    "They are gorgeous," she said looking at them wishing she could wake up to look at this every day. "Their scent is beautiful," she continuedpliment.

    "Wait a minute," he said leaving her.

    She barely heard him as she stepped close to the garden and touched a beautiful Amber rose than looked so beautiful. She leaned down to smell them and had herself falling in love with his mansion, that she did not feel the desire to leave anymore.

    Liam watched the breathtaking view as he got closer to her from his car. Her very unique hair flowed beautifully to the side of her face the wave of aurburn in a sea of brown hair were the most beautiful hair colorbination in the world.

    She seemed to notice his presence when he got closer. She stood up and looked at him her hazel eyes shining brightly at him the moisture in them glistering in a very beautiful manner.

    "I will take you home now," he said pointing at his ck limited edition electric sport car behind them.

    "Oh sure," she nced at the flowers before following him to the car. It felt sad to part from such beautiful sight.

    He looked at her when they got to his car and she wore a pout as she nced back at the flowers. He found her pout very cute. Her pink natural lips looking really attractive as he gulped. He entered his car to prevent himself from iming her lips for hispletely.

    Bad thoughts always tries to find their way to your head when you are having a lot of fun and the picture of her lifeless body in his arms shed through his mind.

    He rubbed his eyes unwilling to let those thoughts ruin his time with her. He was not going to let that happen to her in this life. She was very much alive and he was alive too, at least for now.

 Chapter 76 - Cleared Traces

    The sound of Rose closing the door of his car after sitting downfortably brought him back to reality and without saying a word to her, or looking at her, he drove off.

    Rose noticed something was off but considering that she was still confused about the whole situation she was in with Jace''s elder brother, she decided to mind her business unwilling to offend this living time bomb.

    He drove her home and surprisingly, his mansion was only fifteen ride away from her home. He stopped at the gate and got down from his car. He opened the door for her and waited patiently for her to step out of his car.

    "You know the way to my house. I saved my number in your phone with my name.. You can call me or find me whenever you need my help although I will be very close to you when you need me," he said giving her the paper bag with her purse, clothes, shoes and phone lying neatly arranged in it.

    "Thank you for the ride," she said walking to the tall metal gate of her house.

    "Rosaline," he called.

    She stopped immediately and looked back at him confused. Why was he suddenly calling her by her real name.

    "You don''t need to be scared of anything. I will be your human shield," he said softly that even the wind won''t be able to take it anywhere other than to Rose''s ears.

    She looked down at her fingers holding onto the paper bag he gave her. This was the most beautiful statement she have heard from anyone since her mother died.

    Her mother who used to be her human shield was long dead leaving her all alone in this wicked world. She had no one to turn to but this very handsome knight was offering her protection but what will he asked for in return?

    She looked up at his beautiful eyes that had a superpower of making every other thing around meaningless when she looks at them. "Thank you," was all she said after contemting what the right thing for her to say was.

    She did not trust him at all. She had too much unanswered questions that she could not consider trust as an option at this point.

    He smiled and moved away to his car. "I will find you if I need to see you. No alcohol, it won''t do you any good. Try to live well and forget the past, the future is more important," he advised her with a slight smile.

    Watching him smile the way he did, she found herself hoping he does not smile this often with other people. It made her heart race so fast she could hear the sounds of her heart beats. She wanted to be the only person to have this feeling.

    He gave her a quick wave before sitting behind the steering of his car and drove off after giving her another wave this time, it was longer and paired up with a hot sexy smile.

    The gate opened as soon as she got to the gate. She walked in and wished he drove in to drop her off right in front of the mansion when she saw the long way she had to walk before she gets to the house from the gate.

    "Rose!!!" Anna shouted running out of the house when she got to the steps in front of the house.

    "Oh Anna. I am sorry, I should have called ore back home earlier. I . . .," She began a series of apologies but got interrupted by the tight hug Anna gave her and she soon felt the girl shaking against her as she sobbed.

    "Are you sure you are fine?" Anna asked worriedly as she stepped back mopping her tears and looked all over Rose to confirm.

    "Yes I am fine," she replied smiling and nodding energetically. She did not want to appear that way but after having one of the longest most peaceful sleep of this life, she could not help being that way.

    "Yeah, you are really fine. So, what happened?" Anna asked pulling her into the house to the living room where Wayne and Debby got up as soon as they walked in shocked to see Rose perfectly okay.

    "Oh goodness, what happened to you? You scared us all. Why did you leave so early? You made us all worried," Debby began looking at Rose carefully.

    " . . . and guilty. We were all having fun and did not realize you were gone early until the party was over. We thought you hade home but Mara said otherwise and we began looking for you," Wayne narrated.

    "A friend''s brother helped me when I got knocked out by a drink. It was bad but he was helpful. I aming from his house," Rose said truthfully.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Who is that friend''s brother? We checked all the videos from the security cameras but we could not find you. I guess whoever it was must have wiped out every record of his presence at the party and no one seemed to have seen you leave," Wayne told her sitting down back on the sofa he stood up from few minutes ago.

    "If he took effort to wipe his trace off, I think I have no right to tell you who it was. I am sorry," Rose said looking down guiltily.

    "Rose, that is not fair after making us get so worried about you," Anna objected with a serious frown.

    "I am sorry," Rose said raising her hand up in defeat but did not tell Anna who it was.

    "Does Eric have an older brother?" Anna asked Wayne the all knowing.

    "No, he has an older cousin but he is the only child of his parent," Wayne said proofing he was really all knowing. "He also did note to the party."

    "No matter what happenedst night, I hope you are alright inside out?" Anna asked. "None of your organ is missing, right?"

    "None, they areplete. The person simply saved me and that was all. I don''t think it is necessary to know who it was," Rose said firmly unwilling to give up Liam''s name since he took the pain of clearing every trace of his presence.

    "Did the person drive you here?" Anna asked.

    "Yes," Rose responded truthfully. If they find him in the video from the security cameras in front of the gate, then he was not serious about keeping his identity secret.

    "Let us go," Anna told Wayne before pulling him after her.

    After going through the efforts to find the guy, the video from the moment the guy got there to drop Rose off was missing. Rose found herself sighing in relief at that.

    Wayne tried to recover the video but the person who took it down, did that so well Wayne could not get the videos back after more than an hour of trying.

    "I must say, that guy is good. It scares me to know someone is as good as him. He could help us with that hacking skill to find the guy that killed ire," Wayne said with a deep respect imprinted in his heart.

    "Or he could be the person who did it," Debby mumbled loud enough for them all to hear as she rubbed the goosebumps on her arm at the thought of that.

    "No, he will not waste his skill on someone like ire and the person who did that is rted to Anna but this guy is rted to me," Rose immediately refuted. She felt anger rise from the pit of her stomach at the sound of that usation.

    "Yeah," Wayne agreed. "This guy is better than the other guy. He did his work very neatly you won''t know the videos are missing except you are looking for something particr. I was impressed by the hacking skill of the guy who did that to ire but I am scared of this guy. It feels like he have everything in his control."

    Rose found herself smiling secretly at thatpliment towards her biggest crush as a pink tint began crawling up to her face. "I guess he does not want anyone to know he was here."

    "Who is he? He must have an extraordinary identity to try to hide it so well," Anna asked her curiosity reaching it''s peak.

    "Since his identity is so extraordinary, don''t you think it is only right we don''t know to avoid getting killed to get us silenced," Debby voiced her opinion her face pale. "I don''t know who this guy is but he scares the hell out of me."

    "I will go to my room," Rose informed them happy that Debby somehow brought the interrogation to an end.

    The three friends watched Rose as she left with the slight smile on her lips not hidden at all. They nced at each other and made a mental agreement to forget about what happened although Anna found it really hard to forget.

    She also felt offended that her sister was keeping secrets from her and she was bent on getting to know the secrets by all means.

 Chapter 77 - The Call

    Rose sat down on her bed as she overturned the content of the paper bag on her bed. Her clothes and everything else in the bag smelt like him. Even the clothes she wore had his scent on them and her body still retained the scent of his shower gel.

    She picked her purse and phone. She went through the content of her purse and nothing was missing.

    She checked her phone book to see Liam''s phone number. It made her confirm that whatever happened was not a dream. It was real. She slept over night in his house.

    She closed her eyes and exhaled. Those flowers, his home, all those confusing things he said to her, they were all too apprehensive. She chose to forget it all and continue living her life.

    She went to her studio and sat in front of her work table with a pencil and her sketch pad. She began working on a new design but could note up with anything Liam seemed to have clouded her thoughts.

    She moved back to her room and sat down in front of herputer and began drawing.

    "Wow," she said after an hour of sitting with her hands working to create the beautiful image she built on her mind.

    The rose garden appeared on the screen before her. She leaned back on her seat and looked around her room missing the calm feeling she got from the simple but beautiful colorbination of his room.

    It made her want to redecorate her room. She wanted something simple and beautiful like that. It took her a few minutes to being her mind from the pool it voluntarily sank into which was Liam.

    Liam''s smile, hisughter, his eyes, his height, his body, his cloth, his scent, his food, and every other thing she took note of seemed to have monopolized her thoughts.

    Where were all these in her past life? Why did she not get the opportunity to enjoy such beautiful things in her past life when she wanted them the most?

    She was so unloved in her past life, she got scared of her own reflection in the mirror, she was so alone and she needed someone to smile at her the way Liam did but he was no where to be found.

    She ran her fingers through her hair and got up. She was still confused about the whole thing and needed some answers. She decided to stay calm till she knows the answer to all those questions. The answers will determine if she could trust him or not.

    She did not have the luxury of having someone she could trust in her past life. She sighed as she saved her work of art and got up.

    ***

    "I heard you want to go to a college in Star city," the head teacher said watching Rose closely from where she sat in her office. "Sit down."

    "Yes ma''am," she replied bowing her head as she sat down opposite the woman.

    "Oh, so what college do you intend to attend?" the woman asked with interest.

    "The royal university," Rose replied sincerely.

    "Oh. Your mum works there. I also intend to work there. I am just waiting for the right time."

    Rose nodded.

    "It is the best school in the world. They produce the best schrs and I am sure you will stand out with your talent. I advice you to focus on one fashion. If you want to be a good fashion designer, you have to focus on learning and being the best, other things like being the second best student in mathematics are not necessary to survive in the fashion designing world."

    Rose nodded fully aware of that. She was not very good in mathematics in her past life but this time, it came almost naturally. She did not have to study as hard as she did in her past life but she always got an A+.

    She was chosen to represent her school in the regional mathematicspetition but she did not participate in thepetition. She requested to be excused from that since she had her fashion to focus on.

    The midterm exam must be the reason why the club head teacher was talking to her right now because she got two marks less than the perfect score in mathematics.

    "I want you to stop holding your talent back. I spoke to Eric earlier and he said you have talent for designing male clothes too, I think you should also consider making a master piece for a male. I want to see it before you graduate. You have enough points to get into any university of your choice."

    "I will do that," she replied since she got very interested in men fashion after meeting Liam.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The international fashion week is right at the corner. I am sure your mother is busy preparing. I heard you are working as a frencer with your mum. Have you ever considered also working somewhere else?"

    Rose finally understand where the long story was headed to. She raised her head and looked at the beautiful face of her teacher. She will definitely not working for her mother''s rivalpany. She was not going to be a traitor.

    "You will sell some designs to me, right?"

    "I really can''t. My mother will not be happy about that," Rose replied with no room for a second thought.

    "You did not sign a contract with her, right? You are just a frencer. I have a deadline to meet and my sister won''t be able to make it either. I love and respect your talent. I want you sell some of your designs to me. If you don''t want to, there is no problem. I will just ask some other person," the teacher said leaning her back on the back rest of her chair.

    "I . . . I will ask my mum if I can. If she does not have a problem with that, I will get some designs ready for you to choose," Rose said finally. She found herself unable to refuse when she met her teachers gaze.

    Thisdy have helped her unconditionally for over a year now, guarding her towards the point she is now and even to a position she never thought she could get through fashion and she had never gotten the opportunity to thank her for her help.

    This could serve as an opportunity to repay someone''s kindness. "Well then, I guess you can leave. I will be waiting," thedy said smiling.

    Rose exhaled as soon as she walked out of the teachers office. She hoped her teacher won''t think of using this same method to make her a designer in theirpany.

    She knew she had a kindness to repay but she did not want to believe the little voice that told her her teacher taught and trained her for this moment.

    "Hey what did she say?" Eric said walking beside her.

    "She told me to try designing men''s clothes," she replied truthfully.

    "She asked me to sell a design to her," he whispered softly.

    "Uh?" she asked looking at him wide-eyed.

    "Yes, her sitting have not been feeling well after she gave birth a few weeks ago. She also has to have everything ready before the deadline. Will you help her?" Eric asked.

    "I will, she helped the both of us," Rose replied with a smile as she walked to the cafeteria with Eric. "I heard they have very good designers working with them."

    "Yes but they have not created a good enough masterpiece, ording to her."

    "That is a pity. I am sure they pay them very well."

    Her phone vibrated. She looked down at the screen. The caller''s ID showed ''Liam'' boldly making her halt as she stared wide-eyed. She almost dropped her phone like a hot potato.

    "Are you okay?" Eric asked his voice sounding distant unlike the phone vibrating in her hand.

    "Yes, go ahead. I aming," she said walking to a bench and sat. She took a deep breath before cing her finger on the receive icon.

    "Rose," that bass melodious voice called from the other end.

    She felt her heart race really fast she thought her chest won''t be able hold it in anymore. "He . . . Hello," she said trying hard to no avail to prevent herself from stuttering.

    "Let''s have lunch together. I just arrived in B city," he told her with a lively tone she thought shouldn''t be in his voice with the reputation he had.

    "Uh?" she asked in disbelief. It had been two weeks since she woke up to find herself in his house. He did not call or text her since then. She also did not perceive his scent on her bed since then.?

 Chapter 78 - Lunch

    "Are you busy?" He asked when she remained silent.

    "No," she replied sharply shaking her head despite the fact that he was not close by.

    "Should I pick you up?" He asked.

    "No, I will go myself." She did not want anyone to find out since it was obvious he wanted to keep their meeting secret.

    "I will text the address to you then or will you prefer having lunch in my house?" He asked.

    She gulped when she remembered the beautiful garden and veryfortable house. "No, a nice restaurant will be better," she said determined to remain on her ownne since she was not clear of his motive.

    "Sure.. I will send the address to you," he said. "Bye."

    She stared at the screen of her phone confused. She closed her eyes as she made up her mind to get all her questions answered.

    "Rose, let''s go to the cafeteria," Anna said sitting beside her as she hugged her arm.

    "Go without me. I have something to take care of," she had to reply with a smile hoping Anna won''t get offended.

    "Oh sure. I think I will hate fashion designing very soon," Annained as she released her sister''s hand.

    "I''m sorry," Rose apologized with an apologetic smile without bothering to correct her sister.

    "No, it''s okay. I will still be your model even if I hate fashion designing," Anna said before walking to the cafeteria.

    Rose exhaled how was she going to leave school for the lunch date with Liam? The school was very secured because of the identities of the students. They had to ensure the kids were safe.

    She knew there had to be a way out since ire''s killer could abandon her body in the school without getting caught. That caused the reputation of the school to drop which equally made them strengthen the security to prevent future troubles like that.

    After thinking of different ways to leave the school premises without being seen, she could note up with the right way. She picked her phone and decided to text him. No matter how urgent it was for her to leave the school, she could not do so if she did not have the right way to.

    She could take permission but that will mean her mother and some other people will find out which was what she intended to avoid. Burying all her unanswered questions, deep in her heart, she decided to text him.

    "Sorry, I won''t be able toe. I have to attend sses," she murmured as she typed the words carefully to avoid making mistakes.

    ###

    Liam stared at the text he just received and shook his head. He was aware she was still in school when he invited her to have lunch with him. She immediately rejected the offer obviously because she did not have a way to escape without being seen.

    She was just took weak, although he liked that about her since that will mean she needed his protection but it also displeased him. She was up against the whole royal family including her mother''s family but she could not leave the school building.

    He shook his head. It was his priority to protect her and make her get the throne but what will happen to her when he is not there? Will she simply get killed? He shook his head furiously and stood up. She needed to be trained for what awaits her.

    ###

    "Is she the girl Liam met?" a middle-aged man asked removing his reading sses and rubbed his eyes gently.

    "Yes sir," a younger man replied bowing with his hands sped behind his back.

    "She looks so much like thete Queen. I heard she got adopted by thete Queen''s cousin," the man inquired displeased as he rxed his back against the backrest of the chair he sat despite the unrxed feeling he felt the more he stared at the picture in his hand.

    "Yes sir. I think she is thete princess but she seemed to have lost her memory," the young man briefed the older man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Lost her memory? I won''t believe that even if I lose my mind," he said shaking his head and tsked. "Tell my sister and the other members of the council that we will hold a meeting concerning this issue tomorrow at midnight. Send the invitation to the head of the council and tell him it is urgent."

    "Yes sir," the young man replied before walking out of therge study room as fast as he could.

    The older man leaned forward cing the picture on the table and took a sip from a ss of a clear alcoholic liquid. He could not afford to lose all he spent decades trying to achieve along with the council members.

    ###

    "How about dinner?" she read the text she just received from Liam with only her lips moving slightly.

    ''Dinner is fine, send me the location,'' she texted nning to drive there after working with Eric after school for that day.

    "I thought you were too busy toe," Anna said when she joined them for lunch.

    "I had to go to the restroom," she whispered to her sister as she waited for her lunch to be served.

    "So, what''s the novel going to be about?" Wayne asked Debby.

    "It is about a girl who was granted another chance in life, that is she was reborn to carry out vengeance," Debby replied enthusiastically.

    "Oh . . . That''s cool," Annaplimented.

    "Yeah. I am going to read it," Eric said pulling out his smartphone.

    "What are you guys talking about?" Rose asked unable to ignore the doubled speed of her heart beat.

    "A novel Debby wrote," Anna replied as she also brought out her phone from her purse.

    "Wow. I did not know Debby was a writer," Rose said amazed as she could rx. The were not talking about her, they were talking about a novel.

    "You don''t know anything about us," Anna said frowning.

    "Ohe on, I know Debby is a makeup artist," rise replied smiling as she hoped it doesn''t get anymore awkward than Anna made it with her statement.

    "I don''t like doing makeup for people except my friends but I do it because that is my family''s business. I had to chose between being a makeup artist and being a dermatologist that''s why I chose to be a dermatologist," Debby narrated with a sad smile.

    "I . . ." Rose began thinking of a way to make it less awkward than it was.

    "Ohe on, everyone has a talent most people don''t know about," Eric tried to ease the tension in the air.

    "You know Debby won an award few months ago right?" Anna asked Eric.

    "Yes . . ." Eric answered before looking at Rose who looked like she had no idea what they were talking about.

    "I am sorry Debby," Rose apologized as she began eating her lunch.

    "You are really carefree, I envy you," Anna said standing up and left the room.

    Rose did not know why her sister was angry with her but she remained seated as she continued eating her lunch. This was the first time she saw Anna that angry but she had no idea what to do as she continued eating her lunch.

    She decided to talk to her sisterter.

 Chapter 79 - Dinner Invitation

    "What''s your novel about?" Rose asked as she got curious.

    "Vengeance. The girl was once nice but she had to turn into a villianess to revenge," Debby narrated.

    "Wow. Must someone turn into a villian to revenge?" Rose asked since she was in no way a villian. She had good closebat skills but she had never used it. She was just too nice or frankly speaking, scared to assassinate the Queen.

    "Yes. What sort of question is that?" Eric had to ask shaking his head.

    "Just curious," Rose replied looking down at her meal.

    "I have never been a fan of reading novels but thest novel Debby wrote was amazing. I will read this one too," Eric narrated.

    Rose looked at her friend who seemed to be a big fan of Debby''s novels confused. She have never noticed this about him. "I really don''t understand," she murmured.

    "Rose what will you do if someone kills you and your family members and you happen to get the chance to transmigrate into the body of the villian''s wife?" Debby asked watching Rose closely for her answer.

    "I . . . I don''t know," she replied. That was close, just too close frankly, she will simply poison his meal and put him to sleep. But here she was very far from the people that hurt her and her mother.

    "Oh . . . Well, the novel will tell you what someone is expected to do," Debby said shaking her head in disbelief.

    "Text the name to me, I will read it," Rose told Debby immediately. She was too much of the angel in both of her lives and she wanted to change. She wanted to put fear in the hearts of all the members of the Royal family.

    She had an aim, her n was to return her mother''s reputation to it''s past glory, expose the evil doing of the Queen and punish her for killing her mother.

    "Anna has being easily irritated for some days now. I guess you should talk to her," Debby advised before leaving the room after her lunch.

    "Oh, I will talk to her at home," Rose replied nodding. Anna was not someone who gets easily irritated or angered and she really wanted to know what made her jovial sister unhappy with her.

    Rose and Eric remained for a while in school after school closed for that day. They both needed a beautiful piece to apply for the university of their choice. It was a university that everyone dreamt of going.

    They had a lot of students from all over the world apply and thepetition was high. Award winning was one of the criteria to give someone an opportunity to study in the school.

    She was sure she did well with her award winning but her friend needed help and she was willing to help him create a masterpiece for apetition. She enjoyed working with Eric and since it was his dream to go to that university, she was going to make that happen.

    "I guess you should use a darker color," she advices him as he was trying to chose a color for the sparkling stones he had to put on the dress. "It shouldn''t be too obvious either."

    "Yeah that''s right. To produce a thin line between elegance and wildness," he agreed with a smile.

    "Why do you want to make such a dress?" she asked curiously.

    "I designed the dress for you," he replied straightforwardly.

    "Wow, I never expected that answer," sheughed softly.

    His eyes caught the gentle movement she made with hand to cover her lips. "You always look elegant. You will be perfect to y the role of a cold-hearted villian princess," he said truthfully.

    "I am not cold-hearted neither am I a princess," she told him shaking her head with a smile as she continued helping him cut the linen. Why does everything point to the fact that she should be cold-hearted.

    "Whatever. Since I designed the cloth for you, I want you to wear it when it is released to the market," he said smiling.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh that''s not nice. Should I go outside to buy it when the Mastermind behind it could make one specially for me?" she asked with a slight pout.

    "I thought you don''t agree with the reason I chose to make this dress. I wanted to make one for you but I won''t any longer. And I intend to sell the design. I want a few people to get to look beautiful in this dress," he said.

    "Good for you. That means I won''t buy it," she said and continued with her work.

    "Do as it pleases you. Oh that''s right, why did you agree to give the teacher a design?"

    "Oh, I did that because she is nice."

    "Her sister is your mother''s biggestpetitor."

    "Thanks for the reminder but I know that very well."

    "Then why?"

    "I am leaving early. We have to do something important today before I leave," she told him her voice turning cold and uninterested with his questions.

    "Sure," Eric heeded her warning and he began sewing. She could get really scary when she was not trying to be nice or gentle.

    Rose nced at her wrist watch and frowned. She wished Eric agreed to make the dress in her work room at home but he refused after she tried over and over to persuade him.

    "I guess I have to get going. It is gettingte and I don''t leave in the city," she said packing her things after half an hour.

    "Yeah, that''s right but some students are still in school so, I will wrap things up," he said. "Thank you for your help."

    "You''re wee," she carried her bag and walked out of the room.

    Eric shook his head. They stayed longer in school when preparing for thepetitionst year but it seems she has other things to do today. He smiled and continued working.

    It was not evente yet but she imed it was. He nced at his wrist watch, it was almost time for dinner. He could only guess that was the reason she wanted to leave early.

    Rose hated driving alone at night on the way back home although she was forced to asionally to go back homete. The empty dark way reminded her of the night her mother died.

    It also made her feel scared despite how hard she tried not be. It felt as though those that wanted her dead will pop out in front of her car and hold her down till she dies.

    She sighed gripping the steering tightly. She gazed at her the screen of her phone frowning. The location he sent her was that of his house. She really did not want to go this house it made her want to remain there forever.

    She exhaled and began her journey. She hoped whatever he nned will end early so she could get home before it gets dark.

    Liam was waiting for her when she got out her car. Her eyes followed every action he made from the brightening of his eyes, the slow upward curve of his lips to give her a smile and his unhurried majestical steps towards her.

    "It is a little cold,e in," he said leading her into his cozy house.

    Oh not again.

 Chapter 80 - Beautiful

    The warmth she felt as she stepped into the living room was one she might find hard to forget. She moved her gaze around the room.

    She got to notice the smaller chandelier in the living room looked like a rose carved out of ice melting slowing but still maintaining its shape and beautiful appearance.

    She moved her gaze to the other chandelier she wanted to see with its light on and it was the most beautiful sight she had seen since she left his house that morning.

    Seeing her gaping at the chandelier, Liam joined her with a smile and folded his hands on his chest as he watched pleased with the hours he spent to create the design and the other hours he spent watching them making it, having them melt it and remake it over and over again.

    "It''s beautiful," she said under her breath.

    "Yes, beautiful," he said his smile broadening. Her eyes and hair looked most beautiful under the silver light of the chandelier, it was really not a waste of his time, resources and energy.

    She turned shocked to find him very close to her and stepped away.. She cleared her throat gently and met his gaze fearlessly. It was time to get her answers.

    "What do you want by doing all this?" she asked coldly trying hard not to show the fear that made her feel as though she was thrown into a bath of ice cold water.

    She gripped the pepper spray she bought on her way to his house. It was so small but but ording to what was written on its carton, it was going to be efficient enough to hurt him for hours while she ns her escape.

    "You don''t need that. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done that the night I brought you here. I will never harm you at least not in the way you are thinking," he said amused as her grip on the pepper spray tightened.

    "I want answers," she told him getting impatient and uneasy. The security camera footages that were all gone, his tall build, his muscled appearance, his reputation as a Mafia and the fact that she was only a powerless teenager left in his mercy were enough reasons to make her feel like she might die any second from this moment.

    "Ohe on," he said lifting his hand to point at the wellid dining table.

    The hand movement he made had her stepping back and made a stance to attack anytime soon.

    "Ohe on. No offense," he told her raising his hands to indicate surrender and moved away from her to the dining table. He sat down on one of the seats and picked his cutlery.

    She did not like what just happened. She felt mocked as she unclenched her clenched fist and stood properly as her mind went to fact that the stance she just made will appear udylike especially in her school uniform skirt.

    She blushed slightly as she took careful steady steps to the dining table. Liam was eating with dignity worthy enough to bepared to that of thete king her grandfather.

    She was young but she could still remember how he did everything with dignity in a manner that never seized to amaze. He was truly a king.

    Liam felt conscious of her gaze and it pleased him well to see her watching him with her two eyes open and functioning properly. He could not hold back the smile that forced the corners of his lips to curve up.

    "I could not make anything extravagant for you. It feels weird eating this low ss meal my mansion, right?" he asked gently cing his cutlery down and met her gaze.

    "I haven''t began eating," she replied since she found his questions really strange. Was he boasting about the fact that he lived in a mansion or was he apologizing for the type of meal he prepared?<novelnext></novelnext>

    The way she furrowed her brow at his statement made the corners of his lips curve higher and he picked up his cutlery once again. "I hope you enjoy it, your highness," he said and continued eating.

    The dish was appetizing enough for her to attempt to take a bite and since his toast was nice, on the day she ate breakfast here, she was not scared of giving it a try and it actually tasted divine.

    It took almost all her willpower to hold back from humming and closing her eyes to savour the taste.

    "I see that you are enjoying it," he said happily like a child who won apetition for the first time in his life.

    She did not reply but kept eating taking her time to enjoy the unique vour of his meal. She really wanted to tell him she did not believe he prepared it himself but hired a chef.

    "I promised you that I will learn how to cook. This is my first trial and the dish turned out well. It took me a while to chose this menu but I am d it turned out well," he continued to do what Rose considered bbering although his voice was so deep and musical that she did not want the bbering to end.

    She lifted her gaze to his eyes and dropped it immediately when she noticed his silver greyish eyes were looking at her the whole time. She wondered how he could eat in such a dignified manner and still break one of the biggestw of table manners.

    Her male friends liked to talk asionally and it was normal to her but she never expected someone with his reputation to sit down with her and talk to her about learning how to cook. What shocked her most was that it felt natural.

    He served her dessert of a simple chocte cake he said he made himself after two trials. The taste was beautiful and the chocte melted in her mouth like ice after every bite.

    "Now we can talk," he said when they sat in the living room after dinner. It was dark outside already and she was almost not aware of it since she wanted answers and she was willing to wait for as long as he wanted her to.

    "I want to know why you are doing this?" she said straightening her back as she say watching him.

    "What am I doing?" he asked making her pause confused. The slight pout of her lower lips felt very amusing.

    "All these. We are not friends. Why will you invite me for dinner and even learn how to cook a meal for me. This is just too absurd," she inquired frowning that she made it a little obvious that she saw all he was willing to do for her.

    "I think you are my friend," he said in the mood to tease her to see that pout again.

    This time she could not hide her anger as her brow furrowed like it had never done in a while and her lips pressed tightly together and she tightened her grip on the pepper spray wishing she could spray it into his eyes to wipe out that smirk he wore teasing her.

    He wanted to see her lose the cool she always wore like everything was working in her favor when actually, the whole wasing after her head.

    "I will leave since we don''t have anything else to say to each other," she said standing up with her anger and desire to carry out that n buried feets below her feet. She gave her self-control a mental thumbs as she got up and picked her bag.

    "Your highness," he called her also standing up.

 Chapter 81 - Her Title

    Now that was too sudden, she froze unable to move. She liked the sound of it from his lips. She actually really felt like the princess she truly was when he called her that with his deep majestic voice.

    She gulped unable to say a word as she watched him walked to her. "I know you don''t trust me. I want you to trust me and I am willing to wait for as long as you want to take to confirm that I am worthy of your trust."

    She gulped once again, why does lumps keep forming in her throat?

    "I think it is best we talk right now," he told her calmly when she remained speechless.

    His voice actually felt like magic making her move her body without room for hesitation as she sat immediately yielding to hismand.

    She felt the magic in his voice as well as the power that could not hide behind the mask of the gentle appearance he was willing to wear in her presence. She got scared of all that and also strangely excited by the effect he had on her..

    She shook her head slightly as she gave herself a mental pinch on her arm to snap back to reality. If he called her by her title, he should know the respect she deserves to get from him. He had absolutely no right to order her around like a robot.

    "No," she mumbled softly. "I don''t want to associate with someone who I am very unsure of his motive," she said him trying hard to keep her voice from sounding shaky and looking away from his grey eyes.

    "I want you to get the throne back," he told her his motive without hesitating as he returned to the sofa he stood up from and satfortably.

    Rose watched him cross his legs and leaned back against the back rest of the chair while she felt both nervous and scared. She wished the role will be reversed but that was obviously almost impossible right now. After all he was at home.

    "Why?" she asked keeping her back straight and maintaining eye contact with him.

    "You are the princess," he replied looking even more calm in a way that further pissed her off.

    "I am fine. If I am the princess or not, that is for me to worry about. Why then do you concern yourself with my private life?" she asked hoping to sound as majestic and cold in his ears as she felt she sounded in hers.

    "I have to," he informed her.

    "What gives you the right to?" Now she was really getting angry she could not control it anymore. Why does he have to look so rxed when she was almost dying where she sat thinking of the right thing to say next.

    "I waited more than a lifetime to do this," he replied. "I waited so long to have you sit on your throne."

    "What do you want in return? Shouldn''t you want the kingdom to be stable? I guess your business means a lot to you," she said chosing to reference only theprehensive part of all he just said.

    "Definitely and that is why I want you on the throne. There are too many things people are too busy to notice what happens among the royals that should stop."

    "Then they literally don''t exist if no one takes note of them."

    "Like you? What do you think will happen if a fashion designer with a promising future ahead of her was suddenly found dead?"

    He remembered how hurt she looked when he found her that day, the day she died. No one, not a single soul except him cared truly for her. Another insignificant life was lost.

    "What?" she asked to ask since what he said sounded like a threat she did not like. A girl with a scar disfiguring half of her face was found dead in a warehouse.

    "They are all watching you. They are waiting for the right time to attack but I have always kept them off. Some of them know your true identity. Don''t think you are hidden enough."

    The rate of her heart beat elerated making her feel suffocated. She knew it from the moment she decided toe out to the world as a designer that they will suspect her identity but she never thought it will be this soon.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have always protected you but I don''t want to protect you anymore. I won''t be here for too long, I can''t guarantee your safety if you are not on the throne," he narrated.

    All he said to her made her way more confused and she could not understand why he had been protecting her all long or if it was true that he was protecting her.

    "I am grateful but I have to go home or they will get worried." She stood up once again picking her purse.

    "Next time I invite you over, don''t bring the pepper spray. I designed it and it will be really efficient but I am not the enemy, your step mother is but I won''t do anything to them without your permission, it''s your vengeance after all." He stood up and she frowned stepping back.

    She really wished this very handsome and sexy man would stop talking in circles and in a manner that made her feel bare in an almost creepy manner.

    She really considered hugging his big thigh for help but from what she witnessed, it was not going to happen at all.

    Not with the way he acted so familiar with her as though they knew themselves in forever and she did not find itfortable at all or she chose to believe that was the reason why she could not open her heart to his help.

    "Should I give you a ride?" he asked when she got to the door.

    "No, I drove here with my car," she answered sharply seeking escape from his home and from him as they keep giving her a feeling of desire to remain.

    She nced back at the chandelier then at him, his beautiful eyes told her he was sad but she had no time to consider that as she wanted to leave or she might remain longer than she thought it right for her to.

    When she sat in her car after putting on her seatbelt, she exhaled. What feeling could be more confusing and apprehensive as the desire she felt to return to him, to his home for a night or nights without nightmares.

    She shook that thought off furiously, she could not trust him. She nced at the pepper spray and exhaled again. Did he really design it or was he lying?

    There was a lot of things she needed answers to but she got nothing after eating dinner with him. He must have been really lonely to call her out for dinner.

    She decided to seek advice. She grabbed her phone as soon as she got home and asked an anonymous question on the inte. ''What does it mean for a man to take you home when you got drunk and he did nothing to you?''

    Most of them had almost the same answer for her which was either he liked her too much to not want to hurt her or she was not attractive at enough to get his attention.

    She threw in another question, ''what does it mean for a guy to prepare breakfast and dinner for you?''

    Most of them wondered why she was so clueless enough to ask and said definitely the guy had feelings for her.

    Did he have that type of feeling towards her because he knew her real identity? She frowned and dropped her phone, she had school to attend tomorrow she needed to sleep.

    ***

    "Boss, I think you are scaring her," Charlie said on the other end of the video call he was making with his boss to update him on things going on in Star city and he had to tell his boss that when his boss told him he invited Rose for dinner.

    "I did not force her toe. She wanted answers," Liam surprised Charlie by answering him.

    Charlie was shocked by the given opportunity but he also wanted to do his best. "Boss, I know a really great method to make here to you herself."

 Chapter 82 - Sisters Beef

    "Rose have you eaten dinner?" Mara asked when Rose went down stairs.

    "Yes I did. I checked Anna''s room but she isn''t there," Rose replied walking to the refrigerator to get herself a bottle of cold water.

    "She went to Miss Debby''s house. She will go to school from there tomorrow," Mara replied.

    "Mum is busy, right?" She asked.

    "Yes, she won''t be back anytime soon," Mara replied.

    "Thank you. I saw you reced a few things in my room. I wonder how I will survive when I go to university without you," Rose appreciated sincerely..

    "You are wee but Joyce did most of it. I guess she will be willing to go with you when you leave for school," Mara said seriously.

    "Really?" Rose asked her eyes brightened. "But I think I should try being independent for a while in school. Don''t you think so?"

    "Ohe on. You are from a noble family, you deserve to be well taken care of and besides the pay is good. Joyce and I won''t mind doing our work well to deserve our pay," Mara said frankly.

    "You don''t have to say it in such a manner," she told Mara and smiled.

    "Miss Anna did not seem to be in a good mood when she left with Miss Debby. Did you two have a misunderstanding among yourselves?" Mara asked concerned.

    "Yes," Rose nodded truthfully. It was a misunderstanding she had no idea about.

    "I have never seen her unhappy like that, you should try talking to her. I spoke to her too but she did not seem to be in the mood at all so I let her leave."

    "I want to talk to her but she is not at home yet so, I will talk to her either tomorrow in school or I will go to Debby''s house."

    She found Anna''s behavior very weird. Her sister did not carry out her usual childish vengeance and end the fight but she left home and insisted on avoiding her.

    "That is best. You girls should not fight. Sisterhood should be respected and protected. If you want somete night snack, I will have Joyce bring them to your room," Mara advised her.

    "Yeah, I will need someter in my workroom. I have somethings to do into the night."

    "I will call Joyce over."

    With a smile, Rose turned and left the kitchen. The house felt too quiet and empty since Anna was not around to piss her off and shower her with attention and love. She missed Anna and she wanted her sister back.

    She opened Anna''s room and peeped into the living area where Anna usually sat watching TV by this time of the evening to convince her subconscious mind that Anna was angry and left. She shook her head and closed the door.

    She went to her workroom afterwards to work on the design she wanted to give her teacher. She wanted to ask her mum if it was alright for her help one of her mother''s biggestpetitors but since her mother was also busy trying to get things ready before the deadline, she decided not to disturb her mum but try to send the design mother asked her for as a frencer in herpany.

    She closed the door behind her and it was after two hours of being immersed in her work that Joyce came upstairs with herte night snack.

    "Thank you," she appreciated before taking a bite of the warm cookies Joyce made for her.

    "You are wee. You should rest early, Miss Rose,"Joyce advised her worriedly before leaving.

    "I can''t rest early with all these on my table," sheined when Joyce left and sighed. At this rate, she was way busier than a professional fashion designer.

    Her pay was good and their was no greater joy than knowing she was making enough money from doing what she loved no matter how stressful it got.

    She took a sip of the warm cup tea Joyce brought along with the cookies. She looked at the dressed up mannequin before her and hummed but she was not satisfied enough.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just like every other time, she was done making an outfit, she decided to rate it and she could rate it sincerely as a seven out of ten and that was not good enough. She pushed the mannequin to the end of the room and picked fresh new fabric to start all over again. The sketch was rated ten earlier but the work was not as good as she wanted it to be.

    TING!!!

    She walked to her phone and picked it up. It was a message from Liam. She opened the message. "You should go to sleep don''t get yourself over worked," she murmured.

    Firstly, how did he know she was overworking? Secondly, why did he tell her what to do? She frowned when she discovered that his concern actually got her face hot, she was blushing.

    She hated to admit it but it felt good. She pressed on a ''thumbs up'' sticker and sent it to him. Looking around her workroom after receiving the message from him, she felt a strong urge to leave and rest.

    She tried fighting the urge but when she picked up her pair of scissors to cut a fabric but she could note up with the right way, she seemed to have lost her focuspletely because of the strange but beautiful magical effect his words had on her.

    She groaned rubbing her eyes after yawning. She really felt tired and sleepy.

    She was far away in a Dreand before her head even touched her pillow after dragging herself with great effort to her room to avoid sleeping in the workroom.

    ***

    "Thanks Joyce," Rose appreciated with a smile as she took the parcel she got from someone who sent it to her house.

    "What is that?" Anna asked brusquely in front of her door preventing her from closing the door.

    "I don''t know," Rose replied truthfully although she had an idea of who the person was. She chose to ignore the coldness she noticed in her sister''s voice and tried to close the door but Anna stopped her from closing the door.

    "Hi, Rose," Debby said waving from behind Anna. She smiled pleadingly at Rose hoping she tries to overlook the sudden change in Anna''s behavior.

    "Hi, Debby" Rose replied taking the hint but deciding to remain as though she did not see the pleading look Debby gave her.

    "Should we open the gift together?" Anna asked walking into Rose room.

    "Why will you do that?" Rose asked holding the parcel tighter subconsciously.

    "Because we are sisters. I should know my sister," Anna said as she made herselffortable on a sofa in the living area.

    Normally, Rose wouldn''t have bothered to open the gift with her sister but Anna''s demand sounded so out of ce and weird. Anna have never been this way to her for any reason.

    "No, it''s my gift," Rose replied getting annoyed with her sister''s sudden stubbornness.

    "Can you see it, I told you she was keeping secrets from me. I tell her everything but she tells me nothing," Annained standing up. "You never tell me anything."

    Rose stood fixed in her room in front of the ss door as she watched her sister act strangely. "We have been together for two years but I have never seen you act this way."

    "What!?" Anna asked angrily.

    "Nothing," Rose replied shaking her head as she went to into her closet with the parcel. "People don''t change overnight," Rose said when she returned to the living area maintaining a calm fa?ade despite how much she wanted to crush the person destroying her little sister.

    "What do you mean?" Anna asked angrily. "You went away that night after the party. You did not . . ."

    "Who has she been hanging out with that is corrupting her?" Rose simply asked ignoring the ranting Anna.

    "Uh?" Debby asked confused her mouth left agape afterwards.

 Chapter 83 - Finding The Culprit

    "Don''t you think she has been acting strange?" Rose feeling so angry at who ever had that bad influence on Anna and she knew it could not be Wayne or Debby.

    "I . . .," Debby began but stopped when she met Anna''s cold gaze. She moved her gaze to Rose and decided to keep quiet unwilling to get into the middle of the sisters'' argument.

    She might have been friends with Anna since elementary school but she knew family always had a stronger connection than friends. Any answer she gives will make her get on the bad side of one of them so it was best she stays far away.

    "Excuse me," Debby said raising her hands up in surrender and ran out of the room.

    "What do you mean by that?" Anna asked when her friend left.

    "I think you we are having some type of misunderstanding," she told Anna making herselffortable on the sofa.

    "You went away that night, I was so worried why didn''t you tell where you went to that night," Anna said also making herselffortable.

    "Why do you keep talking about that night?" Rose asked smelling a rat. Since almost no body could know it was Liam who took her away that night, were they trying to use Anna to get the answer?

    "Because I can''t forget that night, I went down stairs but you were gone after the party and you were not at home too. I was so scared. I thought you got kidnapped like I was."

    "If that is what keeps bothering you so much, shouldn''t you be happy that I am fine and not hurt?" Rose asked sensing the sincerity in her sister''s reply.

    "I am happy that you are fine but it is unfair that you are keeping the truth from me despite how worried I was," Anna replied frowning.

    "What if that truth does not concern me alone? What if I tell you and someone gets hurt? Just imagine if the king took a fancy to me and took me home? Do you want me to expose the name of someone so important?"

    At the mention of the person that holds the highest power in the kingdom, Anna stopped pestering her sister and kept quiet. She frowned knowing Rose was trying to protect the identity of the person.

    Rose was not wrong by using the king because the person was also powerful. He was perhaps more powerful than the king in the underground world although he also maintained a powerful position as the richest man in the kingdom.

    "What about the parcel?" Anna had to ask unable to ward off her curiousity.

    "Eric sent me a fabric he came across. The fabric is very expensive. I don''t want it to get stained that''s why I refused to let you open. He did not tell me the type of fabric," Rose answered seriously as she stood up and gave the parcel to Anna after unwrapping it. "Try not to stain it."

    Anna could not get the feeling of guilt she felt seeing the smooth silk fabric in her hand. She frowned, when did she get so serious about knowing everything about her sister.

    She knew that Rose was a little reserved and she found it hard to talk about herself, her past in the orphanage and she was cool with it until . . .

    After careful thoughts she decided it was because her sister was no longer spending time with her and from the moment she woke, she always wanted to spend as much time as she could with her sister but they were drifting apart and she was scared that she will lose her sister finally.

    She stood up giving the fabric to Rose with a pout. "I am sorry," Anna apologized her face blushing in embarrassment.

    "I am still unhappy with you," Rose said taking the fabric from her carefully and turned to leave the room.

    "Do you want to use the fabric to sew a cloth for me?" Anna asked trying to act natural with her usual joviality.

    "No," Rose replied trying to sound as cold as she could sound despite the warmth she felt from seeing her sister try to coax her.

    "So, who do you want to use it for?" Anna asked hugging Rose''s hand.

    "It is none of your business," Rose replied frowning.

    "I am still curious about the person who saved you but I decided to let it go since it is something that concerns two people and it will not be good to give up the identity the person was trying hard to protect even if I am your sister," Anna said sweetly but try to hint her displeasure in thest part of the sentence.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t care what you think," Rose replied brusquely.

    "I know you don''t," Anna said using a fake high pitched voice that made Rose feel the string urge to cover her ears.

    "I don''t care whoever you decide to be friends with but don''t talk about me with anybody else. I don''t feel good about someone else knowing something about me," Rose warned her sister trying hard not to make to make it obvious that she had a suspect in mind.

    "Even with Debby?" Anna asked shocked by the warning.

    "Yes, if she wants to know something about me, she should ask me. I don''t feel good about you tell anyone anything about me," Rose tried to make to make repetitions hoping her sister won''t let a word slip out to anyone else about her.

    "Oh, sure. I will just tell her to ask you," Anna agreed nodding.

    "Yes, even strangers," Rose said as a passing thought hoping her sister will take note of it.

    "Sure, no will know anything about you from me," Anna said naturally without picking offense or finding the warning suspicious. "I don''t even know anything about you."

    "Same here. I don''t know anything about you too," Rose said jokingly.

    "Do you know know how I got to like Mia?" Anna asked when they walked into Rose''s workroom.

    "No."

    "She sang a song for me on my seventh birthday. She is a celebrity under dad''spany. She was so beautiful. She was young then and I can''t forget the sincere smiles she wore. She was different from any other celebrity. I also got to participate in a photoshoot with her when I became nine years old."

    Rose nodded listening to the story her sister told as she began working on the small but precious fabric Eric gifted her.

    She had never been interested in the life of any celebrity she was too busy trying to make a fame of her own however, she wanted to listen to what her sister loved.

    Perhaps if she spent some more time with her sister, her sister will be too busy to get influenced badly by whoever was messing up with her sister''s mind.

    "Have you ever thought of doing anything apart from bing an engineer?" Rose asked.

    "A model, you made me like modelling. I will simply be a model if I get bored of being an engineer. If that is possible," Anna replied looking around Rose''s workroom. "Is this dress mine?"

    "Yes, I am not done. It is missing something very important and I am yet to find out what it is."

    "I love it this way," Anna said taking the cloth off the mannequin carefully.

    "No, I will give you when I am sure it is finished and presentable," Rose stopped her and had to return the cloth to the mannequin.

    "Are you still angry with me? I know I messed up. I should have not been so childish and thoughtless but now, I understand. I know what I did is wrong but I won''t repeat it," Anna apologized and stopped with a pout as moisture filled her eyes.

    "Hey, don''t cry or I will send you out of this room. I know you are sorry. If you are about to cry because you want to take the dress now, then don''t try to hard because I won''t give you until I am done."

    Anna pouted more and stormed out of the room.

    "Slowly I will find out who the person is. Who is bent on finding out who I went with that night?" Rose murmured.

 Chapter 84 - Warm Embrace

    "How do you think mum will react when she finds out I made a design for my teacher?" Rose asked Anna after dinner.

    "I don''t know but I know she won''t be offended. She won''t take it seriously after all you are only a frencer," Anna replied happy that her sister seemed to have forgiven her.

    "Really?" Rose asked relieved with Anna''s answer.

    "Yes and besides she is too busy just do the work she wants you to do and get paid what ever you do outside that is none of her business I suppose," Anna replied sincerely.

    Her mother got a little interested in Rose after she won thepetition but Valerie have never really cared about what Rose does. It was a painful truth in Rose''s ears but it was still the truth after all.

    "I will get to work then," Rose told Anna as she headed towards the elevator trying hard not to let her sadness show.

    "You shouldn''t have said it in the manner you did," Debby said with a tsk as she watched her friend''s departing back..

    "Oh . . . I . . . Should I apologise? I only wanted her to feel free to do what she wants," Anna murmured with a sad pout of her lower lip. "I don''t think she thinks towards that direction."

    "I hope so too," Debby said with a sigh. "What fun are we going to have this night? I will call Rose over when we decide."

    "Are you really going to sleep here?"

    "Yes, I don''t want to go home for now until I get into the Royal University. My mother thinks I am not important until I am in university. I will study with you. I heard only geniuses could get into the university so you have to help me out."

    "So what did you decide to study?"

    "I want to be a stic surgeon. I will be the first in my family but I will also still be connected to my family''s business in some way," Debby replied sadly. "I am not even sure if that is what I really want but if I could make a name for myself, my mother will be proud of me."

    "You are a very good daughter," Anna said patting her friend''s shoulder and smiled.

    "How about this, I still have a long way to go in getting my grades ready for the university. So, could you help me get to that point?"

    ###

    Rose frowned as she sat down in front of therge work desk. That''s right, Valerie was nice to her but she never really cared about her. She always cared more for Anna.

    She never got jealous because she was not too stupid to try topete when Anna was adopted more than ten years before she was adopted. Their bond must have been very strong before her arrival and she felt no envy from knowing that and witnessing their close interactions.

    It simply did not seem to stop hurting her to remind herself that Valerie was her mother''s cousin not her mother. They looked alike so much and she smelt almost like her mother making her miss her mother every time she sees Valerie.

    Questions and statements like; we would have been close like this, right? We were always close, mum and I but she is gone now. Will mum still have looked this beautiful even after turning forty? Mum would have been happy if she ever found out I became a fashion designer.

    The questions and statements were so muching into her mind every time she saw Valerie and Anna showcasing their friendly closeness and at times, yfulness.

    She sighed and mopped the warm tears that kept slipping out of her eyes, down her cheeks. She was close to visiting Star city and her mother''s home town. Her visit to her mother was only few months away.

    She should have gone for apetition her teacher introduced her to that was to take ce in star city but she found an excuse to give her teacher despite how much she wanted to participate in thepetition.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She felt it was too soon to visit her mother. Too soon for her to step on the soil of Star city where her mother''s bodyy peacefully in the most quiet part of that city.

    The truth was that she could have gone long ago but she was too scared to go. She was scared that people might be waiting for her where her mother was buried because that should be the first ce she will be expected to visit.

    She was so scared but her guilt was eating her up right from the inside that she med herself endlessly for leaving her mum sad and lonely.

    From what she saw on the inte, since her mother''s reputation was ruined, nobody wanted to go close to her grave unlike the way the visited her grandfather''s grave.

    She was said to be buried with her mother from what she read on the inte. There were some spections that she was not even the King''s daughter and some people strongly believed it.

    They made her into a bastard, they made her mum a harlot, they made her mum a traitor and made her a traitor''s daughter.

    The more she cleaned the tears, the more they flowed from her eyes. "Mum," she cried wrapping her hand around her chest. She hated the feeling of being powerless and weak.

    "Shh," a deep musical voice said softly as a pair of strong arms hugged her from behind.

    She felt the presence of whoever spoke to her but she liked the feeling she felt from his hug. The scent that came along with his presence was like a nerve calming incense burning slowly.

    He hummed softly close to her ear his warm breath making her shiver subconsciously as he pulled her closer into his embrace.

    She wanted to scream and warn him not to treat her like a child but she liked the feeling of being treated like a child. That was something she was not privileged to enjoy for long.

    She was so young when she lost everything including her memory and she was left alone in this world to survive the jungle of bullying in the orphanage.

    It was so cold and lonely but his embrace was warm. His voice was gentle, he was not threatening her life. She could not hold back her years of grievances as she began crying hard turning to rest her face against his firm but soft chest.

    "Mum . . . Mum . . . Mum," she repeatedly cried hugging him tightly.

    Liam kept his mouth sealed as he hummed very softly patting her back gently.

    "She did nothing wrong," Rose continued crying as though there was nothing else in the world. "She doesn''t deserve this. She doesn''t deserve to be treated in such a way."

    A sentence almost slipped out of Liam''s lips as he felt both sad and angry to see Rose crying but he bit it back from escaping his lips because he wanted to give her hope with resources to support it.

    He had to remain calm until he was sure of what he suspected. It will be bad to give her hope about something so important only to take it away.

    Running his hand down her back gently, he said, "I know no one knows but I know the truth. Your mum did nothing bad."

    ***

    "I will check on Rose. I want us three to sleep together in my room," Anna told Debby as she walked to the door of Rose''s workroom.

 Chapter 85 - Warm Comfort

    "I will check on Rose. I want us three to sleep together in my room," Anna told Debby as she walked to the door of Rose''s workroom.

    "Hey, I guess she might have to workte into the night, let''s go," Debby said pulling Anna to her room.

    "She really needs to know when it''s time for her to rest and work," Anna said trying to pull her hand from Debby''s grip.

    "She knows and this is a really busy period for her. She has to work for your mum, she has to prepare a design for her teacher and she has to help Eric prepare for thepetition. She is busy. She will rest when she gets tired," Debby tried to persuade her friend.

    "Oh sure," Anna said nodding thoughtfully. "She might lose her concentration if we disturb her, right?"

    "Yes, I am feeling really sleepy.. I will go back home tomorrow to bring some of my things over. I will have to disturb you for a while."

    "Hey, what are friends for?" Anna threw her hand on her friend''s shoulder.

    ###

    "Are you okay?" Liam asked when Rose stopped crying but remained still against his chest.

    He received no answer. He moved her head gently from his chest to look at her face. Her eyes were closed peacefully despite the tears that stained her face. He smiled and shook his head.

    She had to trust him so much that she was willing to got to sleep in his arms in the manner she did. He have watched over her for a while now but this was the first time he saw her cry the way she did.

    He moved her gently careful not to disturb her peaceful rest and carried her in his arms like the bride he always wished she will be to him. She felt so light in his arms that he med himself for not taking good care of her.

    Rose snuggled into his embrace without hesitation as she continued sleeping. This was a very good feeling she did not want it to end. She wanted to keep sleeping in these arms.

    It reminded her of the peaceful death she got to enjoy despite the torture she had to endure that lead to her death. This scent was the same. The arms were the same.

    He did not want to leave her the way she was. He covered her carefully in theforter and sat down beside her holding her hand in his which she tightly held as soon as she felt his touch.

    This was the reason he was willing to do anything to remain by her side, she made him feel important and useful. She gave him a purpose to keep living.

    ***

    Rose opened her eyes to the bright morning light but closed it immediately when the brightness felt too bright for her to keep them open.

    She felt a shadow fall on her eyes which made her open her eyes immediately. A big palm was doing a good job of blocking most of the light from her eyes.

    She looked past the hand to see Liam smiling at her in a manner that made her heart flutter in a shocking way. She sat up immediately looking at him with a supposedly angry frown.

    She sniffed, every where smelt like him but this was her room. What was he doing looking sofortable in her room. She thought she could make him uneasy in her territory but it seems she was wrong.

    "Did you sleep well? It took a lot of effort to keep your sister away from disturbing your rest. It''s ten o''clock, I have a meeting to attend in two hours, I will leave now," he narrated with a smile she found to look very attractive in the bright morning light.

    "I . . . Thank you for yesterday," she told him avoiding his gaze as she bit on her lower lip. Thefort he gave herst night was one she never got to experience since the death of her mother. It was beautiful.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You are wee," he epted her appreciation with a smile as he took a lot of effort to hold back from saying some long speech. She made him want to tell her all about himself.

    He had bottled up all his thoughts and she came to him like a little hole in his locked up world and he was willing to let all his emotions and thoughts gush out but ensuring to keep him weakness far from her. She was weak already and she did not need a new burden added.

    "Bye," he said as he walked to her living area.

    She thought he was going to leave through the balcony as usual but today he went out of the door. She wanted to stop him but she knew he had more than enough means to cover up his track.

    She exhaled with a frown. She really wanted him to stay for a while. She pouted her lower lip and got down from the bed. She sighed when her feet sank into the soft rug and remembered how warm and soft but hard his chest felt when she criedst night.

    She wanted to depend on somebody. It''s funny how her thoughts changed overnight because of the support he gave her and herte mother. Her mother has someone who believes in her innocence perhaps she should trust her journey to vengeance into his care.

    "Too soon, Rose, too soon," she warned herself as she walked into the bathroom to wash up.

    She must have felt too tired to have fallen as sleep despite how close she was to deadline for her design submission. She might have to miss school for some days.

    The cloth she was designing needed care to give it the ten point she wanted to have. She had to submit the design to the person her mum will send to pick it up in two days.

    She groaned and went to her workroom after cleaning up and wearing a fresh new cloth of simple jean shorts and a t-shirt, to make her morefortable while working.

    She barely sat down to begin her work fully when Anna opened the door and walked into the room looking morefortable than she was in her workroom.

    "Gosh! How long will it take you to sew those things to the dress?" Anna asked baffled as she stared at the stones her sister was sewing carefully one after the other on the fabric of the gown.

    "I don''t know but I should finish before tomorrow if I work all day. I have less than quarter of it toplete. It is not going to be an easy task but it''s interesting. I have to sew them all to form that pattern," Rose said pointing at the sketch on the board at one end of her room.

    "Wow, the gown is gorgeous. Where did you hide it yesterday?" Anna asked frowning. "It will definitely cause a fever. As soon as mum has it, people will fight to own this dress."

    "I want this piece to have only three of it. I want the queen to wear one of it," Rose said closing her eyes and exhaled. Her mother was the inspiration behind it.

    "I heard the queen has her personal designer," Anna said shaking her head as she got closer but she did not touch the dress scared that she might mess it up.

    "Yes she does," Rose murmured. She will never want the present queen to wear this dress. "I can''t make any decisions about this cloth as soon as it gets to mum. I was only joking when I said I want the queen to wear it."

    No, she was not joking but the Queen she made the dress for was dead. She was dead, forgotten and misspoken of.

    The present Queen''s designer? That was her aim. She wanted to use that to get close to queen. It might be a very little opening but as a woman who was never confident that she belonged where she was, the queen respected and adored her designers to give her the best so she could be better than most people at least in one thing.

    "Wow," Debby said opening her mouth wide as soon as she saw the dress when she walked into the room. She pulled out her phone but Anna stopped her.

    "What are you trying to do Debby?"

 Chapter 86 - Plan For Tour

    "What are you trying to do Debby?"

    "I just got a call from my sister," she said showing the screen of her smartphone to her two friends before running out of the room to talk to her sister who called her.

    "I thought she wanted to take a picture," Anna said sighing in relief.

    "She wouldn''t," Rose told her shaking her head at her sister but also happy that her sister was cautious. Debby was smart enough to know it won''t be appropriate to take a picture of the work she was creating.

    "My sister wants me toe back home," Debby said when she returned to the room.

    "Why?" Anna asked surprised.

    "She did not give me any reason it was amand," Debby replied frowning. "I really don''t want to go home."

    "From what you said, I don''t think you have any choice," Anna said shaking her head.

    "Yes, too bad," Debby murmured with downcast eyes.

    "We could still study together in the library while you go home to sleep every day," Anna suggested knowing her friend needed her help.

    "Yes, that is possible. I will do that," Debby agreed raising her head and smiled at Anna before throwing her hands around Anna and hugged her tightly. "You are a lifesaver."

    "I doubt," Anna said under her breath as she pulled away from her friend''s hug.

    ###

    "You look happy," her mathematics teacher observed when she made herselffortable on a chair in his office.

    "Hmm. My sister and I made up," Anna replied naturally.

    "Did you two fight?" he asked confused as he took the seat beside her and made himselffortable crossing his legs.

    "Yes, for a while. She won''t tell me who she went out with that night and I want to know," Anna narrated.

    "I guess you are bothered because she made you worried," the teacher told her.

    "Hmm I was worried. I waited for hours before she came back," Anna narrated with a frown. "But she forgave me for being to childish."

    "Were you being childish?"

    "No, I was only trying to show her that I care," Anna replied. "If I get to fight with anyone, it shouldn''t be my sister. I love her," Anna said now smiling dreamingly.

    "The fact that she is okay means the person she went with was nice and did not hurt her," the mathematics teacher continued.

    "Yes I guess so. She said he is a brother of a friend but I can''t think of anyone," sheined her smile disappearing at his statement.

    "A brother of a friend?" the man asked with a supposedly uninterested look on his face as he picked a book and began opening its pages.

    "Eric is her only friend, at least the only friend I know of but Eric has no brother and it can''t be his cousin who is supposed to be in a university in Star city."

    "So . . ." he began but stopped to yawn as he continued going through the book he held.

    "It can''t be Jace''s brother or Wayne''s brother. Wayne would have known if it was his brother and Jace''s brother . . . that my sister is scared of him. He hates us . . . At least that is what I think and we are too little to be a concern to him, he cares about nobody," Anna continued to specte verbally.

    "Have you thought of going to take a tour around the university you want to go to?" he suddenly asked as though tired of her endless speech.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "A tour? Wow, that will be cool. I want to take a tour. I heard you are went to the Royal University," she said with her eyes shining with excitement.

    "Yes, it is the best university in the two former kingdoms," he replied nodding his head as he lowered the book.

    "Oh that''s right. I want to go to the Royal University. They have almost everything anyone needs to be the best in a field. Peoplee from all over the world to attend the university," Anna said happily. It was a dream to go to the university and it was a dream about toe to happen.

    "They have everything. It is not a child''s y to sit at the top above every other universities for over

    five decades now," he informed her proudly.

    She smiled when she saw the sincere pride he had for his school in the way his eyes shone. If he could be this happy talking about his school . . . "How about you take my sister and I on a tour in Star city?" Anna blurted out but immediately wished she didn''t when she knew he could reject her immediately. "Oh never . . ."

    "Sure. I know the school well," he replied almost immediately.

    "How about after the examination. For now, my sister is busy and won''t be able toe with us. When the examinations are over, we will go on a tour," Anna jubted. "Thank you so much."

    "You are wee. I was only trying to help since I know the school well and . . ." he began epting her appreciation but stopped when he felt her soft hands holding his hands.

    He looked down at her beautiful ck eyes which shined happily at his at he could not resist the urge to pull her into a tight hug.

    Anna froze at the feeling his warmth surrounding her like a thick nket but she could not deny the feeling offort it gave her as she closed her eyes and decided to rx in that embrace.

    ###

    "Let''s go on a tour around Star city," Anna said when she settled down to eat lunch but could not hold back the news till lunch was over.

    "We have our examinations and no time for fun," Wayne replied shaking his head.

    "We will go on the tour after our examinations. I got someone who is going to show the whole of the Royal University to us," Anna exined quickly impatient for them to share her excitement.

    "Really? But will I ever get into the university?" Debby murmured rhetorically as her dropped with a sad countenance.

    "Why not? You are going to go with us," Anna replied rubbing her friend''s hand.

    Eric looked at Rose who seemed to be uninterested and raised an eyebrow at her when she met his gaze. She shook her head and continued eating.

    "Rose? Will you go?" Anna asked expectantly.

    "I will think about it," Rose replied looking at the appetizing meal before her as she took from it to continue eating.

    "The fashion show mum is nning, I will get us a ticket to it. What do you think?" Anna asked trying to lure her with a thing she loved.

    "I watch it on the TV all the time," Rose replied uninterestedly although she was way more excited than anybody else at the table with her to visit Star city but she was scared.

    She was scared of what could happen to her if she gets too close to the kingdom''s capital perhaps she might never return to B city alive.

    Too many people lived in Star city that hated her and she was not even sure at this rate if who her enemies were. It was best to stay in her safe haven.

    "You are still going to go to star city but a tour before we move finally to star city is not bad, right? It will make it easier for us to fit in," Anna began the task of convincing her sister toe with them.

    "I will think about it," Rose tried to conclude the discussion and end the persuasion. She wanted to make the decision on her own.

 Chapter 87 - Camping At The Back

    Rose thought about when she got home and she could not get to a conclusion. She suspended her thoughts after a while of thinking it through. She still had a month.

    ***

    "Princess, did you have breakfast?" Liam''s voice asked from the other end of the call.

    "No, I am going downstairs for breakfast," she replied trying hard to fight the urge she felt to hang up. He did not contact her or try to find her while she was writing her exams.

    She hated to admit she was angry about that because it will only make her also admit the fact that she had been waiting for his call almost everyday.

    "You don''t sound well. Did you sleep well?" he asked worriedly.

    "Are you calling me to have breakfast with you?" she asked coldly as she paused behind her door to end the call before stepping out she was not ready to answer the questions Anna will definitely have for her if she sees her making a call.

    "No, I am in Star city. I won''t be back till dinner time. I wanted to have dinner with you," he replied with a hint of yfulness in his voice.

    "Fine. I have to eat my breakfast," she said and hung up. She rubbed her hot face when she realized she just asked if he wanted to eat breakfast with her. Shouldn''t that be weird?

    Liam looked at the screen of his phone and smirked. He could feel her embarrassment in thest sentence she said to him before hanging up. He was actually making progress with her.

    She will soon fall so deep without realizing it. Charlie was very right, it was best he stays close to her but yet far. He was not heeding to Charlie''s advice but he gave her a break to focus on her examinations and it actually worked well.

    He would have considered using that method if he had enough time but no one knew better than him of how short time was for him in all the ns and moves he had to make.

    He raised his head and looked at Charlie who walked into his office after knocking. "Boss the meeting will begin in twenty minutes," Charlie informed his boss with a smile.

    Liam nodded. "I will join them as soon it is time," he replied to his subordinate''s information and turned hisrge ck leather swivel chair to face the ceiling-to-floor window to hide the smile that he could not keep off his lips.

    He hoped the meeting will be as short as possible so he could go back to B city in time for lunch. If his princess wanted to have dinner with him, then he could not dy her.

    ###

    "Rose, wake up," Anna called waving her hands in front of Rose as she had been doing seconds ago.

    "Hmm?" she had to ask when her sister''s hand got so close to her eyes it needed to ovee on an inch to touch her face.

    "You zoned out. Why? What were you thinking about?" Anna inquired cing her cutlery down and leaned against the back rest of the chair and folded her hands on her chest as she waited for her sister''s answer.

    Rose ignored her sister''s questions and continued eat after a while, she was unable to keep eating with her sister watching her closely.

    She dropped her cutlery and leaned back slightly. "The tour we are nning. I am not sure I can go," she lied since she was sure if what to tell her sister.

    She could not tell her sister she was thinking of a very handsome powerful man who wanted to have dinner with her. She could not also tell her sister that she was scolding herself for indirectly asking him to eat breakfast with her.

    She had too many things on her mind but they were all connected to that very hot guy who had almost inhuman very gorgeous grey eyes.

    "Why?" her sister groaned unhappily. "We are going on the tour soon."

    "I am a little scared," Rose continued her lies. She had nned to go to Star city but since it was a lie she had to keep on with, she did not hold back.

    "I am here for you," Anna told her confidently as she beat her chest gently.

    "I should be saying that not you," Rose said shaking her head.

    "Is it because you are older?"

    "Yes, of course," Rose replied nodding confidently.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Whatever, I really don''t care but I want us to get familiar with Star city. Just a week tour, okay? Mum said the penthouse is ready for our arrival. I always wanted to go back there since myst visit," Anna said excitedly.

    "Oh, sure. I will get my bag ready," Rose answered so she could begin eating her breakfast, she was famished.

    "Yeah. Don''t back out a second before entering the ne," Anna warned her with a yful re.

    "Yes ma''am. I won''t," Rose replied taking up her cutlery to begin eating.

    "Promise?"

    "Promise," Rose replied with a groan.

    "You''ve promised," Anna reminded her before she began eating.

    Rose ignored her sister and began filling her painfully empty stomach.

    ''Should I pick you up for dinner?'' Rose read the text and stared at her friends who seemed to be having a lot of fun as they nned set up a camp at the back of the house.

    "Rose, what else do you think we need?" Debby asked looking at her friend who had been quiet all long.

    "I don''t know, I have never done this before," Rose replied. She frowned with her fist clinched behind her because she knew it will be really hard to escape them all. "Perhaps we don''t need to do it."

    "What?" Wayne asked staring at her as though she had multiple heads.

    "You can''t be serious right?" Lizzie, Wayne''s new girlfriend asked in disbelief.

    "Yeah I''m serious. It could get really cold at night," Rose replied shaking her head.

    "That is actually the fun of it. If it gets too cold for you, you can go upstairs to your room," Wayne told her hugging his girlfriend from behind.

    She frowned, she might have to skip today''s dinner which she did not want to. She missed him no matter how she wanted to hide the fact from herself.

    She missed his warm hug, his assurances that he was close by and there for her. He seemed to understand her better than anyone will ever.

    "I will go upstairs then, if it gets too cold."

    "She agreed, let''s go on with the n," Anna said sighing in relief.

    Rose groaned silently and went into the house through the back door regretting. She wished she did not agree since it looked like Anna was ready to cancel the n if she disagreed.

    ''Sorry, I can''t make it,'' she texted sadly.

    ''Some other time.''

    When she saw his reply, she really wanted to cry. Thest time she saw him was months ago she wondered when the next time will be.

    After all the craziness (fun) of her friends was over while she sat beside the camp fire watching them sadly, she went to the tent the boys helped her set up. It was arge tent but she insisted to stay in it alone while her sister shared a tent with Debby.

    When she was sure that they were all asleep, she went back into the house to her room, to thefort of her soft bed and warmforter. She nced at the time on the screen of her phone, it was an hour past midnight and she was tired.

    She fell asleep almost immediately after she closed her eyes.

    "Rose, wake up."

 Chapter 88 - Puppet Queen?

    "Hmm?" Rose asked as she rolled and opened her eyes. The bright morning light flooding into the room from the window made her close her eyes and rubbed them gently with the back of her hand.

    "We are going to eat breakfast outside," Anna told her.

    "I will join you soon," she moaned as she slowly got down from her bed after stretching her arms wide.

    "Hurry," Anna left that as a message before walking out of the room.

    ###

    "I am going to Star city," she told Liam as soon as he picked her call after letting ring for only a few seconds.

    "What?" Liam asked astonished by her sudden announcement.

    Anna felt it was right she tell him despite how the issue caused a minor conflict on her mind.. She was bothered by the fact that she felt the need to tell him but after telling him, it did not feel so bad. "I am leaving tomorrow," she told him as she prepared to hang up when her face began getting hot.

    "Don''t go," hemanded making her halt.

    "Why?" she asked not liking the tone he spoke with. It further pissed her off that she actually wanted to agree with him immediately without arguing. No one should have suchmanding effect on her, right? He had to give her a reason. He lived basically in Star city, there had to be a reason why she shouldn''t go.

    "It is not safe for you toe here to Star city," he replied truthfully. He wanted her toe to star city but this journey of hers was too soon. He was yet to fully dominate the whole of Star city. He had a few territories to take over and he could not guarantee her safety outside his territory.

    "I am going to go to school there soon. I have to go on a tour to get used to Star city," she exined to him happy that he cared for her safety.

    "Wait for a while. I will tell you when it is safe enough to go," he tried pleading with her.

    Rose could not pick the plea in his voice as she could only conclude that he was trying to take control over her life and it made her feel threatened. She should not be subject to anyone as a queen, right?

    This feeling of being able to rebel was new to her since she had almost never had the opportunity to rebel against anyone. He recognized her as the princess and he should give her the respect she deserves as the princess.

    He had slowly made her listen to is every word, inviting her out like he was superior to her but she never felt a negative feeling about it. It made her feel angry at first but she grew to like his presence only after meeting each other a few times.

    However, this was different. What was not safe for her was driving alone from his house in the dark lonely road. Star city was the city she might have to spend the most of the fewing years and he was trying to stop her from going.

    She moved the phone from her ears and looked at the screen showing his name in a bold font. She now found herself wondering why she decided to tell him. Does that mean this was his n all these while?

    Did he want her to be so dependent on him that she wouldn''t do anything without letting him know or that she will always go to him to ask for permission before going somewhere or doing something?

    "Is this what you want?" she asked coldly when she returned the phone to her ear.

    "What do you mean?" Liam had to ask confused.

    "Do want to help me get the throne so that you will be able to control the queen to do just what you want?"

    "Uh?"

    When he did not give her a reasonable answer, she moved the phone and hung up. She felt betrayed. She had subconsciously believed he cared for her and he did not want anything in return.

    "Rose are you okay?" Anna asked worriedly cing the back of her hand on her sister''s forehead.

    "I''m fine," Rose replied as she removed her sister''s hand gently.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You don''t look fine. Is it because of the journey? I really don''t want you to back out but . . ."

    "I won''t back out. There is hardly anything that can stop me from going," Rose replied determined as she encouraged herself. She was actually thinking of not going after pondering over what Liam said but her sister motivated her.

    "Thank you. If I will go to Star city, I want to go with you," Anna said with a teasing smile as she wriggled her brows yfully.

    "That does not sound cheesy at all," Rosemented with a bored expression.

    "I know it does, hater," Anna spat out with joviality.

    "I don''t have time to hate you. I''m too busy," Rose informed her sounding cruel with a victorious smile on her face.

    "Whatever, don''t forget my dress. I want to wear it to a party in Star city," Anna said after thinking for a few seconds on how to end the verbal war as a winner.

    Rose chuckled knowing very well what her sister was trying to do. She decided to keep quiet to give her sister the victory.

    Anna pulled out her tongue for a few seconds at her sister mockingly before walking out of the room.

    Rose smile slowly disappeared when her sister left and her gaze fell on her phone. Should she be an obedient girl and stay at home just like he said? Or should she simply ignore his words?

    She could not ignore his order but she could not heed to it either. He was perhaps doing this to test her, to confirm she was the perfect obedient girl he wanted to put the throne as his puppet Queen.

    "Whatever," she sighed and stood up.

    ***

    "It was your job to tell me what she does and her ns," Liam said between as he stared daggers at his friend and subordinate, Gray.

    Gray gulped, this was the first time he saw his boss lose his cool and scold him so fiercely.

    "I told you to tell me everything, every little detail but you missed out something very important," Liam continued. He exhaled andbed through his hair with his fingers and huffed slightly.

    Gray appeared calm on the outside but it took a lot of willpower to keep himself standing in front of Liam with his head bowed without falling on his knees.

    His knees became weak and grew weaker as Liam got close to him. Liam might have been nice to him and his friends but he did not need anyone to tell him how dangerous his boss was. He always got a front seat view of his boss'' ruthlessness.

    As Liam kept walking towards him, his knees could not keep his legs standing straight and he dropped to the floor on his knees with his hands sped behind his back and his head bowed deeply.

    "I want her to do what she wants to," Liam said squatting down to his friend and ced a firm grip on his shoulder making Gray shudder slightly. "You should protect her. If anything happens to her, I will . . ."

    Gray gulped with his eyes squeezed shut as he prayed silently that his boss'' wouldn''tplete that sentence. His boss never gave empty threats.

    He knew he will be in danger if Rose gets hurts but if his boss''plete that sentence, it will be something ruthless and he will have to face it even if a hair on her head gets hurt.

    Liam took a deep breath and gave his friend a pat on his shoulder before standing up straight. "She should be well protected at all cost," Liam told Gray and walked back to his seat.

    He did not want to hurt any of his three close subordinate. They were his friends and he wanted them to feel they were really friends and not just subordinates.

    "Rosaline," he murmured rubbing his face.

 Chapter 89 - Journey

    Rose was excited to go to Star city for the first time since she left. Star city was her mother''s hometown. It was the hometown of the Royal family before her mother got married to her dad.

    When the kingdoms merged, A city became the capital of the United kingdoms. It was actually a happy asion for all the kingdoms that merged during that period but things did not seem as good at it appeared in the surface.

    The underlying problems were not visible to just anyone but she knew very well what she passed through with her mother before her mother died.

    She might have gotten her memories back and also remembered how she died in her past life but she also suffered with her mother and she could not remember what really happened.

    She remembered being carried by her mother into a car in the night after getting kidnapped. She could not remember what happened between the time she was kidnapped and the day her mother escaped with her.

    She had not made any effort to get those memories back because she was already surrounded with enough painful memories that haunted her both night and day that she almost did not want to add to her pain and suffering..

    She sighed and stared out of the window of the ne. Her sister was sleeping in front of her. It was going to be a short journey and it made her nervous, more nervous than she have ever been in both her lives.

    Anna must have been so tired from running around in name of preparing for the journey to sleep in such a short period of time. Anna used to go to Star city when she still worked for her mother as a child model and before she got kidnapped.

    It was not a surprise that she could sleep and was not very excited.

    She stood up and adjusted the nket her sister covered herself with. Anna moved a little but continued sleeping with a sigh.

    "I told her to restst night. She is missing out on seeing such beautiful view. I could never get tired of it," Debby said shaking her head disappointedly.

    "She needs to rest, we are going to have a lot of things to do as soon as we arrive," Rose responded as she returned to her seat. She covered her legs with a nket and leaned back.

    "We are going to rest as soon as we arrive. I might have slept earlier than Anna did but I am very tired. I need as much rest as I can get. Fun starts tomorrow," Debby told Rose as she stared out of the window with a mesmerized expression on her face.

    "That''s not bad. I think that is what Anna nned too," Rose said picking her hand bag and pulled out a paper Anna printed and gave them earlier showing their schedule.

    "I don''t think I will do anything apart from sleeping as soon as we arrive," Debby said also checking her schedule.

    "We have a lot of time nned for ourselves alone," Rose voiced her observation.

    "Yeah, I guess she intends to spend all those time with him," Debby murmured yfully ring at her sleeping friend. "He is going to take us around the campus on Wednesday. Have you ever felt he was weird?"

    "How?" Rose had to ask confused. She have not had much interaction with the teacher. He seemed not to like her much but from her observation, he was really quiet and nice around other people but he seemed to be really friendly with Anna.

    He reminded her of someone she had been trying really hard not to remember for a couple of days now. Liam was cold and always felt like a distant deity someone sees but can''t touch or too scared to try touching but he seemed very different when alone with her.

    Although she registered it on her mind that he did it because he wanted something from her but she knew he still treated her very differently and that was what she saw when Anna interacted with the mathematics teacher.

    She was totally against whatever was going on between them considering a lot of facts but she found out he was nice to Anna and took care of her and she could not object any longer.

    She wanted her sister to be happy and if she was happy with the man, then she had no reason to object. Ever since they finished their examinations, her sister seemed to be a lot more open about their friendship or whatever rtionship was between them.

    "He makes me scared," Debby said in a whisper as she made herselffortable on the seat beside Rose.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is not proper to gossip," Rose warned Debby as she reached for her earpods.

    "I am very sincere about this. I think we need to watch out for your sister. She needs to be protected. The man is not as nice as he seems to be. The fact that he will show us around the campus actually scares me," Debby murmured sincerely.

    Rose felt the sincerity in her friends statement. Debby did not sound like her usual gossipy self she always sounded like when she wants to have fun talking about someone.

    Debby sounded concerned and the concern in her eyes when she nced at Anna who was sleeping did not escape her notice.

    "She is going to be fine," Rose encouraged her worried friend before wearing her earpods.

    "I hope so," Debby answered as she stood up to return to her seat. "You should also be careful."

    Rose furrowed her brow at that but did not ask any question as she pretended to listen to music.

    From the moment of her rebirth, she knew she knew she had to be careful and not make any mistake or it might cost her life. That was why she was so lonely.

    She had people who cared about her around her but they knew nothing about her inner struggles. They knew nothing of the secret she had to hide to remain alive.

    "Is he really scary?" Anna asked Rose when she sat down close to her sister in the car that drove them to their apartment.

    "Uh?" Rose asked shocked with her lips slightly parted.

    "Is he really scary? Does he scare you too?" Anna asked again watching her sister closely.

    Rose opened her mouth to speak but closed it pressing her lips tightly together when she could note up with the right answer that won''t offend her sister.

    "I heard Debby tell you he was scary," Anna continued when he sister did not answer her.

    "I . . .," Debby began exining but shut her mouth when Anna red at her.

    "I think he has a dangerous vibe too," Anna said looking down at her fingers. "But like I said months ago, he stopped the nightmare I was suffering from."

    "Oh . . ." Rose could only say.

    "I found out he was nicer than I thought. I like him now. He understands me so much. I think he is my soulmate," Anna said now looking at Rose with her eyes shining with excitement.

    "I also think he has a dangerous vibe and I don''t think he likes me at all," Rose said in a small voice avoiding her sister''s gaze.

    "He does not hate you trust me. Why will he dislike you for no reason?" Anna asked and Rose shook her head. "He is just a little reserved. Debby, if you think there is a problem, shouldn''t you talk to me first?" Anna asked ring at her friend.

    "Sorry," Debby apologized.

    "I know a pretty good restaurant we could have our dinner. It''s really close to the apartment building," Anna said with a smile and rubbed her abdomen. "I am famished."

 Chapter 90 - The Text

    "I''m sleeping here," Debby said walking into the first room she found downstairs.

    "Good enough, after all that was the guest room," Anna said chuckling as she took the steps upstairs followed by Rose.

    "The house is beautiful," Rosemented as she stared around with afortable smile.

    "I''m d you like it. This is your room," Anna said opening a door.

    "Wow, cool," Rose said as she walked into the room with her luggage alone while Anna went to her own room. The journey was nice and she loved how beautiful Star city still looked.

    The city was dominated on one side by old magnificent historical buildings. It was so beautiful and it was very expensive to live in that part of City.

    Most of the people that upied that part of the city were the royal families or multi-billionaires. The old pce was also found in that part of the city.

    The other part which was where her school was built in, was filled with tall skyscrapers and other expensive modern buildings.

    The building they got to stay in was one of the tallest in Star city as well as in the world and they were lucky to stay in a floor below the penthouse.

    When Rose found out, she wanted to tease her sister who kept emphasizing that they will stay in a penthouse but she thought against it. It was only a floor lower and it seemed the owner of the penthouse was very powerful.

    From what she heard from Debby, the owner of the penthouse was the owner of the building and there was absolutely no one who could beat the owner in using what he owns.

    He also owns a lot of other buildings in Star city and around the world. He was the youngest and richest man in Star city.

    Must people were unwilling to ept the fact that Liam could own all he did after just a short period of time and at his young age but after careful investigations, some said he had always invested in a lot of businesses.

    He also seemed to own not less than ten percent shares in any bigpany that was not his own. Construction, weapon making and dealing, real estate, and many other businesses people did not knew about and did not know about were owned by him or he was one of the major shareholders.

    Rose sighed and looked out of the window. The view was breathtaking and she could see a lot of ces by just standing at the window of her room.

    She was happy to be back in Star city but Star city was different. She almost could not recognize the city from thest time she saw the city which was more than ten years ago.

    "Mum, I am in Star city. I am here with you," she murmured. Her back looked so sad as she looked out into the evening sky which seemed to be close to her.

    "So, what do you think Rose? Is it a penthouse or a little bungalow or duplex?" Anna asked Rose her eyes shining in curiousity when they sat together to look at the night sky.

    "Like they always say, the night sky look best in the country. I like the whole idea of living in a penthouse but I love home. Our home in B city is the best. The sky looks prettier," Rose said truthfully but if she could visit her grandfather''s home, she knew she will love it better than anywhere else.

    "Yeah, the stars in the city are not bright," Debbymented with a nod.

    "They look okay to me," Anna said as though she was trying to persuade herself that they did.

    "Yeah . . . They do," Debby said without bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

    Anna ignored her and turned to Rose. Tomorroww, we are going to go for the fashion show. Mum got us tickets. It will be at night and I would have scheduled that we find a dress in the day time but Rose have taken of it so, we will visit the spa after lunch," Anna said giving her sister a thumb up.

    Rose smiled and took a sip from the ss of fresh fruit juice Debby made for them. "We could shop some groceries on Tuesday although it was not included in the schedule," Debby suggested.

    "We order for food and if we don''t want to, I can bring Joyce over," Anna refuted immediately shaking her head furiously.

    "The fact that you don''t know how to cook, does not mean we can''t and you could use this opportunity to learn," Debby tried to persuade her friend.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have no reason to learn," Anna told Debby arrogantly.

    "For fun?" Rose asked Anna. The thought of having to cook while they stayed in Star city was nice and she wanted to try it.

    "For fun? Fine, but if it they don''t taste good, we will just have to order for our meals agreed?"

    "Sure but Rose will try cooking first before I do then you are next," Debby said excitedly.

    "Just once a day. I have a busy schedule," Anna told her trying to sound as stern as she could.

    "Whatever. We will do grocery shopping

    on Tuesday," Debby said excitedly. She have never gone to shop groceries before and she wanted to experience it.

    "Its just going to be stressful," Annained.

    "It will be fun. Trust me," Debby replied unwilling to lose such an opportunity.

    "Fine," Anna agreed when she noticed her friend''s unwavering firmness.

    "Wayne will arrive tomorrow morning and we will drag him along. I heard he is going toe with his girlfriend," Debby continued talking.

    "Yes. His girlfriend is friendly but she is stealing our friend," Anna murmured.

    "Are you still our friend? I thought the mathematics teacher stole you from us," Debby said with enough sarcasm.

    "Hey, if you two begin another verbal war, I will go back to my room," Rose threatened when she saw the fierceness that appeared in her sister''s eyes.

    "Just this once," Anna said shaking a finger at her friend before resting her head on her sister''sp.

    Debby smiled victoriously, after all she won the war.

    Just as Rose settled herself under the covers, her phone vibrated on the bedside table. She picked it up to see a message from Liam and froze.

    They have not spoken since thest couple of days and it made her believe all the bad things her mind had to say about him. Perhaps he stopped calling her because she knew his secret and she could no longer y the role of his puppet Queen.

    With shaky hands, she opened the message and took a deep breath before reading it out aloud, "How was your journey?"

    The message was really simple but it made her confused. Shouldn''t he apologize to her? Shouldn''t he start with an apology?

    ''Was it too stressful?''

    ''I want you to be careful around the city.''

    She could not continue reading the messages he kept sending to her and she blocked him. She wanted an apology or perhaps she did this for her pride.

    Maybe she did not want to believe the joy that filled her heart from the message he sent to her. She did not want to believe that she was happy because obviously he still needed her as his puppet Queen that was why he texted her.

    With a frown, she pulled the covers to her chin and closed her eyes but it was way after midnight before she could fall asleep.

 Chapter 91 - Unblock Him?

    "Wee Noah," Anna said hugging Wayne''s girlfriend.

    "Oh thank you," Noah replied with a bright smile before she hugged Rose and Debby.

    "Hey, we are going to the spa do you want toe with us?" Debby asked hugging her arm.

    "Uh? Sure but . . ." She nced at Wayne and hesitated.

    "Wayne will take care of himself. We are going for a fashion show at night and I want you toe with us," Anna told her as she hugged her other hand.

    "If you think you are going to busy, you can refuse," Rose said trying to offer the girl a way out from the clutches of her sister and friend.. "If you want to rest since the journey must have been stressful, you can stay and rest."

    "A spa is the best ce to rest. You can get a massage. It will help you rx," Anna continued as she red at her sister yfully.

    "Sure," the girl agreed since it seems the girl did not give her a way out.

    Rose sighed as she watched her sister and friend drag the obviously tired girl out of the house. She smiled at Wayne who appeared so downcast and gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder before going after them.

    Rose froze at the entrance of the building as she saw Liam who was well guarded with six men at his back dressed in ck suit. She frowned biting her lower lips as she turned away.

    "Wow, he is hot," Debby said standing aside along with the many other people who did.

    "He is," Noah agreed nodding. This was the first time she was seeing him.

    Liam nced at Rose who turned her face away from him where she stood aside with some other people. His could not prevent his feet from pausing. She was clearly ignoring him. She did not meet his gaze at all unlike the other times they met.

    She always had a fearless look around him although he could sense that she respected him and feared him to an extent but this time, she looked away. He wondered what he did so wrong to earn that from her and it pained him.

    "Boss," Gray whispered to Liam when he noticed his boss was not moving forward and kept his gaze on Rose.

    Without answering or looking at Gray, Liam took his gaze away from Rose and kept walking. He felt lucky that Gray stopped him or he would have gone to her to talk to her. He would have asked her there for the answers he could not sleep thinking about.

    "What do you think she wants?" Liam asked Gray when they entered the elevator.

    "I don''t know boss," Gray replied sincerely. He never dated, he did not even live with his mother to know what women wanted or to even know anything about women.

    Liam sighed frowning. "Ask Charlie toe when he is done," Liam told Gray before walking out of the elevator.

    She was angry with him, he knew it but that was not as important as finding out the reason why she was angry with him. She shouldn''t be this angry only because he told her to stay away from Star city, right?

    He had yed the conversation they had over and over again on his mind but he could not get to a conclusion.

    ***

    Rose could not help thinking about how handsome he looked in the ck suit he wore. It made him look so powerful as well as scary, it made her heart race.

    She really felt a strong urge to unblock him and reply his messages but she held herself back determined to remain cold and distant from him till she gets an apology.

    At this point she was slowly forgetting why she needed the apology but she kept it locked up in her mind to stop her every time she nced at her phone with that urge.

    "If Wayne ever makes you angry and you need an apology will you block him?" she had to ask Noah who sat beside her.

    "Uh?" Noah asked shocked by the sudden question.

    "You like Wayne a lot, don''t you?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hmm, I do," Noah replied nodding with her brow now furrowed as she wondered why Rose was asking her such a question.

    "Will you let Wayne control your life?" she asked.

    "No, but it depends on what he is trying to make me do," Noah replied sincerely despite her confusion.

    "Ok, but what if he warns you to stay away from Star city?" Rose asked seriously.

    Seeing the serious expression on Rose face, Noah rxed a little since she knew Rose was not trying to tease her or bully her. She could only guess the girl needed some rtionship advise.

    "Will you get angry?" Rose asked when Noah did not answer her earlier asked question immediately.

    "It depends too. He has to give me a reason. If he can''t give me a reason and insists that I stay away, then I will get angry."

    "When you get angry, will you block his number?" Rose asked anticipating Noah''s answer. Perhaps she needed a reason to unblock his number.

    "Yes, until hees to me himself," Noah suddenly answered making her almost groan in frustration. Now, there was no lie she could tell her very prideful self to make her unblock his number.

    "Oh but . . ."

    "I might unblock his number if hees to me with a flower. I love flowers and he might make me forgive him with a bouquet of flowers," Noah replied with a smile.

    "Oh really?"

    "Yes, but it also depends on the type of rtionship and the personality of the girl. If the girl wants to have his full attention she should not unblock him and that is especially if she needs an answer. If she wants to know the reason why he told her that," Noah exined.

    "Oh . . . I guess Wayne has a lot of work to do to please you. I hope he never makes you angry," Rose said when she realized she had been to obvious about her feelings.

    "Uh?" Noah asked returning to her earlier state of confusion. It looks like she guessed wrong, Rose did not seem to be asking for a rtionship advise with thest remark she made.

    "What are you two talking about?" Anna asked walking back to her sister when she noticed the Rose had been walking with Noah ever since they got to the spa.

    "About how much she likes Wayne," Rose replied smiling as she took her sister''s hand while Debby went to hug Noah''s arm.

    "So how much do you love Wayne?" Debby had to ask curiously.

    "Very much," Noah replied.

    "Is that why you stole our friend?" Debby asked with a pout.

    "I did not steal him," Noah replied with a nervous smile. Wayne said his ex-girlfriend left because he spent most of his time with his friends. The time she spent with Wayne was enough for her.

    "Rx. Our friend''s girlfriend is our friend, okay? Wayne is like an elder brother to us. We will never be a problem in your rtionship. Wayne loves you and because he does, we like you too. We could be friends and hang together just like this," Debby exined in a very friendly manner.

    "Oh ok," Noah said unsure of what to say next after Debby''s long speech.

    "We brought you here to punish Wayne for noting with us yesterday. We don''t have anything against you," Debby tried to persuade her since it seems the girl was skeptical about her motive.

    "Ok."

    "Sorry about dragging you here. If you find it ufortable, I can ask the chauffeur to take you back to the apartment," Debby apologized.

    "No, I''m okay."

 Chapter 92 - Mrs. Smith

    Rose sat with her back against the backrest of the chair and her legs crossed with a pen in her hand as she wrote down a few things asionally on the small notepad she did not forget to bring.

    Anna kept ncing over and over at what she was writing but she had no idea and simply looked away. She always found it had to understand fashion designing although she tried hard to understand it.

    She wanted to make her mother proud vabd worry less about her. She wanted to prove she was capable of being a fashion designer just like her mother but every design she made had nothing special.

    Most of them were almost unwearable or look too simr to someone else''s design. It was good Rose had such great talent in fashion designing, it removed the weight of the responsibility from her shoulder.

    She could finally do what she wanted and it was a great relief to not bother about drawing one cloth on a piece of paper after thinking over and over, after tearing off many others.

    The only design she made sessful, did not do well in the market and her mother gave it a very high price considering that it was made by her. Her mother did it then because of her health she doubts her mother will repeat the same thing now that she was okay and Rose was avable..

    A model passed with in a dress that immediately earned the audience approval as a lot of people began pping. She remembered the dress, it was made by Rose. She can remember seeing the design on the board in her workroom.

    She turned to Rose who had a slight smile on her face. The theme of the fashion show had something to do with royalty and her mother very obviously, most have spent a lot to give the venue the beauty it had.

    Each mother looked very much like a prince, a queen, a king or a princess. One of the dresses caught her attention and it was made by Rose too, it looked just like the type of dress she wanted to wear for her party in B city.

    She wanted to looked like a villian queen with a lot of beauty and elegance. She rubbed her hand excitedly as she smiled, her eyes not leaving the model who wore the dress until she had gone far away and turned through a corner.

    "I want something like that. I want to wear that dress," she whispered to Rose who simply nodded with her fixed on the approaching model.

    ###

    "That''s the Queen''s designer," Debby whispered to Anna but Rose heard and she immediately turned her gaze to the beautiful woman who seemed to be in herte forties.

    The woman met her gaze as smiled as she walked towards Rose with a so much elegance anyone will mistake her for a full blooded Royal.

    Rose returned her smile with so much elegance which made the woman''s smile freeze for a few seconds before the smile broadened.

    "You must be Miss Whitfred," she said when she got to Rose.

    "Yes, good evening," Rose greeted her still maintaining her smile.

    "My name is Mrs Smith but must people call me the Queen''s designer. I saw you writing seriously on your notepad earlier. That is very professional," the womanmented as she looked at Rose intently.

    "I was only making sure to benefit something from the fashion show," Rose told her more professional with enough humility she could muster despite how irritated she felt standing before the woman who seemed to be the closest an employee could be to the Queen.

    "That''s wise youngdy. I used to do that a lot when I was younger and I enjoyed today''s show, it was the best I have seen in a while," the womanplimented.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose nodded. She did not want ept the praise or praise the show since either way, it was for her to do. Her mother organized the show not her and she was her mother''s daughter.

    "I saw you on TV," the woman said smiling with a hint in her eyes that Rose found it hard to put her fingers on. "I also read you interview. I heard you want to go to the Royal University," she continued when Rose remained quiet.

    "Yes, I want to," Rose replied hoping the woman leaves although she did not want to leave a bad impression on the woman''s mind since the woman was her ticket to entering the pce.

    "Oh, that''s beautiful. I was thinking of having work with me but since I will get to teach you and see your improvement, I will wait for you toe then we can talk again," Mrs Smith said with a gentle touch on Rose''s elbows.

    Hurray! She won the ticket. Rose nodded and she found it hard to think of the right thing to say.

    "You look like thete Queen. A lot of people are staring at you," the woman said making Rose freeze for a couple of seconds before smiling.

    "I look like my mother," Rose said moving her gaze to her foster mother who was walking towards them with a smile.

    Mrs. Smith followed her line of sight and her smile broadened. "Till we meet again," she said before walking towards Valerie whose smile disappeared as she got close. "That''s a beautiful daughter you''ve got there. Who is her father?" the left the rhetorical question hanging in the air as she passed Valerie and went to talk to some other women.

    "Mum," Anna whispered excitedly when she saw her mother. She really did not like grand asions like this because they seemed to be made to prevent her from being herself and force her to wear elegant appearances that wasn''t hers.

    "Anna," Valerie said hugging her daughter with a kiss on both cheeks.

    "Mum I missed you. How about we have lunch at our apartment on Thursday. We will prepare the lunch ourselves," Anna said excitedly despite the fact that she was totally against that.

    "I will love to. I also want to see how you girls settled down," Valerie said as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind Anna''s ear in a very gentle manner.

    Rose gulped and looked away, this scene was all too familiar. Valerie was hardly at home but she did not seize to call Anna almost everyday but she can''t remember when Valerie called herst for something personal other than work stuff.

    If Valerie did not look so much like her mother, she might have not been bothered. She smiled when Valerie walked up to her and hugged her.

    "Did you see how the cloth you designed was appreciated? When are you goinge work for me?" Valerie asked.

    Rose smiled. Work. "I work for you now, don''t I?" Rose asked as she tried her best to maintain her smile as she chanted repeatedly that Valerie was not her mother.

    "Of course you do but I mean exclusively," Valerie continued.

    "Oh, I will have to graduate from college to desire that," Rose replied still maintaining that fake smile that looked so real.

    Some far but close enough to hear the discussion between the mother and daughter, smiled sadly and shook his head.

 Chapter 93 - *Skip This *

    *You should skip this chapter if you have read chapter 92. Chapter 92 and 93 are the same. I am very sorry about this mistake. I will be more careful next time.*

    Rose sat with her bad against the backrest of the chair and her legs crossed with a pen in her hand as she wrote down a few things asionally on the small notepad she did not forget to bring.

    Anna kept ncing over and over at what she was writing but she had no idea and simply looked away. She always found it had to understand fashion designing although she tried hard to understand it.

    She wanted to make her mother proud vabd worry less about her. She wanted to prove she was capable of being a fashion designer just like her mother but every design she made had nothing special.

    Most of them were almost unwearable or look too simr to someone else''s design. It was good Rose had such great talent in fashion designing, it removed the weight of the responsibility from her shoulder..

    She could finally do what she wanted and it was a great relief to not bother about drawing one cloth on a piece of paper after thinking over and over, after tearing off many others.

    The only design she made sessful, did not do well in the market and her mother gave it a very high price considering that it was made by her. Her mother did it then because of her health she doubts her mother will repeat the same thing now that she was okay and Rose was avable.

    A model passed with in a dress that immediately earned the audience approval as a lot of people began pping. She remembered the dress, it was made by Rose. She can remember seeing the design on the board in her workroom.

    She turned to Rose who had a slight smile on her face. The theme of the fashion show had something to do with royalty and her mother very obviously, most have spent a lot to give the venue the beauty it had.

    Each mother looked very much like a prince, a queen, a king or a princess. One of the dresses caught her attention and it was made by Rose too, it looked just like the type of dress she wanted to wear for her party in B city.

    She wanted to looked like a villian queen with a lot of beauty and elegance. She rubbed her hand excitedly as she smiled, her eyes not leaving the model who wore the dress until she had gone far away and turned through a corner.

    "I want something like that. I want to wear that dress," she whispered to Rose who simply nodded with her fixed on the approaching model.

    ###

    "That''s the Queen''s designer," Debby whispered to Anna but Rose heard and she immediately turned her gaze to the beautiful woman who seemed to be in herte forties.

    The woman met her gaze as smiled as she walked towards Rose with a so much elegance anyone will mistake her for a full blooded Royal.

    Rose returned her smile with so much elegance which made the woman''s smile freeze for a few seconds before the smile broadened.

    "You must be Miss Whitfred," she said when she got to Rose.

    "Yes, good evening," Rose greeted her still maintaining her smile.

    "My name is Mrs Smith but must people call me the Queen''s designer. I saw you writing seriously on your notepad earlier. That is very professional," the womanmented as she looked at Rose intently.

    "I was only making sure to benefit something from the fashion show," Rose told her more professional with enough humility she could muster despite how irritated she felt standing before the woman who seemed to be the closest an employee could be to the Queen.

    "That''s wise youngdy. I used to do that a lot when I was younger and I enjoyed today''s show, it was the best I have seen in a while," the womanplimented.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose nodded. She did not want ept the praise or praise the show since either way, it was for her to do. Her mother organized the show not her and she was her mother''s daughter.

    "I saw you on TV," the woman said smiling with a hint in her eyes that Rose found it hard to put her fingers on. "I also read you interview. I heard you want to go to the Royal University," she continued when Rose remained quiet.

    "Yes, I want to," Rose replied hoping the woman leaves although she did not want to leave a bad impression on the woman''s mind since the woman was her ticket to entering the pce.

    "Oh, that''s beautiful. I was thinking of having work with me but since I will get to teach you and see your improvement, I will wait for you toe then we can talk again," Mrs Smith said with a gentle touch on Rose''s elbows.

    Hurray! She won the ticket. Rose nodded and she found it hard to think of the right thing to say.

    "You look like thete Queen. A lot of people are staring at you," the woman said making Rose freeze for a couple of seconds before smiling.

    "I look like my mother," Rose said moving her gaze to her foster mother who was walking towards them with a smile.

    Mrs. Smith followed her line of sight and her smile broadened. "Till we meet again," she said before walking towards Valerie whose smile disappeared as she got close. "That''s a beautiful daughter you''ve got there. Who is her father?" the left the rhetorical question hanging in the air as she passed Valerie and went to talk to some other women.

    "Mum," Anna whispered excitedly when she saw her mother. She really did not like grand asions like this because they seemed to be made to prevent her from being herself and force her to wear elegant appearances that wasn''t hers.

    "Anna," Valerie said hugging her daughter with a kiss on both cheeks.

    "Mum I missed you. How about we have lunch at our apartment on Thursday. We will prepare the lunch ourselves," Anna said excitedly despite the fact that she was totally against that.

    "I will love to. I also want to see how you girls settled down," Valerie said as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind Anna''s ear in a very gentle manner.

    Rose gulped and looked away, this scene was all too familiar. Valerie was hardly at home but she did not seize to call Anna almost everyday but she can''t remember when Valerie called herst for something personal other than work stuff.

    If Valerie did not look so much like her mother, she might have not been bothered. She smiled when Valerie walked up to her and hugged her.

    "Did you see how the cloth you designed was appreciated? When are you goinge work for me?" Valerie asked.

    Rose smiled. Work. "I work for you now, don''t I?" Rose asked as she tried her best to maintain her smile as she chanted repeatedly that Valerie was not her mother.

    "Of course you do but I mean exclusively," Valerie continued.

    "Oh, I will have to graduate from college to desire that," Rose replied still maintaining that fake smile that looked so real.

    Some far but close enough to hear the discussion between the mother and daughter, smiled sadly and shook his head.

 Chapter 94 - Mr. Hale

    "Thank you Mr. Hale foring," Valerie said walking to the man who immediately reced the sad expression with a cold expressionless look.

    "Oh . . . Impossible," Debby said opening her mouth as she used her hand to cover her mouth in astonishment.

    "What do you think he is doing here?" Wayne had to ask. He could not seem to understand this young man whose brain seems to be differently wired from every other human being.

    The fashion show was a grand asion but not enough for the richest man in the kingdom to attend. He never knew Mr. Hale was interested in fashion. He looked at him with a very obvious love-struck expression..

    "Who is he?" Noah asked drowning in the beauty of the man few feet away from her.

    "Mr. Hart Liam now Hale Liam," Wayne replied still love-struck.

    Rose watched unable to understand why he was here. She turned away when she met his gaze and looked down at her fingers.

    "I did not see him earlier," Anna said avoiding the cold gaze she felt he sent to her.

    "Yes, he was not here earlier even if he was, I don''t think he was where we sat. I heard a VIP section was made for important people like him," Wayne murmured unable to take his gaze from Liam like every other person in the room.

    "That is right but he shouldn''t be in ces like this, he makes us all feel so small," Annained as she wished this man will leave early.

    Rose also prayed for him to leave since she did not want to face him. Her heart was beating hard against her chest. She tried keeping her eyes down but her desire to see those silver greyish eyes, his handsome face made her raise her head slowly trying not to make it obvious.

    He was not looking at her but as soon as her eyes restedfortably on him happy she could enjoy this feast without getting caught, he met her gaze almost making her yelp as she dropped her gaze immediately.

    It might sound crazy but she missed him, she wanted to see him smile. His smile was as she believed, reserved for her seeing the way he maintained an expressionless appearance despite how her mother kept smiling as she spoke to him.

    "I wonder how anyone could look so good," Debby said as she stared fascinated by the way he looked so good in the ck suit her wore along with a ck shirt. He wore no tie with the first two buttons of the shirt undone.

    A handsome man with such awesome physique will definitely make anyone''s imagination go wild.

    "He will look good in anything," Rose found herself saying dreamily as she remembered how good he looked in the simple casual outfit she saw him wear at home.

    "Right," Debby immediately agreed with the fashion designer and stylist but she picture him wearing no shirt. She blushed as well as drooled at the imagination. "He will definitely look better without a shirt, those muscles," Debby whispered out her thoughts to her friends.

    "Get out of that Dreand. I am sure he is taken," Noah said shaking her head in order not to think of what he will look like without his shirt on with her boyfriend standing beside her.

    "No, you are the one whose taken. Cover your girlfriend," she said looking at Wayne who also seemed to be admiring Liam with his eyes looking like they will never blink.

    "This is the problem with having really good looking people around. They steal everyone''s heart," Anna murmured as she tried to steal nces at him without being obvious because she could feel he hated her.

    "They have the right to," Debby said looking at him unrestrained.

    "I hope he leaves soon," Rose said closing her eyes tightly. It seems that the more his presence remained close to her, the more she will want to forgive him without getting an apology.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Liam''s eyes fell on Rose with a sh of sadness appearing but disappearing immediately as though it never existed. "I will leave now Mrs. Whitfred," he said ncing at Rose before walking towards the exit.

    "He is leaving," Anna said jubting. She waited until he left and she could finally breath freely.

    Rose felt sad seeing him leave. She wanted him to leave but she also wanted him to apologize. She felt her eyes get clouded with moisture and she really wished she could give herself a physical knock on her head to snap her back.

    Her phone suddenly vibrated in the pocket of her zer and she pulled it out. She nced at it and she literally felt her heart jubting. It was a message from Liam.

    She smiled subconsciously and tapped on the message.

    ''You look beautiful.''

    Only three words but she felt millions of butterflies performing their best flight movements in her stomach. It was so beautiful.

    She was so engrossed in the message that she did not see Noah stretch and look at the screen of her phone curious to know what made her so happy.

    She elbowed Rose on her waist when everyone turned to look at Rose with the beautiful eye-catching smile she wore.

    Rose smiled half of the time but those were mandatorypulsory elegant smiles she wore to maintain her image. Those smiles looked sincere since almost nobody knew what her sincere smile looked like.

    This smile made them all realize a lot of things they did not know about Rose. Anna discovered her sister actually had a slight dimple on her left cheeks that she had never noticed in more than two years.

    Wayne knew Rose was very beautiful but her smile made her look so gorgeous. It was an almost inhuman beauty that will make anyone guess that angels looked that way.

    Debby notices sparkles in Rose eyes but she guessed it was because of the lights reflecting in her eyes but the more she stared, she had to conclude that Rose eyes were shining and it looked like well- polished baltic amber stones arranged with emeralds to form a magical pattern.

    Noah found herself confirming that whoever this Liam who sent her the message, must have totally won Rose''s heart over for himself. The girl seemed to shine because of the messageplimenting her beauty. Thepliment made her more beautiful.

    She turned around to find the person who was staring who could be the Liam but when her eyes fell on therge closed door that led out of the hall, she felt it was a pity that Liam missed such view.

    "What made you so happy?" Anna could not hold back the question as she watched her sister closely as the smile disappeared and got reced with the usual mandatory smile she always wore.

    "Nothing," Rose replied as she turned off her phone before meeting Anna''s gaze once again. She did not believe she was happy. If she did, it will only conclude that she likes Liam. "I came up with the idea of a very beautiful dress and I can''t wait to get home so I could sketch it out and begin it''s making."

    Everyone knew she was lying but they chose to believe her as they looked away asionally looking at Rose to see if they could get a view of that again.

    She suddenly froze when she remembered she blocked Liam''s number earlier but he still contacted her. She pulled out her phone again. She did not remember unblocking him but it showed that he was not blocked.

    She turned to Wayne, "Could a hacker unblock their number on your phone?"

 Chapter 95 - Shopping

    She turned to Wayne, "Could a hacker unblock their number on your phone?"

    "Yeah, definitely. They can do anything to your phone depending on how good they are," Wayne replied. " I am really tired now, I want to go back to rest," heined to Anna who seemed to not want to leave anything soon.

    "Hey," a male voice said from behind Rose.

    Rose was shocked when she recognized the voice immediately. "Eric. What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile before turning to face him.

    "I got here today. You hid the good thing for yourself," he told with a yful re.

    "Don''t say that, I invited you but you rejected my invitation," she said with a frown.

    "Ohe on, I was only joking. This was amazing. I have watched fashion shows on TV and seen it in magazines but I have never been to one. It''s a whole new experience," he said sincerely as he stared around with a very obvious admiration.

    "Same here. I enjoyed it. I could see those clothes really close and I almost wanted to touch one of them. It had a unique pattern," she told him with a hint of excitement although she tried her best to suppress the excitement she felt and wanted to appear calm.

    "They ignore everyone as soon as they begin talking about fashion," Anna said coldly.

    "When are you leaving for B city?" Rose asked Eric after they talked about fashion and the fashion show for a while.

    "Next week if I don''t get too bored," he replied.

    "We are going on a tour on Wednesday do you want toe with us?" Rose asked.

    "Yes. Call me whenever you want to visit any fun ce and don''t leave me out," he told her.

    "I met the Queen designer. She was nice," Rose said smiling.

    "Really? I already wanted to meet her but I will when I get into the university."

    "I will talk to mum before we leave" Anna said to get her sister''s attention. She wanted her sister to see the clothes or touch them since it sounded like she wanted to earlier.

    "Are we leaving as soon as you get back?" Rose asked as she got tired.

    "Yes," Anna replied and watched her sister turn back to talk to Eric. She thought Rose was going to follow her to tell her mum they were leaving but she was too busy talking to consider doing that.

    "I heard she also finds talents to work in the pce," Eric said.

    "Yes she does." Rose''s mind drifted off to the fact that she wanted to be chosen to work in the pce although she was not very sure of her decision.

    "I don''t want to work in the pce. I just hope I can get a nicepany like this to work with or simply start mine."

    "Eric," Debby said when she could not stop staring at how good he looked in what he wore. Every single piece or essory he wore seemed to fit perfectly and the slightly glistering jacket he wore might not appear good on anyone but fit him perfectly.

    Eric turned his attention to Debby with a smile as he noticed her presence. "Sorry I did not greet earlier," he apologized like a gentle man. "Hi Debby, Wayne and . . ."

    "My name is Noah. I . . ." Noah said stretching her hand to Wayne for a handshake.

    "She is my girlfriend," Wayne said with a proud smile.

    "Wow, you are beautiful," hemented with a sincere smile. He took her hand for a brief friendly handshake.

    "Thank you," Noah appreciated with a very slight blush.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You always make Anna annoyed," Waynemented. "She must hate you a lot."

    "I don''t think so," he said shaking his head at that thought. He knew why Anna disliked him but her reason was not justified because he had told her over and over again that he did not have romantic feelings towards Rose but liked her as a friend.

    "We can leave now," Anna said as soon as she returned. She red at Eric before hugging her sister''s arm.

    Eric gulped, Anna will definitely be a very terrible sister-inw.

    "I will call you soon," Rose told Eric with a smile.

    "Oh, sure. Bye then," he said waving them as they left.

    Noah jubted over the gem she discovered. It was an important secret that nobody knows and it will be easy to make a wonderful story online with this information.

    She put a stop to her jubtion when she remembered how powerful Liam was and she did not want to mess with him.

    "I saw dad," Anna said when they got home hoping to get a change in Rose''s expression but she was disappointed when Rose nodded and went into her room.

    Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She nced at her phone and smiled. She was in a really bad mood before Liam arrived and her mood got better when Liam sent her text.

    She did not want to lose the joy she felt by worrying about other things. She groaned in need of a hot warm and sleep and headed towards the bathroom.

    ***

    The following day, she called Eric over and they went shopping together with Wayne, Debby, Anna and Noah. The city looked a lot more interesting the more Rose stared.

    She made a list of all they needed to buy so, after shopping around for a short while, they went to the grocery store.

    The girls helped to pick the right item while the boys helped move the things they bought and they bought a lot. It was fun for the girls as they watched Rose chose the right item among many others.

    "I have never done this before but I want to do it again," Anna said excitedly when Rose began choose meat in the show ss.

    "Same here," Noah said as she looked at the fresh meat in the show ss. "I did not know steaks looked this way before it was served into my te."

    "Funny, what about cooking sses?" Rose asked in disbelief. She had a lot of cooking sses in the orphanage. In her past life, she also had to cook for herself after leaving the orphanage.

    "We hated them and never attended any," Anna confessed easily.

    "I never attended any cooking ss in school either. Seeing the fresh meat makes me not want to eat it," Noahined beside Rose. She appeared to like Rose a lot and she wanted to be Rose''s friend.

    "I heard some people eat raw meat and fish," Debby said. "I also watched it in a video."

    "Really?" Rose asked. She have not been very interested in anything except fashion, her academics and the kingdom. She had no idea about that.

    "Yes. I saw it in a vlog. Should we try it? Should we try raw fish?" Debby asked to satisfy her curiousity. Ever since she saw it in a video, she always wanted to try it.

    "Try it when you get home, nobody will stop you," Anna said shaking her head at her friend before turning away from the show ss and walked to another part of the store.

    "This ce is getting a little bit crowded, I think we should leave," Eric said from behind when he began feeling uneasy.

 Chapter 96 - Valeries Daughter?

    "The princess is in Star city," a beautiful woman in herte thirties said before sipping from a cup of tea in an elegant manner.

    "We are not sure that she is the princess. She looks more like Valerie. I met them yesterday and I don''t think she is the princess," Mrs. Smith replied shaking her head slightly.

    "What makes you think she is Valerie''s daughter? After losing her very pretty daughter, I don''t Valerie will have any reason to keep the girl hidden until now," the elegant woman refuted slowly and thoughtfully.

    "Different DNA tests have been carried out by different people to satisfy their curiousity but it all showed that she was Valerie''s daughter and that is something I don''t believe," the woman continued.

    "Your majesty, you told me a few months ago that you have concluded that she is not the princess. Then, you said you will sleep well knowing the princess was dead," Mrs. Smith reminded the Queen.

    "I did because I was forced by the council to ept that as the truth. I don''t care if it is the truth or not but I don''t think it will hurt to get rid of her," the Queen said as though she was talking about a non living thing.

    "You can''t let your emotions make decisions for you. She is Valerie''s family. I don''t think you should hurt her. Her father is rted to the king," Mrs. Smith tried to persuade the queen. She spent few hours staring at three pictures and those were the pictures of Rose, thete queen and Valerie.

    The more she stared for all those hours, the more she felt Rose was Valerie daughter. She might not have inherited Valerie''s hair color but that hair color was from their grand mother there was a high possibility that Rose inherited the hair color from her great grand mother.

    "I don''t feel at ease with that girl going around freely. Someone with her face and appearance excelling and living a good life, that shouldn''t be right. I don''t want to see her on TV again," the Queenined.

    "I will bring her closer to pce. She will be my student very soon. All I have to do is have her work with me and you will be able to confirm her identity," Mrs. Smith tried to give her enough reasons not end the life of the girl who seems to have a talent she have not seem in a while.

    "I can''t wait. It will be worse for her to stay close to me. Do you know how her face will remind me every day of my failure?" the Queen asked slowly getting agitated and losing her cool.

    "You left Valerie alive. I don''t think she will make any difference," Mrs. Smith reminded her.

    "Valerie is very important. The council wants her to remain alive," the Queen told her looking away angrily. She wished she could make her decisions without worrying about following the ns and intentions of some council.

    "If they find out you killed Rose, it will make them all displeased," Mrs. Smith reminded her.

    "They should be. I am the queen not a puppet. I can''t do all they want me to do. Get the dress ready by next week. You can leave now," the Queen ordered feeling unhappy with Mrs. Smith''s decision to support the council concerning Rose''s life.

    "The council runs everything, it will be best you avoid offending them. You messed up more than a decade ago, it is best you don''t do that again or you might lose your crown," Mrs Smith advices the strong headed Queen before walking out of the room.

    The Queen lost all herportment when Mrs. Smith left the room. She frowned, she found herself in a situation that she did not want to trust anyone else again.

    "The council is definitely leaving me out on all their ns and that is not right," she voiced her observations with her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I can not be useless or they will find someone else. I will not let them have their way. I am the Queen and I have every right to act like a Queen."<novelnext></novelnext>

    ***

    ''Have you eaten lunch?''

    A simple question was asked in this message but it meant a lot to both the sender and receiver although the receiver refused to ept the fact that the message warmed her heart.

    The sender could not easily guess if his Rose had eaten lunch or not and he did not want her starve. He was concerned about the receiver. He scrolled down looking at the previous messages sent in these past couple of days.

    They were all questions he asked and statements he made but none of them received a reply. It was all him ¨C sending and sending messages now and then.

    He wanted her to reply him but he found himself getting really satisfied with the sign that appeared indicating that Rose had seen his message. The sign appeared less than half a minute after he sent the message.

    It was as though she was waiting for every message he sent to her although she did not reply him. He quickly typed tapping on the screen of his smartphone, ''If you haven''t, eat early enough for your health.'' He sent the message quickly to see that sign appear once again.

    A soft knock on the door of his study made him lift his head from the phone. The door slowly opened after a few seconds and Charlie walked in with his head bowed.

    "Miss Rose went to the Royal University," he reported his boss grimly.

    Liam lifted his head slowly and looked at his subordinate. He looked so calm despite how Charlie prayed that his boss will show he was angry and maybe scold him because the calmness was just too intimidating and suffocating.

    He knew just too well what his boss was capable of doing. He loved his boss and was loyal to him to him with his life and his boss showed that he cared for him and his friends.

    His boss have never hurt any of them personally but they have seen the methods he used to punish anyone who tries to hurt him. Hurting Rose was equal to hurting him. He made a mistake and it was only right for him to fear for his life in his boss'' presence.

    "For how long did she leave?" Liam asked his face expressionless despite the storm raging furiously on his mind. He should consider himself someone who doesn''t miss out on any information but how did the person he cares for the most leave to a territory he was yet to get full control over?

    "She left a couple of hours ago. From their schedule I got, they were not supposed to go there today," Charlie tried to exin what caused his ipetency.

    "Send men to go to her," Liam ordered cing his phone on the table with a sigh of relief when he saw that she read his message.

    "Those assigned to her, are still with her. I will send more," Charlie epted the order of his boss and walked out of the room immediately. He repeated Gray''s mistake, too bad.

 Chapter 97 - The Young Teacher

    Liam sat upright and ced his fingers on the keys of the keyboard in front of him and began typing fast on the keys. He took a deep breath as soon he got ess to the security cameras in the campus.

    He asked Gray for Rose''s where about and began monitoring her movements on hisputer screens. He used every single source he could ess from dashboard cameras to hacking phones to follow her every movement.

    He knew those assigned to take care of Rose were doing just what he was doing but he wanted to see it for himself.

    ***

    Rose stared at the screen of her phone supressing a smile and picked up her cutlery.

    Anna who sat in front of her sister as they are lunch had her eyes fixed on her sister''s every move and she noticed her phone vibrated twice but she had no idea who it could be.

    Her only guess would have been Eric but Eric was sitting with Debby who seemed to have a lot to talk to him about. Her sister was not one to use her phone while eating.

    Rose once said it was bad table manners iming that it will fatal if the person sees something that makes her react in a manner that might have choking on her food.

    Rose wasfortably using her phone and she did not miss the suppressed smile her sister had that clearly wasn''t supressed properly because she easily saw the happiness and joy in her sister''s eyes. She also saw warmness. What secret was her sister keeping from her?

    "Are you okay?" a deep familiar male voice asked her.

    Anna blushed as soon as she met the ck eyes of the owner of the voice. She nodded slowly and dropped her gaze from his eyes that seemed to have her happily locked up in them.

    When the pink color left her face, she lifted her eyes and nced at Rose. The young man followed her gaze and he furrowed his brows with his eyes narrowed. He frowned when he saw Rose ncing at her phone.

    Noah''s sharp eagle eyes did not miss out on any of t interactions and she smiled slightly, this group was very interesting. They all had something she could write a novel about.

    Rose lifted her head and stared out of the window at the busy street outside. Star city was just as powerful as it has always. It was the biggest city in world before her mother married her father.

    After her mother''s marriage, A city took over. Star city was still magnificent and unrivaled. It was beautiful. She was not disappointed by what she saw in the school''s campus.

    The campus was a town on its own. The modern infrastructures did not make it lose the feeling of living in history it gave her. She remembered the hall of fame she visited earlier with her friends.

    Her mother graduated from the university with the best academic result. Her mother was called a genius and her mother seemed to excel in music just like her grandfather. Her mother also liked fashion just like she did.

    "She was the princess then, I am sure she did not deserve what she got," she could still remember the statement of a girl who stood few feet away from them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "But at least she is way prettier than your will ever be," it was Anna who immediately answered the girl ring daggers at the girl.

    "That is clearly what jealous people say. From what I heard, she was an unrivaled genius," Debby immediately added ring at the girl too.

    The girl shook in fear when she saw a few people staring at her as though they will hit her any second. The girl pulled her friend and they left hastily with their invisible tails between their legs.

    She watched Anna look back at the picture of thete Queen and sigh. She also stared at the picture on the wall with her mother''s name and academic aplishments written on it.

    It had been a while since she stared at her mother''s picturest. Metres away in the hall, her great grand mother''s picture was hung on the wall. Her mother broke the record of her great grand mother''s academic aplishments but none after her broke her record.

    It was her new dream to break that record. It will be very difficult since she was not a genius like her mother who knew both science and art but she had her mind made up. Either in art or whatever she does, she has to break her mother''s record and have her picture hung proudly in the picture gallery of hall of fame.

    She tightened her grip on her spoon and took a deep breath raising her head to prevent the tears threatening to fall off her eyes from doing so.

    She opened her eyes to meet you the gaze of the young teacher sitting in beside her sister and although it was almost unnoticeable but she felt cold just looking into his ck eyes.

    He smiled slightly at her which she returned but did not hesitate to furrow her brow. She remembered what her said in the hall of fame. "I tried to break the record of thete Queen but I could not," he had said regretfully.

    She saw his picture when they reached where it was and he seemed to participate in a lot ofpetitions and programs that his mother participated in although some of them were not connected to the course he studied.

    "She was a source of inspiration," he had said looking at her fully in a manner that made her feel so cold. He reminded her very much of a psychopath.

    Unable to keep sitting opposite him, she stood up quietly. "I am going to the restroom," she whispered to Debby before walking away from them after ncing shortly at the young teacher.

    She let the cold water wet her hands to bring her back to reality. She did not like this feeling of feeling threatened by someone who have hardly spoken a word to you aside from greeting you or answering your greeting.

    He kept staring at her mother''s picture in the Hall of fame and looking back at her. It was as though he was finding simrities between them. Eric had immediately ¨C like a normal person ¨Cmented on their resemnce.

    Her other friends agreed immediately but the teacher kept staring even when the others stopped and she felt so chill with goose bumps appearing on her arms.

    "Hello, you must be Rose," ady said standing beside her. She was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice when thedy walked in.

    Rose turned away from the mirror and faced the woman fully with her usual beautiful mandatory smile lifting the corners of her lips.

 Chapter 98 - The Strange Lady

    It took her so much effort to prevent her smile from fading away as she stared at the woman. She actually thought the woman was someone she knew well but she could not recognize thedy before her.

    Thedy had an obvious athletic build underneath the ck leather jacket and the ck jeans she wore. She noticed the ck leather hand gloves thedy wore and this time her smile disappeared without hesitation.

    "Do I know you?" She asked looking at the face of thedy. Thedy was a head taller than her and it made her feel insecure with that fact. She could easily recognize that thedy was a good fighter and she could not help but feel scared.

    "You don''t know me pretty girl," thedy said in her slightly deeper voice with a smirk that made Rose step back and made a defense stance as she waited for thedy to attack her.

    "Who are you?" Rose asked cautiously taking another step back her eyes fixed on the door. She had been to busytely to remember to train as frequent as she did before and she knew she will be no match for the pretty giganticdy before her.

    She mightst for a few minutes if they get into a closebat but that was all she was sure of.

    "Rose you have to hang on," she whispered under her breath and took another step back ready to escape and get close to the door to make her escape.

    "What did you say pretty girl?" the woman asked stepping closer to Rose very leisurely it made Rose annoyed.

    "Could you not call me pretty girl?" Rose said hoping to buy time so that her friends wille looking for her if she stays out for too long.

    "Definitely not. I love beautiful things," thedy said putting her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

    "Definitely not professional," Rose said and tsked as she fixed her eyes on the door which was her goal at this moment.

    "You won''t be able to escape," thedy said blocking her line of sight and walked closer to Rose. "I am only here with a message from the Queen."

    The first thought that came to her mind after thedy spoke was perhaps thedy knew her mother but she snapped back to reality. This definitely could not havee from her biological mother but her stepmother.

    With the information that was passed to her now, she knew thedy was definitely here to kill her. But why here of all ces? The woman could definitely have killed her somewhere else but inside the restroom of a busy restaurant, this was not right.

    Without waiting any longer, Rose dashed past thedy towards the door. Whatever thedy was here for, she knew it was not going to be funny at all.

    "Not so fast pretty girl," thedy said from behind her when she tried to open the door only to discover to was locked. She med herself for being too upied with her thoughts that she did not notice when thedy locked the door.

    "What message do you have for me from the Queen?" Rose said trying to appear rxed.

    "Now that I actually think about it, you are not supposed to be scared of what I said earlier. Most people will be so happy to receive the attention of the Queen," thedy voiced her observation thoughtfully.

    "Your ugly face scared me," Rose replied immediately. "You look like a serial killer and talk like one."

    "I think you know me well. I don''t kill anyone but pretty girls. This is my first paid job," thedy said with aughter that had Rose''s heart gripped in fear.

    "Who sent you?" Rose asked still trying to open the door. She regretted not learning how to pick locks.

    "I said I brought a message from the Queen," thedy replied. "I like the fact that you know how to fight. It shows in your every move incase you want to know how I knew."

    Rose kept her eyes focused on the woman she told herself repeatedly to remain calm. She really wanted to cry at this moment knowing she met someone stronger who could kill her off without stress so easily like in her past life.

    "Let us have a match. If you win, I might actually let you go," thedy told her tucking a stray strand of her ck short hair behind her ear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose did not believe the woman but she knew thedy was here to kill her and if shests long enough, she might actually survive till her sister or one of her friendsing looking for her.

    "I want you to attack first," thedy said.

    "No, you attack first," Rose replied. She was definitely not going to make the first move and she could buy some time with this little argument.

    "It will be more fun if you attack first," thedyined with a slight pout of her lips. Thedy moved to attack her but paused as though she was listening to something only her could hear.

    Rose moved her gaze to thedy''s ear and she noticed an airpod she could only me her bad observation skill.

    "It is a pity we won''t be able to y. I will try to make it not hurt much," thedy said moving closer to Rose with her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

    "What?"

    "I will also try not to do much," thedy whispered but Rose did not miss out on what she said.

    Thedy pulled out her hands from her pockets. One of her hands held a sharp looking knife that shone in the lights of the restroom while the other hand was firmly closed to form a fist.

    Rose immediately made a defense stance at the sight of the knife. She gulped but what followed was not what she expected.

    Thedy sprayed a powder into the air towards Rose from her clenched fist and Rose did not have enough time to cover eyes as it had her closing her eyes due to the stinging effect it had on her eyes.

    It hurt her eyes so badly but she did not have enough time to scream out in pain when she felt thedy hug her before she felt a very sharp pain in her abdomen going deep she could only gasped as the scream she intended to let out froze in her throat.

    "I am sorry I couldn''t y with you for long pretty girl. I hope you survive this so we could y some other time. I will enjoy it better then," she heard the fading voice of thedy''s deep sing song voice whisper into her ears.

    "Please," Rose begged holding thedy''s hand as thedy released her from her embrace. She felt so pathetic as tears ran down her cheeks. Her already hurting eyes doing a good job of hurt her more as the tears spread the effect of the powder around her eyes.

    She saw nothing and heard nothing. She could only pray thedy leaves the knife in her to prevent excess bleeding but that was too much of wish for her to make at that moment as she felt thedy pull out the knife from her in a very fast movement that made her unable to hold back as she screamed in pain.

    She lost the grip she had on thedy''s muscled hand as she reached to hold her stomach. The hot sticky liquid that wet her hands was unpleasant as it made her remember a very unpleasant memory.

    "Oh gosh," she groaned. It hurts. Her eyes hurts and her stomach hurts. All she felt was pain. Her head soon joined in and the pain she felt when thedy pushed her away from the door making her fall down also joined in thepetition of pains.

    She pressed her lips tightly against each other as she moaned in pain helplessly. Will she be lucky enough to survive this? If she doesn''t, will she be given another opportunity? If she is given another opportunity will she still suffer in this manner in that next life?

    She could see nothing but darkness as she dragged her body on the floor till her back touched the wall and she leaned on it. She was not with her phone and she was all alone. It seemed like no one was looking for her.

    "Oh no," she cried softly when she inhaled the smell of smoke and heard the ringing of rm bells.

    ***

    The ringing of the rm bells in the restaurant to indicate the outbreak of fire made almost everyone head towards the door in panic. Everyone was thinking about their lives as the smoke made its way towards them.

    Only one person seemed so rxed as he used the chair he sat on earlier to hit the ss window so hard over and over again till it broke and he helped the girl he cherished a lot to escape along with her friends.

 Chapter 99 - The Fire

    When they were outside away from the fire that seemed to have engulfed the whole store, Anna raised her head and stared around as the fire trucks made their way towards the restaurant.

    "Where is Rose?" she finally asked with her voice slightly hoarse due to smoke she inhaled earlier.

    Debby froze as fear gripped her heart. She pointed at the burning building and began crying as she found it hard to form the words and let it out her mouth.

    "Where is my sister?" Anna began crying too.

    "Hey rx. Wayne and I will look around. We have to find her around," Eric said after he calmed down from the earlier panic.

    "I think I saw her run out," Noah said but shook her head when she remembered it was only the dress she saw not the face of the person. The person did not even spare them a nce and she could not think of Rose running out without looking at where they once sat.

    "Are you sure?" Eric asked seriously as everyone looked at Noah waiting for her answer.

    "No, I am not. I saw someone with the dress she wore but I don''t think it was Rose. I don''t see the person anymore," Noah answered truthfully as she looked around.

    "Do you know how serious this is?!" Anna screamed at Noah in frustration as she rushed to the burning building with tears streaming down her cheeks.

    "I''m sorry," Noah immediately apologized sincerely.

    "Where do you think you are going to?" the teacher asked holding Anna''s wrist.

    "My sister is inside. I am going to get her," Anna replied without hesitation as she tried to remove his hand from her wrist.

    "Are you stupid? If you go in there, you will die," the teacher told her tightening his grip on her wrist.

    "I don''t care. Rose is inside," Anna replied him without care. All she should think of was the fact that Rose could be inside burning along with the building.

    "Your friend said she saw her leave. She could be outside somewhere. Try to find her out here first," the teacher said persuasively.

    Anna stopped struggling almost immediately and followed Eric and Wayne who were looking for Rose around. The busy street was now more crowded with reporters taking pictures, the fire fighters trying to stop the fire while some people stood away watching.

    Anna felt she had lost her mind as she went around looking for her sister with tears ceaselessly flowing down from her eyes. She could not imagine that her sister was still in the building.

    "I will talk to the fire fighters," Eric said and went off. Rose could not be inside for all he knew or all he let himself believe.

    He knew that Rose and her family were under the protection of the Hart family. It will be hard for harm toe to her. He had seen a few people around Rose and Anna that looked like hidden guards. He will never believe they will let Rose get hurt in such manner.

    Wayne found himself in a very confused state, how did a simple lunch turn into this? He looked back at the burning building. They were sitting inside it earlier with no idea that they will be running out of it scared out of their skin and searching for a friend who might be inside burning along with the building.

    Debby left the girls to look around for Rose. There was no way Rose will die under her watch. That shouldn''t happen. She wished she went to the restroom with her.

    Noah found herself fighting a mental battle as she could not understand what she saw earlier. Everyone was in a state of fear and confusion that she found herself unable to confirm that the girl she saw in the purple and white dress running out of the door was Rose or not Rose.

    The friends were still waiting when the fire fighters fought the fire preventing it from spreading and leaving only it''s residue and the smoke that looked like they were unwilling to subside.

    They began searching the rumbles almost immediately after Anna called her mother. Anna shook weakly. She kept her head bowed. They had promised to search all the restrooms for her sister.

    She had almost lost hope because she could still remember how bright the fire of the restaurant burnt before it was finally fought off. She could only hope her sister survived it which would have been very difficult or she will be close to death when she gets found.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When she started crying again, Valerie hugged her tightly as she shook in her mother''s embrace. "I don''t want her to die," Anna cried her voice already very hoarse from crying all day.

    "She will not die. They will find her," Valerie replied rubbing her daughter''s back gently. She med herself. It seems she always jinx the life of any child thates under her care.

    She lost her first child in a manner she have never forgotten in almost two decades. She almost lost Anna and when Anna returned, she was in a state which was a thin line between life and death.

    Rose was nowhere to be found at this point she was most likely dead. She began mentally nning Rose''s funeral subconsciously.

    "Why don''t you go back home to rest? Your dad wille soon. I am sure he will get more people to look for her," Valerie advices Anna who looked like she might copse anytime soon.

    Anna shook her head immediately without hesitation. "I will wait till they find her," she replied firmly.

    After a few hours of searching the whole building, they found Rose''s wrist watch but that was all that they found in the restroom Rose was said to be in before the fire after everyone present was interviewed.

    From what was said afterwards, the restroom Rose''s wrist watch was found, was not greatly affected by the fire and they found arge pool of blood but her body was missing.

    The police took over the investigation immediately making that restroom and the restaurant a crime scene. The pool of blood, Rose''s disappearance and the fire was said to be connected.

    They began taking evidences from the crime scene. It was until dawn of the following day before the friends returned home. It took a lot of persuasion and the fact that Rose''s body was not found and she could still be alive before Anna agreed to go back home.

    The reporters did not waste time and soon the whole story was avable on the news.

    Debby and Anna sat curled together on the couch in the living room with their eyes fixed on the screen of therge TV waiting for any news about Rose.

    Eric who sat on a sofa few feets away from the girls found himself unable to sit still. He knew his parents worked with both the Hart family and the new Mr. Hale and he was yet to chose who he might follow among the two strong leaders.

    He stood up immediately and grabbed his jacket before running out of the living room. The Hart family had their headquarter in B city but Mr. Hale based his headquarter in Star city. He was definitely the best person for him to run to for help.

    He pushed the button leading him to the penthouse in the special elevator and took a deep breath when the door of the elevator closed.

    His friend could be dead or kidnapped for all he cared and he needed help finding her. He bowed and looked at camera. He hoped they recognize him immediately.

    He was weed at the door by one of Liam''s closest subordinates. The young man looked very cold and dangerous with a strong build that showed he could easily end anyone''s life with a single strong punch in the guts.

    He gulped as the guy stared at him intently before nodding and turning away through a corridor and opened a door. He gestured to Eric to go in without saying a word. With a slight bow of his head, Eric went into therge room.

    The room had a very simple design with white and ck dominating over the shades of grey around in the room. Another guy with brown curly hair and a calm jovial look who was another close subordinate of Mr. Hale stood up when he walked in.

    "You must be the junior Mr. Eric. I have interacted with your parents a lot and I know they are very intelligent and smart people. What brings you here?" the young man asked.

    "I want to see the boss," he replied easily with his head bowed respectfully. He knew each and every person who works directly under the boss was very intelligent and they were not people any one could mess with.

    "Why do you want to see the boss?" Charlie asked calmly as he stared at his wrist watch before moving his gaze to the pretty boy before him.

    Eric fell on his knees with a thud it must have hurt his knees really badly. "Please save my friend," he begged bowing down to his waist with his head only inches away from the ck and white patterned marble floor.

 Chapter 100 - Seeking Help

    Wayne who was equally restless and could not just keep watching the girls cry over and over. He picked his phone and dialed Jace''s phone number although he doubts that Jace will pick his call.

    To his astonishment, the great young master Jace picked his call for the first time in a long time. He gulped and prayed he won''t mess up this opportunity he got.

    "Hi, Jace. It is me Wayne. We used to be friends in high school," he said trying to sound as respectful as he could knowing fully well unlike his friends that Jace was older than him and the power he welded was beyond him.

    "I remember," he heard Jace answer with a deep cold voice he found unable to recognize. He could not find the usual jovial Jace in that voice.

    "I . . . I . . .," he began but found himself stuttering. "Rose . . . She is missing. The police have been trying to find her and it seems she was hurt badly," Wayne narrated d he finally stopped stuttering.

    "Ok," was the cold answer Jace gave him.

    "She was your friend. Please, could you help us find her? I know you have the means to find her," Wayne begged with a shaky voice.

    "Hmm."

    Was that an eptance or rejection? Wayne was unaware. He could only remain silent unsure of what to say next. He opened his mouth to try begging but Jace hung up before he could construct the sentence properly.

    He exhaled frustrated and ran his fingers through his hair. This was really annoying he regretted the fact that he was not a very good hacker, good enough to hack the security cameras around for find Rose and even if he could, it might take forever.

    Noah walked into the room with her red and swollen and her face so pale someone could argue that she had no blood at all in her veins.

    He stood up from where he sat and walked to her. He spread his hand to her and she hugged him almost immediately and began another session of crying.

    ***

    "Who is your friend and why do you think the boss has enough time to go around helping people save their friends?" Gray asked coldly.

    "I will do anything you want me to do. I will work for you for the rest of my life if you save her," Eric vowed.

    "What makes you think the boss needs someone like you to work for him. If he wanted you to work for him, you would have been invited long ago but I guess you don''t have anything the boss needs," Charlie told the boy the in truth.

    Eric remembered that all he had was his fashion designing skill and that was nothing the boss needed when he was already one of the major shareholders of almost all the world best fashion brands.

    "Please, I will leave fashion designing, I will do anything the boss needs me to do. I will give my life to him if he asks me to," Eric said truthfully. The boss was his only source of hope. He had no one else to turn to.

    Charlie shook his head. The boy was willing to give his all and he saw sincerity and determination in what the boy said. It won''t be good if the boss finds out Eric was willing to do this much for Rose who should be just a friend to Eric and nothing more.

    He nced at Gray and shook his head once again.

    "Tell us how your friend got into trouble," Gray said after a short period of silence.

    Eric was ready and immediately he began narrating all that happened. He knew the Whitfred family was under the protection of the Hart family and they should possibly know Rose since they were also once under the Hart family.

    "We will deliver your message to the boss. Don''t try toe to this floor again next time. The door won''t always open," Charlie said when Eric was done with his narration. He needed something from the boy or he will never have let him in.

    Eric turned back and nced at them. He prayed and hoped that they will put effort into finding Rose and not dismiss his plea. "Rose stay strong till you are found," he whispered under his breath when the door of the elevator closed.

    "Who does that for a friend?" Charlie murmured. There was something strange yet familiar about the boy''s plea.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "His narration is the same with the rest we got," Gray said sitting down with a deep frown. The reason they let him into the penthouse so easily was because they needed to find something in his narration.

    They could not seem to find it because the guy was not observant enough and his statement was no different the rest they had.

    ###

    Noah leaned on the wall of the room she stayed in with her boyfriend and sighed for the hundredth time that day. She was in the middle of making a very important decision that could make a lot of differences but she was scared.

    The penthouse was upied by the Liam she saw during the fashion show who she assumed was the Liam who sent Rose that message. She wanted to tell them all she took note of.

    She did not miss the smile she saw the teacher wore which made Rose uneasy and made leave for the restroom. She did not want to conclude but she could not ignore what she saw. Rose did not appearfortable at all in the teacher''s presence that could be an important clue.

    "What are you doing?" Wayne asked standing in front his girlfriend.

    "Nothing. I was just thinking," she replied with a sigh. "Are the girls still angry with me?"

    "No, you told them what you saw and I believe you. This whole thing is way more than it appears to be," Wayne said thoughtfully as he rubbed the arms of his girlfriend. "You should take a shower and I will drop you off at the airport. You refused to answer your mother''s call she is worried."

    "No, how can I leave when Rose haven''t been found?" Noah asked shaking her head furiously and brushed his hands off her arms.

    "There is nothing you can do about that fact. Her parents are trying to find her and your mother is worried sick. She saw the news and she knows you were at the scene when the fire broke out," Wayne exined frustrated by everything that he was bing impatient with her.

    "No, I will call her myself. My phone''s went off. I am charging it now. I will call herter," Noah refused to agree to leave.

    "No, it is best you leave. The girls are still angry with you and even if I believe you, it won''t make any difference," he tried another method to persuade her.

    "Do you even believe me at all?" Noah asked angrily as she hit his chest with her weak tired hand. She red at him as tears ran down her cheeks. "I swear I saw someone leave in her clothes. It might not be Rose but shouldn''t that be a very important clue?"

    "Everyone says you are imagining things. Rose designed the dress herself. Do you think someone else wore her clothes out of the restaurant?"

    "I thought you said you believe me."

    "I do because you are my girlfriend but they don''t. Anna said the cloth could not have been worn by anyone else except Rose and she gets more angry the more you say that."

    "Does she want me out of her house?" Noah asked tiredly as she mopped her tears with the back of her hand.

    "Everyone is stressed Noah. She does not want you out of her house but you should go back home. Your mother will report you missing if you don''t. Rose''s family will worry about her. You barely even know her," Wayne saidbing through his hair with his fingers as he suppressed the urge felt to scream out his tiredness.

    "Do you think because I haven''t spent much time with her, I can''t be considered a friend? I will take my bath now," she said weakly.

    Looking at his girlfriend as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, Wayne sighed heavily. He almost lost his hearing when Noah''s mother called him to scold him to return her daughter or she will have him arrested for kidnapping her daughter who was a year older than him. Funny, right? But equally annoying.

    If it was a normal day, he would haveughed it off as a joke but he was too tired with the fact that one of his friends might have died or was locked up somewhere by kidnappers that he immediately made the decision to send Noah back home.

    ###

    Noah sighed in relief when she stepped out of the bathroom and Wayne was not in the room. She was going home but there was something she has to do before she leaves.

 Chapter 101 - Mr. Hales Girlfriend

    After dressing up, she snuck out of the house. She went to the special elevator leading to the penthouse and stood in front of it thinking if how she could get to the penthouse when she wasn''t invited and she could not open the elevator without the entry card.

    She sighed, it seems she was only thinking too. She scolded herself for imagining it was easy to talk to the richest person in the kingdom. From what she heard, he barely even stayed in the penthouse.

    She scratched the back of her head when she realized she had been just too foolish all along. She had no n and even with a n it was impossible for her to get to the penthouse.

    "Rose I''m sorry but there is nothing I can do," she murmured under her breath as she turned to leave when the elevator opened and she felt a presence behind her.

    She turned to see a tall guy with neat brown curly hair dressed in a simple ck suit. There were two other men behind him.

    "Please excuse me," she called from a safe distance to show she meant no harm or she might get stopped by the security officers around.

    Charlie paused easily recognizing the girl as one of Rose''s friends. She was the girlfriend of one of Rose''s friends to be more precise. He gave her a look that said it was okay for her toe over and nodded.

    "I have something to say," she said looking around hoping her timing won''t fail her. Thest thing she wanted was to get caught talking to them. Her eyes fell on the teacher who seemed to have just walked into the building.

    She froze and her eyes opened wide. This was not what she wanted. That man will definitely find it weird, right? She immediately bowed to the handsome man with the brown hair and ran off to the elevator that leads to the floor she stayed on.

    Charlie found the whole encounter confusing but when he met the gaze of the man who Rose''s sister was in a rtionship with, he suddenly understood something. He wondered how someone could look so innocent and nice in a manner that no one should ever be.

    He simply acted as though he brushed the thought off and kept walking.

    The teacher turned his back and looked them with his eyes staring daggers at Charlie''s leaving back. "You should all shine while you can," he murmured before looking at the elevator that was about to close with Noah in it.

    He smiled when he met the girl''s gaze but the girl immediately looked away perplexed. He could not remember offending the girl. He took quickrge strides to the elevator and stopped it just before it could close.

    "Good day," Noah said with a slight bow as she kept telling herself to remain calm and not get too obvious.

    "Oh hi," the teacher said with a simple smile but it was still efficient at making her shiver, the elevator suddenly felt cold. "How is Anna?"

    "She is fine," the girl replied as she visibly rxed due to the simple question he asked. "She is still crying but she is fine."

    "Just like you said, I believe Rose is fine. If she could walk out of the building, then she is fine," the teacher said in a gentle voice.

    She nodded with a slight smile happy that someone understood her.

    "Who were those men you were talking to?" the coldness in the teacher''s voice when he asked her made her shocked and confused.

    She met his gaze and he was so expressionlessly cold. Meeting her gaze, he gave her a smile that was supposed to make someone feelfortable around him but it had her praying the elevator gets to its destination early.

    "I was just greeting them. I don''t know them but from what I saw, they seem toe from the penthouse. It won''t hurt to be respectful to someone who is powerful, right?"

    The teacher chuckled and nodded. "You are right, they are powerful," was all she heard him reply her as the other sentences that followed, she could not pick a word from them.

    Soon the elevator opened and Noah hurried out like a bird set free. She was fed up of the suffocating feeling his presence gave her.

    As soon as she got to her room, she ignored Wayne who kept asking her where she went to earlier as she packed her bag and wore her jacket.

    She grabbed the ne ticket Wayne left on the table and pulled her suitcase out of the room and out of the apartment without saying goodbye to anyone.

    "Hey, youngdy. You seem to want to say something to me earlier," the man she met at the elevator earlier said sitting beside her on the bench.

    "I think Rose was attacked," she said immediately.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What makes you think so? But I guess it is true we saw it on the TV."

    "The teacher, he makes Rose feel ufortable. Rose left for the restroom as soon as she met his gaze in the restaurant. He smiled at her. I think he sent someone to kill Rose," Noah said angry with herself for feeling so scared in the teacher''s presence earlier.

    "Be careful of what you say," Charlie warned coldly. "What do you have to prove what you just said?"

    "Nothing. From the first time I met the teacher, I knew he was abnormal. You can find information on him. He is definitely not a nice person. Rose once said he acts like he doesn''t like her. I saw it. It is obvious that he doesn''t like Rose much," Noah narrated frustrated with the fact that Charlie did not believe her.

    "What made you tell me this?" Charlie asked.

    "I don''t like the teacher either. I also feel threatened in his presence," Noah replied truthfully.

    "That does not give you the right to condemn him as a murderer. Why did you tell us, you could have told the police."

    "I saw him talk to the police yesterday and they seem to respect him and that was what made mee to you. He seems to be someone with connections. No one noticed it but I did. Please believe me."

    "You could have told Rose''s parents."

    "No, Rose is not particrly close to her parents. I am telling you this because I saw you in the fashion show with Mr. Hale. I know Rose is in a rtionship with Mr. Hale and he is the only one who can help her."

    Charlie found himself surprised by the girl''s observation skill. She seemed like someone who won''t let a single detail escape her notice. This was just the perfect narration he wanted although he had to investigate carefully.

    "Please can I ask you something?"

    "Go ahead."

    "Rose, how is she?"

    Charlie narrowed his eyes immediately after the question was asked. This is girl was smart. "I don''t understand."

    "It is obvious Rose is safe for you to sit here talking to me. You have been busy for a while but you are not under much pressure like you should be when looking for your boss'' girlfriend. So, how is Rose?"

    "Be careful with what you say. If the teacher is as dangerous as I think he is, you will have to be very careful," Charlie advised as he stood up before walking away.

    Noah moaned with her head bowed. "I said all I said to know how Rose was doing. She might have not survived it but I am d she did," Noah murmured and shook her head when she remembered the pool of clotted blood that was found in the restroom.

    ***

    "What are we going to do?" Valerie asked Justin as she sat down behind her work desk in her study while Justin sat opposite her with a cup of hot tea.

    "I spoke to Mr. Hart but he does not have as much power here as he does in B city. His son would have been the best person I could ask for help but the Royal family won''t be pleased to find out that I went to him for help."

    "What about your cousin? Why don''t you ask the king for help. Rose was obviously killed in the restroom before the fire. She might still be alive although that is almost impossible but we need to find her body no matter what," Valerie said angry at the calm countenance her husband wore as he sat before her drinking tea.

    "She must have offended someone strong enough to do what they did in a restaurant in the middle of Star city. Do you have any idea how strong the security in Star city is? However someone could do that just to kill a young fashion designer?"

    That made Valerie begin thinking towards that direction. What could be the reason? Who could Rose have offended? "I don''t think she offended anyone. She was a sweet young girl," Valerie stood by Rose sincerely.

    "You never know. If we get too involved in the girl''s life, it might as we bring our whole family to ruin," Justin said coldly.

    "What do you mean by that?!" Valerie asked angrily as she stood up from where she just sat.

 Chapter 102 - The Fear Of Death

    "How could you talk about a child''s life in such a manner? If you were going to act in such a manner, why did you adopt her? Why did you bring her into this family to be treated in such a way?"

    "I adopted her for Anna and the result was good. Anna woke up froma because of the girl, what else do ask of from her? She made you proud by unting her designing skills but she refused to work for you. I think the girl is dead. We will wait for a while before we think of her funeral."

    "Have you lost your mind? I don''t intend to let go of that girl just like I waited for Anna to return. Have you ever thought that someone might be using those kids to hurt us?"

    "Two very different people took them. The people who did appear to be way powerful that I don''t intend to get involved as far as we don''t get hurt. How many times have we been in positions where they could easily take us but they never did."

    "Just get out," Valerie ordered him when she could not bare to keep listening.

    Justin stood up and walked out without hesitation. He was happy Rose was finally out of their lives after ying her role well. He was tired of having to answer questions from the Royal council over and over about Rose.

    Rose''s existence was either tagging him as a betrayer by taking care of thete Queen''s daughter or tagging his wife as a cheat who had a child out of wedlock and he was tired of wearing a green hat.

    Rose was a beautiful girl and he could still remember her smile which made him sad to lose such a beautiful asset but he was not going to go beyond his boundaries to help her. Anna have new friends now and she could definitely survive without Rose.

    ***

    "It hurts all over," Rose cried as soon as she felt those familiar arms around her.

    "Shh . . . You are going to be alright?" the deep musical voice that she could still remember clearly even in this life whispered soothingly.

    Why was every she associated with her angel the same with that of Liam. His voice, his hug, they were all the same. Was he her angel all long?

    She felt him put pressure on her bleeding wound and that was all her senses caught before she drifted off.

    This had to be a simple dream, right? Rose wished that it was all a dream that she never got stabbed by a psychopathic prettydy. Just like most wishes don''te through, her wish did note through as she groaned when the pain in her abdomen woke her up.

    "It was not a dream," she moaned closing her eyes immediately she opened them. She could not seem to get use to the feeling of the light in the room. It was not too bright but it wasn''t dim either. It would have been veryfortable on a normal day.

    "It was not a dream," a deep voice echoed close to her.

    "I wish it was," she told the owner of the voice with a slight pout of her lower lips.

    She opened her eyes to see Liam sitting on a chair beside the bed sheid on.

    "Same here. You almost lost your life. This is the reason I told you to stay away from Star city," he scolded.

    "I should not be scolded considering my state," she murmured further pouting when she met his gaze.

    "I am happy to see you in this state. You will be alright soon. The knife went through your liver, you had to undergo a liver transnt," he told her and stood up.

    "Really?" she asked surprised and ced her hand on the ce that hurt most. She could feel the dressing of the wound underneath her fingers.

    "Luckily, you woke up well. You will get better as days go by," he told her as he adjusted the nket covering her.

    "Perhaps you did all this to make me believe you. The timing was almost too perfect," Rose said watching him closely as she spoke.

    Liam did not answer her and ignored her totally. He grabbed his coat and left the room almost immediately and soon people she assumed were doctors and nurses walked into the room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She scoffed and looked away. If he thinks she will let any of this strangers close to her then he was fantasizing. "Leave me alone," Rose said and made an attempt to get down from the bed when the doctor who was in his mid fifties made an attempt to check the bag of fluid hung up.

    The man took cautious steps away from her along with the others and one of them ran to call Liam back. She smiled secretly when that happened although she really found herself unable to trust anyone else.

    "What do you want now?" Liam asked with a sigh when he walked back into the room with a frown.

    "Nothing. I don''t just trust them," she replied sincerely as she met his gaze pleadingly.

    "I have to go out for an urgent meeting I don''t think I can stay with you. They are all trustworthy and if anything happens, they will lose their lives and their families will join them," Liam said very easily.

    "Cruel," she said under her breathe. She flinched when he moved close and gave her a gentle pat on her head.

    She seemed to have forgotten she was not talking to a normal person. Just like the others in the room froze when they heard him, it seems she was also scared of the power he welded.

    "Be good," he said almost begging.

    Rose pressed her lips together before nodding but she couldn''t calm the fear she felt left in the room with people she was very unfamiliar with. It was better to be with him since she felt he thinks she is of great importance to get hurt.

    "Fine, I will just watch from the side," he told her sitting down when he saw that she was sincere. It pleased him to know Rose trusted him and that was a sign of progress, right? He nced at his wrist watch and rested his gaze on Rose through out.

    Rose watched him secretly as she could not keep her eyes off his alluring grey eyes that reminded her well polished silver under a bright afternoon sun. She gulped when she met his gaze and looked away like the guilty culprit she was.

    She listened inattentively to what the doctor had to say as her mind travelled back to the restroom where it all happened. She have heard and read about psychopaths in novels but she have never seen one or confirm fully that someone was one.

    She actually had an encounter with a psychopathic serial killer and she was a victim. She looked down at her hands clinched together resting on herp. It was scary way more scary than what happened to her in her past life.

    She actually begged for helped despite her vow never to. She remembered the plea she made just before the knife was pulled out. The memory of the pain made it feel so real like a rey of the whole event. She actually thought it was over and she was definitely going to die.

    "Rose are you okay?" She heard Liam''s voice call out.

    Opening her eyes to see the worried expression he wore through her tears-clouded eyes, she realized she had been crying out. She shook her head furiously as she continued crying this timepletely unrestrained.

    The doctors and nurses immediately excused them but Rose was totally unaware as she continued crying. "It is okay. You are fine now," Liam whispered calmly as he rubbed her back gently.

    "I thought I was going to die. I was all alone. It hurts everything hurts. I am scared she will find me and kill me. If she finds me again, I might not be able to escape death again. She said it was a message from the Queen," Rose paused asionally to narrate as she continued crying.

    "You did not die. I will never let you die even if I need to travel through time to ensure you survive. You are not alone anymore. Whoever she is, I will find her and make sure she doesn''t get close to you," Liam made so many promises he wanted to keep even if it costs his life.

    Rose hugged him tighter finding refuge in his embrace. "Why is the whole worlding after me?"

    "Even if they do, I won''t let them," Liam promised as he continued patting her back soothingly.

    She buried her face into his chest and inhaled deeply letting her tears wet his shirt without hesitation. She remembered the few seconds before her death and how he promised her that he will help her avenge.

    "When you feel better, you will tell me all that happened, okay? We are tracing the person who did this to you and as soon as we find her, she won''t be able to hurt you ever again," Liam promised her.

    "No," Rose snapped moving away from his embrace. "No, I am ready to talk now so you can find her earlier. I also want to go home."

 Chapter 103 - Both Disappointed And Hurt

    "Home is not safe for you right now until we find the culprit."

    "They will be worried about me and I don''t want that to happen. What if they think I am dead?"

    "You only narrowly escaped death few weeks ago."

    "I need to return home but I will like to answer any question you have to ask about what happened to me before I go," Rose continued as she ignored his argument.

    "I am not letting you leave until you are perfectly fine. I don''t care how long it takes," he said as he stood up giving her no room to negotiate.

    Rose found herself agreeing with him immediately as though his words had magic in them that tamed her rebellious heart. She looked down at her fingers and sighed weakly.

    "If there is anything else you want tell me," he said happy she agreed with him without making things hard.

    She raised her head and met his happy grey eyes and she frowned. Was he happy that he finally had her caged in his ws? Was he celebrating the victory of being able to turn her, the princess into an obedient puppy?

    "Are you okay?" he asked when he noticed something was wrong with her and seeing the new disappointed countenance she now wore made his heart hurt.

    "Is this the reason you nned this whole show including risking my life?" Rose asked meeting his gaze with her eyes as cold as she forced them to be despite the subconscious fear and respect she had towards the man she was ring at.

    Liam who was jubting the progress he made in having Rose get close to him and depend on him suddenly felt every atom of joy he felt earlier disappear when she spoke.

    She had asked such a question earlier but he was not bothered by it because he could see she did not mean it at all but right now, she meant every word she asked and she looked at him as though he just betrayed the whole world.

    It seems all his hard work meant nothing to her. He was not nning on giving up since he had so many methods he haven''t used yet in winning her heart but the look she gave him feel like she drilled a hole into his heart.

    "Why do you always imagine the worse?" he asked softly, she was obviously scared that he was going to hurt her.

    "I don''t know you. What else should I expect?" she replied him with a question as she adjusted herself on the bed.

    "Then get to know me," he said in a soft tone. "However, the truth is you know me, you only can''t remember," he murmured walking to the window.

    "I don''t want to. I don''t know why you keep doing this. There has to be a reason. I want a reason. Why did everything that happened seem to favor you in a manner I don''t like. You have me now and you have locked me up here. I want to go back home to my family. What gives you the right to make me stay here locked up," she asked ring at his very manly back with his broad shoulders and tall frame looking really intimidating.

    "You need to rest," he gave her a very simple reply that she never expected. He sound unhappy and distant lost in a wilderness of thoughts.

    "I will rest at home," she told him as she struggled to get down from the bed only to fall down to the floor with a thud. She looked at the grey marble floor with a slight pout of her lips. The fall was painful.

    "You should not hurt yourself anymore, it will only make your stay here longer," he said walking to her and tried to lift her up but she pped his hand off.

    "What do you want from me? Why are you doing this? What did my mother leave for me that makes you try so hard to get? Why do you want to put me on the throne," she asked as she began crying due to the pain she felt.

    "Rx, I will help you up then we can talk," he said in a sad pleading voice that was too unbelievable to havee out of the mouth of this young man that most people call a terror. He reached for her hand but she turned away.

    She cried even more hearing him talk in the manner he did. He was sounded so nice and worried she did not want to believe he was sincere. She wondered what will happen to her if she gets him what he wants and he abandons her afterwards.

    "Please, the floor is not made for you to sit on. Let me help you to the bed," he continued trying to get her to let him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Could you stop pretending to be nice to me?" she asked as she made an attempt to stand up on her own but her legs felt too tired to lift her whole body and Liam immediately supported her to the bed. This time, she calmly epted his help.

    "Are you willing to answer the questions I have for you?" He asked her watching closely hoping she will stop throwing tantrums like a little child. Those words and actions felt hurtful, more hurtful than they should be.

    "Not until you answer my questions and promise to let me go home," she replied mopping her tears with the back of her hand. He stretched a white handkerchief to her but she ignored it.

    "If anyone means to harm you, it wouldn''t be me, Rose. I have dedicated too much to want you to get hurt. I wonder what else I can do to make you see my sincerity. My patience might wear off," he said softly but she did not miss the coldness and determination when he said thest sentence.

    He grabbed his jacket and nced at her with the usual coldness she sees him with outside. His grey eyes rested on her coldly like ice and he finally looked away after making her really ufortable under his gaze.

    She looked down at her fingers and raised her head only when he left the room. "You are so pathetic," she said to herself sadly as she curled up at a corner of the bed ying over and over a scene she imagined of that psychopath walking into the room.

    The door of the door opened after a gentle knock and she immediately had herself curled up hugging her knees close to her chest. She raised her head to see a very pretty woman in a whiteb coat looking at her with a gentle smile.

    ***

    The father and two sons trio sat down with their guards armed outside the door ready bust in if anything goes wrong. Liam''s guards did not want their boss to get killed as traitor to his family.

    Damon''s guards did not trust that their boss'' son who was a defect won''t try to kill his father and brother to take away all that their family owned since he seemed to have been doing that a lot recently.

    All the guards waited for was a simple signal from their bosses that could turn that room into a pool of blood and they will do it well without hesitation.

    "Where is the princess?" Damon asked as he sipped from the hot cup of tea Liam made avable for them.

    He was not the least scared that the tea might be poisoned although the thought crossed his mind because he knew his son will never attack in such a manner, he preferred to made a real attack that will draw blood.

    Jace nced at his father who seemed to be veryfortable as though he was at home when his very dangerous brother was only few feet away from them.

    He could not just understand it because this brother of his was a stranger and he had no idea on what to expect from his brother.

    He knew very well that his brother have been taking over veryrgepanies in both bloody and bloodless manners. Liam also did not bother when taking over some parts of the underground world his father once ruled over.

    "Where is the princess?" Jace asked coldly ring at his brother when his brother remained silent and calm as though he controlled the whole world.

    "Why do you ask me such question young master Jace?" Liam asked very calm as he watched his eyes as expressionless as ever. "Shouldn''t you ask your dad. Last time I heard, the princess was under his protection."

    "You . . ." Jace began but swallowed back his words. He really could not predict his brother any longer.

    "Do you mind?" Liam asked when he held a stick of cigarette between his fingers and pulled out a lighter. None of them answered and Liam ignored them as he light his cigarette and took a drag of the smoke.

    Watching Liam smoke, Jace realized his brother had not totally changed and it pleased him to know despite how his brother betrayed them.

    He was happy he recognized something in his brother. His brother was obviously experiencing a bad day and it most likely had something to do with Rose.

 Chapter 104 - The Councils Plan

    If it was in the past, Jace will most likeugh excitedly but he simply dropped his eyes from his brother. "I guess the princess is not in a very good state," Jace said trying to feign calmness.

    "What makes you assume that?" Liam asked resting his gaze on his younger brother who seemed to have changed totally.

    "We will have our doctors look over her as soon as we get her," Jace continued.

    "I have the best doctors in the world. They will look after her. The princess isn''t some sort of object that should be spoken about in such manner. I doubt she will want to go with you. It''s been three weeks already. If you think you are capable then take her away," Liam said and stood up.

    Seeing his son talk for so long, Mr. Hart gulped, Rose was changing his son. His cold expressionless son seemed to have more expressions and more words to say.

    He remembered someone who had just the same effect on him. Her smile made him smile, her happiness was his happiness and when she was sad, he was sad too. He always wanted to see her happy even if they could not be together and he could not tell her he liked her.

    "I left the princess in your care because I thought you could protect her better than I could," Mr. Hart said with a slight frown knowing Liam was ready to leave.

    "I protected her. Since you know I can do better than you, I think you should stay away just like you have done before. She will be fine," Liam said cing the cigarette in an ashtray and left them without looking back.

    A villian who betrayed his family and it perfect role but it was hard to y that role well since it meant he had to oppose them in almost everything. He sighed as soon as he satfortably in his car.

    He loved his family but they could not stand on the same side so he had to oppose them totally. He had already betrayed them and it was known by almost every one. He remembered the way Jace tried to look tough.

    He was proud of his younger brother. He was proud that Jace was no longer the weak-hearted boy who could cry so easily but he also med himself for forcing such change on his brother.

    If he remained in his family, he would have taken over the tough businesses while his brother does what he wants and he will dly act as his brother''s shield but since he left his brother alone to carry the burden, his brother had to change to fit into the role.

    The task of being the heir was not an easy task despite how good and experienced he was. He wondered how Jace who never cared about such things was surviving.

    ***

    The Queen frowned as she stared out of the window of her room. Why on Earth does everyone think she killed Valerie''s daughter? The council was very angry.

    The council threatened to remove her and put someone else just like she tookte Queen off the throne. She was not scared but angry that someone was trying to frame her for a crime she did notmit.

    If she killed the girl, she would have agreed and epted whatever punishment the council had for her. However, she really thought of killing the girl but she had not even nned on how to do it.

    Even aftering up with a n, she will never have made such a mess in the crime scene and burning down a restaurant? That will definitely call too much attention.

    She will never have done it in such a way and she will not have an amateur do the work for her. She will most definitely have the scene cleaned till it is spotless and have the girl''s body dumped in the ocean for sharks to feed.

    She looked away from the window. Someone was trying to frame her up for a crime she did notmit. Someone wanted to take her throne and crown from her by using that girl.

    She wondered what made Rose so important that the council will be so angry with her over the girl''s death. She have hurt a lot of people but she had no idea why they cared so much about the girl that they were even determined to take her crown from her.

    This have never happened before and it should never happen again. She looked at Mrs. Smith who sat feets away from her. "Who do you think is trying to set me up?" she asked with a deep frown.

    "I don''t know. Perhaps someone who wants to be the next Queen?" Mrs. Smith asked thoughtfully.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The next Queen?" the Queen asked gazing out of the window again.

    "Maybe. I have thought over it again and again but that''s all I cane up with," Mrs. Smith replied nodding slightly. She remembered the words of the Queen when she visited before Rose got hurt.

    "Who could that be? Who could want to take me down? I don''t think there is anyone who wants to be Queen," the Queen said hungry to clear her name.

    "A lot of youngdies want to be Queen," Mrs. Smith told her tiredly. The Queen who sent her out of her room angrily was now keeping her from going back home today.

    "Yes, a lot but those are just fantasies. I want to know someone who has the resources and support to be the next Queen. Could you get me a list? I am not allowed out for now. You know, right?"

    "Yes, I will help you find somedies who are capable," Mrs. Smith said despite how much she wanted to hit the Queen hard on her head for ordering her around the way she did. She was a fashion designer not a messenger.

    "Thank you. I really don''t know what to do without you. You are my best friend, don''t forget," the Queen said with an obvious fake smile. What she wanted was a list and she hoped Mrs. Smith will be nice enough to get it for her.

    Hearing the Queen speak in the gentle manner she did which was a one hundred and eighty degree turn from what she was only few weeks ago when she tried to advice the Queen against nning Rose''s death, she smiled.

    Only members of the council knew that the Queen was ced on house arrest while the public heard that the Queen was not in a very healthy state and need to stay at home to recuperate.

    She was the only person allowed into the Queen Chambers apart from the maids the council ced to watch and take care of the Queen. The Queen could not ask anyone else for help since she had almost no ess to the outside world.

    She was also ordered to stay away from the King until the council was done investigating Rose''s disappearance. "Why do you think the council is so interested in that girl? I am a Queen I should not be treated in such manner over a young girl," the Queen voiced herins.

    "I think because she is Justin''s daughter," Mrs. Smith replied thoughtfully.

    "The council does not care about Justin his father was adopted into the Whitfred family. He has no importance to the council," the Queen objected shaking her head in disbelief. How could that identity make the girl so important?

    "He is important remember he is a billionaire. He rules over the entertainment world," Mrs. Smith reminded the Queen and paused to think. "I also don''t think that is much of a reason. Perhaps because she is Valerie''s daughter."

    "Valerie is a chess piece. The council needs to use her but that does not mean they should care so much about her daughter the way they do," the Queen replied walking away from the window and sat down on a sofa in front of Mrs. Smith.

    "Then I can''t say anything else about that," Mrs. Smith replied thoughtfully as she got ready to leave. She was tired of listening to all the Queen had to say.

    From her point of view, the council was tired of the Queen''s presence and wanted to change the Queen or the time for the council to carry out their main n was near and they wanted the Queen out of the way before then.

    The n have been going on slowly from the moment thete Queen died and they had the two kingdoms United together.

    When she seeded in escaping out of the Queen''s chamber despite how hard the lonely locked up Queen tried to make her stay, she could finally breath out in relief.

    She looked back at the Queen Chambers which was more guarded than ever. She shook her slightly in pity. It will be really hard for the Queen to leave that chamber alive again.

    The council must have locked her to n her death and the bloodshed which have been going on quietly for almost a decade will elerate. When people begin to take notice of what is happening, it will be toote to protect themselves.

 Chapter 105 - Nice Woman

    "Someone among us did it," a middle aged man said with his hands sped on the table in front of him.

    "Who could it be?" A younger man asked thoughtfully looking around therge room with more than thirty people sitting quietly with half of them having their hands resting on the tables in front of them.

    "Knowing the culprit should not be what we should be worried about now. We should use this opportunity to send the Queen away for ever just as we nned. That is the right thing to do," ady in her early twenties said calmly.

    "Most of us believe you did it to frame the Queen," the younger guy who spoke earlier said.

    "No, I did not do it. My father only gave up his position to me recently. I am not foolish to make such a decision. I have someone else on my mind. My father told me to take him down and that is what I n to do not fight for the Queen''s crown," thedy replied with a smile that had a magical ability to get the attention of all the men in the room.

    "And who could the person be?" a man in his mid sixties asked as he could not help but pity the man who will fall into the trap of this fox.

    "My first love," the woman replied with a light excited voice. "Shouldn''t we be worried about the girl who almost got killed and who the culprit could be."

    "Yeah, but what makes you think the girl only almost got killed and isn''t dead," another man asked finding what the girl said very suspicious.

    "I know she isn''t. Do you think we should be careful with the way we take care of the Queen. If she dies, the prince and princess will only hate us," the youngdy reminded them.

    "We are keeping the king out if this decision. We have enough time to worry about the Queen''s life. We can keep her out of the way for as long as her existence is still needed. When she bes an obstacle, we will think of the right way topletely keep her out of the way," a man in histe seventies said slowly and calmly. His hoarse voice filling the room with power and authority.

    The other people in the room agreed with him immediately some nodding and others humming their agreement.

    "What is important now is that we find the person who is trying to interfere with our ns. I want the person brought here before the end of this month," the old man ordered.

    ***

    Rose looked at the pretty woman at the door and could not help but admire her. The woman had an ideal mixture of confidence, intelligence, elegance and gentleness in her countenance. She was someone anyone will definitely have to paused to look at when they see her.

    Most importantly, the woman looked so familiar yet she could not put her fingers on it. She tried hard to remember who looked just like this woman and when she could not remember anyone, she began thinking of someone who at least looked a little like her.

    The woman was definitely a doctor. She stared at the woman as the woman walked to her with a warm friendly smile on her face. Rose found herself feelingfortable in the woman''s presence.

    "Hello, my name is Leah. I am a doctor here," the woman said in a voice that was so motherly and nice. The voice had a calming effect on Rose who was angry and scared that Liam left her all alone with a bunch of strangers.

    "Hello," Rose replied with a slight wave and looked down but she soon had her eyes back up looking at the woman.

    "Are you okay?" the woman asked taking gentle patient steps towards Rose who was in a pathetic state.

    "I am fine," Rose said putting on a confident countenance and cleared her throat while watching the woman walk to her.

    "You look fine now. When you arrived here weeks ago. I was scared that you won''t survive it. The wound was fatal but you look good now," The woman continued talking calmly in tone Rose found soothing.

    Rose moved away from the woman when she got closer when she remembered how pretty the woman who gave the wound was. She found herself feeling threatened in the woman''s presence.

    "I am not going to hurt you," Leah told her when she noticed Rose drop the confident fa?ade she put on earlier. "I work here and I heard you wouldn''t let anyonee close to you."

    Rose nodded.

    "Mr. Hale told me to check on you since I look nice," the woman said with her smile broadening with a hint of pride. "Do I really look nice?"

    Rose found herself nodding with a slight smile. The woman seemed to have a ma hidden in her that could atttract people to her.

    "Wow, you are very pretty. When my son talks about how beautiful his friend is, I told him it was impossible for anyone to have such beauty especially more beautiful than me but now I believe him. You are beautiful and I have to bow in the presence," the woman said with a slight bow of her head.

    That would have sound crazy and creepy from someone else but hearing that from the woman before her, Rose found herself smiling brightly she almost chuckled.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You will definitely be prettier than his friend," the woman murmured as she walked to the window of the room and pushed the curtain away slightly. "If you curl up in that manner, you will hurt yourself," she told Rose.

    Rose found herself uncurling automatically but when she straightened her frame, she winced when the pain hit her hard.

    "I warned you," the woman scolded with a gentle smile Rose found motherly. "I will like to check the wound."

    She helped Rose raise the shirt of the hospital cloth she wore. She examined the wound for a while before smiling. Rose exhaled in relief when she saw her smile, at least she did not hurt herself more.

    "You should not do that again. It could be fatal, okay? If there is anything wrong, press that button and I wille to you but don''t do that again," the woman scolded her warmly.

    Rose''s eyes slowly became clouded with tears. Leah''s smile was so sweet and the way she scolded her reminded her of her mother. Her mother scolded her in that same manner with a smile but with words that clearly warned her.

    "Are you okay? Did I scold you too much?" Leah asked worriedly. Thest thing she wanted was the princess to cry because of her. "I am sorry."

    "No, it''s okay. I just remembered my mother. She always smiled like that to me whenever I did something wrong. She smiled even when scolding me. I miss her," Rose said as the tears began flooding down the smooth hill of her cheeks.

    "As soon as you get better, you will go home," Leah said adjusting Rose''s hair.

    "No, not my foster mother. My biological mother. She is dead. She died when I was young. I was adopted by Valerie only a couple of years ago," Rose narrated easily. This was a topic she hated talking about but it felt natural to tell Leah.

    "Oh I''m sorry. Do you want to talk about her?" Leah asked sitting on the chair beside Rose''s bed and held Rose''s hand in her soft hands.

    "She loved tulips but I love Rose," Rose said smiling as she remembered how her mother always looked at the garden of tulips with so much admiration. "She never got the chance to tell me why she loved tulips."

    "Did you want to know?"

    "I wanted to know then and even now."

    "Why do you love roses?"

    "I don''t know. I love everything about a rose including the thorns. A rose is so beautiful that every one wants to take it away so it made a means of protection; the thorns. The thorns of a rose protects her from getting killed by just anyone," Rose said thoughtfully. She have never thought of this before but talking with Leah made her mind drift towards that.

    "This is the most beautiful reason I have heard. I am falling in love with rose flowers now. Was that some sort of initiation?"

    "Maybe," Rose replied with a mischievous smile. "What is your favorite flower?"

    "I don''t know. I like all beautiful flowers. I have never thought of any flower I love most but I love the scent ofvender most," Leah replied thoughtfully.

    "I love the scent ofvender too," Rose said truthfully. "You look familiar."

    "Really?"

    "Hmm. I feel like I have seen you somewhere."

    "I don''t think I have seen you before or I will never have forgotten your beauty."

    "Same here that is why I am so confused. Do you have a sister?"

    "No I don''t but I have a brother and a son."

    "A son?" Rose''s eyes brightened when she realized who looked like the woman.

 Chapter 106 - Knowing Erics Secret

    "A son?" Rose''s eyes brightened when she realized who looked like the woman.

    "Yes a son. My son is a highschool student," Leah replied naturally.

    "His name most be Eric," Rose said almost a hundred percent sure that she was correct.

    "Yeah. My son''s name is Eric."

    "Eric and I are best friends. I can''t believe you are Eric''s mum. Eric looks so much like you but you look too young to be his mother. No wonder Eric looks so handsome," Rosemented truthfully.

    Eric looked so much like his mother. He also had her confidence and intelligence. "My troublesome son has almost nothing to talk about when I call him or when we meet. He stays with his dad in B city. I thought he only spoke about his pretty friend so I won''t feel worried about him and I concluded that he was lying but you are real," Leah said happily. It was a good thing that he son was not too lonely.

    Eric hardly spoke about his family and she thought he did note from a very happy family but seeing his mum, she wondered why he never boasted about his mother to her.

    "I left him in B city because he did not want to leave. He said you were very talented and you are the only person better than him. He called you apetition at first but when he kept on talking about you, his perspective changed every time until he told me you were his best friend and you were really pretty," Leah narrated.

    She remembered how happy Eric sounded when talking about Rose. He spoke so much about Rose that they barely had time afterwards to talk about anything else.

    "He told me about your eyes and I did not believe him. He refused to tell me your name or show me your picture that was why I thought he was lying. Your hair is just as he said it was; uniquely multicolored and beautiful."

    "Eric must have exaggerated a lot," Rose said feeling shy hearing all thepliments. She knew all those things about her pulchritude but hearing it from Dr. Leah made her blush visibly.

    "No he didn''t. Eric is a very straightforward child and he hardly lies. Those were one of the few things I know about my son," Leah said sadly.

    "You must have been too busy to spend time with him because of work."

    "Yeah. His father is less busy and since I work in Star city, it makes me unable to spend enough time with him now."

    "Eric helps me a lot. We do must of our projects together and since I am not very good at designing male attires, he helps me out while I help with female designs. He has very good fashion sense. I admire the way he dresses up," Rose tried to praise Eric a lot to make his mother proud.

    "The way he dresses? My husband and I have told him to stop dressing the way he does but he never listens," Leahined helplessly.

    "No, he dresses perfectly."

    "He always looks too beautiful."

    "No, he looks good. He wears what matches his appearance. He looks hot in what he wears and it fits him perfectly. A lot of girls like Eric in school although he doesn''t care. He is one of the hottest guys in school. He knows what looks good on him and exudes the right amount of muscrity for his face," Rose tried to persuade Eric''s mum sincerely.

    "I wish he got his father''s face. Do you know they thought he was a girl when he was younger? Most people will be like, ''oh my God what a beautiful girl''. After a while of telling them he was a boy, I got tired and stopped correcting them. That made his dad unhappy and he took over the job till he also got tired," Leah narratedughing softly.

    "I am definitely going to use this to make fun of him when I get home. I know one of his secrets now," Rose told Leah as they bothughed. "He has the perfect face to be a celebrity girls will be crazy about. My sister told him to consider joining the entertainment industry over and over but he have always rejected her."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He won''t or his father might simply disown him. His father wanted him to study mathematics or anything rted to that but he chose to focus on fashion. I had to intervene or his father would have disowned. He loves fashion and I hope you will keep helping him."

    "Sure, I also need his help after all. When wee here finally for college, he will be closer to you and I will drag him over for dinner frequently."

    "I will be grateful if you so that," Leah appreciated sincerely.

    Eric must miss her a lot but because she left him and she knew very well that he was angry with her for doing so but he always covered it up with a happy smile.

    "You don''t have any other feelings for him, right?" Leah had to ask.

    "Eric and I are best friends. I admire his talent," Rose replied simply without further thinking about the question. "My sister thinks he has feelings for me. She disturbs him about that everytime she gets the chance to."

    "Hmm," Leah hummed unwilling to go on. It was obvious to everyone who saw the way Liam treats Rose that Liam was interested in her. Even if she suspects Eric has feelings for Rose, she won''t tell Rose and she will stop her son from telling Rose if he ever wants to.

    "I will disturb you a lot when Ie finally to Star city. I think you should get prepared," Rose informed her excitedly. It was weird that she was happy to be able to spend time with the stranger she met an hour ago.

    "Sure if Mr. Hale gives me the permission," Leah replied truthfully.

    Rose sighed heavily with an unhappy pout of her lower lip at the mention of that man''s name. She looked down at her hands held in Leah''s.

    "Mr. Hale is willing to help you to death but that is only if you let him help you. I know that you are the princess and your rightful ce is the pce. Your mother was killed unjustly. The Queen who loved her people more than herself was killed. It is only right that her daughter brings back her former glory and wears the crown," Leah exined to Rose as she also expressed her opinion.

    "Isn''t the kingdom peaceful enough? If I take over the kingdom, don''t you think you will have more peopleing into the hospital during a war?" Rose asked watching Leah closely. She was not offended by what Leah told her.

    "No, if you take over the throne, it will be the only guarantee that there won''t be a war," Leah replied shaking her head as she released Rose''s hands and stood up with a sigh.

    "What war? There can''t be a war. Do you know our kingdom is the most peaceful country in the world? We have no reason to protest. We have no reason to fight a civil war. Everyone is happy," Rose continued. She really began considering avenging her mother''s death and forgetting about the kingdom while she continues her work as a fashion designer.

    "Do you really think so? Ask Liam to show you what is really happening underneath. You would have died like many other girls and boys who have died without anyone knowing the reason. You are also a victim.

    "Yet you call this kingdom peaceful? Yes it is peaceful outwardly but it''s only a matter of time before it moves to the surface. When it does, more people would have died without realizing why they died and who killed them."

    Rose felt guilty and sad. "Almost getting killed was so scary. I am too scared to go on. Perhaps I am only a pathetic coward who can''t protect those who needs her protection. I should protect myself first. My mother was a selfless Queen but what did she get in return? She got a ruined reputation and death. If all the good people ends up dying, then why should I be a good person?"

    "I know what you mean but you are definitely not short of the power you need to get the throne. You have someone who is willing to help you selflessly," Leah reminded her. "Running can not be an option. If you run away now, you only get killed some other time. Mr. Hale is willing to shield you with his life but he won''t get involved until you let him."

    Rose shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I am confused. So many people want me dead. I can''t trust anyone. He is not a nice person from what I know so he is most definitely not helping me because he wants to save the kingdom. Without a tangible reason from him, I won''t ept his help," she told Leah.

    Rose was so confused. The fact that Liam went into a burning building to save her made her want to trust him but she was also scared. She needed an assurance.

 Chapter 107 - Her Confession

    Liam looked down at his hand with a hurt smile and slowly closed the door. He took a deep breath with his back against the wall. With every day that passes, his time was getting wasted waiting for her eptance.

    "Mr. Hale, I am sorry," he remembered the words of the doctor ringing in his ears. He tightly held his jaw and swallowed hard.

    After a series of slowly inhaling and exhaling, he pushed the door open in a more noisy manner than he did earlier.

    "I will excuse you now," Leah said as soon as she saw Liam.

    "Pleasee back some other time," Rose begged looking away from Liam as she spoke.

    "Sure, I can''t let you get bored," Leah agreed immediately when she saw the lonely look in the girl''s hazel green eyes.

    "Thank you," Rose appreciated.

    Leah bowed respectfully to Liam before walking out of the room.

    "How do you feel?" Liam asked giving her a soft gentle smile.

    "I think . . . better?" she asked looking down at her hands to avoid looking at him.

    "I am happy to hear that you feel better. Your lunch will be here soon."

    "Oh, thank you," she appreciated.

    "Do you still think I nned it all?" he asked sitting on the stool and watched her with his face now expressionless as she moved to the other side of the bed.

    "I don''t know. I don''t know what to believe. You are so unreadable," she replied still avoiding his gaze.

    "I saved your life, isn''t that enough of an assurance?"

    "Uh?" she asked with her eyes now saucer-shaped. The feeling of guilt that gripped her heart when she realized he heard her conversation with Leah was something she did not like.

    "I don''t know what sort of assurance you want," he said shaking his head helplessly.

    "I . . .," Rose began and looked at him unsure if she really heard helplessness in his voice but when she saw his face which was very void of emotions she dropped her gaze back to her fingers and sighed. ''What was I even expecting?''

    "I really want to know what sort of assurance you need to make you trust me," he said watching her as his mind went through a lot of reasons why her sigh sounded disappointed but he could note up with any reason.

    "I can''t trust you or anyone," she replied shaking her head.

    "You do. You trust your foster sister and friends," he replied.

    "I don''t trust them. They don''t know anything about me apart from what I let them see. I love them, I believe they are good people but that does not mean people won''t change. You have changed yourself," Rose said looking up now letting her gaze rest on his grey eyes that she found to be too beautiful.

    Liam was d she was willing to talk to him. He remained quiet as he looked back into her eyes to avoid missing any detail.

    "When I heard of you, I found you really attractive and when Jace told me to date you, I thought it was inappropriate in a way but I was also happy. I wanted you toe for the dinner but you did note. I have seen you a lot of times and you acted so cold.

    "What made you change?" she asked but continued without waiting for him to answer, "What made you make breakfast for me? What makes you smile to me as though we have always known each other? What made you go into a burning building to save me?<novelnext></novelnext>

    "There has to be a reason and how sure am I that you won''t change and go back to being the cold boss you have always been just like you changed into the nice guy you pretend to be?

    "What did my mother leave for me that you and your dad are fighting to get? What are you two so desperate to get through me that you are willing to help me get revenge?" Rose did not like the annoying truth that for once his expression did not waver away from being so expressionless.

    She had poured out almost everything about herself to him including the fact that she once had a crush on him and that she was unhappy when he did not attend the dinner he was invited to.

    When he still remained quiet and expressionless, she regretted telling him all she did. "You know what? Just forget it all. Forget I ever said anything. I don''t need your help and I need to go back home. I will work hard and pay you back all you spent. I must have been a fool to fall for those acts of kindness," she said and got down from the bed through the other side of the bed.

    Liam stood up and very fast, he was by her side to support her but she pped him hands off. Liam was so confused. He had not idea what to say after she spilled out her mind.

    He thought he doing good at expressing his feelings now but when it was time to tell her how he truly felt and the reason he felt that way, he could not form the words and let them out of his mouth.

    ? He was happy she did not hate him totally when he thought he did but it seems hisck of reaction only made her hate him for real.

    Rose closed the door of the bathroom a little too hard and pressed her back against the closed door. "What did you just do?" she murmured letting her fingers through her hair.

    Was that a love confession? She was not sure. She only had a crush on him and she seemed to like him more and more with every act of kindness of his. She just told him all she felt towards him and he remained so calm and expressionless.

    He did not even smile at her like did when he made breakfast for her. All those smiles were gone and it seems like she was seeing the cold distant man who women and girls like her wanted but could never get.

    Did he think she will dly ept his help when he was a total stranger and it was as though he changed the more she got to know him. She would rather ept his father''s help than ept his help.

    A soft knock on the door of the bathroom as she tried washing her face at the sink startled her.

    "Are you okay?" she heard a gentle voice asked from outside the door with so much worry that she could not believe what her ears heard.

    "I am," she replied almost immediately to send him away from the door. She waited silently until she felt he must have gone then she looked at herself in the mirror.

    Her face was pale but not bad, it was obvious that someone always took care of her during the three weeks she had no idea what was happening around and whether she was alive or not. It had been all dark and she had no memory of it.

    When she stepped at out of the bathroom, she startled once again to see Liam waiting for her right in front of the bathroom.

    He adjusted her nket when sheid down but she was too tired and lost in thoughts to bother brushing his hands off.

    "I want something from you in return for my help," Liam told her when she had settled properly on the bed and he sat down on the chair beside her bed.

    Rose turned and looked at him while ming herself for being a fool and hoping he remains steadfast that he does not want anything in return.

    "There is only one thing I want in return for my help. It is not much but it is a price you have to pay for the help I will offer you," Liam exined unnecessarily. He was trying to stalk, trying hard not to say those words.

    "If you help me avenge my mother''s deaths and get the throne for me like soldier under mymand, I will give you what you want in return if it possible for me to," she told him epting that fact.

    She made sure to hide her desperation and her pathetic helpless state she was in from him with the cruelty in her voice. Soldiers back in history never got the chance to ask the king for what they wanted in return for helping the king fight a battle.

    The King''s were usually kind enough to reward soldiers with outstanding aplishments to encourage the others to do better and show their people how generous they were with people who worked hard enough for them.

    She asked him what he wanted in return to know if she could trust him. She was not a princess yet and she had no importance. She wanted to know she trading and not being in debt. She felt she will only be a debtor if she keeps taking without giving anything in return.

 Chapter 108 - The Deal Proposal

    "What do you want in return?" Rose asked unable to calm her heart which seemed to beat faster against its protection.

    "I want you to marry me as soon as you get into college," Liam asked standing up and walked to the window with his hands in the pockets of his ck pair of trousers.

    Time stopped for Rose. What sort of assurance was this? There was no way in the world he had feelings for her. That was far from what she expected. She expected him to tell her about some safe that she alone has the password and tell her he wanted half of what was in it.

    "You can give me your answer when you want," he told her calmly his voice without emotions.

    "Why will I do that?" she asked baffled. This was far from a reasonable deal.

    "I want to marry you," he said slowly turning to face her. He had made up his mind as he stared at the world below from the window. He tried to be selfless repeatedly but it seems like she only disapproved everything he did with every new trial he made.

    "I don''t understand," Rose told him truthfully shaking her head in disbelief. This was too unbelievable.

    "You will have to be my wife in order for me to help you get the throne," he said looking at her searching for a hint of happiness. He have waited for this moment for decades. This moment and the ones he hoped wille next was the reason he held unto life.

    Now, it seemed like she was the Queen or princess making a deal with a soldier or a big boss making a deal with a mercenary rather she was a poor girl who the world was after, a girl who had no one to lean on, no to trust who was desperately in need of help.

    "I have never thought of that," she said looking down at her fingers totally ufortable under the gaze of those grey eyes. She have never thought of marriage in both of her lives.

    "Now, you can think of it. I will give you two days to think of it. You have so many people hunting down your life that it is best you ept my offer or you might not survive a fire next time," he advised surprisingly feeling good about it.

    He had thought of it continually but then it always seemed so distant. He wanted be close to her when he proposes but that was not happening. The dream he had of a very happy extravagant proposal was crushed by herck of trust and the fear he saw in her eyes.

    Those above reasons were important triggers that led to him proposing to her but what his doctor told him was the major trigger. If taking things slowly will only make her more suspicious, he might as well go straight to the point and live the dream he always wanted to live before it gets toote.

    A thick nket of awkward quietness fell over therge VIP room of the hospital. Rose was unable to understand what was going on. She have never thought of getting married but this was far from what she wanted.

    She saw nothing but emotionlessness in his eyes as he looked at her from where he stood behind the window with the light from the window surrounding him and forming a glow around him.

    "That was not the type of assurance I wanted," Rose told him. She scoffed as she made an attempt to get down from her bed. "I must really seem like a joke," she told him letting her anger sound clearly in her voice.

    "No, you are not joke. It is a fair deal. I will help you avenge your mother''s death. I will restore your mother''s former glory. I will get you the throne. In return for everything, you will get married to me," Liam exined to her when he felt this was not getting anywhere and this was a very important opportunity for him.

    Mr. Hale have never found himself in a situation where he could not make the right decision properly, this was the first. This was the first time, he tried so hard without making obvious progress. His genius brain knew about the matters of the heart and he med himself for suddenly talking about marriage without making proper ns.

    "If I get married to you, I will get to be the Queen soon. You must be missing something out," she told him slowly walking to the sofa at the other end of the room in the living area.

    "There are many things I am working towards achieving for you. I will get to marry you as a one of the rewards but that will definitely lead to the other part of reward where I get to be next king," Liam informed her now making himselffortable on another sofa in the living area.

    Rose chuckled softly when she heard him. Now, this was better. She finally got the real reason behind all the drama. She scoffed. "You are doing this to be the next king right?" she asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, you win and I win. We both win, don''t you think so?" He asked now wearing a smirk.

    "Well, it all makes sense now. I wondered why you were so interested in me. Now, I understand it all. You want to be king. You will get me the throne and sit on it with me.

    "I think I like the sound of it. That gives me full assurance that you won''t turn against me because the moment you do, you lose the opportunity to be King. I can easily leave my back unwatched in your presence," she vocalized her analysis.

    "I will then watch my back as soon as I be Queen so I don''t die like my mother," She murmured under her breath so softly it was almost impossible for anyone to hear her.

    "What did you say?" Liam asked as though he did not hear what she said with his above normal hearing ability.

    "Nothing. I don''t think there is anything to think about. I agree with you. Prepare a contract. I prefer to have a signed contract between us. That is more assuring. Whenever you want to get married, I am ready but it is best we keep it quiet for a while," she agreed.

    She had a deadly n she was not sure she will be able to makee through. She might end Liam''s life if she is brave enough when she bes Queen because she could not trust that he was not going to kill like her mother was murdered.

    With those dark bloody thoughts, she watched him and found herself unable to make the picture on her mind of her killing Liam. He was just too handsome for her to hold a knife to his throat and certainly too powerful to let her do that to him.

    "I am hungry," she said looking away. It was not bad, right? ''Mum please tell me I did well. After all I will marry the most perfect bachelor in the kingdom. I will protect myself to prevent a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. I won''t disappoint you,'' she promised her mother hoping she doesn''t die that moment when she thinks she have gotten everything.

    "The earlier we get married, the earlier I will give you a wedding gift," Liam said giving a cheeky smile.

    "What will the gift be?" she asked curiously.

    "I have the woman who tried to kill you. She was caught this afternoon. Soon, I will get the name of the person who made her do it. I will give you the all the assets owned by that person after our wedding," Liam said rubbing his hands together in excitement but stubbornly maintained an emotionless appearance.

    "I want to meet her. I want to confirm her identity," Rose told him refusing to believe. She did not care about the asset of the person who paid that psychopath. All she wanted was an assurance that she will never hurt her or any other girl.

    "I am sorry your highness but you are not leaving this hospital until you have fully recovered," Liam said firmly despite the smile he wore.

    Rose did not bother to argue since she knew no amount of argument will let him allow her to leave. "I don''t believe you," she told him inly with a nk expression.

    "I know you don''t. I will show you a picture then," Liam said with a confident smile. He tapped on the screen of his phone for a few minutes and gave the phone to her afterwards.

    Rose looked at the picture of thedy on the screen. The woman had a slight cut on her lips but that was all. She expected the woman to be in a very sorry horrible state considering all the rumors she heard about Liam''s ruthlessness.

    The woman wore the same creepy smile she gave her in the restroom but she could see the tiredness and fear in the woman''s eyes.

    "If you don''t believe, I can get you a video," Liam said when Rose returned his phone to him.

 Chapter 109 - Funeral?

    ***

    Anna sat cross-legged weakly on the couch. She always had a slim frame but she looked really thin despite the baggy sweat shirt and joggers she wore to cover up her emancipated state.

    She watched her father who visited her for the first time since Rose went missing. Her mother said he was busy with the search for Rose but she knew that was only an excuse because her father never really liked Rose.

    He almost did not like her too but perhaps because she always made sure to act like the daughter she was to him, he tried to also reciprocate the feeling. Rose who almost never tried to gain anyone''s affection, was not as important as she was and it was really annoying.

    She knew Rose had not lived with them for as long as she did and she began living with them ever since she was a little child but she wanted them to care more for Rose. Rose is her first and only sister and she wanted Rose back into her life.

    She constantly med herself for getting suspicious of almost everything Rose did. She knew Rose had secrets. Rose must have been through a lot of things in the past which made her keep almost everything about herself a secret and she always understood and was patient until recently.

    Months before Rose went missing, she always wanted to know everything about Rose and she was slowly getting annoyed with the fact that she knew Rose had secrets she hid from her.

    Rose is missing now and she have been berating herself over the suspicious thoughts she had about her sister. She cried over and over when she thinks about how much she changed recently. Rose lived all her life until she turned fourteen in an orphanage.

    She also lived in the orphanage until she turned four so, she knew very well how unloved a child could feel in such an environment. The sisters tried their best to give and show them enough love but the love was nothingpared to what someone will experience with their biological parents.

    "I should have remained close to her," Anna murmured. "I should have never doubted her."

    "What did you say?" Justin asked when he could not pick out what his foster daughter said.

    "Nothing," Anna said dropping her gaze to her hands on her leg.

    Justin gulped, Anna might not be his biological daughter but it pained him to see the usual joyful girl who seemed to nt a seed of happiness and smiles in the heart and faces of everyone shees across looking so dull.

    She was not as problematic as other kids he have brought into his family. His first and only biological daughter suffered a lot before she died from a sickness. Rose made him have problems with the council and they were thest set of people he wanted to offend.

    Anna also gave him problems for the weeks she went missing but since she woke up froma, she seemed to have not given him any other problem and he was very pleased with that.

    When his mind drifted to the fact that Rose''s presence was what brought Anna back to them and saved his marriage, his heart tightened in his chest but his brain immediately stopped his heart from feeling guilty.

    Rose was brought to their family for that reason and since she served her purpose, it won''t be bad to send her off before more people get curious of her true identity.

    He secretly carried out a DNA test when Rose won thepetition and everyone began saying she inherited Valerie''s fashion designing skills but Rose was not Valerie''s daughter. When he was contacted by the council, he heard Rose was Valerie''s daughter.

    He pretended to be calm andposed about the whole thing but it have made him so tired that he regretted letting her go out and stop being homeschooled. It was so tiring andplicated he hated to admit it but Rose''s disappearance was a huge relief.

    "We intend to hold Rose''s funeral soon, perhaps next week," Justin said knowing Anna was nice not going to ept it very easily.

    "Who is the we?" Anna asked trying to suppress the tears and the fresh urge she felt to cry over Rose''s disappearance.

    "Your mother and I," Justin replied ncing at Valerie. It had taken him over two weeks to persuade his wife. She seemed to have grown attached to Rose and Rose leaving forever also meant she lost a very talented designer.

    "I am not going to believe Rose is dead until I see her body. I thought they don''t hold funerals for people who go missing?" Anna asked her voice hoarse as she tried to increase the volume to voice her disagreement.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "In this case we have to hold her funeral without her body. Like you know, an unidentified body was found in the building. They said Rose must have tried to escape but got caught in the fire," Justin exined hoping Anna believes.

    The exnation made by the police was actually not a very bad exnation although they were too many loopholes for very intelligent people to believe. The police also brought an evidence saying the DNA of the blood in the restroom and the DNA of the body matched.

    "If she is the body found, is there any reason then to hold a funeral without her body? We might as well use the body to represent Rose since you really want to get rid of Rose," Anna could not remain calm without voicing out her thoughts.

    "Why will I want to get rid her?" Justin asked surprised that Anna could say that to him.

    "You never loved her or even cared for her," Anna replied calmly looking at him intently. The respect she always had for her father was slowly wearing off.

    "I am too busy to evene back home. What time to have to y house?" Justin asked straightforwardly just like Anna did.

    "I guess you are less busy toe and y the house you always avoided ying by turning the drama into a tragedy, right?"

    Justin frowned.

    "I guess being busily around actors and actresses slowly turns you into one," Anna told him with enough sarcasm to please her aching heart.

    "Anna you should not talk to your father in that manner," Valerie who have remained quiet and almost invisible all long immediately reprimanded her daughter.

    "That is right, you also agreed to give up on Rose. I know Rose might not be your biological daughter or stayed long enough with you like the way I did but you should not do that to her. Even if she is dead, she will not be happy to know we were not patient enough," Anna said venting her frustration and self guilt on her parents.

    "We will dy the funeral by just one week, we will tell the police to keep searching for Rose. Next week the search will stop and we will hold her funeral," Valerie told Anna firmly without room for negotiation.

    "This is not right," Anna said losing hope. Her mother have always been the one to stand up to her father but since her mother agreed, she had no one else to turn to. "Fine. I am sorry for speaking to you the way I did. I am very sorry but don''t give up on Rose." Anna covered her face as she began crying hard with her body rocking as she cried.

    "It is not your fault. If Rose is dead, she will pray for your well-being and if she is not, she will definitely find her way back home because of your perseverance," Valerie encouraged her daughter with a warm hug.

    Anna hated herself so much for having suspicions about her sister less than an hour before the fire. The guilt will haunt her for life if Rose is really dead. She wanted Rose to be alive so she could trust her again like she did couple of years ago when they just met.

    When she remembered the argument she had with Rose over the person who took her away during Wayne''s birthday party, she felt more hurt and because of it all, she took a break away from the teacher because she realized that she began getting suspicious of Rose only after she met him and they got close.

    Valerie could easily understand Anna since she had been this way when the police told her then that Anna ran away from home. She alone believed Anna didn''t and waited for Anna''s return. She rubbed Anna''s back soothingly.

    Justin stood up looking away from the scene of the crying mother and daughter to ease the guilt in his heart. He knew Valerie was heartbroken due to Rose''s disappearance. He always had his walls melting down whenever Valerie gets heartbroken.

    He nned to invite Rose''s friend who came second in thest fashionpetition to work with wife and try to spend more time at home.

    While he was nning on how to ease his wife''s broken heart, his phone vibrated. He picked his phone to see a message from his friend, Damon telling him he was also in Star city and wanted to have a drink with him.

    He immediately epted the offer with a small smile lifting a corner of his lips.

 Chapter 110 - Confused Foster Father

    "I am nning to do my daughter''s funeral soon," Justin said when he sat downfortably in the bar in his friend''s house after they greeted each other.

    "Anna or Rose?" Damon asked knowing very well what his friend was thinking. It seems it was really easier to move a mountain than to change someone''s character.

    "It can''t be Anna. Anna is still alive," Justin replied confused.

    "What makes you think Rose isn''t alive too?" Damon asked with a frown. His friend wanted to get rid of Rose, obviously. That was his character, it stand with only people who bring him good benefits. He was very much aware that the council was pestering Justin about Rose''s true identity.

    "I spoke to you about her. She haven''t been found yet," Justin replied. "A funeral is best so my wife and Anna can go on with their lives," Justin justified his earlier statement.

    "I found Rose. You trusted me with her safety. Won''t it be an insult on my part if I can''t protect my friend''s family?"

    Justin gulped. He prayed as his heart began pounding fast that Rose shouldn''t be alive.

    "I found Rose. She is alive. She will return soon. She needs to be taken care of for a week more. She will return home next week," Damon said putting his word on the line because he was not sure he will be able to persuade his son to release the girl to return to her family on time.

    Justin''s heart literally stopped for a few seconds. He could not express how he felt. He was supposed to feel angry and unhappy since he seriously wanted her gone from their lives but felt a weird feeling of relief. He exhaled.

    "You might not love the girl like your daughter or Anna but it won''t be good for me to lead you to adopt a child and the child only suffers in your home. It will make me feel guilty," Damon informed his very heartless friend as he hoped this friend of his does not get to a fatal end before he was done using him.

    "Oh, I take care of her," Justin said with an awkward chuckle. "I might be too busy just like my wife but she gets along very well with Anna."

    Damon nodded. ''Blood is really thicker than water. The more the blood rtion, the more the bond," Damon thoughtparing the rtionship between Rose and Anna and the rtionship between Rose and Valerie.

    "You should tell your wife and daughter that Rose will return soon. They should prepare for her return," Damon told his friend.

    "Oh, I don''t know what to repay you with," Justin said with a smile.

    "Just take care of the girl better and tell your enemies to make you the target and not those innocent kids," Damon said knowing fully well that whoever attacked Rose did that because of her identity which was connected to thete Queen.

    "Oh . . ." Justin said looking down at the ss of tequ. He pressed his lips together and tried to ward off all the guilty feelings that began building up from the pit of his stomach.

    "When Rose returns, you should invite us to a dinner to celebrate," Damon suggested with a friendly pat on his friend''s shoulder. His son was trying hard to keep him off Rose. He did not want a fight between them so he chose to use Rose''s foster father.

    "Oh. Sure," Justin agreed immediately. "Thank you. I thought you were not going to help me find her," Justin said a little skeptical about Rose''s well-being. He wondered why it took so long for her to return.

    "It took me a while but I had to find her even if it''s her corpse. It will make me appear less powerful than I am if I can''t protect someone under my care. I have already made a mistake by letting her get hurt. I hope it does not go out that she got hurt due to my negligence?"

    "No, you have done enough. I have troubled a friend. I should feel indebted for the rest of my life," Justin said refilling his now empty ss.

    "I hope you remember what you just said," Damon said now wearing his usual mysterious look as he lifted his ss to his friend and their sses of alcohol clicked against each other with a crisp sound.

    "I definitely won''t," Justin said with a smile. Damon was a businessman and won''t let go of such an opportunity to get something from him with the cheque he justid down. He hated to admit it but he was grateful.

    He remembered burying histe daughter and no matter how he tried to lie to himself that he was okay and have forgotten his very beautiful daughter, he could never forget her funeral. It left him really heartbroken.

    The girl was not very healthy from birth but she was a very beautiful girl. Half of the time when she was sick, she would cry but those times she was not crying, she was smiling. She was a very happy child when she was not suffering from pain.

    Then, he tried to spend a lot of time with her. She would have survived her sickness after a sessful surgery but things don''t always go the way people wants and he lost his princess.

    The little girl would have looked just Rose if she survived it because she looked so much like his wife except her eyes which she inherited from him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Burying another girl would have been a relieving event because it meant the Royal council won''t doubt him any longer but aside from being their messenger, he was also a man. He was a man who had already lost a daughter and he was unhappy to lose another girl who looked like his wife.

    "Justin, are you okay?" Damon asked his friend who waspletely lost in his world of thoughts.

    "Yes," Justin replied with a sigh.

    "You won''t bury another daughter," Damon encouraged Justin gently with another gentle pat on his friend''s shoulder.

    "Uh?" Justin asked wide-eyed.

    "I know you don''t want to lose Rose," Damon said and stood up from the bar stool.

    "Oh," Justin said looking down at the ss of alcohol he held. He shook his head slightly as he scolded himself for being so readable.

    He also warned himself not to lose focus of what he really wanted by concerning himself with an adopted daughter which might lead to him losing the favor of the Royal council.

    "Will you have dinner before you go?" Damon asked him confused friend.

    "No, thank you. I should eat with my family," Justin replied with a smile at his expressionless mysterious friend.

    "Sure then," Damon said maintaining his expressionless look as he saw his friend out of his home.

    "Thank you once more," Justin appreciated clear-headed now since he had bottled up the past memories that made him get emotional.

    "You are wee," Damon simply replied.

    When his friend drove out of the gate afar off, Damon walked back into his home. He decided to find his first son for dinner. He hoped Liam won''t be strong-headed and refuse to release Rose by the following week.

    ? ***

    "You can go back home tomorrow," Liam said making himselffortable on a sofa in the living area of Rose''s hospital room.

    "Why, all of a sudden?" Rose asked confused and suspicious.

    "Do you want to keep staying with me?" Liam asked teasingly with a smirk lifting a corner of his thin lips. "If you want to, I will take you to my house," he continued when his teasing tone won a blushed from Rose that she tried to hide by looking away from him.

    "I will miss Leah that''s all," Rose said truthfully. The more time she spent with Leah she found her to be someone no one will want to part with. Her stay in the hospital would have been very torturing without Leahpanionship.

    She wondered why Liam was acting so friendly with her today. Since he proposed to her, he hardly came over and when he did, he spends only half an hour before leaving with his expressionless handsome face not showing any emotion.

    "This might sound rude but are you bipr?" Rose blurted out and immediately wished she could turn back the clock and think before she speaks.

    Liam was taken aback by her question but he smiled slightly, "maybe," he replied thoughtfully.

    Not taking what he said seriously, Rose nodded. "Did you let my family know I will return soon?" Rose asked. There was no TV in the room nor did she have her phone for all these while so she knew nothing about what was happening outside.

    "Yes," Liam replied. "We will have you moved to the hospital where you will meet them tomorrow," Liam exined unhappily. He had been really busytely that he could not spend much time with Rose but now she was leaving.

 Chapter 111 - Grand Royal Wedding?

    "Should I trust you to keep your word about the marriage?" Liam asked with a conflicted expression.

    "Are you scared that I will back out?" She asked with a teasing smile d she finally saw him show an emotion. "I don''t think you should be scared after all you could easily force me to marry you if I refuse when the timees. It won''t be a hard task for you."

    "What makes you think I will force you to marry me?" Liam asked with a frown and an arched brow.

    "Everybody knows you always get what you want regardless of the method used," Rose said with a slight smile. It felt really good to see him show his emotions on his face it was like watching an interesting show.

    "I am not desperate," Liam said coldly although he knew that was only the irony of the real situation.

    "Were you desperate when you killed a man and took hispany?" Rose asked. She heard it from Wayne although Wayne said he does not believe Liam killed the man.

    Liam''s fist clinched tightly his fingers almost digging through the skin of his palm but he remained calm although his frown deepened. "Well then, you just gave me the permission to force you to marry me by any means possible if you ever back out," Liam informed her.

    "Don''t worry you won''t need to force me because I will marry you willingly. I want something you can give me. I trust you to give it to me because of the deal we have made. Don''t get yourself worked up. I will be back in Star city by next month then we can get married," she told him calmly.

    "Don''t most teenagers dream of marrying someone they love?" Liam asked the question that have gued him for days.

    "Love? I don''t believe it exists. I am very powerless and I won''t pretend to be otherwise. I am going against the most powerful set of people in the world. I won''t survive a second with my powerlessness. I need a human shield.

    "You will be my human shield and pir. I have done absolutely nothing in all these years after I got my memories back. I made no progress and that was frustrating enough. I want vengeance and I want to be crowned the Queen before I turn twenty five. You seem to have all I need to achieve that.

    "Love will not make that happen. It is just a useless deceitful feeling someone feels towards someone else which will either fade away as time goes on or end in the most painful way with a betrayal. My mother loved my dad so much but the man she loved so much did not defend her when her name was dragged in the mud.

    "I do not believe in love and I will waste my time searching for love when I don''t know when someone will stab me to death. You can protect me and you are will to do that because without me, you can''t be King. You will be the King in return for helping me. That way, we won''t betray each other because we share the same goal.

    "Without me, you can''t be King and without you I might never be the Queen and I will most likely be dead now," she narrated and sighed thoughtfully when she was done. She wondered why she sounded as though she was warning herself not to fall in love with him since she had a crush on him.

    Liam listened patiently and he felt a strong sense of pity towards her. She must have suffered a lot that she was willing to get married to him just for vengeance.

    She was a joyful little girl even after the traumatizing event that took her mother from her although that was mainly because she lost her memories. After a few years of living in the orphanage, it seems that the orphanage changed herpletely.

    "I can remember you said you liked me when you woke," Liam found himself telling her no matter how hard he tried to keep those words off his lips.

    "Like I said earlier, those feelings fades away as time goes on," Rose reminded him. "It has long faded away. A crush neverst long and a teenager''s fantasy does not count in reality."

    "You are really . . .," Liam began but when his gaze fell on her face, he stopped his words. It was best he remains calm till they get married. He did not want to tell her something that might discourage her. He was yet to understand her well, his next word might sabotage his n.

    "Mr. Hale, I am not the least disappointed. You are definitely not a bad choice. I heard you have been rated ''perfect bachelor'' repeatedly. I got someone a lot of girls will kill to have." Rose said told him sincerely.

    "What do I get in return for giving you such an opportunity?" Liam asked with his earlier coldness and frown gone.

    "The throne as king," Rose said looking down away from the teasing look in his warm looking grey eyes that seemed to lost the icy look they always had. She wondered how something could have the color of ice and yet look so warm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I hope we get along well because it seems you and I will be spending a lot of time together in the future," Liam said sincerely. He could give his all to live harmoniously with Rose just for a few years.

    Rose gulped. Why did she not think of this for all these while? "I don''t think so, Mr. Hale," she refuted immediately remaining calm. "If I find someone who will help me and I prefer the person, I will work with the person," she told him.

    "If I find someone else who can give me the throne without you, I will work with that person too," he told her.

    Rose''s eyes widened. Was that how it sounded when she told him that? "Prepare the contract."

    "Sure," Liam agreed immediately.

    "When will I leave tomorrow?" she asked feigning impatient.

    Liam chuckled at her pretence and leaned his back on the backrest of the sofa. "As early as eight tomorrow morning," Liam replied.

    "Oh . . . That early?" she murmured looking down at her fingers.

    That was just the perfect response to ease Liam''s heart of the heavy burden that pulled his mood to the lowest when he heard what she had to say about love. He was a strong believer. He believed in love and he believed love was very powerful.

    It was the reason he was here despite what science and philosophy had to say about where he was now, how he got there and why he was still alive. He did not have enough time to stalk but he believed he had enough time to make her believe in love.

    He could still remember the words of his doctor but he believed he could survive it all since he had so much to aplish. It was a miracle he was where he was at the moment and the miracle happened because of love, because he loved Rose, his Rosaline.

    "Who was behind what happened to me?" Rose asked.

    "I am not certain yet but I will find out before we get married. If you want a grand wedding befitting for a princess, I will make it happen," Liam said when he remembered what Charlie told him about girls dreaming of very grand royal weddings.

    "I know you have the money to make that happen but I almost got killed earlier I don''t think I want the whole worlding after my head because I got married to a very ruthless man," Rose replied shaking her head at the thought of it.

    "I am not ruthless. I am respectable businessman," Liam argued with a serious expression.

    "Oh really. Why do people call you a Mafia boss?" Rose asked knowing fully well the nickname he created for himself since he left his family.

    "Point of correction, people don''t call me a Mafia boss but a Mafia King," he corrected proudly. "There is definitely a difference between a boss and a king."

    Rose chuckled at that. She never knew that beneath the cold Mafia King everyone knowsys a jovial narcissist. It seems she did not make a bad choice in choosing him as her partner.

    Liam felt warmth spread in his chest when he heard her soft elegantughter. He hoped to get more of herughters and none of her angry words and sad tears.

    "For the wedding, I have never dreamt of getting married so I have no dream wedding. All I wanted ever since I got my memories back, was to see the Queen die in the most miserable manner and to return the former glory of my mother''s name," Rose told him sincerely as she raised her head to look at Liam.

    The look of pity blended in the warmth that filled his grey eyes as he looked at her made her chest tightened and her eyes sting. She bit the inside of her cheeks to hold back the tears that began slowly clouding her eyes.

 Chapter 112 - Lengthy Goodbyes

    "You are so excited you can''t seem to hide it. It is making me feel like I did not do a good job taking care of you," Leah said standing by Rose''s bed.

    "I am definitely going to miss you. I would have lost my mind if I did not get to meet you. When I return, I will use most of your free time to disturb you. I will definitely berate Eric for keeping you from me," Rose said sincerely.

    "Are you sure you will disturb me? I could use a lot of disturbance around here," Leah told her with a warmughter.

    "I could pull Eric along whenever you want," Rose suggested.

    Leah nced at Liam and sighed when she did not feel any negative energying from him over what Rose said. "Sure but I hope I won''t upy your studying time."

    "Definitely not," Rose replied excitedly.

    Liam cleared his throat when he got tired of listening to this doctor stealing away his woman right in front of him.

    "I will get back to the hospital. You can ask Eric for my phone number," Leah said prepared to leave when she took notice of the dark aura surrounding Liam.

    "Thank you for everything," Rose said hugging Leah sadly. She was happy she was going home but she was not happy that she had to leave Leah. Leah was the first older female she felt motherly love from since her mother died.

    "I should be the person saying that. Thank you for keeping mepany," Leah appreciated jovially.

    Liam had to clear his throat once again when thedies'' goodbyes began getting so lengthy as though neither of them wanted to be the person to say thest goodbye. "Aren''t youing back soon?" Liam asked to ease the two females.

    "Well then, bye. Take care of yourself. You know fully well what you are not allowed eat. Don''t skip your meals either," Leah continued the lengthy goodbye speech despite the cold gaze she felt from behind.

    "I won''t you should also rest more. Patients need the doctors to be healthy enough to help them," Rose continued from where Leah stopped.

    "Your family just arrived. I will be leaving too," Liam said before Rose could pass the baton of the goodbye speech to Leah. He gave Rose a slight nod and a small smile before leaving the room.

    "Bye," Leah said with an energized wave at Rose before also walking out of the room.

    Rose looked down at her fingers. She sighed sadly and nced at the now closed door of her room. Her low spirit immediately elevated when she heard a soft knock on the door. Before she could invite the person in, the door slide open and Anna walked in looking around until her eyes fell on Rose.

    "Rose!" Anna called out as soon as she saw Rose. She ran and hugged Rose who was sitting on her bed. "I am so happy," she said sincerely as her eyes could not hold back their tears and tears ran down freely smearing the eye makeup she wore to hide the dark circles around her eyes caused byck of adequate sleep.

    "I missed you so much," Rose said as tears began running down her own cheeks.

    "I missed you more. I was so scared I thought you died in the fire," Anna said still hugging Rose tightly unwilling to let go.

    "Aren''t you hugging her too tightly?" Valerie asked feeling very happy to see Rose.

    "I am sorry. Are you hurt?" Anna asked pulling away from the hug immediately as she looked all over Rose.

    "I am fine. I got stabbed in my abdomen," Rose said when Anna stopped searching for where she got hurt.

    "Are you okay now?" Valerie asked worriedly.

    "Yes, I am fine now although I need to be very careful," Rose said with a smile. She might have not been close to her foster parent but she liked Anna a lot. Seeing her foster sister again after a long time, made her feel d.

    "I will talk to the doctor in charge," Justin said walking out of the room.

    "Who stabbed you?" Valerie asked walking towards Rose.

    "I don''t know. I woke up in the hospital. I have no idea who did it but I was told by the doctor that I got stabbed in my abdomen and they had to do a liver transnt. ording to them, I was ina for three weeks. I only narrowly escaped death," Rose narrated with a lot of lies blending with the truth.

    "I am happy that you are fine now," Valerie said hugging Rose with a smile. "I heard you will be able to go home with us," Valerie asked when she stopped hugging Rose.

    "Yes. The doctor spoke to me earlier. I just need to rest and watch what I eat," Rose told them. She really wanted to leave the hospital now. The smell of disinfectant that did not seem to bother her before began making her feel ufortable.

    "Did you really have a new liver in you?" Anna asked baffled she have heard of organ transnts but she have been close to someone who got an organ transnt.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is not a new liver, it was not mine until a month ago," Rose corrected her sister who was obviously letting her imagination run wild.

    "What if they grew it in ab?" Anna asked curiously.

    "I don''t know anything about the liver in my abdomen, okay? I was unconscious weeks after the surgery and the doctor did not tell me anything about it," Rose replied tired of her sister''s questions.

    "Did you leave the restaurant through the front door?" Anna asked when she remembered what Noah told her.

    "No, I didn''t. I passed out in the restroom," Rose replied wondering why Anna was curious about that.

    "Noah said she saw someone in your dress run out of the restaurant. I was really angry with her when she said it because it made me believe for a while that you got out. I was also angry with you because you ran out without caring to look for me," Anna narrated.

    Rose smiled but she remembered the sad feeling she felt when she waited for someone toe looking for her in the restroom but no one did.

    "When the fire started, Ipletely lost my mind in the chaos. I wanted to go back into the restaurant to find you when Noah could not confirm that she really saw you but they stopped me. Noah broke up with Wayne and returned home," Anna continued her narration.

    "Why?" Rose asked. She missed a lot staying in the hospital.

    "As usual, it seems I yed a major role by antagonizing her. Wayne says it is not my fault but I know I made sure to make her feel very ufortable in the house."

    "That''s not nice."

    "I know but I needed to vent my anger. She gave me hope that you were okay at that moment when I needed it most but it was only a fruitless hope. I was also feeling really guilty about everything. I should have looked for you as soon as I heard the rm but I was too busy escaping with someone''s hand on my wrist. I broke up with him," Anna narrated with a hateful expression.

    "You . . . Why? I am sure he was only trying to save you," Rose asked unable to understand her sister''s twisted mentality.

    "I did not fight with Debby and Wayne I think that''s what''s important," Anna replied her with a pout.

    "You have a boyfriend?" Valerie asked.

    "Had, I had a boyfriend," Anna replied forgetting that she wanted to keep it a secret from her parents until she graduated from high school.

    "Oh," Valerie said nodding her head thoughtfully at the revtion. "And who is the young man?" Valerie asked.

    "Oh," it was Anna''s turn to say that word. "I don''t have a boyfriend," Anna said shaking her head biting her lower lip.

    "You just said it. Is it someone you don''t want me to know about?" Valerie asked when she noticed Anna was trying to keep it from her.

    "No, I just . . . He is no longer my boyfriend. There is no need to know. When I get a new boyfriend, I will let you know," Anna replied. She did not want to disappoint Valerie with the fact that she was dating her teacher. It won''t end well if her dad found out.

    "You have a boyfriend?" Justin asked walking in.

    "Oh no," Anna said looking at Rose for help. Her foster father have always been strict and since she spoke to him in a very wrong way days ago, he will most likely take this matter more seriously.

    Rose got up slowly from the bed.

    "Let''s talk when we get back home," Valerie said softly.

    "Oh sure," Justin agreed nodding Valerie''s words doing a good job of making him calm.

    "Thank you," Anna mouthed to her mum.

    "We will find more about your boyfriend when we get back home," Valerie did a good job of busting her daughter''s bubble as she told Anna aloud.

    Anna pouted with puppy eyes but Valerie ignored her. The more Anna was trying to hide the identity of her boyfriend, the more serious her curiousity got.

    Seeing none of her parents were backing out from the issue of her boyfriend, she hugged Rose arm to seek refuge.

 Chapter 113 - Back To B City

    Seeing none of her parents were backing out from the issue of her boyfriend, she hugged Rose arm to seek refuge.

    ***

    When they got back home, Rose continued talking about Anna''s boyfriend after dinner. "I thought you liked him so much," Rose said shaking her head when she could not understand her sister''s break up.

    "I did but not anymore," Anna replied shaking her head. "I will apologize to Noah but not to him. When you were missing, I thought of what you said that day we had a fight and I discovered that the only person I got close to during that period was him. I told him about the night you left the club and he told me I had the right to know since we were sisters. That made me want to find out," Anna narrated.

    "So he made you ask for the name of the person?" Rose asked confused. It seems the teacher''s identity was not as normal as it seems.

    "Not directly but he gave me reasons why I should know when I wanted to over look it since I am supposed to respect your privacy and that of the person who took you back home," Anna replied sincerely.

    "Are you okay breaking up with him the way you did?" Rose asked worriedly when she remembered what her sister said about the man when she told her they were dating.

    "Yes. It''s surprising right? I started having nightmares when ire''s body was found but he seem to take it away. I guess he yed his role well. After we broke up, I did not have nightmares and I am fine. I am okay with breaking up."

    "What did he say when you told him?"

    "He asked me why I wanted to break up and I told him because I needed to prepare myself for the new boyfriend that I will get in college," Anna replied sitting cross-legged on Rose''s bed.

    "That must have hurt him. If he liked you too."

    "Obviously he did not like me the way I liked him because heughed when I told him that. I was surprised. I guess that is why I am not bothered by the fact that we broke up. I would have apologized now and we get back together because I used him to vent my anger and frustration but I won''t be his girlfriend again. I sort of dislike him now."

    "You should have asked why heughed," Rose said.

    "There was no need to ask. I was pissed off. I hated him so much at that point and told him to leave. He left. Now, I wonder what made me think he was special. I made a mistake by being his girlfriend," Annained with a slight pout.

    "Really or you are just angry that hisughter hurt your self-esteem."

    "Yes and no. Yes because I felt so little that he could actuallyugh at me like I was a little child talking gibberish and no because I saw him asplete different person from the handsome genius I always saw him as," Anna replied truthfully.

    "Shouldn''t you pack your bags since we will be going back to B city tomorrow?" Rose asked with sigh. She couldn''t understand that young man at all.

    "I will do that tomorrow morning before we leave. Since we will be back soon I could leave most of them here," Anna replied lying down on the bed.

    "Hey, go back to your room if you want to sleep," Rose ordered her clingy sister.

    "No, I won''t. I will sleep with you till I am sure that you won''t disappear again," Anna replied shaking her head as she made herself morefortable under the soft duvet.

    "Should I call mum?" Rose threatened. She really needed an alone time.

    "If you wish to but remember that you will only disturb her when she is trying to pack her bag," Anna said closing her eyes to enjoy the sleep she missed for all these while Rose was gone despite the day being a little too early for a night rest.

    Rose shook her head when she noticed Anna was already asleep when she had barelyid down for five minutes. The girl looked tired right from the hospital. It was good thing she was resting now because that meant she could also rest.

    After a quick shower, Roseid down to sleep too the conversation she just had with Anna lingering on her mind.

    ***

    Rose''s return to B city and to her foster family''s mansion was not any thing like when she first came into the house. She was weed coldly then but now, it was a lot more warm. A little party was organized ording to Anna''s orders to Maria.

    Her friends came to wee her back. The maid all had smiles on there faces most of which were obviously genuine and not their usual mandatory or obligatory smiles.

    Anna invited Noah and the girl came although Rose suspected that she wouldn''t since Anna offended her. The tension between Noah and Wayne was not hard to miss and it seems Wayne was trying to talk to Noah but Noah ignored him totally. It was a new thing since Wayne was not someone to beg his ex-girlfriend.

    Debby, Eric and Debby apologized about leaving Star city since they should have stayed until Rose returned but they had to leave because of school. They had somethings to take care of before the graduation day.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose had not expected them to even wait at all but it seems most of them waited for weeks before returning back home. She was sincerely touched by their act of concern.

    "Anna was a living time bomb when you were away it is a good thing that you returned before the bomb exploded," Debby said in a low whisper to prevent Anna from hearing.

    "Thank you for staying with her for as long as you did," Rose appreciated sincerely.

    "No need to thank me. Anna is my best friend," Debby replied with a smile. "I am happy you returned. I thought you died in fire. It was chaotic. I don''t want to ever experience that again."

    "No one wants to. I don''t want to ever face that again too," Rose replied.

    "Rose," Eric called with his almost too handsome smile.

    "Hello, Eric. I heard you won thepetitionst week," She said when Eric got closer.

    "Oh I guess because you weren''t around I was able to be the best," Eric said straightforwardly.

    "I am beginning to suspect you did that to Rose to win thepetition," Debby said yfully.

    "I cannot hurt my teacher when I still have a lot to learn," Eric replied simply. "The school dance will be by the end of this month. Three people asked me design their clothes for a huge sum of money."

    "That''s nice," Rose said.

    "Do you want cake?" Debby asked Rose.

    "Yes please," Rose replied with a slight nod.

    "I will get you a slice, I also craving some of that chocte cake," Debby said to escape their talk about fashion and to get a slice of the appetizing chocte cake.

    "Ok, thanks."

    "My mother told me she met you in the hospital," Eric whispered.

    "Yes. She is so beautiful. Your mum is a very nice woman. We became really close. I could call her my friend now," Rose narrated in a low whisper.

    "You look like you mean it but I don''t believe you. I know my mum is nice but how could you be close to my mum she could be really strict about a lot of things," Eric said shaking his head in disbelief.

    "She promised to hang out with us when we return to Star city," Rose said not believing Eric''s testimony of his mother. His mother was anything far from strict.

    "I will wait till then to believe you," Eric replied still unable to believe Rose. "Whenever I am with my mum, I do most of the talking."

    "That must be because she wants to know you more. She is trying to understand you," Rose tried to persuade him. "Whatever, I guess you won''t believe me untill you see it yourself. She told me a lot of stories. It was fun. I would have been really bored without her."

    "I will wait till I see it for myself," Eric replied. Eric did not think Rose was lying because he could note up with a tangible reason why she will lie to him but he could not imagine his mother who seemed to be the busiest person in the world act the way Rose said she did. "Mr. Hale saved you, right?" Eric whispered.

    "Yes, he did."

    "Why did they say Mr. Hart did it?"

    "That is what I told them. It''s best they think Mr. Hart saved me. It makes it easier to exin without further questioning because he is my father''s childhood friend," she replied.

    "That is right," he agreed with a nod. "Why did Mr. Hale save you then?"

    "I told everyone Mr. Hart saved me to prevent the question you just asked."

    "I guess humans can not help being curious. So, why did he save you?"

 Chapter 114 - Welcoming Party

    "Take," Debby said with a smile as she gave Rose a te with a slice of chocte cake in it.

    "Thanks," Rose appreciated as she reached for the fork.

    "I don''t think it is right for you to eat cake," Eric said unhappy that Debby interrupted their conversation.

    "Don''t try ying doctor," Debby said shaking her head. "Rose, I kept wondering while you were gone of who you might have offended that led to your disappearance," Debby said.

    "Oh . . . I . . .," Rose began a little confused about what to say about that.

    "When I saw the press conference your father did, I began scolding myself for having such thoughts," Debby narrated with a guilty expression on her face. "I thought you offended someone while in the orphanage."

    "How much do you think Rose will offend anyone to the point of stabbing her in the restroom?" Eric asked shaking his head.

    "Don''t try making me feel anymore guilty than I am already, okay? I said it was just a thought," Debby warned Eric with a yful re.

    "I understand," Rose said ring at Eric to stop teasing Debby.

    "You just red at me," Eric mumbled unsure of what he just saw. Rose seemed to a lot more jovial than she used to be. "You are slightly different," he said in a low voice.

    "You are the different person here. You always stick to Rose and hardly talk to me then why are you teasing me," Debby asked hitting her fist lightly on his arm.

    "No, I am serious. Did she also get a personality transnt?" Eric wondered shaking his head confused. There was definitely something different about Rose.

    "How does that make any sense?" Debby asked smiling but her smile slowly faded away when she looked at Eric''s serious expression. "Are you serious? I am out of here," she said shaking her head as she thought of what made Eric think a personality transnt was something that made sense.

    Rose shook her head at the two people who seemed to have different understand of what Eric meant by ''personality transnt''. The fact that she had a new secret was no sitting well with her.

    That was not because she was scared that she might expose it mistakenly after all she had a bigger secret she was hiding effortlessly. It was because she was upset.

    She was scared that she made the wrong decision but considering the pros and cons, she made the right decision by agreeing to marry him. He gave her a reasonable reason to make her Queen and that made her feel at ease about taking the help he was willing to offer her and use his power and wealth to her advantage.

    Shouldn''t she feel happy about it? After she have always wanted that. Mr. Hart couldn''t give her a believable reason why he wanted to help her then but his son did a good job.

    "Hello, could I talk to you for a second?" Noah asked with a beautiful smile.

    Sensing no malice from her, Rose agreed, "sure."

    They left the living room to the hall way. "Are you okay now?" Noah asked scanning Rose from her head with the beautifulbination of brown and Amber down to her foot.

    "I am fine," Rose answered although she knew Noah did not bring her here just to ask that. "You can go on."

    "Oh sure," Noah who was absentminded as she counted different things about Rose''s appearance that made her get chosen by Liam. "I told Mr. Hale about Anna''s boyfriend . . . No ex-boyfriend. Why did they break up?" Noah did not wait for Rose to answer as she continued, "I also told him all I took note of."

    Rose found herself in a very confused state. She had no idea what Noah was talking about and she really did not expect Noah to talk about so crazy things she had no understanding of.

    "Oh, right. It wasn''t Mr. Hale I spoke to but one of his subordinates, the guy with the brown hair from the fashion show," Noah continued. She felt it was right to let Rose know she spoke to someone about her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Rose replied sincerely. She could remember the "What about Anna''s ex-boyfriend?"

    "He scares you, doesn''t he? He also does not seem to like you. I told the man that and I also told him that Anna''s ex smiled at you before you went to the restroom," Noah narrated.

    "Why will you do that?"

    "Because I wanted to help your family find you. From the moment I saw you, I thought you were really interesting. I always try to find something interesting about everything I see and every person I meet. I know you are the princess based on my observation and I know that you are Liam''s girlfriend," Noah whispered.

    "Girlfriend?" Rose asked.

    "Yes girlfriend. Among most of the things I find interesting about people is the love they have for each other and the chemistry. I noticed the chemistry between you and Mr. Hale during the fashion show but I could not confirm it. I guess I am not that good after all but when I saw the text he sent to you I knew he was the one and you were happy."

    "What are you getting at?" Rose asked looking around.

    "Don''t worry no one is close enough to hear us. I don''t want anything from you. You must have a reason why you hid your true identity from your foster family so I won''t be going around telling everyone. When I was young, I always admired the Queen and when everyone did she betrayed the kingdom, I did not believe. So, I guess I am on your side," Noah exined.

    "I am not the princess," Rose denied outrightly. She knew nothing about Noah and could not trust her at all.

    "No need to deny it. I might not have anything to prove my words but I know you are aware of what I am talking about and I won''t ask you to confirm it with your mouth. You were always different and seem to have elegance imbedded into your every word and action. You are really a princess," Noah said leaning closer to Rose to whisper thest sentence.

    Rose froze where she stood with the wall only a few inches away from her back. She had no idea of how to behave. How did this girl that have spent less than forty-eight hours with her know so much? "I really don''t understand you. I really wish I was a princess. The fact that I look and act like one does not make me one,"Rose spoke calmly maintaining an obligatory smile.

    "Of course it does," Noah replied unwilling to back off.

    "I will leave now," Rose told her maintaining her calm expression as she turned to leave.

    "I told you all that so we could be friends," Noah stopped her by gently gripping her elbow.

    "Really?" Rose asked boredly. What she wanted most at that moment was too return to the living room. "I am really surprised Noah. Thanks for saying that but I . . ." Rose sighed frustratedly.

    "You don''t have to agree immediately. You can just tell me when you are ready if you want to be my friend or not," Noah interrupted. With a gentle pat on Rose''s shoulder she turned to go but stopped. "I have a lot of other things to say. If you ever want to hear them, you can find me."

    Rose exhaled when Noah finally left. She had no idea what to do. Noah was not threatening her in anyway and even seemed to mean no harm but she could not believe that Noah only found out because of her observation skills.

    She could not understand what Noah said about Anna''s ex-boyfriend. The man scared her but what then made her tell Liam''s subordinate. She also did not feel pleased that Liam''s subordinate had a conversation with one of her friends and he kept it away from her.

    She returned to the living room and stared for less than half an hour before returning upstairs to her room. She had no idea that her foster father did a press conference concerning her disappearance and she wanted to know what he said that changed Debby''s thoughts.

    When the video of the recorded press conference began ying, Rose opened her mouth astonished. Her foster father warned his enemies to stay away from his daughters and attack him instead.

    She smiled and shook her head. What gave him the idea that enemies listen to what their enemies have to say. And it was a really good diversion away from the fact that she got hurt because of her identity.

    Now everyone will think the people that disliked Justin and wanted to punish him always attacked his daughters making them victims. It was a really nice set up but what made him lie? That, she could not understand or did someone lie to him? That kind of made more sense.

    In that case, who lied to him because Anna told her earlier that her father wanted to bury her. What changed the indifferent foster father into and overprotective father who was willing to give himself in exchange for his foster daughters'' well-being.

 Chapter 115 - Sudden Weakness

    There was a soft knock on the door and after whoever it was knocked for the second time, the door opened. "Rose, I just discovered personality transnt was something real," Debby said excitedly with a smile.

    "I knew it was but I did not have a personality transnt," Rose replied her friend.

    "I also heard that organ transnt could change someone''s personality," Debby continued sharing her new discovery with Rose. "By the way, why did you leave the living room?"

    "I don''t feel too well. I need rest," Rose replied walking to her bed toy on it. She was not feeling her best just like she have felt since she woke up in the hospital. She got better after spending more than a month in the hospital but she had no idea why but she was suddenly feeling worse.

    "Should I call for help?" Debby said noticing the paleness of Rose''s skin. Rose skin did not have as much color as it used to have when she arrived but right now, it looked really pale.

    "No, I just need to rest," Rose replied shaking her head slowly with a pained expression obvious that she used a lot of her energy to move.

    "No, I don''t think it is that simple," Debby said already drifting to panic mode. She ran out of the room when Rose''s eyes slowly closed as sheid on the bed looking pale and almost lifeless.

    The fear Rose felt at that point could not be expressed as she felt so weak and tired that all she wanted at that point was rest. She was weak but not dying few minutes ago. But now it seems she was really dying although she trusted Leah and the transnt team that she was not going to dying.

    She remembered Liam and his supportive hug, his smile and asional yful smirk. She was in too much at this point to deny that she missed him. His handsome face and perfect height and body. And those grey eyes that looked far more unique than her eyes which were uniquely multicolored.

    Tears slipped from her closed eyes down the side of her face. Before shepletely lost her consciousness, she heard hurried footsteps enter her room. She heard someone call an ambnce and her sister crying.

    She wished she was patient enough to remain in the hospital and had not made a fuss about wanting to go back home. She wondered why Liam who seemed to always know what was best for her and insist on doing that for her was soft hearted enough to let her go back home.

    She med herself although the truth was that none of her pleas would have been efficient enough for Liam to let her go back without confirmation of her doctor.

    "What happened to her?" Eric asked Debby when Rose was taken to the hospital and they were left.

    "She was okay at first when I went to her room but she suddenly got so pale. She told me she only needed to rest but I knew it was more than that," Debby narrated solemnly. "I hope she gets better."

    "She should have not left the hospital. She should have remained in the hospital for care. I will go back home," Eric said shaking his head sadly. Rose was smiling and seemed happier than her usual self only less than hour ago but right now she was unconscious. It was funny how things could change so fast.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Bye then," Debby said waving Eric as he walked to the ten year old jeep he imed he bought with gift prize.

    "Hey, could you drop me off at home?" Noah asked running after Eric.

    "Yes, I could," Eric said easily.

    ***

    Charlie looked at the screen of his phone and sighed. He just received a call about the state the princess was in but there was almost nothing he could do at the point they were.

    "Mr. Hale won''t be pleased to find out you did nothing. I will give orders to bring her back to Star city. The team here knows just what to do when she arrives," Leah said seriously with her hands folded on her chest.

    "Don''t you think we have a lot already on our tes?" Charlie asked frowning.

    "You know Mr. Hale prioritizes the princess'' safety over his that was why he did what he did for her. We were too upied when Rose left or we would have prevented her from leaving. I think you know very much the right decision to make," Leah continued before walking out of the room.

    Charlie sighed once again. It was all getting so hard for him and his friends to maintain all that Liam has properly and make sure a word of the state he was in does not get leaked out or there might be an uproar.

    Gray walked to Charlie and gave him an encouraging pat on his shoulder. "I think you should listen to what Leah has to say. Master won''t feel better if Rose gets hurt. It was all our fault for not watching out for her safety before she left," Gray said calmly although a million thoughts were fighting a war on his mind and it was really chaotic.

    "He risked his life to save her. I also think I should do as Leah suggests," Charlie said thoughtfully. He knows that Rose was the reason his boss was still striving to live despite the state he was in. He did not want to imagine what his boss will be if Rose dies.

    "Leah have already informed the hospital in B city to do their best to bring Rose here as soon as possible," Gray informed his friend and colleague.

    "I hope she does not need another transnt," Charlie murmured rubbing his face. The whole thing was really stressful. Watching his boss'' life hang on a thin thread and they were very unsure that his boss will survive it this time. The boss'' fiancee too was not in a very good situation either.

    "I hope so too," Gray agreed. He watched his boss lying unconscious through the ss door. He made the sign of the cross before walking away from the ss door and out of the room.

 Chapter 116 - Impending War

    "Who do think tried to kill the princess?" a man asked a weak looking woman. The woman sat like every other day on the balcony to watch the sun go down.

    "I don''t know but I can easily guess the person is a member of the council perhaps one of them with really high position. The person is also aware of Rose''s identity. The person used Rose to get rid of the Queen and knowing this, makes it really hard for me to guess who it is," the woman replied weakly.

    "Do you think we should help the Queen?" the man said.

    "I don''t have any intention of helping a sister wants to kill me every time she looks at me. She attempted it before and she left a huge pain in life. Do you still think I could help her? I don''t want to help the queen. She is pretending to be vulnerable at this point," the woman said with a deep frown obviously displeased.

    "Why? She swore to bring you down if anything happens to her stay on the throne. She might threaten you into helping her. Isn''t better you help her before it gets to that?" the man asked worriedly.

    The womanughed softly and gracefully. And shook her head in disagreement. "I will not help her even if she gets beheaded. I know Catharine knows that her life as the queen is probablying to its end but she is more viscous than anyone thinks. She has an escape n. She is making everyone believe they can control her. It will only go on for a while before the queen will return to her throne," the woman replied confidently.

    "I only said that because I don''t want you to get hurt. You know your sister more than I do. Since you want toy back and wait for everything to progress naturally, I will do the same. But . . . what will you do if the Queen asks for your help?"

    "I don''t know. I guess I will have to help her if she gives me a reason to help her. It could be a threat or bargain. If the Queen does not return to the throne by the end of this month, that will a confirmation that the war have fully began. If the war begins fully, then I don''t think either of us will survive the war because they will be eliminating a lot of people and we will be one of the top ten or twenty when that happens," the woman spected.

    "Do you think that we should support the princess then?"

    "It is not certain that the princess will get the throne anytime soon we might be dead before she suppresses all the forces around," the woman said standing up slowly from the chair she sat on.

    "Does that mean the princess won''t get the throne?" the man asked also standing up. He held the woman and helped her stand.

    "That is unknown. If she takes Mr. Hale''s help, she might win but even with his help, it is only a fifty percent chance of seeding. There is also only a five percent probability that the war will be won without excess bloodshed. People are already dying. The princess''s cousin brother was attacked a few days ago. He almost lost his life," the woman said as she leaned on the man supporting her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She nced onest time at the ocean and the beautiful sunset with a sad smile. It all looked peaceful and calm but for how long will this peacest? How long will she be able to enjoy her evening routine of watching the sun set? It might reallyst for as long as she was alive but for how long could she live? For how long will she breathe in this clean air?

    "I heard the boy''s brother was also in an ident while riding a motorcycle with his friends and he lost the use of his legs," the man narrated.

    "That happened only a week before his brother got attacked. I am sure his father will begin to sense something is wrong. They all betrayed thete queen for their selfish interests. The council will also betray them soon. They might die without knowing the cause of their death," the woman said andughed bitterly.

    "Why do youugh?" the man asked a little confused. He helped the woman settle down on arge white sofa that hugged her small body frame in its wide arm like arge bear.

    "Iugh because we all fall under the same category. I did not protect the Queen too. I did because I was selfish and a total coward. I betrayed my friend. I am more of a demon than any of them. I guess I might really be the first person to die. I think that will serve me right. But before I die, I wish to do something for the princess. I don''t know what I can do because right now, I am still selfish and as much of a coward as I was back then."

    "I think you should worry about your health for now. It will not be good if you die before you can pay your debts," the man going away from her.

    The woman shook her head with a warm smile. She really wondered what she would have done if he was not by her side for all these painful years.

    He gave her a ss of water and two white pills when he returned.

    "Thank you," she appreciated sincerely as she took them from him and took her pills.

    "You are wee. I will go downstairs to prepare dinner," I told her before leaving the room.

    The woman closed her with a sigh when he left. The smell of blood in the air was thick and frightening. As she closed her eyes to rest while awaiting her dinner, she wondered if she was the one who felt the scary and dark feeling of the impending war.

 Chapter 117 - Lonely

    The door of Rose''s room opened and Leah walked in with Valerie and Anna behind her. "I was her doctor for a while before Mr. Hart asked us to transfer to another hospital. She should get better soon but she will have to remain in the hospital for a while," Leah said. She looked at the pale beautiful girl lying on the bed and looked away immediately to stop the tears threatening to drop from her eyes.

    "Are you sure she is okay?" Anna asked unable to believe that Rose was okay with the very pale look on her face.

    "Yes, she is. She only needs some time to rest since the stress of travelling back home was not good on her. She only catching up on the rest she missed," Leah replied. The truth was Rose far from being okay. She might need another transnt but they could not get any donor yet.

    She did not trust Rose''s foster family at all especially her foster mother who looked really worried about Rose. But she knew the woman was not as nice as everyone thought she was. Rose was safer with Mr. Hale and since Mr. Hale''s subordinates haven''t gotten a liver donor, she decided to keep the truth away from Rose''s foster family.

    "I hope you are telling us the truth because it does not seem to be what you say it is," Valerie observed. She knew Rose won''t look so pale if it was not so serious.

    "I am telling you nothing but the truth. If things get worse anytime soon, I will let you know. She might not wake up anytime soon but she is not dying," Leah replied with a small encouraging smile trying to look like a righteous doctor who doesn''t lie which she was not.

    "Thank you then," Valerie appreciated half-heartedly. She really could not hide the feeling suspicion she felt towards the doctor before her. She tried to talk to the other doctors in the team but all of them told her to talk to this doctor.

    "You are wee, Mrs. Whitfred," Leah replied. She noticed the look of suspicion in the woman''s eyes but she did not take seriously since she had a lot of things to take care of that Valerie''s suspicion was none of her business.

    After talking to Valerie about Rose''s state as well as keeping the truth from her, she returned to the top floor of the hospital where Liamid unconscious in one of the rooms.

    "Leah thank goodness you came early. He moved his fingers," Charlie said excitedly when he saw Leah walk into the room.

    Four other doctors were in the room and two others in the next room with a ss door and walls where Liamid fighting between life and death. "That is good news," Leah said sincerely happy. She waited for a while to join the six other doctors who were Mr. Hale''s most trusted doctors.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was confirmed that Mr. Hale was making real progress and he will definitely wake up soon, or so they hoped. The doctors were very professional but in situation like this, they also included hope and faith. They all knew how hard Mr. Hale has fought for his life almost dying over and over but he survived because of his very strong will to keep living.

    When the other doctor''s left the ss room, Leah remained inside. She looked at the pale handsome beauty sleepingfortably and sighed. Usually people in his state have their families stay with them. Their family members talk to them. She has seen instances like that a lot in her life working as medical doctor.

    Apart from those patients who have their family members with them, there were instances where some of the patients had no one to visit them half of the time. And they die really lonely deaths or wake to an empty and lonely hospital room.

    Mr. Hale was not totally lonely but he did not have his family members with him. She turned to look at Charlie who was sitting on a sofa in the room surrounding the round ss room with a white tablet in his hand. She could see the pure love and respect Charlie and the others had towards Mr. Hale. They might be his friends but they were mostly his subordinates.

    They were the closest people he had around him but that was all. He deserted his family to start his own empire and was really sessful. He was very good looking and wealthy but he was lonely. He was lonely in this room although he was not alone.

    "Mr. Hale, I know I should not be saying this but I don''t think there is anything that will make you wake up faster than news about Rose," Leah said softly. "You really need to wake, enough of the rest. Rose is unconscious right now and her situation does not look too good. I think if you wake and visit her, it will make her wake up too," she said looking at Charlie hoping he does not see her talking to Liam.

    She smiled sadly and walked out through the ss door after a few minutes. She noticed his fingers twitching when she spoke and decided to tell him more about Rose time goes on. You might deem that very unprofessional for her to have spoken to Liam the way she did but she had to do anything to save his life. They have reached the end of what they could do to help him medically.

    When Charlie saw her walk out of the room, he ced the tablet on the armrest of the sofa and looked her. "You know we all agreed not to tell him anything about Rose, right?" Charlie asked standing up slowly.

    "Yes, I am fully aware of that but I also remember you told us to do anything we can to make him wake up," Leah replied folding her hands on her chest. She gave him a challenging look threatening him with herrge beautiful but tired eyes to say anything else.

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 118 - The Injured Boy

    Charlie gulped. He was not scared of her threatening re that he found to be as harmless as a bunny. But he found what she said true. They agreed to avoid talking Rose while Liam was still unconscious because they did not want him to get worse since Rose was not in good state.

    "I am not stupid to say anything that will make him get worse," Leah said ncing back at the ss room. "We all want the best for him."

    Charlie did notment on what Leah just said. He sat down the sofa he just stood up from and snapped his fingers. The curtains behind the ss wall of the room moved and the once transparent wall of the ss room was covered by the white curtains.

    Leah gave him a small smile before walking out the room. She looked at her wristwatch and moaned. She had to go five floors below to check on the princess''s cousin who almost lost his life few days ago. Liam was not awake to give orders concerning matters like that so all they could do was take the boy in and wait until Liam wakes up.

    They had a meeting concerning the two brothers and concluded that it was only a pure coincidence that the boys were ced in life threatening situations in just a week since the boys have been living their lives recklessly.

    The boy who lost the use of his legs was more reasonable whenpared to his brother. The police found nothing but after carrying out their own investigation, they found out his motorcycle was tampered with. The boy would have died but he escaped death while losing the use of legs.

    His brother got beaten up by a gang he associated himself with when he imed he wanted to leave. ording to them, it was a tradition and after investigations, they discovered it was really a tradition.

    Since Liam became the strongest and most powerful Mafia Boss and earned his name as the Mafia King, he made sure to diffuse a lot of gangs in Star city and things have been calm except for the Royal University where he was yet to win over as part of his territory. Rose got attacked around the Royal University. The two brothers too got injured close to the Royal University.

    "Dr. Leah," the boy''s eyes brightened when Leah walked in.

    She smiled at him gracefully. His eyes were bright and excited. He seemed to have gotten really attached to Leah after only meeting her three days ago.

    She knew she had a strong powerful ma that pulled people to her but this boy seemed a lot more excited to see than she have seen since Rose returned home two weeks ago.

    "I wanted to ask you a question," the boy said when she walked into the room.

    "Okay," she said walking to his bed where he sat with left leg in a cast. He had bruises around in different parts of his body and a long dressed wound on his arm from his wrist to his biceps.

    "Can you make my brother walk again?" he asked for the tenth time since he came.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t yet. We are yet to find out. He might not make progress but we intend to try to make him get better as time goes," she exined also for the tenth time.

    "I want him to walk again," he said sadly. He was a year younger than Rose. He behaved a lot younger than his age most of the time and the others, he was a stubborn teenager.

    "I also want him to walk again. Did you check him today?" Leah asked observing him. He was way better than he was when he arrived in the hospital.

    When he arrived, was unconscious due to lose of blood from the long wound on his arm. They said the boys who beat him up were scared that he got so seriously injured and ran away due to fear of getting arrested.

    The boy looked down at his fingers. He looked a lot younger with the sad look he wore. "I did. I am sure he does not want to see me. My mother came to visit us," the boy told her sadly.

    "Shouldn''t you be happy about that?" Leah asked.

    "Of course I should but she hardly spoke to me and went to spend the rest of the time with my brother. I know I was the bad boy but my brother was not always good either," the boy said and paused. After a while, he continued, "I must be thinking too much. I am being punished right now. Sometimes I still wish I got more injured than my brother."

    "You feel confused because everything happened too fast. You know your brother getting injured will make you the next heir and that means you will have to be a part of the royal council that was why you wanted to change. You got seriously injured when you tried to change. The emotions from each of the incidents are making you confused," Leah told him her analysis.

    "That is right," the boy agreed immediately. "You love your brother but you also got injured because he got injured. You need to rest for a while. As soon as things get better, you and your brother will get along as usual. You two will go back to being two happy brothers," Leah tried to encourage the boy.

    "We were happy but we were not very close. He spends most of his time with my dad or with his friends," the boy replied shaking his head sadly.

    "You can be closer then," Leah said with an encouraging smile. She just confirmed something important. This boy was definitely not the child the family loved most.

    "Do you have a child?" the boy asked interested. He liked the way Leah''s eyes slightly widened at his question and she slowly smiled proudly.

    "Yes, a boy. He is a year older than you," Leah replied easily. She wanted the boy to feel more at ease with her since she will be getting more information from him.

 Chapter 119 - The Locked Up Queen

    "Really? You look so young. I knew you were married when I saw your ring but I had no idea that your child was that old or that you even had a child," he said baffled. His eyes widened. He shook his head in disbelief after a while.

    "I have a son," she told his truthfully once again.

    "I can''t believe it. You look so young. How is that possible?" he asked still shaking his head.

    "I know that. A lot of people don''t believe I am a doctor," she said with a slight smile.

    "Why? You look like a very intelligent doctor," he said nodding to affirm what he just said.

    "Most people say I look like a model or an actress," Leah said truthfully. "Some of patients asked me if I really went to medical school and graduated when we first meet."

    "When I first saw you, I thought you were an angel but when I saw you identity card, I knew you were a doctor and I was not dead," he said yfully but that was the truth.

    "You are the second person I have heard that from," Leah said with a softughter. "Did you eat lunch?"

    "Yes, but I won''t mind eating more," he replied rubbing his stomach with his hand that had less injuries.

    "I will have them send some fruits to you," she told him with a gentle smile. She went through his chart and left his room. Patients with family members, friends, fans and colleagues usually have flowers or fruits around but this boy had none. No flower or fruits. She stopped at the door to his brother''s room and what she saw was theplete opposite of the sight in the boy''s room.

    She shook her head slightly and went to eat her lunch. While eating lunch, the boy''s situation made her remember the boy she left in B city with his father while she was busy with work in Star city.

    She wondered if Eric appears just as pitiful as that boy in eyes of other people. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her whiteb coat and called his phone number automatically.

    "Hello, Eric how are you?" She asked as soon as he picked her phone call.

    "I am fine mum. How is Star city?" he asked sincerely concerned although wondering why his mother suddenly called him.

    "Star city is . . . well, busy as usual. Have you eaten lunch?" she asked sounding unusually concerned.

    "Yes. I had pizza and ice cream. It was a simple lunch but satisfying," Eric narrated. He did not restrain the joy he felt from his mother''s call in his voice.

    "Really? That''s nice I am actually craving some right now," she said with a light softughter.

    "You could order for some,"he suggested immediately.

    "I will when youe to Star city so we could eat it together," she said.

    "Sure. Mum, how is Rose?" he asked. He was aware that Rose was presently in the hospital where his mum worked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "She is not doing very well now but she will get better as time goes on. What she needs is time to rest and recover fully," She replied breaking one of her rules.

    "Oh that''s a relief," he said sincerely with a sigh.

    "Don''t tell her family I told you that okay?" she asked.

    "Sure. I wille to Star city after my graduation," he told her. That was meant to be a hint to his mother that his graduation was soon and he wanted her to be present.

    "Oh . . . I will wait for your arrival," Leah told him. She pretended not to notice the hint.

    "Okay," Eric resigned to his fate. His father will most likely attend his graduation.

    "I am sorry I won''t be able to attend your graduation. I am busy with Rose and some of my patients. I can''t ask Mr. Hale for a leave in such a time," she apologized. Thest sentence sounded very sad because she knew the state Mr. Hale was that made her unable to do so.

    "I understand," Eric agreed with any argument.

    "Say hi to your dad for me. I haven''t been able to call him these days," she said looking at the dishes before her that had already be cool. She really could not call her husband because she was very tempted to lick the news of Liam''s state to his family so they could be by his side. Calling her husband will simply cut off thest thread of restraint holding her back from doing so.

    "I will," he agreed to what she asked of him immediately. He knows his parents were not on very good terms. He guessed his mother was still offended that his father tried to get information about Liam thest time she returned home.

    "Bye then, I have to finish eating my lunch," she told him.

    "Bye."

    Leah exhaled when she hung up and looked at the screen of her phone. The call she just made did a good job of lifting the weight that rested on her shoulder since she left that boy''s room.

    ***

    "Mum, why did they say you were sick?" a little girl asked her mother when she sessfully snuck into the heavy guarded room. Her mother have been in that room for a while now and she wasn''t allowed to go to her. Her twin brother was also prevented from meeting their mother.

    "Why did youe here?" the Queen asked looking at her beautiful delicate daughter with very sad eyes.

    "I had to. Dad did not say anything to us and I got anxious," the young girl who seemed to be fourteen years old replied her mother.

    "He did not say anything to support thete Queen then why on Earth will he say anything to support me?" the Queen asked with aplicated expression.

    "You are not bepared to that traitor, mum. You''re obviously not sick why did they say you were sick?" the princess asked with an angry expression. From the fresh glow of her mother''s skin, she knew her mother was not sick. Her mother even looked better than she did before all these.

 Chapter 120 - Councils Meeting

    "The council started it all. I want you to do me a favor. Help me send an information to someone important," the Queen said standing up from therge sofa she sat on.

    "Sure I will. You should not let anyone take your crown," the princess adviced her mother.

    "I won''t," the Queen with a smirk. Did they really think they could get rid of her? She walked to a set of drawers and opened the first drawer. She pulled out an envelope and gave it to her daughter. "You know very well who I will like you to give this to right?"

    The girl paused for a while before nodding energetically. "I will give it to him. I have to leave before those guards return," the princess said before running out of the room.

    "That''s my daughter," the Queen said proudly when her daughter closed the door behind her. She felt d to see her daughter strong and viscous. At this point her daughter will be able to get anything she wants by any means.

    ***

    "He has always been arrogant. Don''t you think this is the opportunity to get rid of him?" a young man asked the group of older men and women sitting with him for their usual meeting.

    "No!" a woman younger than him immediately objected.

    "Why do you say so? It almost cost me an arm and a leg to get this information but you want it to simply go to waste?" the young man asked feeling offended by thedy''s arrogance.

    "Sir, I don''t think killing him will end his empire rather it will cause an open war because his men won''t take his death lightly. We have been doing things quietly for over a decade now, I am sure we don''t want too much attention," thedy said directing her answer to the old man sitting far away from the rest of them. That showed how his position was far more important and powerful than any other person in the room.

    The old man cleared his throat and looked at thedy who was very confident of her stand in the issue. "So what do you suggest?"

    "I can''t suggest anything now but that we should be patient and not deal with him too rashly. Killing him will be like breaking a nest of hos. As soon as he dies his men wille for us because he knows us well," thedy tried persuading the old man.

    "The fact that he knows us well is an indicator that we have to get rid of him and take over his empire," the young man strongly supported his suggestion. He asionally red daggers at thedy while he tried hard to fix his gaze on the old man before him.

    "What makes you think we are strong enough to take over his empire. All his employees and subordinates have a very strong bond and all his close subordinates are willing to die for him. What makes you think you can control a swarm of bees without killing them all?" thedy asked. She did not forget to scoff mockingly afterwards.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The young man''s face became red looking at thedy who was trying her best to prevent him from getting the merit of his hard work. If they don''t attack him, that means all his efforts to get the information will be fruitless. He clinched his fist wishing he could go across and hit the prouddy across her face.

    "I think she is right," a middle-aged man agreed. They had all remained calm trying to know which of those options will favor them more as well as considering who they support among the two angry youngsters.

    "Yes, I agree too. I have worked as a mercenary almost all my life and I know what will happen if we kill a leader with very faithful followers," another man said with a very deep hoarse voice like an addicted smoker.

    "What if we did it quietly? We can make someone else take the me. It could bebeled a terrorist attack," the young man suggested. He leaned back feeling proud of his suggestion because he has long nned for this.

    "What makes you think the lie you watch on TV could deceive his subordinates?" thedy asked scornfully. She found herself wondering what his brain was made of.

    "We could stage it perfectly. We are the council, we are not that powerless," the young man leaning forward once again. The girl made it very hard for him to feel rxed during the council meetings.

    "I don''t think we should do that. We have gone after influencial people without getting caught or suspected but we should stick to those people most people won''t suspect us. Everyone in the underground world knows he is not in good terms with us and have put us in a situation where we have nothing to say against him in public. As soon as he dies, we will be held responsible and that means those angry bees wille for vengeance," the mercenary said confidently.

    "That is right, Jones," the old man agreed. He might be old but he still looked strong and powerful. His age did not be his weakness rather he used it to his advantage to control the council. He was the oldest member of the council alive.

    The other members of the council murmured quietly among themselves and agreed to stay away from the hospital where Liam was.

    "Sir . . ." the young man began a fresh new series of suggested but stopped when the old man slightly raised a hand towards him.

    He bowed his head looking weak and defeated like a dog with his tail between his legs. The hatred he had towards thedy overflowing with beauty and confidence blended in poison who sat across from him increased.

    "We should make sure we respect each other''s opinions and suggestions. We council is not weak but we should focus on other tasks," the old man said referring to the two youngsters who look as though they might grab each others throat any second.

    "Sir, I got a message from the Queen," a balding man in his forties said standing up impatiently. He had remained quiet throughout the whole decision making as he waited for his turn to bring up a new topic.

 Chapter 121 - The Truth Of The Boy

    Leah walked into the boy''s room after a soft knock on the door to see him ying video game on his bed.

    He dropped his phone immediately and sat up as soon as he saw her. "Good afternoon Dr. Leah," he said with a yful bow of his head.

    "Good afternoon," she answered his yful greeting with a jovial smile.

    "Have you eaten lunch?" He asked beating her to the usual question she asks him all the time.

    "Yes, I did. What about you?" She replied. Her smile broadened.

    "Yes. Although I am very tired of hospital food," he said with a slight pout of his lips.

    "I found something out about you. I guess I got myself too involved in your business that I wanted to satisfy my curiosity so I asked a PI to investigate why your mum cares for your brother more than she cares about you," Leah exined careful not to offend him since she took a while to build the bond with them.

    "I . . ." the teenager started but stopped when he saw the concerned expression Leah wore. He really wanted to state his objection very strongly and he was definitely going to sound offensive if he had spoken.

    "It is okay if you don''t want to know. I will just go back to being on myne and mind my business," she said stepping away from his bed. "I guess I crossed the line. I am sorry."

    "No . . . It''s . . ." the youth found himself unable to say a word as he watched Leah walk out with a sad expression.

    Leah looked back at the door of the boy''s room and dropped her act. She could feel guilt grip her heart because she was clearly using the fact that the boy feltfortable with her to get informations from him and get him to work for Liam.

    It was obvious that the boy liked and trusted her. It will only make her a villian to use the boy in the manner she did but her loyalty to Liam was way more than any of the feeling she felt.

    She expected the boy to call her back anytime soon but when he didn''t, she decided perhaps he needed a few more days to let his curiousity force him to find her. She knew the boy was curious, he have always been curious about the partial treatment he received.

    She walked into the elevator and went to floor where Rose''s room was which was the next floor above. She walked into Rose''s room. Rose was alone in the room despite it being time for visits.

    Rose''s sister returned home for the final months she has to spend in highschool and her mum was busy with work. No one have paid visit to her in more than a week. She felt with pity towards the very beautiful pale girl on the bed.

    She adjusted the nket covering Rose. She smiled sadly and turned to leave only to see the youth she left a floor below standing at the door way.

    "What the . . ." she hissed walking to him. "How did you get here?"

    "I followed you," he replied smiling innocently.

    Looking at his face, she found herself fighting a mental battle on if he was really as innocent as he looked or he was pretending. Rose could not stay on the top floor because her parents were with her and she was not openly under Liam''s protection.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They also could not guard her heavily to avoid suspicion but the ce was still too guarded for a fly to sneak in not to talk of a fully grown youth. She looked at him suspiciously unsure of what do say at the moment.

    "She is so beautiful. I think I saw her on TV. I heard she got stabbed in a restroom," the boy said shaking his head in pity as he looked at Rose.

    The boy''s state was not very favorable for him to easily leave his room but here he was in Rose''s room leaning on the crutches. "You shouldn''t be here," was all Leah said. It was Rose''s presence in the hospital was not a secret.

    "I know. I am sorry," the boy said scratching the back of his head. He left and closed the door behind him.

    Leah followed him outside and closed the door quietly behind her. "You said you were following me, why?"

    ? "I wanted to listen to what you had to say," he said looking down at the marble floor of the corridor.

    "Okay."

    "But under one condition," he said leaning on the wall.

    She looked at the boy wondering what was on his mind but she did not say anything and waited for him to speak.

    "It''s something simple. I am tired of eating hospital food. I want you to cook for me. I want something very delicious," he said nodding his head with puffed up chest. He felt proud of what he came up with.

    Leah scoffed and shook her head. "I will not do that. It is your life after all. I only wanted to help you. If you wish to know then I will tell you but if you don''t, I will keep my mouth shut," she said and walked away.

    Agreeing to his very childish condition will mean she wanted something from him. She was given a task to make him work for Liam but that did not mean she should cook for him when her boy at home have not eaten her food in over a year.

    "Wait," he said walking after with the support of his crutches.

    "I will not cook for you," she told him frowning. She kept walking without listening to what he had to say.

    "Fine, food from a restaurant will do," he said epting defeat but not totally.

    "I will not do anything of that sort. I am very busy. My lunchtime is almost over for me," she said and kept walking towards her office.

    "Fine, I will listen. The curiousity us killing me here," he said still going after her. He sounded more serious now.

    "Are you sure?" she asked him with a serious frown.

 Chapter 122 - Unbelievable Truth

    There was a lot Leah had to tell the youth and she wanted him to be in a rxed mood before telling him such painful truth. She ordered for what he said was his favorite food from a five star restaurant and when he began eating, she decided to tell him.

    "Hmm," he hummed as the soon as he took a mouthful of the food.

    "Carl . . ." she began leaning forward on the brown leather sofa she sat on.

    He only nced at her before he continued eating to his fill. After weeks of eating only the food provided to him by the hospital, the food before him tasted so heavenly.

    "Your biological mum is dead, right?" she asked after a while of watching him eat with so much satisfaction.

    "Hmm," he replied easily with a nod uninterestedly. He heard his mother died after childbirth leaving him and his twin brother.

    "Your brother''s biological mother is not dead. She is your step mother. I am not going to sugarcoat it for you because I can''t. I am sure you might not believe most of what I have to say but I am simply telling the hard fact I paid a weighty sum of money to get for you," she decided to do a little introduction before dropping the bomb on the boy.

    He looked at her with his chopstick hanging in the air and his mouth stuffed to its limit with an unsure expression. He was obviously hesitating. She made knowing the truth sound like opening a Pandora box.

    "Should I go on?" she asked when she noticed his hesitation.

    "Hmm," he replied with a sure nod of his head.

    "Well, your brother is the biological son of your step mum. Your biological mother never gave birth to a set of twin. She gave birth to you alone but your step mother had also just given to your step brother that was why they made him your twin brother. Your father got married too your mother because he wanted to gain ess to the council. He could never join the council without marrying your mother so your mother was killed as soon as she gave birth to you."

    The boy nodded as though he was only listening to a story about somebody else that had no connection to him.

    Leah knew that he was being skeptical about what she just narrated to him. He must be too shocked to believe the whole dramatic narration was about him. She pressed her lips together in pity. "I understand if you don''t want to believe me," she told him with an encouraging smile.

    "Is there any reason why I should not believe you?" he asked watching her closely with the chopsticks he held pressing on his lips.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Not that I know of," she replied she easily. "I only think it will be too shocking to believe."

    "Do you know how many times I have heard her refer to him as her son while she has never said that to me? He might not be my twin brother but he is still my brother and I love him. After all we share the some father," he said with a nod like he was trying to force himself to believe that.

    "Are you okay?" Leah asked worriedly. "I did all I did to prevent you from living in deception for the rest of your life. Perhaps they will tell you the truth on your death bed. Your mother''s family knows nothing about all this because if they knew, they would have removed your father from the royal council," Leah continued narrating.

    "I don''t believe he killed my mother. I heard he had a very hard time after my mother died. I heard my mother''s family had to force him to get married before he married my step mother. All you said might be true except for that," Carl said firmly.

    "I have told you the truth I know so, what you believe is up to," Leah said. She rested her back on the sofa''s backrest. If he has no desire to investigate it fully or any desire to seek vengeance then there was no way she could have him work for Liam because that was the n she made up.

    The two remained quiet while Carl ate to his fill asionally humming as he enjoyed his lunch. "Thanks for the meal and for the information too. I will ask my father if what you said is true. I know very well that parents have favorite kids.

    "I don''t think you made up the story because I can''te up with a reason why you will do that so I guess the PI you hired lied to you. I won''t believe the evidence he gave you. I will ask my father if you are right anyway. Thanks for the meal once again," he said with a smile as he wiped his lips with some wipes.

    ***

    "I don''t think the boy is as na?ve as he seems," Leah told Charlie standing only few feet away from the wall of the ss room Liamid in unconscious.

    "So what do you intend to do?" Charlie asked leisurely. They could still carry out their n without the boy so if he decided to disbelief the evidence they gathered for him; they could just switch to the next n. They won''t lose in anyway rather the boy will die miserably. The only reason he was still alive was because of Liam''s intervention. The moment he bes useless, then Liam will abandon him.

    "I don''t know. I will simply wait. Whatever decision he makes is up to him after all he is not irreceable," Leah replied calmly. She wished the boy will be wise enough to make his father and the council pay for his biological mother''s death.

    "Well then. It is a good thing the boss is making progress. I guess he will awake very soon," Charlie said with a sad smile. "How is Rose?"

 Chapter 123 - Not An Innocent Boy

    Leah saw Carl leaning on the doorway of Rose''s room for the second time. At this point she felt it waspulsory they have him watched constantly to prevent a third time. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a serious frown.

    "I followed you," he replied naturally.

    "No you didn''t. You''re obviously lying. I haven''t even seen you today," she said not liking his lie at all.

    "I figured that if I wait here, you might be willing to talk to me. I see that this girl have seeded in stealing my favorite doctor away from me. I am a very important patient and that shouldn''t be," heined like a little child whose toy was stolen.

    Her frown deepened. "Get out. You shouldn''t be here," she said with a slightly unfriendly warning tone. She was considering calling the security.

    "I am sorry Dr. Leah," he apologized yfully in a manner she found very unpleasing to her ears at this moment. "You haven''t showed up in my room for a while now and I wanted to talk to you," he said stepping away from the doorway to let Leah walk out.

    "How do you know Ie here at this time of the day?" she asked suspiciously.

    "I followed you. I am sorry I did that but I tend to get really stalky at times," he said with a softughter.

    "I see that you must be having a lot of fun but I might really have someone watch you closely. Appearing here is very wrong," Leah scolded unhappily. She did not like the way he was not taking anything she said seriously.

    "I know that very well Dr. Leah but no one knows except you and I," he said trilled. "I feel like I am acting a spy movie. I can sneak in and sneak out."

    "This is not funny at all young man. Her family won''t be happy about that. And it does not matter if anyone knows or not. You are also invading her private space. What is important is that you don''t do anything that is wrong," she said walking away after closing the door of Rose''s room.

    "Her family members are never here anyway," he said as a matter of fact. "She is so beautiful and talented but very pitiful. Just like me. I bet she and I will make very good friends."

    "I doubt that," Leah said under her breathe.

    "Really?" the boy asked with a sad expression. "I really wanted to be her friend."

    "Go back to your room."

    "I want to talk to you. Could we go to your office and order food?" he asked hopefully.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see you are getting better. Perhaps they should let you go back home," she said sincerely. He looked nothing like he looked when he was brought to the hospital and also much better than most people who suffered like he did would look.

    "I am really better but I don''t want to go back to home. I heard most people don''t like the smell of hospital but I love it better than my room at home. The only thing I don''t like is the food," he said truthfully.

    "Why will you like a hospital more than your own home?" she asked curiously as soon as they arrived at her office.

    "Let''s sit down first and order lunch," he said making himselffortable one of the sofa''s in her office.

    She frowned but still sat down watching closely. She did not see the na?ve youth she first got to know any longer. She also ordered lunch since she was also yet to eat her lunch. She waited patiently for him to speak when the food arrived.

    "I have known all along," he said after eating his first mouthful of the food. "I found out when I was twelve that he was not my twin brother and he was actually my step brother. I knew very well that my father did not care about me but I never thought he killed my mother although I knew he obviously married my mother for all the benefits he will get which includes bing a part of the royal council after my mother''s death," Carl narrated naturally.

    "Why did you pretend you did not know when I told you?" Leah asked unable to read the boy''s mind as she stared into his green eyes.

    "Because I could," he gave her a very short answer.

    "Okay," she told with a bored expression. "I want to know the real reason. It is really not funny."

    "Fine," the boy said sighing as he epted his defeat. It seems Dr. Leah was not in the mood for his jokes. "I did not trust you well enough to tell you about it. I knew you wanted something from me but I was not sure if I will be willing to part with what you want. I know you work for Mr. Hale and he is actually unconscious in this building."

    His revtion shocked Leah but she did a good job of hiding it away from her face. "Okay . . ." she hinted that he could go on with his revtions.

    "Rose is my cousin sister. Her mum is my aunt, the fashion designer," he said and took his time take a few mouthful of the food wellid on the table before proceeding. "I think that is all I know about things that don''t concern me."

    "What about things that concern you?" Leah asked as she ate her own lunch too.

    "I just found out that my father killed my mother or . . . I think it is best to say that I just confirmed it recently. I know I am to take over in the council instead of my father or step brother. I want to take back what rightfully belongs to me. I don''t want to keep seeing my brother''s name appearing as the co-owner of almost everything," he said angrily but tuned his anger down to just tightening his grip on the chopstick he held.

    Leah suddenly realized something, this boy was far from being innocent. She leaned away from the table and rested her back against the back rest of the sofa as she watched him intently. "Was that why you tampered with your brother''s motorcycle?"

 Chapter 124 - Her Troublesome Visitor

    It''s been six days since Rose woke up and this so called cousin of hers did not seize to y the role Anna yed in her life by being really clingy and something it could get really ufortable. If he was Anna, she will most likely not feel as ufortable as she felt with him but since he was not Rose but a boy she saw some hours after she woke up.

    "I am really interested in fashion," he continued as always. "I really want you to take me in as your apprentice."

    "Go to school," she simply replied him with a slight smile.

    "I will go to school definitely but I don''t think I will learn what you can teacher me in school," he murmured displeased.

    She really wanted to send him out of the room with a broom stick but she could not considering the vulnerable state she was in. "Does Leah know that you here again to disturb me?" she asked tiredly.

    "She does not need to know but I am sure they wille looking for me soon," he said with a bored look as he stared at the door as though waiting for someone to open it anytime soon.

    "Sure, they will," Rose agreed.

    "I heard your mother was isted by our family after she married your dad," he suddenly brought that up without warning.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about after all I was not given birth to when that happened," she replied not liking the feel of the throbbing headache she felt listening to what he had to say.

    "Yeah that is right. You are older but I know that," he said proudly boasting.

    "Okay, so what? You and I don''t know each other. Why are you acting as though you''ve known me all your life?" she asked frowning. Leah warned her earlier that the boy was not as innocent as he seems but he will definitely not hurt her.

    "You and I became best friends from the first moment we met each other. It was glorious. I swear I saw fireworks," he said enjoying the look of disapproval Rose gave him. "Most importantly, blood is thicker than water. We are cousins right?"

    "Distant cousins," she corrected him immediately. "I am adopted so we share no blood rtion."

    "I don''t care. I know you might have forgotten . . . well . . . I know you more than you think I do. Do you believe someone can remember what happened to him when he was three years old?" he asked as he arranged the flowers he asked Leah to get for Rose in a vase.

    ". . ."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, I remember you. I remember the princess. Your eyes were the most beautiful things I have ever seen growing up without my mother. You were so elegant and nice to me. Most people were not nice to me while I was growing up but you and your mother, thete queen showed so much kindness to me. I have always wished your mother was my step mother.

    "I knew you were the princess from the moment I saw you on TV. Your eyes made me remember immediately. They used to be a little bit more greenish than they are now but I still remember them. They were so beautiful. Your mother told my father to bring my brother and I over to the pce because she used to like myte mother so much like a sister.

    "I was so little and clueless of how much power she wielded but she became my hero from that day till today and you became my angel," he narrated sincerely. By the time he was done with his narration, he had finished arranging the flowers into the ss vase and added water from a bottle into it.

    "Do you expect me to take credit for the kindness thete princess showed you?" Rose asked unwilling to ept credit for what she did. She got her memories back but some fragments were missing. She could remember a few kids she used to see growing up in the pce which were really few and included only the royals and nobles but she could not remember the boy before her. A boy with very blonde hair that looked almost bleached was definitely not in the memories she regained.

    "I used to have brown hair but I wanted it to look better I bleached it. I can''t believe you think this is my natural hair color. I wish you get well soon because your state is not doing the great fashion designer in you any good," he said shaking his head pitifully.

    Rose almost chocked on her saliva listening to what he had to say. Did she justpare him to her sister, Anna? His shamelessness was definitely off the chart. "Please leave I need to rest. Please don''te here again because my immune system is not at its best and don''t want you to give me something I don''t wish to have," she told him frowning.

    "Oh! Really?! I never knew you had a sense of humor. I will definitely reward it with myughter," he saidughing in a manner she found nerve-wrecking.

    Where the hell did Leah find this pest? She wondered what made him think she said that as a joke. "I really need to rest. I am not feeling good."

    "Then, I am sorry. I guess it is time I leave for today," he said now serious. At least he knew when to stop joking. "Should I call the doctor?"

    "If I want to do that, I can do it from here," she said ncing at the button close to her bed.

    "Oh, right! I will leave now. Who is your favorite writer? I want to get some books for you," he said when he got to the door of her room.

    "I don''t know. I won''t mind any interesting novel. You can get me one you have read and you think is good enough."

    "A thriller?"

    "I won''t mind that," she replied and watched him leave after nodding. She wondered when her sister will be free enough to pay her a visit as she stared around the emptyrge room when he left.

 Chapter 125 - Visiting Liam

    "Carl knows my true identity," Rose told Leah when she came to visit her a dayter.

    "And more people will suspect and confirm your true identity," Leah replied sincerely.

    "That was why I agreed to work with Liam," Rose said in agreement.

    "We all debated over this for days but concluded to let you know where Liam is and why you haven''t seen him in a while," Leah said sitting on the chair close to Rose''s bed.

    "I guess he is too busy being a mafia boss or mafia king as he calls it," she said with a trace of sarcasm and anger. When she saw the look Leah wore, she paused and immediately regretted what she just said which showed that she cared about what Liam was doing and was also unhappy that he did note to see her.

    "When you got stabbed, we could not find a donor so Liam donated part of his liver to you when he found out he could. He did not follow some of the rules he was asked to follow after the surgery and he ended up unconscious due to someplications. He is still unconscious as I speak," Leah narrated.

    Rose found herself unable to believe any of what Leah just said. Why will the great Mr. Hale donate his liver to a lost princess who had almost no chance at all of bing Queen? She was just like a wingless eagle. She knew it, she knew she was really powerless at her state and he gave her his wings to fly.

    She scoffed displeased. "I guess bing king means so much to him," she said sarcastically. The fact that he had to safe her live once again only made her more aware than ever of her very vulnerable state.

    Leah ignored what Rose said leaving the lover quarrel to the lovers alone. "We think it is right you visit him it might make him wake up because right now things don''t look too good," she said pleadingly.

    "Sure," she agreed immediately without a second thought. "Well . . . I think it is only right I thank him."

    "I think so too," Leah agreed not exposing the fact that the eagerness in Rose''s eyes was not hidden at all. It was as though she might run there on her own if no one takes her there.

    The moment the wheel chair Rose''s sat on was wheeled into the ss room where Liam was, she could not hold back the tears that ran down her cheeks. She did not notice when everyone left the room as she stood up from the wheelchair with shaky legs but staggered her way to his bed. He looked so pale and she felt so guilty since she knew he was in that situation because of her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She reached to his pale face and traced her fingers over his sharp jaw to his lips. She began crying hard as she could not believe that he might actually die because he wanted to save her. At that point, she forgot what she was angry about earlier concerning him bing the next king.

    Liam''s fingers twitched as her fingers traced against his skin tickling him with every feathery touch. She did not notice it but he was trying really hard to hold back from smiling or making any visible movement.

    "You shouldn''t have done it if you knew you could not listen to the doctors and recover first before running around unrestrained," she scolded him as she sobbed. She imagined Jace ming her for his brother''s death. She did not want to be med for the death of such a powerful figure. "Why did you risk your life to save me? You should have thought of your safety first," she continued. "I guess bing king means more to you than your life."

    Liam had to wince when he heard that. He never expected her to think of him as someone with so much greed that he could risk his life and all he had just to be king. Or maybe that was right, maybe he really wanted to risk everything he had just so he could be king but not in her absence.

    He wanted to be king when she is the queen. He wanted to reign with her, by her side. This was the level of his greed; he was willing to give his all to make that happen including his life over and over again. He wished she understood. It was a pity that life treated her so cruel that she was not willing to ept that there was someone who was willing to give all to help her.

    He was selfish but not in the way she thinks he is. He loved and cared for her more than he should or more than most people will call possible or normal. She must have missed the expression he made earlier due to her usation because she continued sobbing clueless.

    Liam stiffened despite how much he wanted to keep pretending to be unconscious when he felt an unusual presence in the surrounding. Rose who was busy berating both herself and the young man lying ''unconscious'' on the bed had no idea of what Liam sensed.

    The ss was soundproof but Liam''s otherworldly hearing ability made it very easy for him to hear but it also made it a little toote for him to leave the ss room for a more hidden shelter when the door of the room was kicked down and a dozen of men walked into the room holding machine guns.

    Each of them were dressed in ck with mask that made it impossible for most people to identify who they were but as soon as Liam saw them, he knew they were an opponent he have knew. He had a habit of only taking notes of significant things around him and skipping the insignificant ones which literally meant he could recognize these men because they were significant opponents and could cause a notable damage although they were just too little to kill him.

    The moment a man stood in front of the ss wall and pulled out a grenade Liam designed with the thought of breaking such walls on his mind, Liam knew he must have made a mistake.

 Chapter 126 - Dozen Guns

    The moment a man stood in front of the ss wall and pulled out a grenade Liam designed with the thought of breaking such walls on his mind, Liam knew he must have made a mistake.

    ? ***

    Rose was busy sobbing but as soon as she saw the intruders, the first she did was to scream but outside the ss wall, her loud scream sounded like a muffled sound.

    This was the first time she was faced with such a situation with guns pointed at her. This was not the first time she was in a life threatening situation but she have never had a gun pointed at her but now, she could see a dozen of them.

    Knives and other object could cause real damage to a human body but guns, the damages it could cause scared her more than anything. A baton killed her in her past life. A knife almost killed her in this life and now it''s a gun. She simply lost all hope of living when she saw the grenade in the hand of one of the men.

    She hoped the men before her will be kind enough to start a conversation with her to buy time before Liam''s guards arrive. She felt so alone thinking Liam was still unconscious and she was alone with a dozen men who held machine guns she only got to see in movies.

    Faced with a scene from a movie, she had no idea on what to do. She looked back at Liam who unknown to her had closed his eyes immediately and groaned in frustration. She did not want anything to happen to both her and Liam but she could note up with any idea.

    She wished she remained in her room and refused to visit Liam. She felt her body shake. Although the ss wall of the room looked thick she had no idea of how well it will be able to withstand attacks from outside.

    "It is okay," she heard a male voice promise her and turning, her eyes met Liam''s grey eyes which held so much warm she forgot about those outside who wanted her dead. "They are fakes," he said wrapping his hand around her waist from behind.

    She was too shocked at first to think of removing his hands but when she felt the warmth from his body sip through her skin, she realized she had been in that position for over five minutes. She cleared her throat awkwardly and began pulling his hand off her waist.

    "I am not strong enough to stand on my own, let me use you as a support for a while," he said pleadingly. The warm breathe that blew against her neck and ear as he spoke made her feel so chill she could feel goose bumps appear on her arms. Despite how very self-conscious their position made her, she decided to remain calm.

    She refused to ept it as a fact but his hug actually gave her a sense of assurance that nothing was going to happen to her. She was going to be fine since the very dangerous man they came to kill was with her, awake and had the strength to hug her the way he did. "What do we do now?" Rose asked as they watched one of the men walk towards the wall with the grenade in his hand.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Just wait. Nothing can break this wall," he assured her in manner that did no good.

    She felt more scared hearing him sound so sure of how a thick ss wall could protect them from the explosion of grenade or the bullet from a gun. She turned to take a look at his face which made her too close to his face that a pout of her lips will lead to a kiss.

    "Hmm," Liam cleared his throat when he felt the temperature of the room get a little hot or perhaps he was the one getting hot. "I can close the curtain if you wish," Liam teased as he nced as the people watching them as Rose moved so close to him.

    " . . ." Rose had no idea what he was talking about or why he sounded like he was teasing her but if he wanted to have the curtain closed then she could only agree since that will be better than facing a dozen men with their cold eyes watching them through the mask they wore while she was in the not so decent position she was in with Liam. She cleared her throat and looked away from him before nodding.

    "You need to trust me. Those men are not who they pretend to be. They are just wannabes trying to y a role they are not fit for. They won''t be able to break the wall, that grenade is a fake," Liam said as he enjoyed the feel of getting to hug Rose when she was awake and not one of his night sneaky acts.

    Those acts were actually nice too but knowing he was hugging her most of the time without her consent, it was not as good as hugging her with her consent when she was awake. When the curtains slide close, Rose pulled Liam''s hand off her waist and moved to the bed to avoid Liam and the wall which might get sted anytime soon.

    The small smile Liam wore while hugging Rose disappeared and he was staring at her with sad eyes as he made his way to the bed and sat down.

    "Are we just going to sit and wait for them to blow the wall off? I heard you have one of the best guards in the kingdom?" she said with a hint of sarcasm.

    Liam gulped. He knew Rose was offended about something he did and he had no idea what it was. He smiled softly as he looked at her. "How did you know I was ill," he asked curiously.

    "Leah told me. She told me everything. I got to understand how much bing king means to you," she said as she watched him closely for a change in his expression that will assure her that he did it to save her life and not saving the ticket he needed to be king.

 Chapter 127 - Dozen Guns

    The moment a man stood in front of the ss wall and pulled out a grenade Liam designed with the thought of breaking such walls on his mind, Liam knew he must have made a mistake.

    ***

    Rose was busy sobbing but as soon as she saw the intruders, the first she did was to scream but outside the ss wall, her loud scream sounded like a muffled sound.

    ? This was the first time she was faced with such a situation with guns pointed at her. This was not the first time she was in a life threatening situation but she have never had a gun pointed at her but now, she could see a dozen of them.

    Knives and other object could cause real damage to a human body but guns, the damages it could cause scared her more than anything. A baton killed her in her past life. A knife almost killed her in this life and now it''s a gun. She simply lost all hope of living when she saw the grenade in the hand of one of the men.

    She hoped the men before her will be kind enough to start a conversation with her to buy time before Liam''s guards arrive. She felt so alone thinking Liam was still unconscious and she was alone with a dozen men who held machine guns she only got to see in movies.

    Faced with a scene from a movie, she had no idea on what to do. She looked back at Liam who unknown to her had closed his eyes immediately and groaned in frustration. She did not want anything to happen to both her and Liam but she could note up with any idea.

    She wished she remained in her room and refused to visit Liam. She felt her body shake. Although the ss wall of the room looked thick she had no idea of how well it will be able to withstand attacks from outside.

    "It is okay," she heard a male voice promise her and turning, her eyes met Liam''s grey eyes which held so much warm she forgot about those outside who wanted her dead. "They are fakes," he said wrapping his hand around her waist from behind.

    She was too shocked at first to think of removing his hands but when she felt the warmth from his body sip through her skin, she realized she had been in that position for over five minutes. She cleared her throat awkwardly and began pulling his hand off her waist.

    "I am not strong enough to stand on my own, let me use you as a support for a while," he said pleadingly. The warm breathe that blew against her neck and ear as he spoke made her feel so chill she could feel goose bumps appear on her arms. Despite how very self-conscious their position made her, she decided to remain calm.

    She refused to ept it as a fact but his hug actually gave her a sense of assurance that nothing was going to happen to her. She was going to be fine since the very dangerous man they came to kill was with her, awake and had the strength to hug her the way he did. "What do we do now?" Rose asked as they watched one of the men walk towards the wall with the grenade in his hand.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Just wait. Nothing can break this wall," he assured her in manner that did no good.

    She felt more scared hearing him sound so sure of how a thick ss wall could protect them from the explosion of grenade or the bullet from a gun. She turned to take a look at his face which made her too close to his face that a pout of her lips will lead to a kiss.

    "Hmm," Liam cleared his throat when he felt the temperature of the room get a little hot or perhaps he was the one getting hot. "I can close the curtain if you wish," Liam teased as he nced as the people watching them as Rose moved so close to him.

    " . . ." Rose had no idea what he was talking about or why he sounded like he was teasing her but if he wanted to have the curtain closed then she could only agree since that will be better than facing a dozen men with their cold eyes watching them through the mask they wore while she was in the not so decent position she was in with Liam. She cleared her throat and looked away from him before nodding.

    "You need to trust me. Those men are not who they pretend to be. They are just wannabes trying to y a role they are not fit for. They won''t be able to break the wall, that grenade is a fake," Liam said as he enjoyed the feel of getting to hug Rose when she was awake and not one of his night sneaky acts.

    Those acts were actually nice too but knowing he was hugging her most of the time without her consent, it was not as good as hugging her with her consent when she was awake. When the curtains slide close, Rose pulled Liam''s hand off her waist and moved to the bed to avoid Liam and the wall which might get sted anytime soon.

    The small smile Liam wore while hugging Rose disappeared and he was staring at her with sad eyes as he made his way to the bed and sat down.

    "Are we just going to sit and wait for them to blow the wall off? I heard you have one of the best guards in the kingdom?" she said with a hint of sarcasm.

    Liam gulped. He knew Rose was offended about something he did and he had no idea what it was. He smiled softly as he looked at her. "How did you know I was ill," he asked curiously.

    "Leah told me. She told me everything. I got to understand how much bing king means to you," she said as she watched him closely for a change in his expression that will assure her that he did it to save her life and not saving the ticket he needed to be king.

 Chapter 128 - Dozen Guns

    ***Please skip this chapter. I am so sorry I repeated this mistake***

    The moment a man stood in front of the ss wall and pulled out a grenade Liam designed with the thought of breaking such walls on his mind, Liam knew he must have made a mistake.

    ***

    Rose was busy sobbing but as soon as she saw the intruders, the first she did was to scream but outside the ss wall, her loud scream sounded like a muffled sound.

    This was the first time she was faced with such a situation with guns pointed at her. This was not the first time she was in a life threatening situation but she have never had a gun pointed at her but now, she could see a dozen of them.

    Knives and other object could cause real damage to a human body but guns, the damages it could cause scared her more than anything. A baton killed her in her past life. A knife almost killed her in this life and now it''s a gun. She simply lost all hope of living when she saw the grenade in the hand of one of the men.

    She hoped the men before her will be kind enough to start a conversation with her to buy time before Liam''s guards arrive. She felt so alone thinking Liam was still unconscious and she was alone with a dozen men who held machine guns she only got to see in movies.

    Faced with a scene from a movie, she had no idea on what to do. She looked back at Liam who unknown to her had closed his eyes immediately and groaned in frustration. She did not want anything to happen to both her and Liam but she could note up with any idea.

    She wished she remained in her room and refused to visit Liam. She felt her body shake. Although the ss wall of the room looked thick she had no idea of how well it will be able to withstand attacks from outside.

    "It is okay," she heard a male voice promise her and turning, her eyes met Liam''s grey eyes which held so much warm she forgot about those outside who wanted her dead. "They are fakes," he said wrapping his hand around her waist from behind.

    She was too shocked at first to think of removing his hands but when she felt the warmth from his body sip through her skin, she realized she had been in that position for over five minutes. She cleared her throat awkwardly and began pulling his hand off her waist.

    "I am not strong enough to stand on my own, let me use you as a support for a while," he said pleadingly. The warm breathe that blew against her neck and ear as he spoke made her feel so chill she could feel goose bumps appear on her arms. Despite how very self-conscious their position made her, she decided to remain calm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She refused to ept it as a fact but his hug actually gave her a sense of assurance that nothing was going to happen to her. She was going to be fine since the very dangerous man they came to kill was with her, awake and had the strength to hug her the way he did. "What do we do now?" Rose asked as they watched one of the men walk towards the wall with the grenade in his hand.

    "Just wait. Nothing can break this wall," he assured her in manner that did no good.

    She felt more scared hearing him sound so sure of how a thick ss wall could protect them from the explosion of grenade or the bullet from a gun. She turned to take a look at his face which made her too close to his face that a pout of her lips will lead to a kiss.

    "Hmm," Liam cleared his throat when he felt the temperature of the room get a little hot or perhaps he was the one getting hot. "I can close the curtain if you wish," Liam teased as he nced as the people watching them as Rose moved so close to him.

    " . . ." Rose had no idea what he was talking about or why he sounded like he was teasing her but if he wanted to have the curtain closed then she could only agree since that will be better than facing a dozen men with their cold eyes watching them through the mask they wore while she was in the not so decent position she was in with Liam. She cleared her throat and looked away from him before nodding.

    "You need to trust me. Those men are not who they pretend to be. They are just wannabes trying to y a role they are not fit for. They won''t be able to break the wall, that grenade is a fake," Liam said as he enjoyed the feel of getting to hug Rose when she was awake and not one of his night sneaky acts.

    Those acts were actually nice too but knowing he was hugging her most of the time without her consent, it was not as good as hugging her with her consent when she was awake. When the curtains slide close, Rose pulled Liam''s hand off her waist and moved to the bed to avoid Liam and the wall which might get sted anytime soon.

    The small smile Liam wore while hugging Rose disappeared and he was staring at her with sad eyes as he made his way to the bed and sat down.

    "Are we just going to sit and wait for them to blow the wall off? I heard you have one of the best guards in the kingdom?" she said with a hint of sarcasm.

    Liam gulped. He knew Rose was offended about something he did and he had no idea what it was. He smiled softly as he looked at her. "How did you know I was ill," he asked curiously.

    "Leah told me. She told me everything. I got to understand how much bing king means to you," she said as she watched him closely for a change in his expression that will assure her that he did it to save her life and not saving the ticket he needed to be king.

 Chapter 129 - The Show

    She watched him closely for a change in his expression that will assure her that he did it to save her life and not saving the ticket he needed to be king.

    Hearing what she said, he finally understood why she wasing against him with her words sharp as an arrow and hurtful. She was obviously offended. He smiled as he slowlyid on the bed and stared at her. "I saved you because you were Rose," he said truthfully although he sounded very unpersuasive.

    "Oh I see," she said walking away from the bed he nowy on. She slowly became ufortable in that enclosed space with him."I know you don''t believe and there is absolutely no way for me to sessfully persuade you," Liam said softly as he closed her eyes.

    She wondered how he could remain so calm and she remembered when he told her they were fakes. She decided to make noment on what he just said and change the topic. "What did you mean when you called them fakes?" Rose asked giving him a confused look.

    "They actually almost fooled me. They dressed just like a gang I know of. They won''t be able to blow this wall up even with an armor tank," Liam said with his eyes closed.

    His hands were folded on his chest and he looked very peaceful on the bed that Rose was beginning to doubt the fact that a dozen of men waiting our there to kill him. He looked like he was someone having a nice time on the beach.

    "I am sorry to have involved you in all this mess. I promised to protect you but you always seem to get into more and more trouble. I promise you none of this will happen again. I am powerful enough to keep them off," he assured Rose.

    He sounded like an employee promising his employer that he will do better. He made Rose feel as though he was only joking. She did not understand how those men outside coulde against him with all the guards he had.

    This floor had a very tight security that even a ghost will find it hard toe in without getting caught. How then did these guys enter into his room so freely like they were in their home?

    "Do you want me to show you how I get rid of my enemies?" he asked with his eyes closed.

    "Uh?"

    "I wanted to show you how well protected you are under my protection. Open the curtain," he said slowly sitting up on the bed.

    Without the curtain now, Rose could only see the nice room she walked into earlier. The room was empty. The dozen men were all gone like they were never in the room at all.

    "I got a tip that someone wanted me assassinated. I thought you should see how powerful I am. All those men that were here, are dead. I know who sent them too. The person tried to imitate a well-known gang. They actually made me believe them at first but I know every gang in this kingdom perhaps more than they know themselves. The formation they made when they entered made me know they were fake. They were not just fake, they were foolish. Someone must have set them up to meet their end," Liam said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose was not pleased at all. "What if I was outside?" she asked frowning.

    "I will never have let you leave. If you were outside, they will also have never gotten inside. My men let them but they were too foolish to notice any of these," he exined.

    "I want to leave now," Rose said not enjoying their conversation. "I did not get to see what happened to them. This could all be a show you put on for me to trust you."

    "I don''t deny that fact. I wanted to perform a show and that is what I did. I promise to make all your enemies disappear just like those guys did," he said promised looking so sincere.

    "I don''t care if you make them disappear or kill them right before me and the world all I want is to be protected and assisted till I get the throne," she said coldly.

    "Then I guess you enjoyed the show," he said with a smile she wished a handkerchief could do a good job of wiping it off his face.

    He acted so real there was a moment she thought she saw him panic but it seems that was only her imagination. How will he panic when he had it all nned out?

    "Thanks you for your liver by the way," she appreciated avoiding his silver eyes which now held a happy smile she found attractive.

    "You are wee," he said easily. "I am sorry if my show frightened you. I guess I am not good ating up with the right action to take ce in a scene to prove my loyalty. You asked my dad to take a bullet for you so, stay by my side so I could take the bullet for you when they timees."

    "Your desire to be king is persuasive enough. You don''t need to bother," she answered him coldly looking at the empty room she could still not understand how those men disappeared in just a few minutes.

    "My subordinates found out who sent the psychopath to you. It was not the queen or a member of the council rather an old man who seemed to know your identity. The old man has a young man living with him. We are investigating the young man but for now, the old man was punished along with the psychopathicdy. They will never get the opportunity to hurt you again," Liam promised.

    Rose was really grateful to hear that but what she could not understand is why an old man will try to kill her for no reason. There was definitely more to the story that Liam was hiding from her in a not so skilled manner perhaps to make her curious.

 Chapter 130 - Valerie And Annas Visit.

    "Here is the books you asked for," Carl said cing the books he brought on the coffee table in front of Rose.

    "Thanks," she said as she began going through the books. "I have a friend who is a writer. She writes really amazing stories. She won an award for young writers a year ago." Rose remembered the novel Debby wrote which was very different from what the life of girl like her will be in reality. "What do you think about a villianess? Should everyone who gets hurt be a villian?"

    "You don''t call them villians," Carl corrected her understanding what she was saying.

    "Then what do you call them?"

    "Heros. If you were hurt and you decide to protect yourself from ever getting hurt even if it means eliminating your enemies, that simply makes you a hero. You be a hero. Those people who hurt you are the villians," Carl replied sincerely.

    Rose let the words he said sink into her heart like a drop water on a dry soil. "I guess you are right," she agreed after pondering on his words for a few minutes. If she kills the Queen, she was only a hero and not a villian for doing that.

    "My father killed my mother and tried to kill me when his son got injured. I want to revenge in a very brutal way. Do you want vengeance too?" Carl asked.

    Rode was shocked by the question asked. She wondered what made him ask that question because she never told him of the injustice she suffered.

    "Don''t be surprised. I am only a good mind reader or perhaps you can''t mask your thoughts. You have a good backer why don''t you use your backer well to your advantage?" Carl asked picking one of the books he brought for her.

    "Backer?"

    "Mr Hale."

    "I don''t have a sponsor or a benefactor," she denied and looked away.

    "Do you want to take a walk in the garden?" he asked after a while giving up on the argument. He knew she did not want to appear happy about being under Mr. Hale''s protection.

    "Garden? No, I don''t want to leave this building till I can go back home," she replied seriously. After what happened a few days ago, she felt more scared than ever before. How did those armed men enter the hospital building so freely? It made her feel threatened.

    "We are going together and we don''t necessary have to leave the building to go to the garden. There is a garden on the sixth floor," he said to make her curious.

    "I don''t care," she replied although she really became curious of what the garden looked like.

    "I don''t think I can force you to go with me but I think going out will do you more good than sitting here all day," he said sincerely. "I also know you don''t trust me but I promise to stand by your side," he said with a small smile before standing up.

    She shook her head and began reading the novel she held.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Anna and Valerie came to visit her soonter despite their very busy schedules. "Its not very boring right?" Anna asked sad about the fact that her mother made her return to school despite how much she wanted to stay with Rose.

    "No our cousines around frequently. He brought these novels for me to read," she replied truthfully.

    Leah have been really busytely that they could not spend much time together and Carl was the only human she was willing to talk to. Liam offended her and almost traumatized her with the little show he made to prove he was powerful enough to help her get the throne and she felt it was best to avoid him for a while.

    That might be a little childish but she refused to talk to him since that day. She had Leah wheel her out of the room almost immediately and she refused all his visits.

    "I guess you have made a new friend. I saw him weeks ago and I did not like him," Anna said with a frown. She really did not like the boy. He seemed very gentle and innocent like someone she knows but she knew none of those appearances were real. He definitely had more thoughts hidden in his heart than he was willing to show.

    "I don''t have the luxury to choose who I want to talk to in my situation," Rose said with a sad smile. She knew that was a lie since she purposely locked Liam out.

    "His mother was a very nice woman. I knew her well before she died. Then, my family had a very strong bond," Valerie finally spoke after a while with a sad smile as she remembered those old happy days.

    Valerie''s two adopted daughters looked at her surprised that she actually brought up a discussion of her family. They were not very close especially Rose and Valerie and this was the first time the two girls had Valerie talk about her family.

    They made noment and waited for her to continue. "I know the boy. He has a twin brother," Valerie continued.

    Rose felt the urged to correct what Valerie just said when she remembered Carl told her that his so called twin brother was his step brother but that was none of her business. It was not a task for her to carry out. When Carl gets what''s rightfully his, she won''t need to say it before the world knows the truth.

    "Double of that? I wonder how bad that will be," Anna said and scoffed in disbelief.

    "Carl is fun to be with and I don''t think his twin brother is like him. They don''t even look alike," Rose immediately supported her new friend.

    "I see that you two have be really close. How did you two meet?" Anna asked curiously.

    "He got lost on this floor and somehow found himself in my room," Rose replied. That was the obvious lie Carl told her when she asked what he wanted in her room.

    "Did you really believe that? I don''t seem to like most of your friends," Annained.

    "He is bored in the hospital and so am I. I guess that''s why we became friends," Rose said truthfully.

 Chapter 131 - Family Is Important

    "We have been too busy to keep herpany. I don''t think it is wrong for her to make friends with her cousin. He is my cousin''s son and I guess he will be as well behaved as his mother was. We are family," Valerie said calmly.

    Rose was shocked by Valerie''s sudden open support. Anna also could not understand. The main reason why she was against Rose friendship with the boy was because she knew her adopted mother was not very close to her family. Her mother has never concerned herself with anything that has to do with her family since the queen died.

    Valerie ignored their shocked expression as she picked one of the novels from the table. The reason she had to leave her family after thete queen''s death is a secret she have sworn to take to her grave but her secret won''t make her prevent her adopted daughters from making friends with people from her family.

    There was a gentle knock on the door and soon the door opened slowly. Carl peeped into the room and disappeared behind the door immediately like the young shy boy he was everything far from. She smiled and shook her head. "Come in," she said tiredly not ready for any trick he was up to.

    He walked in with gentle quiet steps and his head bowed shyly. "Hello," he said stealing nces at Valerie and Anna.

    "Oh hi," Valerie said with slight wave of her hand and a smile.

    Anna remained quiet and watched bored out of her wits because she could easily see that the boy was only putting on show which was very unnecessary. "What do you have hidden behind you?" she asked when she noticed he was holding something he hid behind him.

    "A flower," he replied meeting Anna''s ck eyes and gulped before dropping his head immediately.

    "Flower?" Anna scoffed. It seems every guy who bes Rose friend have hidden motives. She will have to take it up as an assignment to keep most of those types of guys far away from her sister. It did not surprise her because Rose had a very unique beauty that many girls wish they had.

    Rose had a unique beauty that was only found among members of the royal family like her adopted mother. Rose''s eyes also made her beauty more unique and hardly found even in the royal family. She could have sworn that Rose was a member of the royal family if her eyes werepletely green without the amber and brown.

    "Yes, when I came here earlier, I noticed the flowers were already withered and I wanted to rece them with the ones I got from the garden on the sixth floor. Most of the flowers they have are not a pretty as I thought they will be so I brought the prettiest one I found," he said showing the flowers to them.

    "I have never seen anything like this," Annamented when she saw the flowers he held.

    "I know. I don''t even know their names," he said walking to the flower vase. The shy boy that walked into the room earlier seemed to have disappeared without anyone noticing. Anna watched him as he arranged the flowers carefully in the ss vase and pour water into the vase. "They are mostly grown in door. They are gorgeous, right?" he asked when he moved away to give them a good view of the ss vase.

    "Yes, it is," Valerie found herself agreeing. As she watched the boy the more she saw the resemnce he had to histe mother. The joviality he now showed was very simr to that of his mother. His mother was very beautiful and the boy was also very good looking.

    "Thank you. It took me a while to find all of them. The garden was also crowded since it is lunch time," heined as he gave Rose a side nce hoping she gives him apliment.

    "You have good eyes. You picked very good colors and it is beautiful," Valerieplimented as she looked at the flowers in the vase.

    "Thank you Mrs. Whitfred," he epted herpliments still stealing nces at Rose who seems oblivious to all the signs he kept giving her.

    "Thanks for the flowers," Rose had to appreciate when the boy did not stop ncing at her with gaze that used her of being ungrateful. "And thanks for the books too."

    "You are wee," he immediately epted her appreciation with a happy smile like a child who won his favorite snack in game.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I advise you not to like my sister," Anna said with a serious frown.

    "Why won''t I like my cousin sister? She is cool and smart. I also like you but since it seems you and I don''t get along with each other, I won''t make you like me too. I want to be Rose''s apprentice that is why I am working hard to make her like me," he said with an innocent smile as he sat on the sofa close to where Rose sat.

    Anna scoffed and looked away from him with a more serious frown if that was possible.

    "I would have loved to be Mrs. Whitfred''s apprentice but I don''t think I am qualified enough so I decided to start with the younger generation. Rose''s designs have just the amount of fire and message that I want to be found in my design. I love fashion. I was tagged the hottest guy in school for a reason. I wear your brand a lot, Mrs. Whitfred," Carl narrated tirelessly. "I respect you a lot Mrs. Whitfred. You are my role model."

    "Thanks for thepliment. If you show great potential, you could do your internship with me," Valerie said to the astonishment of everyone in the room. "It will give you a lot of experience and it will also be an important experience in resum¨¦."

    "Really?" Carl asked in disbelief.

    "Yes. Your mother and I used to very close," Valerie said with a smile that held a lot of fondness that felt as though they have always known each other.

    Rose paused when she heard thatment. Does that mean Valerie, Carl''s mum, her mum and the weak woman she saw few years ago were best friends? There were a lot of things she had to find out about. If only she could get close to Valerie, close enough for Valerie to spill out the truth, she might get enough truth to use against her step mother.

    "My mother was also close to thete Queen," Carlmented as though reading Rose''s mind.

    "Yes, we were all close after all we were family and family is very important," Valerie replied shocking them once again.

    "Oh . . ." was all Carl said as he decided to back out and not to get too obvious.

    "We will only be around for the weekend. Anna has to return to school on Monday and we are also trying to convince the doctors to let you return to school under the supervision of their subsidiary in B city. It will be best for you to finish and graduate from high school. It is a once in lifetime experience," Valerie said. She also wanted Rose to begin her work with her.

    "I think that is best. I also don''t want to miss that experience," Rose agreed. It was something she was going to experience for the second time in both of her lives. It was really a once in a lifetime experience. Her past life was filled with really sad memories and recreating those memories was not mandatory for her but she felt it was good to rece those memories.

    "You have missed some of the fun but it is not bad. It busy now and you are missing out on a lot of things. Graduation is next month. There will be a party afterwards," Anna informed her with an excited smile.

    "I should be able to attend the party but it depends on how well I am when the timees," Rose said thoughtfully. Right now, she was undergoing a lot of treatments to help her body. She did not want to undergo another liver transnt and that will be unavoidable if her body rejects the liverpletely.

    "Mrs. Whitfred, please could you persuade Rose to make me a good fashion designer?" Carl asked as though he have gotten tired of being quiet and left out in the room.

    "I am sure she will help you if she has the time. I also can''t make her do that if she doesn''t want to," Valerie said as a matter of fact. She has tried to make Rose sign a contract with herpany over and over again but Rose is yet to ept all the crazy offers she made to entice her.

    "Rose?" Carl asked. He waspletely unwilling to let go of this opportunity to be Rose''s apprentice. He has always loved fashion and he could not forget the day he saw Rose on TV and he saw the cloth she designed. The dress was the most beautiful dress he has seen in a long time. "My mother was also a fashion designer; I want to live her dream."

 Chapter 132 - Match Maker

    By talking about his mother to ckmail Rose, Rose had no option but to ept so he would quit bothering her. "I will help you with what I can but that won''t be now," she agreed when she met Valerie''s almost pleading gaze.

    "Why not now?" he asked with a slight pout.

    "She agreed to help you. Shouldn''t you be grateful?" Anna asked irritated by his disturbing attitude. "She is still recovering. How do you intend to work here in this room?"

    "We can start with the sketches," Carl replied shameless avoiding Anna''s gaze as he looked at Rose with a pleading gaze.

    "I will help you but that will be after I leave the hospital. We are cousins so we will get to see each other when I am out of here. There is no need to rush," she said ncing at Valerie.

    "You sound like you really want to leave. I must have been a good enough pest," he said thoughtfully. He did not push any further as he smiled watching her. He was happy about the fact that he will finally get to work with Rose. "I promise to be a good apprentice."

    Rose shook her head. If anyone was going to be a good apprentice, it could not be Carl for every reason possible. But although he was a pest, he was actually not a badpany to have in this lonely quiet hospital.

    The following day, when Anna and Valerie came to visit Rose, Anna wanted to know why Rose was always made friends with very pretty boys.

    "They are not pretty boys. They are only good looking," Rose replied immediately.

    "Eric is very much a pretty boy. Carl is not as pretty and prettily dressed as Eric but he is undeniably a pretty boy," Anna exined.

    "I guess we love the same things. It is easier to make friends with people who share the same interests with you. They both love fashion and have potentials to excel in the fashion world, just like me. I learn from Eric and he learns from me too. Having the same interest is the secret behind it all," Rose replied truthfully but hiding the main fact from Anna.

    "Debby, Wayne and I have been friends for years now but we almost don''t share any interest at all," Anna replied shaking her head in disagreement. She wanted her sister to admit that she liked hanging around pretty boys by teasing her. "They look like models and they are the hottest looking guys around."

    "Stop trying to force words out of my mouth. Carl is our cousin and Eric is definitely not my type. And besides, the three of you have almost the same interests. You haven''t noticed it yet but I know you do," Rose said ncing at the vase on the shelf. Her mind drifted off to the discussion she had with Carl twenty-four hours ago after her mother and sister left her room. She was friends with Eric and Carl because they were among the very few people who know her real identity.

    "Then let us keep Carl out of it since he is impossible. What about Eric. He is very good looking and most of the girls want to date him. I bet you also think he is good looking," Anna said wriggling her brow teasingly. She got up from the sofa she sat on and joined Rose on the couch.

    "Eric is good looking but he is not my type," Rose replied her as she attempted to stand up.

    "Wait. I still have a few unanswered questions," Anna said hugging her sister''s arm tightly and pulled her back to sit beside her on the couch.

    "Now what?" Rose asked with a sigh that she tried to use to the maximum to express her boredom and desire to just lie down and sleep.

    "What do you think a guy needs have in order to be your ideal guy?" Anna asked excited to hear Rose''s answer.

    "I have never thought of answering such a question," Rose replied as a matter of fact. She could remember thinking towards that direction. She once had a crush on Liam like many thousands of girls all over the world after all he was rich, hot, and handsome.

    "Then think. All my friends and I have been in rtionships before but you have never dated before. Are you still having a crush on Jace''s brother?" She saw Rose shake her head sharply and she continued, "Then, what is your type of guy?"

    "I like strong men," Rose replied sincerely. At this point of her life, her ideal guy is someone powerful enough to help her be Queen with a tangible reason for his offered help but that was not something she was going to let out of her mouth to her step sister. She trusted Anna but it was best to keep that delicate information out of her rtionship with her sister.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Strong men . . .? I don''t know any guy to set you up with but I could talk to Wayne about his elder brother. He works out a lot and he is very strong," Anna suggested pping her hands in excitement at the thought of ying the role of a match maker for her sister.

    Rose only chuckled softly as she looked at Anna who had no idea about what she meant by the guy being strong. He does not need to be strong physically like Liam who was also in the hospital with her but he had to have enough power to protect her and also the desire like Liam who did not hesitate to give her a part of his liver when they could not get a donor.

    "I am serious. He is handsome," Anna said as she began nning on how she will talk to Wayne about her new n. Last time she heard, Wayne''s brother was single.

    "I am not interested. If I really want to be in a rtionship, I will get one in college. I am sure there will be a lot to choose from," Rose said hoping her sister moves to another topic.

    "How many of them will be as sessful as Wayne''s brother?" Anna asked obviously unwilling to give up.

    ? "I am really not interested."

    "Is there a secret you are keeping from me? Do you have a boyfriend?"

    "No! I don''t. Your rtionship with the teacher did notst for long. I really don''t want to get involved with anyone now. I don''t want to get disappointed just like you. Men are not always what they appear to be in the public," Rose said probing Anna''s soft spot.

    "Yeah. The teacher did not contact me for all these days. He appeared to be a gentleman. I thought he will try everything possible to get me back," Annained.

    "I think he is being a real gentleman by respecting your decision. He does not want to offend you by pestering you," Rose said smiling in realization when she finally understood what her sister wanted.

    "He . . . whatever. I guess it is good you remain single," Anna said thoughtfully. As she thought of how she felt she was already over with the teacher but she still wish he wille to plead with her.

    Rose almost jumped to celebrate her victory. She actually used that line well. It must have hit Anna really hard when all she intended to do was to probe a little.

    "I know you are jubting but I am sincere right now. I don''t think I handled our break up well I feel a little ashamed. I thought over what I said about the fight we had beforeing to Star city, I found out none of them was his fault," Anna narrated truthfully.

    "You are very confused," Rosemented not hiding her thoughts. "Firstly, you said you can''t survive without him.

    "Secondly, youined that he was the reason you forgot I was not with you when the restaurant caught fire which I don''t think is a reasonable thing for you say.

    "Thirdly, you broke up with him because you needed to vent you frustration and me somebody else. Now finally, you want him to try to persuade you to get back with him? I think everything is your fault."

    "I know but how can I change it all. I am sure he thinks I am very childish. I know I can be really selfish and unreasonable but I wish he wille back to me," Anna said in a very low voice.

    "So, do you want to apologise?" Rose asked. She was able to understand what Anna felt a little when she remembered how she keeps avoiding Liam while hoping he keepsing to see her. Crazy, right?

    "No. I am too proud to apologise. I will not apologize. If he doesn''te back to me, then I will just date someone else. I will send Jace a text tomorrow. He has twenty four hours to contact me before I move on to someone else," Anna said with so much confidence you will think she can she him holding his phone to call her.

 Chapter 133 - Carl Secret

    "I hope he calls you so you don''t break Jace''s heart for your fun," Rose said.

    Anna shrugged off what her sister said because the new Jace she met only few days ago,was not the jovial friendly Jace she knew before and it will make something more than her to break him.

    "I really miss you," Anna said hugging Rose tightly with her chin resting on Rose''s shoulder. "The house feels bigger than ever before without you and I can''t have fun without thinking about you," Anna told her sincerely.

    "I will be back soon. If mum seeds in persuading them to let me return to B city," Rose said rubbing Anna''s back. "I miss you too. This hospital room feels like a dungeon most of the time," Rose said softly. She wanted to go back home.

    "I feel better knowing you are not having fun while I feel so lonely without you," Anna said with a softughter.

    Rose felt her lips twitch slightly as she tried toe up with something to say about what her sister just said. "I guess that will make you hope for my recovery. I also want to leave this ce," Rose finally said after a moment of silence.

    "Hmm . . . You are right," Anna agreed nodding energetically while still resting her chin on Rose''s shoulder.

    "That hurts," Rose said pushing her away and massaged her shoulder while ring at Anna.

    Anna shrugged with a smile as she leaned her back against the backrest of the chair. "I am going back tomorrow while mum will go back to work and she will be too busy to visit you," Anna said with a sadly pout.

    "Don''t bother I''m used to it and I have Carl to keep mepany . . ." she replied andpleted the sentence on her mind. ''and I also have my future husband.''

    "Why are you smiling so happily? Are you that happy that I am leaving tomorrow?" Anna teased when she saw her sister smile so sincerely that she noticed the dimples she discovered only few months ago.

    "No, I am just happy that my treatment will be over soon," she told her sister while withdrawing her smile without hesitating. She blushed slightly when she remembered why she smiled. The thought of who Liam was to her, made her feel so shy.

    "And you will be able to go home," Anna said excitedly. "I am so happy," she squealed hugging Rose tightly until Rose tapped her arm so she could breath well without the feeling of being strangled by her sister''s hug. "Guess you are not as happy as I am because I am really happy."

    "I am happy too but I don''t want to make much noise this is a hospital," Rose said trying hard to feign her overboard happiness. She was going to miss Carl when she goes back to B city.

    Annaughed. "The walls are sound proof," she reminded her sister. "I will drop by tomorrow morning with a phone for you or I could just send the phone to you," Anna said. "I would have done it beforeing today but I was in a hurry toe here."

    "Don''t be in such a hurry next time and thanks by the way. I think a new phone will do me some good," Rose said.

    Valerie joined them after a while. "I spoke to the doctors about your transfer," she said when she sat downfortably on a sofa. With the two girls attention on her, she continued, "They think you should stay for a week. They want to be sure you are well enough to travel so what happened won''t be repeated. You will be moved to B city if you are well enough by next week and if not, they said you will need to rest for two more weeks."

    "But that means you will miss your graduation," Anna said worriedly.

    "I want to attend my graduation but I want to be in the shape to do so. It won''t be good if I pass out that day," Rose said sadly but firmly. Her healthes first.

    "You look okay," Anna observed looking at Rose closely. "You skin have gotten it''s color back and your eyes are clear. I don''t think you should have any problem going back home."

    "ording to the doctors, your sister is not as strong as she looks. They im she is masking her pain up. We should listen to the doctors," Valerie replied firmly.

    Anna pouted with sad eyes as she looked at Rose. "I hope you get well soon," she murmured avoiding her sister''s gaze.

    "Thank you. I am sorry that I can''t design a gown for you now but as soon as get back home, I will begin working on a design for you," Rose promised sincerely.

    "Your birthday is after the graduation, right?" Valerie asked rhetorically. "I will prepare something cool for you but is there anything you want?"

    "No, I am satisfied with anything you give me," Rose said sincerely and smiled. She did not want to take more than she should from the Whitfred couple. She has tried to hypnotize herself with the fact that she deserves anything she gets since she is the princess but that did not persuade her enough to be as open and direct as Anna.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I guess I will have to do this on my own then," Valerie said calmly. She already expected that answer from Rose. She would have been surprised if Rose decides to ask for something big.

    "I will help you," Anna offered excitedly.

    "I have to leave. I have dinner ns," Valerie said after a few minutes as she picked her purse up and gracefully stood up. "I wish you quick recovery."

    "Thank you," Rose said with a smile. She also wish herself quick recovery and she hoped she won''t have to undergo another liver transnt. She was tired of the weak feeling all these gave her.

    "I will go back to the apartmentter. I need to take Rose to the sixth floor," Anna said.

    "Don''t be toote," Valerie advices before leaving.

    ***

    "So,what do you think of what I told you two days ago?" Carl asked during lunchtime the following day.

    "I don''t think you said anything reasonable," Rose replied and continued reading the book she held but none of the words seemed to make sense anymore.

    "I will tell you one of my biggest secrets," Carl said leaning close to her. "I caused my brother''s ident. I am the reason he lost the use of his legs," Carl whispered softly with a smile that spoke of how much cruelty he had buried under his "pretty face" as Anna calls it.

    Rose leaned back very surprised of his sudden revtion. She knew he was nothing close to being a good boy but she never expected this level of cruelty and wickedness from him.

    "Now, don''t give me that look. It was something I had to do when I overheard them make ns to kill me," Carl said leaning back now.

    Rose could only shake her head and looked at the door hoping Leahes to her rescue because she could not understand him. He felt like the total stranger he really was not her jovial cousin who seemed to care about her a lot.

    "Since I decided to be frank with you, I will tell you everything. I never wanted the ident to be serious. I only wanted their mind to be too upied with something else that they won''t bother killing me for a while but it turned out to be more serious than I wanted it to be although I am not sorry," Carl said with a shrug as though he was talking about a character in a movie.

    "You are not sorry?" Rose asked in disbelief and scoffed. This guy was making her really confused.

    "Mmm. I am not sorry," he told her with a smile that looked so genuine and innocent.

    His smile gave her goosebumps and it took so much effort for her to not rub her arms.

    "They killed my mother," he told her sadly. "I never knew my mother and it is their fault. They said she died if excess bleeding after childbirth but from what I gathered, they induced herbor when she was seven months pregnant for me. I know the queen was killed although I don''t have a proof of that but we can find one if we search for it."

    "Why will you do that?" Rose asked looking at him skeptically.

    "Your mother was very nice to me. She was the nicest person I have ever met in my life. My grand parents used to like me a lot before they died and left all their wealth for my brother and I. I will not let the son of my mother''s murderer take what rightfully belongs to me and I am willing to help you," he exined.

    "I don''t believe you," she said shaking her head in disbelief.

    "I am going to make my father useless to the council and when I do, I will join the council perhaps you will believe me when that happens," he promised.

    "You . . . I won''t let you stain your hands with blood for me," Rose said shaking her head. It was enough that she has Liam''s support.

 Chapter 134 - Her New Knight

    Carl stood up from where he sat and knelt down before her. "I will be loyal to you, your highness. I will be your most loyal knight and walk through fire and brimstone with you to see that you get what is rightfully yours," he vowed with his head bowed.

    Rose found this scene very confusing. This was definitely not the way knights swear their loyalty to the Queen. It had to be in a very different way from this. She did not know what to say to him after watching him act like he was on a movie set.

    When he did not hear her speak, he raised his head and looked at her. "I am very serious about what I just said," Carl said with an unhappy frown. "You should ept me and wee me as a new knight."

    "Knight?" she chuckled softly. "What you just did was veryical and definitely not a Knight''s oath. I have no idea what to do with you so sit down and let''s forget we ever had this conversation, okay?" she said looking at him as she waited for his eptance perhaps a nod or an okay sign.

    "Do you think I will joke with such an oath?" Carl asked obviously displeased. "Do you really think I am joking? I just swore my life over to you and you think it is a joke?" He made sure to let his expression show how hurt he was as he remained on his knees.

    "Hey, stand up. Your legs are not well enough to be misused. I guess you want to remain in the hospital for long," she tried to persuade him to stand up. "Remain on your knees but don''t me me for any pain you feel afterwards."

    "I refuse to stand up until you ept me as your knight. I know the oath isn''t correct and this whole process is wrong but it doesn''t matter. What matters most is my sincerity. I want to work for you. As soon as I join the council, I will be your spy. I will not hide anything from you," he promised.

    "There has to be a reason why you are so bent on working with me," she said still very skeptical although a little less than before.

    "I want my name to appear on history. I want to be recognized for my loyalty to the rightful Queen even in the next century. I want to be known as a hero and I can only achieve that by working with you even if it means I might die," he exined without standing up.

    His exnation made more sense. She smiled. "Fine. I will let you work with me so your name will appear on history. That means we have to work hard so I can sit on the throne in order to make that happen," she agreed. Now that she was aware of what he wanted in return, she was willing to keep him close after all he was her cousin brother.

    "Hurray," Carl shouted with his hands thrown up as he made an attempt to stand up but had to remain on his knees when he felt a serious pain.

    "I warned you earlier," she reminded him. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "Now I think I should change my mind. How can you protect me if you don''t have enough strength?"

    "You are the reason I am still here. If only you answered me when I wanted you to," heined while ring at her yfully. "I know the history of our kingdom very well and I know a secret which I will tell youter."

    "Are you trying to make me keep you by my side with that so called secret I am sure does not exist?" she asked now ring at him.

    "Yes. The secret will cause a great change and I will only tell you if you let me work with you. I heard you want to go to the Royal University. I will meet you there this year because I applied for early graduation from high school. I am a genius."

    "You are just so unstoppable and unpredictable. I am beginning to rethink my decision," she said shocked by his revtion.

    "A Queen must honor her words," he said triumphantly.

    "But still, I don''t think you should hurt your father," Rose said when she remembered what he said about recing his father in the council.

    "He killed my mother, I do not think he deserves your pity. I won''t kill him. I will only leave him in the most miserable state after I take back all the inheritance my mother and grandparents left for me," he said easily.

    "I . . ." Rose could note up with the right thing to say. She should be tough and unforgiving since she living right now for vengeance.

    She was alive to take back her throne but the thought of killing someone did not feel good. She knew her n has to include bloodshed but faced with the reality of what the future could be, scared her and she was really hesitating.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She knew from what Carl said that he could be as cruel as he wants to be the fact that he wanted to cause harm to his father ¨C although cruel ¨C did not sound good in her ears. She did not want to be the cause of anyone''s death.

    "I will advice you not to think of hesitating. If we don''t hurt, we will only get hurt. It''s like a battle field. You will get killed if you don''t kill your enemies and trust me there is nothing wrong with that. I would have been dead and forgotten if I did not hurt my brother. I love my brother but I had to save myself or he would have made the perfect n to kill me without suspicion."

    Rose listened as she tried to let herself get persuaded by what he has to say but she could not ept the truth.

    "What will you do if Anna tries to kill you?"

    Rose was so shocked by the question that she froze unable to answer while her brain tried hard to process the weight of such question. "Anna will never try to kill me," Rose replied firmly after a long silence that seems to havested for an eternity.

    "I don''t think you are certain of what the future holds. You should be careful and not trust people easily because . . .," he began advising her.

    "Including you, right?" She asked with a serious frown.

    "I am your cousin. We have the same grandmother. There is a higher probability that your adoptive sister will betray you than your cousin," he told her persuasively.

    "I have known Anna for more than three years now but I barely know you," Rose reminded him argumentatively.

    "Don''t forget that blood rtions stick close than any other rtionship in this world. Your father did not defend your mother when the world turned against her. Rather your father persuaded the council to get him a new wife. Do you understand what I mean now?"

    "My father betrayed me too. He is my father and don''t forget your father tried to kill you too," Rose reminded him.

    "That was because he saw me as my mother''s son and not his son but right now, I see you as the rightful Queen who is my cousin sister. I am tired of trying to persuade you. I will ignore you for now while I carry out my n. I will remember to tell you everything but remember that your opinion does not count," he said rxing against the backrest of the sofa and exhaled in relief.

    Rose became tongue tied as she looked at him. It seems that she will never be able to run away from her responsibility as the princess because she had too many people watching her and trying their best to help her get the throne.

    They motivated her. She was not after the wealth she gets as the princess and they helped her see that it was only right that she sits on the throne.

    They were offering her more than enough help and with their support, it will be difficult for her lose the battle. She was going to save her people although she was not sure of what she was saving them from.

    "I heard that members of the council from our Kingdom are dying for different reasons but the deaths are too much to be a coincident," Carl informed her as he moved to a very serious mood.

    "Who told you that?" Rose asked shocked by the revtion.

    "My father thought the council tried to kill my brother through the ident. The council isn''t aware that my brother is not my twin brother. He is feeling really threatened. He thinks they will kill my brother. He does not want to lose all he benefits from by being a member of the council. If my brother dies, I will be my father''s sole heir. Should I kill him?"

    Once again in a single day, Rose found herself tongue-tied and confused.

 Chapter 135 - Her Coaching Session

    "I think you should go back to your room. You are a very bad influence," she finally said with a sigh.

    "We could use the resources Mr. Hale might be willing to offer while I will be the brain behind all the ns. I will go to my room just like you said I should but I am going to do some thinking. I wille up with a n we can discuss over and perhaps let Mr. Hale know," he told her as he stood up.

    "Go ahead. And I will be d if you bring a few magazines when youe," she said.

    "Sure. I will ask Leah to bring them because I don''t want to leave the premises of the hospital yet," he agreed.

    "Bye," she told him with a wave and watched him leave. She sighed as she rxed.

    ***

    Leah walked in after a gentle knock on the door. "Have you eaten dinner" she asked when she got to Rose who sat on her bed with a novel.

    "Yes," she replied closing the novel and ced it the bed giving Leah herplete attention.

    "I have been too busy to check on you these days. I spoke to your doctor and he said your mother wants you to return to B city. Is that what you want?" Leah asked sitting on a chair close to the bed.

    "Yes, I don''t want to miss my graduation. I have a lot of awards to receive. I can''t miss the fun of everything. I have missed enough," Rose replied sincerely but sounded yful.

    "I know I don''t have the right to speak about your rtionship with Mr. Hale but I think it is right you resolve whatever went wrong before you return to B city," Leah advised her cautiously.

    "I don''t have anything against him in particr," Rose replied calmly as she picked her novel up once again and opened to the page she stopped on earlier.

    "The whole thing was Charlie''s idea. Liam was still unconscious when he nned it," Leah exined.

    "And he obviously went along with the crazy n. I am not angry. He obviously proved his point and I understand. I believe he is powerful enough to protect me. I just don''t want to see his face now after all I will be seeing it a lot when Ie back here after the graduation," Rose said venting what she had bottled up although holding back the most important thing of all.

    "Like I said, I don''t have the right to say anything about your rtionship with my boss but I will advise you as a friend and the mother of your best friend. You should make good use of the resources you have while you still have it.

    "Mr. Hale can be king without you existence. You might not know how powerful and ruthless he is but I assure you that it will be hell to be on his bad side. You are lucky to have won his heart which is what both male and female will be willing to kill to earn.

    "You have his wealth and power in control. It is best to use it right. You can''t let go of such an opportunity. This is an opportunity to save your people, get your vengeance and sit on the throne perhaps without moving a single finger. Use it while you still have it. You don''t have an eternity," Leah advised her without pausing.

    Rose was surprised at first but since Leah did not give her the chance to interrupt, she fixed her gaze on the book she held her eyes unable to understand a single word on the page she stared at. She closed her eyes and exhaled when Leah finally ended her sermon.

    "I am sorry if I offended you in any way," Leah did not forget to apologise to the apple of her boss'' eye before she stood up.

    "You did not offend me at all. I guess I must seem like a spoilt brat to everyone including Mr. Hale. It was not my fault that I was scared witless due to the stunt he pulled. I thought I was going to die. I think I have every right to be offended," Rose justified her actions closing the book and putting it aside again.

    "You are lucky he treats you well enough to apologise. Mr. Hale doesn''t give his apology to just anyone," Leah informed Rose. "Your doctor thinks you are well enough to move to B city although you will still need medical attention. I advise you toe back after your graduation."

    "Sure," Rose agreed with a smile. She likes Leah and she was not going to take going to take offense.

    "I am d you listened to what I had to say," Leah said exhaling in relief.

    "You made sense. I was actually waiting for a tangible reason to forgive him. I guess I have to much pride," she replied easily.

    "You also have so much beauty. You should use it to your advantage. That is a skill women are born with. Use your beauty to your advantage. It won''t hurt because you will be on the winning side," Leah advised with a wink.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose chuckled. Leah was giving her tips on how to use her boss to her advantage. This was something she must have been missing for all these while. The advice meant a lot. How will it feel to have the great Mafia King under her spell?

    ess to his wealth alone was enough. She will definitely not hesitate.

    "I guess you understand what I mean," Leah said wriggling her brow in a manner that made her look decades younger than her age.

    "Hmm . . . I do. I will use the resources I have. I promise I will not tell Mr. Hale it was all your idea," Rose said teasingly.

    "Oh goodness," Leah hissed when she understood the obvious meaning of what Rose said.

    Roseughed enjoying the conversation. "I just made a promise so rx," Rose said teasingly.

    "I hope you keep your promise your royal highness," Leahughed softly.

    "I will but if I need any advice in the future, I wille to you. I think I will need more guidance as time goes on," Rose said sincerely maintaining a jovial smile.

    "We will have to make our meetings very secret and in a secluded ce. Make sure the location stays secret," Leah whispered jokingly.

    "I am serious," Rose told her.

    "I am not sure I will be able to say more. I don''t know about things like that myself. I have never had to manipte anyone before," Leah told her with a sigh.

    "You do. You made me your friend," Rose replied sincerely. "You know how to make people like you almost immediately."

    "I have enemies, okay? And I don''t think you need to make him your friend because you are already his friend. That skill is not important." She has done enough already and that was definitely not going to offend her boss but Mr. Hale will be offended if it goes any further. She nced at her wrist watch.

    "You are busy right?" Rose asked although she knew very well that Leah was trying to escape.

    "Yes, I am busy. I am sorry I can not spend more time with you. Take care," Leah said nodding as she kept her gaze down to avoid seeing Rose''s sad and disappointed eyes.

    "Thank you. I know you are busy saving lives and it is very important. Please, try toe here more often since I will be leaving by next week," Rose pleaded with a slight pout she knew Leah won''t notice since she wasn''t looking at her.

    "I will try. I advise you that you shouldn''t listen to everything Carl says. He is very ruthless although he is a genius and that is an important trait you will need in your first subordinates.

    "Make sure he tells you all his ns. If you can''t stop him from doing anything you are against, it will be best to keep him at arms length or he might be uncontroble in the future.

    "He told me he was your subordinate. He seemed very excited. I think he is good enough but you should also be careful. Although the fact that he is your cousin and in a simr situation as you, makes him a good candidate."

    Rose nodded in agreement. Carl was a gem but he will lose his value if he gets uncontroble. "I don''t think he will be able to do anything without my permission. He promised to tell me what n hees up with," Rose replied sincerely.

    "That''s good. I wish you good luck. Bye," Leah said after ncing at her wrist watch once again.

    Rose waved at her. She picked up her novel to read when Leah closed the door but she found herself reying her conversation with Leah on her mind. She could manipte Liam while watching her back to avoid getting backstabbed. She could also begin to n with Carl on how to be in a better state than the powerless state she was in right now.

    She was willing to ept Liam''s help but she was not willing to be fully dependent on him. She needed a crew and power of her own.

 Chapter 136 - Skip This

    **Please skip this chapter*this is a repeat of thest chapter*

    "I think you should go back to your room. You are a very bad influence," she finally said with a sigh.

    "We could use the resources Mr. Hale might be willing to offer while I will be the brain behind all the ns. I will go to my room just like you said I should but I am going to do some thinking. I wille up with a n we can discuss over and perhaps let Mr. Hale know," he told her as he stood up.

    "Go ahead. And I will be d if you bring a few magazines when youe," she said.

    "Sure. I will ask Leah to bring them because I don''t want to leave the premises of the hospital yet," he agreed.

    "Bye," she told him with a wave and watched him leave. She sighed as she rxed.

    ***

    Leah walked in after a gentle knock on the door. "Have you eaten dinner" she asked when she got to Rose who sat on her bed with a novel.

    "Yes," she replied closing the novel and ced it the bed giving Leah herplete attention.

    "I have been too busy to check on you these days. I spoke to your doctor and he said your mother wants you to return to B city. Is that what you want?" Leah asked sitting on a chair close to the bed.

    "Yes, I don''t want to miss my graduation. I have a lot of awards to receive. I can''t miss the fun of everything. I have missed enough," Rose replied sincerely but sounded yful.

    "I know I don''t have the right to speak about your rtionship with Mr. Hale but I think it is right you resolve whatever went wrong before you return to B city," Leah advised her cautiously.

    "I don''t have anything against him in particr," Rose replied calmly as she picked her novel up once again and opened to the page she stopped on earlier.

    "The whole thing was Charlie''s idea. Liam was still unconscious when he nned it," Leah exined.

    "And he obviously went along with the crazy n. I am not angry. He obviously proved his point and I understand. I believe he is powerful enough to protect me. I just don''t want to see his face now after all I will be seeing it a lot when Ie back here after the graduation," Rose said venting what she had bottled up although holding back the most important thing of all.

    "Like I said, I don''t have the right to say anything about your rtionship with my boss but I will advise you as a friend and the mother of your best friend. You should make good use of the resources you have while you still have it.

    "Mr. Hale can be king without you existence. You might not know how powerful and ruthless he is but I assure you that it will be hell to be on his bad side. You are lucky to have won his heart which is what both male and female will be willing to kill to earn.

    "You have his wealth and power in control. It is best to use it right. You can''t let go of such an opportunity. This is an opportunity to save your people, get your vengeance and sit on the throne perhaps without moving a single finger. Use it while you still have it. You don''t have an eternity," Leah advised her without pausing.

    Rose was surprised at first but since Leah did not give her the chance to interrupt, she fixed her gaze on the book she held her eyes unable to understand a single word on the page she stared at. She closed her eyes and exhaled when Leah finally ended her sermon.

    "I am sorry if I offended you in any way," Leah did not forget to apologise to the apple of her boss'' eye before she stood up.

    "You did not offend me at all. I guess I must seem like a spoilt brat to everyone including Mr. Hale. It was not my fault that I was scared witless due to the stunt he pulled. I thought I was going to die. I think I have every right to be offended," Rose justified her actions closing the book and putting it aside again.

    "You are lucky he treats you well enough to apologise. Mr. Hale doesn''t give his apology to just anyone," Leah informed Rose. "Your doctor thinks you are well enough to move to B city although you will still need medical attention. I advise you toe back after your graduation."

    "Sure," Rose agreed with a smile. She likes Leah and she was not going to take going to take offense.

    "I am d you listened to what I had to say," Leah said exhaling in relief.

    "You made sense. I was actually waiting for a tangible reason to forgive him. I guess I have to much pride," she replied easily.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You also have so much beauty. You should use it to your advantage. That is a skill women are born with. Use your beauty to your advantage. It won''t hurt because you will be on the winning side," Leah advised with a wink.

    Rose chuckled. Leah was giving her tips on how to use her boss to her advantage. This was something she must have been missing for all these while. The advice meant a lot. How will it feel to have the great Mafia King under her spell?

    ess to his wealth alone was enough. She will definitely not hesitate.

    "I guess you understand what I mean," Leah said wriggling her brow in a manner that made her look decades younger than her age.

    "Hmm . . . I do. I will use the resources I have. I promise I will not tell Mr. Hale it was all your idea," Rose said teasingly.

    "Oh goodness," Leah hissed when she understood the obvious meaning of what Rose said.

    Roseughed enjoying the conversation. "I just made a promise so rx," Rose said teasingly.

    "I hope you keep your promise your royal highness," Leahughed softly.

    "I will but if I need any advice in the future, I wille to you. I think I will need more guidance as time goes on," Rose said sincerely maintaining a jovial smile.

    "We will have to make our meetings very secret and in a secluded ce. Make sure the location stays secret," Leah whispered jokingly.

    "I am serious," Rose told her.

    "I am not sure I will be able to say more. I don''t know about things like that myself. I have never had to manipte anyone before," Leah told her with a sigh.

    "You do. You made me your friend," Rose replied sincerely. "You know how to make people like you almost immediately."

    "I have enemies, okay? And I don''t think you need to make him your friend because you are already his friend. That skill is not important." She has done enough already and that was definitely not going to offend her boss but Mr. Hale will be offended if it goes any further. She nced at her wrist watch.

    "You are busy right?" Rose asked although she knew very well that Leah was trying to escape.

    "Yes, I am busy. I am sorry I can not spend more time with you. Take care," Leah said nodding as she kept her gaze down to avoid seeing Rose''s sad and disappointed eyes.

    "Thank you. I know you are busy saving lives and it is very important. Please, try toe here more often since I will be leaving by next week," Rose pleaded with a slight pout she knew Leah won''t notice since she wasn''t looking at her.

    "I will try. I advise you that you shouldn''t listen to everything Carl says. He is very ruthless although he is a genius and that is an important trait you will need in your first subordinates.

    "Make sure he tells you all his ns. If you can''t stop him from doing anything you are against, it will be best to keep him at arms length or he might be uncontroble in the future.

    "He told me he was your subordinate. He seemed very excited. I think he is good enough but you should also be careful. Although the fact that he is your cousin and in a simr situation as you, makes him a good candidate."

    Rose nodded in agreement. Carl was a gem but he will lose his value if he gets uncontroble. "I don''t think he will be able to do anything without my permission. He promised to tell me what n hees up with," Rose replied sincerely.

    "That''s good. I wish you good luck. Bye," Leah said after ncing at her wrist watch once again.

    Rose waved at her. She picked up her novel to read when Leah closed the door but she found herself reying her conversation with Leah on her mind. She could manipte Liam while watching her back to avoid getting backstabbed. She could also begin to n with Carl on how to be in a better state than the powerless state she was in right now.

    She was willing to ept Liam''s help but she was not willing to be fully dependent on him. She needed a crew and power of her own.

 Chapter 137 - Black Figure Visits

    Rose rolled when she felt a presence in her room and she opened her eyes slowly to the darkness of her room. She thought of the worse as shey on the bed. It could be a friend or a foe and she could not guess who it was as sheid on the bed with silence in the room weighing on her.

    It took a few seconds for her to see clearly in the room but as soon as she could make out the figures of the objects in the room, she noticed a ck mass move close to her and she felt a strong urge to scream but she closed her lips before the sound could escape knowing that the walls of the room was soundproof.

    She reached towards the red rm button in her room to press it but the figure moved so fast and held her hand. At this point, she did not have time for any rational thought as she screamed fruitlessly and reached for the pepper spray she asked Carl to order for her online but the person was quick to stop her.

    "Shhhh . . . rx," a deep musical voice said so soothingly her body immediately obeyed without objection.

    She closed her eyes and exhaled before wriggling her wrists out of his grips. She sat up and moved away from him while staring into the dark room unable to see clearly but she could make out his muscr well-toned frame in the dark. The scent of his cologne filled her nose and like always felt very soothing that she found herself subconsciously taking deep breaths.

    She felt embarrassed and happy that the room was dark because that did a good job of hiding her blush from his eyes. She waited for him to speak unwilling to switch on the lights to keep her secret.

    "I heard you are returning to B city," he said sitting down on her bed. She expected him to sit on the chair close to her bed but he seems to have something else on his mind.

    "Yes, I am," she replied with her voice slightly hoarse. She cleared her throat as her already tinted face further got tinted with a pink healthy color due to embarrassment.

    "I thought I should visit you this night before you leave. You will be gone for a while and I will have to remain here in A city because I have to take care of all I neglected while I was here in the hospital," he exined the purpose of his visit for perhaps the very first time unlike the other visits that he is either gone before she wakes up or he doesn''t say a word before leaving her.

    Supplied with his exnation, she found herself very confused and she could note up with the right answer to offer him. "Ohh . . .," she finally came up with something to say after having to endure the weight of the heavy nket of awkward silence that covered the room for about a minute.

    "Am I allowed to stay?" he asked his voice sounding so deep and calm that she bagan wondering what has such beautiful unique sound apart from his voice.

    The beauty of his voice prevented her from understanding the gravity of the question he asked and she nodded her head automatically.

    "Lie down then since I will be spending the night here. We can''t remain seated throughout the night, right?" he asked standing up.

    "Uh?" she asked. Her usually fast brain took a few seconds to process the gravity of the question asked and she gasped. Without hesitation, she snapped the lights on and moved away from him and got down from the bed through the other side of the bed away from him. She watched him with owl-like eyes a dark cute shade of pink graced her cheeks as she watched him.

    "No offense," he said with a deep musical chuckle with his hands raised in surrender. She looked very beautiful as he watched her. She looked like a very cute bunny trying to hide away from the fox. That idea made him chuckle once again. He liked the thought of being a predator, her predator.

    She gave him a look asking him what he meant by no offense.

    "I don''t mean any of what you are thinking. I just want to lie with you till tomorrow. I will leave before anyonees in," he promised smiling at her cute stance.

    She remembered what Leah advised her to do. If he wanted to spend the night on her bed with her, shouldn''t she let him? After taking a deep breath, she nodded and moved to the bed while watching him like a very watchful cat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Liam had already epted his fate when she woke up after he entered the room but he wanted to tease her a little before fully epting his fate. Her response shocked him. He did not expect her to agree so suddenly. He watched her hesitate but still lie on the bed and covered herself in the nket. She looked away at the wall without saying a word.

    Liam swallowed the lump that began forming in his throat due to the scene he just witnessed. Why did the room suddenly get so hot? He took a deep breath before joining her on the bed which was made for one patient in the hospital and not a couple. Hey on his side just like her and hugged her in his arms.

    He felt her tense but after a while, she rxed and to his surprise, she fell asleep in less than five minutes. He smiled happily. He could not remember when he was this happy in his entire life. This felt so peaceful, more peaceful than ever.

    With her back pressed against his chest engulfed in his bigger frame, he was also engulfed in sleep and soon slept off peacefully.

    ***

    When Rose opened her eyes, she felt good in a way that she hasn''t felt before. It was very refreshing. She looked at the window. From the bright light streaming in despite the while curtain covering the window, she knew she slept in. She sat up on the bed cross-legged and stretched her arms.

    She nce at the wall clock in the room and when she saw it was almost ten in the morning, dropped her hands which she stretched up along with her jaw. She had a pill to take by nine in the morning after breakfast and an injection afterwards and she waste.

    She groaned going down from her bed. She med Liam as she went to the bathroom to carry out her morning routine. Liam must be the reason the nurse did not wake her up. She did not want to fall ill at least not today. She was supposed to leave for B city today and it will be bad if the she was told that she will have to wait for another week because of the drugs she missed.

    She wondered if it was his n but after careful thought she could note up with a reason why he will do that to make her stay in Star city when he could easily go to visit her when he wants.

    She called a nurse in as soon as she was done and asked her all the questions bothering her. The nurse assured her that it was alright and that she will have to undergo full check-up before leaving and if there was any problem, it will be found out during the check-up.

    That was not a bad news but it was not total good news to her since she had no idea what the result will be.

    Without dy, she took the pill and the injection after eating breakfast. Anna and Valerie arrived hourster when she began all the required check-ups. She was too busy trying to proof that she was ready to go home that she forgot about all that happenedst night.

    When the results they got from the tests proved that she won''t have toe back the way she did about a month ago, she was forced to remember when Carl came to tease with the little assumptions and spections he had from his eagle-like observation.

    He made sure to keep his voice very low as he whispered in the manner that he intended to prevent her family members from getting suspicious. "So, you are not going to tell me?" he asked in low gentle whisper.

    "I don''t have any idea what you are talking about," she replied which was an obvious lie due to the light shade pink that darkened her cheeks.

    "Of course you do. This floor had a very tight security when I came herest night. I could be as sneaky as a ninja but I found myself immobile when I saw how secured it was. It was at that point I began suspecting Mr. Hale was on that floor because I could note up with anyone with such professional guards.

 Chapter 138 - Back To B City

    "Of course you do. This floor had a very tight security when I came herest night. I could be as sneaky as a ninja but I found myself immobile when I saw how secured it. It was at that point I began suspecting Mr. Hale was on that floor because I could note up with anyone with such professional guards.

    "I waited for him to leave and when he did not leave for a few hours, I knew he was going to stay overnight so went back to my room to sleep. I guess it is what I think, right?"

    "What are you two talking about?" Anna asked when she returned from buying what she wanted to eat for lunch. She happened to see her sister trying not to talk to this so-called-cousin of theirs.

    "I am pestering her," Carl replied truthfully with a smile.

    "Then quit pestering her or I will . . ." Anna said raising her hand to hit his shoulder but stopped half way and red at him. "Pest."

    "Why should I? She will leave today and I might not see her for months. I want to stick too her like gum till I am forced off. The force you are using is not strong enough to pull me off," he said yful and shed his tongue at Anna. He moved away from Anna and almost stuck his body to Rose just like he said he would.

    "I bet you don''t want Liam to see you sticking so close," she whispered to him.

    His reaction was priceless. He immediately took very quick steps away from her and folded his hands on his chest with a very innocent yet guilty facial expression. "I am sorry," he mouthed and looked around for anyone who looked like they might be one of Liam''s men.

    Rose chuckled. Liam was really powerful to have such effect on her relentless and fearless cousin. "I never knew you could get scared," she said with a smile.

    "What did you say to make him so scared," Anna asked curiously. She wondered what the special cleaning agent Rose used to get rid of the ''gum'' that seemed too stubborn toe off was.

    Roseughed softly and avoided the question as she nced at Carl who was happy that she got suspicious by using that method on him.

    Shortly before she left, Carl stood beside her unwilling to ept defeat so easily. "I was not scared. I was only respecting my boss, okay? I am his inw and if anyone should be scared, it has to be Mr. Hale. He should be scared that I might not approve your union," he whispered teasingly.

    She was shocked and red at him. She did not tell him anything of that. She have not told anyone she was getting married to Liam soon. "What union are you talking about?" she asked feigning ignorance.

    "I just know that. Mr. Hale will never let go of anyone he thinks is important and he will find a way to have them tied to his side without a way out or a chance for the individual to betray him," Carl exined in a manner that Rose found too possessive and slightly scary.

    Rose gulped unable to say anything to her cousin. She decided to remain silent as she walked away from him to the car that waited for her.

    "I am also certain that you might be an important person he wants to keep tied to himself but I don''t think he will ever hurt you. If he ever hurts you, I will kill him with my hands. I mean it. I might look weak but I have strong muscles under this shirt. I have a sister now and I will protect her," he promised her sounding so manly and powerful. When he stopped and rey all he just said on his mind, he felt really proud.

    "When did I be your sister? We are cousins," she reminded him shaking her head.

    "Was that all you took note of?" he groaned frustrated. "I just gave the biggest speech of the year and that was all you took note okay?"

    "She is leaving now. I think it is time for the gum toe off," Anna said as she helped her sister into the car from the wheelchair.

    "I will miss you too. Take care of yourself and Rose, I don''t want us to meet again in a hospital unless someone is having a baby," he said not forget to nce at Rose and wriggle his brow.

    Anna paused with her eyes narrowed. She had no idea what he was talking about. She wanted to ask him but she decided not to take his words seriously since he was always joking but that sentence still did not settle well on her mind.

    "When your wife gives birth, right?" Rose asked when she felt her face heat up.

    "That will be a long time from now so we might meet when Rose and I return for our usual check-ups," Anna said when she heard Rose''s reply. She concluded that Carl must have a girlfriend.

    "You never know how soon it could be," Carl said. "It has to be someone else because I am asexual," he told them seriously.

    "Seriously, you are nuts," Anna said sitting beside her sister and closed the door after Rose waved him good bye. "I wonder how you could make friends with such a nutcase."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose smiled knowing her sister did not like Carl at all not even for the fact that he was one of their family members. That was the same thing with Eric. She did not get along with Eric despite how gentle and quiet Eric was with anyone else except her. "Did you ever notice that Carl and I look alike?"

    "What?" Anna asked wondering where that came from.

    "I think we used to be siblings in our past lives. We get along so easily," Rose replied innocently.

    "If anyone was your sibling in your past life, it was me. I was sister in your past life and if you look closely, you will notice you and I look alike," Anna informed her. She hugged Rose and rested her head on Rose''s shoulder.

    Growing up, she found it hard to make friends but Rose felt so close to her from the moment she woke up from hera. Rose was the reason she woke up as early as she did or even woke up at all.

    She loved and cared for her sister more than she has ever loved anyone in her life. She did not like the fact that Rose chose Carl to be her sibling in her past life and not her.

    "We were sisters in our past life that is why we got adopted into the same family," Anna began trying to persuade Rose jealousy sipping from the tone she used.

    "I believe you and I have always being sisters and right now, we are sister," Rose said rubbing her jealous sister''s hair. "No one can pull us apart, okay? We love each other and that is what is important, right?"

    "Hmm. Right," Anna agreed triumphantly. "I am being whinny because I missed you so much. Every day felt so sad and lonely despite how busy I was school stuff."

    "We are sisters. You have every right to be whinny with me," Rose said pulling Anna closer when she remembered the question Carl asked about what she will do if Anna betrays her. "Anna, sisters don''t betray each other, right?"

    "Hmm," Anna replied finding the question odd but she decided it was not wrong for Rose to say that because of the mood they were both in. "Yes, we should never betray each other. We should always stick together."

    Rose nodded with a smile.

    Will Anna remember this promise she made to Rose in a few years? Rose hoped she will remember even after she tells her about her true identity.

    ***

    "We are sorry we did note to see you as soon as you returned," Debby apologized sincerely.

    "No, it is okay. I received the gifts you guys sent. Thank you," Rose appreciated with a smile.

    "You are wee," Debby said sitting beside Rose.

    "The reason we did not visit you and we told Eric to stay away too till youe to school is very unreasonable. Anna told we jinxed you recovery through the party she organized. We had to wait for you to go out yourself," Wayne narrated yfully ring at his best friend.

    "I am right. She did not have to return to the hospital because you all stayed away," Anna justified herself.

    "Rose is that true?" Debby asked with a sad pout of her lower lips.

    "Yes, it is true because I got your cards and gifts they made me feel energized. I felt a very strong enthusiasm toe to school to see you guys. She used you guys as a bait to ensure I am well enough toe to school," Rose took her time to exin.

    "Ann . . . I am d I sent the card to you," Debby said happily.

    "Wee back, Rose," Eric said with a smile when he got to their table.

 Chapter 139 - Just A Reminder

    "Thanks," Rose answered with a smile. "I heard you have been busy making a name for yourself."

    "Yes. It was hard but interesting as well. I am not satisfied and I won''t be until I get an offer from your mother''spany. I heard they only employ the best talents in the world," he said sitting down.

    "That is why my mother is trying to employ Rose but she has refused all her offers," Anna said shaking her head. "It will be nice if you could persuade her to work for my mother since it is a great honor."

    "I don''t think I can persuade her if you couldn''t after all you are sisters," Eric said as a matter of fact.

    "Do you know that the dream of thousands of designers all over the world? A lot of them will be willing to do anything to get such an opportunity," Debbymented confused. "Why?"

    "I will like to make a name for myself. I guess that is also a dream for millions of designers all over the world," Rose replied easily.

    "Yeah, that is right," they all agreed.

    "I admire that," Debby said sincerely. "I also admire your braveness. I want to make a name for myself but I don''t know how to escape the ws of my family''s expectations."

    "You have escaped long ago, you don''t just see it. They are also not putting as much pressure on you as you think they are," Rose told her. "You have won awards doing what you love and I am sure they are proud of you but they must think you are only writing as a hobby. Tell them you love writing and that you don''t want to continue what you they made you start. There is definitely no harm in trying."

    "I don''t want to try. I will get scolded for days if I do that," Debby replied shaking her head. "I don''t think Valerie took your rejection serious because you are not her biological child."

    "Yeah. You must be right," Rose said as she tried hard to maintain her smile. That was a reminded of who she was to Valerie and Anna. It was the truth, it was a truth she was very aware of but why did the reminder of that truth make her chest feel so tight and suffocating for her heart.

    "Debby, that is not right," Wayne said with a serious frown.

    "I am sorry if I crossed the line but I was only telling her the truth. Thest time I tried telling my mother I did not want to do anything that had to do with beauty, she told me she did not give birth to me to go against her wish," Debby said as she steered the cup of orange marmde before her with a straw.

    "Nevertheless, you shouldn''t have spoken to Rose the way you did," Anna told her with a serious frown. She did not expect Debby to talk to her sister the way she did because Debby was always a soft hearted girl who avoided hurting people.

    "I am sorry," Debby said and drank from the cup of marmde. She did her best to avoid their gaze as she stared at thebel on the cup.

    "It is okay. You were only saying the truth," Rose said still maintaining her smile.

    The air in the room they all sat to eat lunch felt very heavy after Debby''s apology even till they finished eating their lunch and returned to their sses.

    "Are you okay?" Eric asked when they were about to enter their ss.

    "Yes, I am fine. Why did you ask?" Rose asked since she have forgotten what Debby said doing lunch because she forgave her right from the moment she apologized. She knew Debby was not someone who will want to hurt anyone.

    They were talking to each other peacefully before she advised her. She used that to remind herself to mind her business and not try getting involved with other people''s business since she had enough things to worry about herself.

    "About what Debby said earlier, it is not right for her to say that to you the way she did but I am sure Debby meant no harm. She have been having problem at home for a few weeks now with her parents about what she wants to study in university. She must have vented everything on you," Wayne exined carefully.

    "I am not offended at all," Rose assured him and walked into the ss after giving him a friendly pat on his shoulder with a smile.

    "We have a club meeting today. Can you make it? Or you need to go home to rest?" Eric asked after following her to her seat.

    "I will try," she replied when she sat downfortably. She was already feeling weak and tired just after lunch.

    "It is okay if you can''t attend the meeting. After all they are preparing for this year''s ball," Eric said. "Do you have a dress for the ball?"

    "No I don''t have but I have one designed already."

    "I can help you make it since you are not allowed to stress yourself till are have fully recovered," Eric offered to help with his bright handsome smile that could easily make a girl jealous.

    "I think I will give you that responsibility. You will make one for Anna too. I can bring the designs tomorrow. We will go after school tomorrow to pick out the right fabrics," she agreed easily since it will do her a lot of good to rx and not go through the stress of making a dress when she has a friend who offered to help.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am really expensive so, you should get ready," he warned her jokingly.

    "Oh, sure. I will pay you well," she told him seriously despite her maintained smile.

    "I was only joking," he said shaking his head when he noticed she was serious about paying him.

    "I am serious. I heard you got really good at making female formal wears and a lot of people want you to make the clothes they will wear to the ball," Rose said. She was proud of her first apprentice.

    "I only did what you told me to do and besides I am not as good as they say I am," he said slightly shy as he avoided her gaze and turned to go to his seat.

    "I guess I did a really go job teaching you," she said without any hint of humility.

    "Thank you teacher," he said shaking his head with a smile at her sudden joviality which was very different from when they were eating lunch.

    "You are wee," she epted his appreciation with a proud smile. She watched him return to his seat and her smile slowly faded away. She looked down at her hands she ced on the table before her and sighed.

    ''Mum, I miss you," she said under her breath and sighed again.

    ***

    Anna fell on Rose bed with groaned. "I am so tired. Should we eat ice cream after dinner?" she asked Rose who was trying to finish up the design she wanted to give Eric the following day nced at her sister with a smile.

    "Yes. I miss ice cream. They won''t let me eat ice cream in the hospital," sheined as she jubted that she was finally going to eat ice cream.

    "I will sneak a little for you and surplus for myself," Anna said obviously excited.

    "Why?"

    "You are still in the hospital," Anna replied.

    "Whatever," Rose said. She prevented herself from throwing a pencil at her sister who was obviously teasing her.

    "I was only kidding. I will get you enough but surplus for myself," Anna said happy that she won although she knew Rose was just too tired and busy to talk to her.

    "I said whatever."

    "Wow, when did you get this?" Anna asked when she saw her sister''s phone cover.

    "I got it while I was in the hospital. Carl got it for me," Rose answered immediately to prevent further questions from Anna who could be very curious when she wants to. That was a lie. Liam got it from her. He left it beside her phone when he woke up.

    "It is so beautiful," Anna said picking the phone cover from the bedside table. "Why are you not using it?"

    "Nothing," Rose replied shaking her head. She have been fighting a mental war on whether she should use it or not. She thought of what using it will mean and what not using it will mean if Liam ever gets to see her phone.

    "He must have spent a lot on it because it is just so gorgeous and it will look good on you," Anna saiding down from therge bed. She picked Rose''s phone which was on the table.

    "No . . ." Rose said calmly despite the chaos in her heart.

    "Why?" Anna asked confused when Rose took her phone from her. "Let me help you put it on your phone, it will look so good."

    "No . . ."

    "I will use it since you don''t like it. This thing is very expensive. It is way more expensive than your phone," Anna said angry that her sister was despising the gift.

 Chapter 140 - The Phone Case

    "No . . ."

    "I will use it since you don''t like it. This thing is very expensive. It is way more expensive than your phone," Anna said angry that her sister was despising the gift.

    "No, I will use it," Rose said snatching the phone cover from her sister with a frown. She did not like the fact that her sister was going to use the gift she got from Liam. She would have dly let someone else use it if it was not given to her by Liam. It was hers from Liam and should remain that way.

    "I thought you did not want to use it," Anna said snatching it back from Rose with a serious frown that looked very identical with Rose''s frown.

    "It is mine," Rose said pulling from her. "I thought you don''t like Carl, why do you want to use the gift he got for me?"

    "It won''t be weird if I use after all we are distant cousins. And I did not say I don''t like the phone cover, I said I don''t like Carl. This thing is too beautiful. It suits you so well. I am sure it worth millions," Anna said eyeing the phone cover which was one of the most beautiful work of art she hase across in a while.

    "You can''t be sure," Rose said although she knew very well that it worth more it should worth.

    "When did Carl get so rich to buy you a gift that worth so much? It has almost anything precious you can think of and it is just a phone case," She said shaking her head in disapproval. "I like expensive things but I don''t think I am willing to spend so much on just a phone case."

    "Carl''s grandparents left the well-known ssic Jewelry store to him and his twin brother. They own it now although their father is the CEO now but getting something like this made will not be a hard task for him," Rose replied although she knew that Carl has no ess to the jewelry store.

    "I could ask him to make something simr but cheaper for me. Do you think he will do it?" Anna asked going back to Rose''s bed and sat down.

    "I don''t think he will do it," Rose replied her sister sincerely. She knew Carl could not make it for Rose since he had no ess to the jewelry store now.

    "Does he keep grudges?" Anna asked with a slight sad pout.

    "Yes, he does," Rose replied happily. She did not want Anna to ask Carl at all about it since he was clearly not the person who made it. "He will use it against you if you ever ask him for such a favor." She felt sorry towards Carl who she knew held not grudge against Anna over the rude remarks she have made towards him.

    "It won''t be favor. I will just ask him to make it and I will pay for it. Or will just visit one of the store''s branches here and have them make something like this for me," Anna continued. She has fallen deeply in love with the phone cover and she also thought using something simr to that of Rose''s phone cover will look cute.

    Rose sighed and red at Anna with a very serious expression. "I am trying to work here. Do you remember you asked me to help you with the dress you will wear for the ball? That is what I am trying to do now, okay?"

    "I am sorry. What about giving me the phone cover? I want it as my graduation gift," Anna said standing up from the bed once again, she walked to Rose. She tried to take the phone cover from Rose but Rose was quick to move it away from her reach.

    "I need rest Anna. I want to finish this up before we eat dinner," Rose said seriously. She folded her hands on her chest and watched her sister with a very displeased expression.

    Seeing Rose was very serious, Anna decided to give up. She groaned in defeat and returned to the bed while ring at Rose.

    "Your eyes can''t kill," Rose reminded her sister who seemed to be trying to her best to murder Rose with her eyes.

    "I hate you but I love you more," Anna said as she gave up and picked her own smart phone.

    "Whatever," Rose said as she continued designing.

    "I want a lc dress. I don''t care about the style you decide to design but it should not be too long. It could be a gown or a skirt and crop top," Anna said as she looked at the pictures of the dresses she fell in love with which were all designed by her sister.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have designed a dark purple gown for you. I will just change the color to lc. We will go for shopping during the weekend. I want to pick the right shoes for you," Rose said while her hands continued working on the sketch pad on her table.

    "We could call them to bring them over for you to choose since you are not strong enough to go around," Anna suggested.

    "No, I know the store we will visit because they have just what I think will look good on you," Rose told her sister who agreed with a nod.

    Rose nced at the phone cover and sighed before dropping her color pencil. She picked her phone and the phone cover hesitatingly. She looked at the two of them for a few seconds before putting her phone in the new case.

    The leather of the case was of very high quality crocodile skin. It was a pale shade of pink with very tiny diamonds arranged to form three roses of varying sizes on the back of the case. The diamond stones were so small and careful arranged on the leather. There was a small chain made of a mixture of well-polished tinum and gold.

    She rubbed the leather gently under her fingers as she could not seem to get enough of the wonderful smooth feeling they had on her fingers. She wondered what it will smell of as a part of her subconsciously noted that it will smell like Liam if he made it personally for her.

    She almost squealed excitedly when she brought it close to her nose and inhaled. The smelt very much like Liam. He made it for her. She smiled like the high school girl who was experiencing her first love she was although she will never ept that she was in love, at least not yet.

    Anna could not see the expression on her sister''s face since Rose was facing the table which was close to the wall but she knew what Rose just did. She could not understand why her sister will bother sniffing on the gift her cousin gave her when they not flowers that should scent and that made her think.

    After reying everything that just happened on her mind over and over again, Anna finally came to conclusion. She sat up and looked at her sister who was really busy with her work. "You did not receive that from Carl, right?" she asked as she slowly got down from the bed.

    "Uh?" was all Rose could ask when she heard her sister''s sudden statement.

    "I know Carl did not give it to you. You got it from someone else but you don''t want to let me know. And that''s why you refused to use it? I know you don''t want me to know, hopefully for now, and I am going to respect that," Anna said sad that she did not get to know the story behind the phone case.

    "I am sorry," Rose did not forget to apologize before facing the work on the table. "And thank you."

    "I think it is my fault that you insist on keeping it a secret. I know I dislike all your friends and I don''t bother hiding it. I am also sorry about being too judgmental about most of them. I promise to like my brother-inw no matter who he is," Anna apologized and ended the short speech with a teasing tone.

    "Thank you once again," Rose replied still engrossed in the work she had toplete before dinner. She was not aware that she had just agreed that it was given to her by her sister''s brother-inw, her husband.

    "You are wee. Thank you too."

    Rose nced at her sister and smiled slightly she sincerely hopes her sister remains this way and never changes like she almost did in the past. "Do you want to go with me to buy fabrics for your dress?"

    "No, you can pick any of your choice. You seem to know about me more than I know myself." Anna said misunderstanding the message behind Rose''s offer.

    Rose did not care to exin as she continued the work she had to do.

    ***

 Chapter 141 - Three Musketeers

    Rose and Eric left as soon as school was over. Eric drove the new car he got from his father. It was a simple nice car that fit him so well with its white color. She stopped driving since she returned to B city because she was not sure she was strong enough to do that.

    "Wee," the staff said as soon as Rose and Eric walked into the store.

    Rose smiled at the familiar staff. She was a frequent visitor to the store since she did not want to go to any of her mother''s fabric store. They will most likely not let her pay and treat her well and she did not want any of that. It was morefortable for to shop somewhere else.

    A staff followed her and Eric around as they search for the fabrics they wanted to buy. "I made a friend while I was in the hospital. He is my cousin. He wants to be a fashion designer," she narrated as they looked at the fabrics the staff showed them.

    "It will be nice if we go to the same school. We could be the three musketeers of the fashion industry. I know that sounds childish but if the guy has talent, we could actually start our own clothing brand together. You could be the CEO," Eric said with a hint of excitement at the thought of starting his own business.

    "It is easier said than done," Rose said thoughtfully although she did not believe it was impossible.

    "We are not too young to start. It will be cool because by the time we get older, thepany would have grown into something really big and all we will have to do after graduation is finally settling down in our offices," Eric said dreamingly as he touched a lc fabric to feel its texture.

    "I think this one is good enough. It feels so soft and will definitely befortable," Rose said also touching the fabric.

    "Think about what I said. I don''t think I can start my brand on my own but I think with you, it will be easier. You are the genius and I am the apprentice," he tried to persuade her hopefully.

    "I totally support that. I will like to be a part of something like that. As soon as we get to Star city, we could make it happen. I will talk to Carl today. But we will need professional help. We will also need capital. Come up with a business strategy that will be good. We could also start little just like what we are doing right now," Rose said thoughtfully.

    "Yes. It requires careful thinking and nning. And if you don''t trust Carl enough to have him joins us, we could do it alone," Eric said. He felt his heart race fast in excitement. The thought of starting a bigger business than he already has, was a beautiful dream. He has never thought of doing this before and he could not understand why he came up with such an idea but he liked the thought of it.

    He liked the thought of making a name for himself in the fashion industry, the thought of having his name written in the history of fashion to be taught to students in the future and the thought of working with a genius designer like Rose to make that happen. It was just so amazing.

    Turning to her friend who was very excited about the n he came up with, Rose smiled. "Your idea is very great but we also have to be careful after all we are just teenagers. We will need a professional to handle must of it. Although I have done a few business courses, I don''t think we can start something that big on our own."

    Eric nodded his excitement was visibly toned down. "I think we should hurry so could go back home earlier. It won''t be good for them to call you from home," He said.

    "Yeah, you''re right. I think this fabric is perfect. We should pick the next one," She said and they continued exploring.

    By the time they were done, Rose felt so tired she was scared that her legs might not be able to carry her any longer. She looked at Eric who was trying to buy some other fabrics for the other clothes he has to make. "Eric, I think I will wait for you at the caf¨¦ close by. I need to get a cup of milkshake and some cakes," she told him when she was sure that she could no longer endure.

    "Oh, sure," Eric agreed as he continued picking what he had to buy. It did not ur to him that Rose was very tired since he was too engrossed with the task he had to do. He thought she really just wanted the milkshake.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose sighed as soon as she sat on the soft sofa at the extreme end if the caf¨¦. The waitress brought her orders and she immediately helps herself with what was before her. Half way into enjoying the sweetness of the cake she bought, a few men walked into the cafe in ck suits and began walking towards her.

    It was not weird to see a few people in ck suit but it was definitely weird to see half a dozen men walking into a caf¨¦ in ck suit and very burly physique. She told herself they were not there for her as she continued eating. The caf¨¦ felt refreshing as it actually made her a lot stronger and also considering the fact that she was sitting confortable with the calm music ying in the background.

    The men continued walking towards her but she made a mental note to ignore them. It could be a group of bodyguards closing from work who decided to have coffee together. She was not sure if that actually made sense but she chose to believe that.

    When they kept passing by the empty chairs ahead, she could feel they were actuallying for her no matter how she tried to believe otherwise. When they finally got to where she sat? Rose held her breath and waited for them to speak. She wore a fearless expression although she could feel her bones shaking in fear underneath her skin.

    The tallest among them who stood in front of them bowed with the stone expression and the hardness in his eyes. "Good afternoon Miss Rose," he said in a very deep cold voice that immediately reminded her of a loud angry thunder.

    "Good afternoon," Rose epted his greeting with a slight obligatory smile as she felt a fragment of her fear get chipped off. It was actually a good thing that they did not knock her out before greeting her perhaps after she has woken up in a warehouse or nowhere in the woods.

    "Young master Jace will love to speak to you," the leader said.

    Is this a new technique used by kidnappers? Did she tell them she was a na?ve kid who will follow just anyone because they tell her that her father sent them to pick her up from school? Even kids of this generation won''t fall for such deception. "I have no wish to see your young master Jace," she replied before taking a sip of her milkshake while looking at them fearlessly.

    More fragments of her fears were chopped off this time. They looked like professionals when they walked in but after listen to them, she concluded that they were so dumb.

    "He will like to speak to you," the leader said giving her a phone he collected from one of the other men behind him.

    Rose took the phone from them despite the millions of images that appeared on her mind one of them which were that of the phone exploding as soon as she puts it close to her ear. She put the phone on loudspeaker and ced it on the table couple of feet away from her.

    "I am sorry to disturb you Rose but could you follow my men?" Rose heard Jace''s voice clearly from the other end.

    That was not persuasive enough. She knew she will be the biggest fool of the year to follow them just because she heard Jace''s voice from the phone. "I am sorry I don''t believe you are who you say you are. I won''t follow these men and if you really want to talk to me, you cane over yourself," she told him and returned the phone to the leader. She looked at the men before her and frowned. "Now you should excuse me before I raise rm," she warned them with a slight serious re.

    They actually obeyed her and walked away from her out of the caf¨¦. Finally, Rose could breathe freely. She exhaled the breath she held and sighed. She picked her phone to call someone for help since she was not sure of what will happen next if those men return.

    Maybe they won''t be patient enough to lure her. They might just knock her out as she thought earlier and transport her to wherever they wanted to in a body bag. She shivered at that thought as she scrolled through her phonebook for the person to call.

 Chapter 142 - Her Talk With Jace

    Just before Rose could make the decision on who to call as she fought mentally on whether to call Liam or her foster father, Jace walked in with Scott and the same guards who came to speak to her earlier following him.

    She paused just before she could call Liam after making her final decision. Jace walked to her with a cold distant look she found very foreign on his usual jovial face.

    "I am sorry if my men were rude earlier," Jace said as he made himself visiblyfortable on the sofa facing Rose.

    "That''s okay," Rose said despite how displeased and disappointed she was. She never thought Jace will send his men to pick her up in the manner that was why she did not go with his guards.

    Now, confirming that the very rude kidnapper was Jace, she felt very disappointed but she maintained an obligatory smile.

    "It is a relief that you are not offended," Jace said keeping his face coldly expressionless.

    "Do you have anything to say to me?" Rose asked not enjoying being with Jace with the amount of murderous energy he was emitting towards her. She had no idea how she offended him.

    "Yes, I do," Eric said in a matter that had Rose adjusting on the chair. "I don''t want you to marry my brother."

    Now, that was everything far what she thought he had to say to her. "I don''t understand," she replied wearing an innocent look and hid all her thoughts from her face.

    "You do. When my brother left home, he wanted you to be under his protection but my father was totally against it. He told my brother that my family was responsible for your safety and my brother should stay away unless you get married to him.

    "My brother''s aim is the throne and if you give him the throne, he will abandon you like he did to me," Jace narrated trying to hide all his rage from his voice.

    "He won''t," Rose replied. She did not miss the malice in Eric''s voice. "I don''t understand or even know what you heard but I am really going to marry your brother."

    "What makes you think so? Like they say, blood is thicker than water. If my brother could betray my father and I, then I see no reason why he won''t betray you. He is business man and he will definitely get rid of everything that stands in his way, like always even if you are the obstacle," Jace said the malice clear in his voice despite the fact that he maintained his expressionless look.

    "There is something you are not saying and you will never be able to persuade me with lies," Rose told him and continued enjoying her milkshake.

    "What do you want me to say?" Jace asked clearly impatient.

    "I can''t seem to recognize you any longer, Jace. First you sent your guards here to kidnap me then youe here to tell me not to marry your brother. I don''t understand what is happening, I don''t know what makes you act in this manner and if I am not aware of those reasons then I don''t think I can listen to what you have to say," Rose exined to him after she took the final sip from the cup of milkshake.

    Jace never expected Rose to speak to him in the manner she did. He knew she was annoyed and she was also disappointed. He did not really care about how she felt but he knew he had to rx in order to persuade her.

    "My brother should never marry a princess. We are not allowed to be a part of the Royal family," he began his narration. "It is a taboo to have any sexual rtionship with a princess or the Queen. It have been this way for so many centuries now from the moment your family took over the kingdom."

    "I thought he left your family," Rose said rxing to listen to what he has to say since he was no longer giving her orders.

    "Yes, he did. He is no longer a member of the Hart family but he is still my brother and my father''s son. He left our family because he wanted to marry you. And he wants to marry so he could be king," Jace narrated as he prayed and hoped that Rose agrees.

    "How did you know I agreed to marry him?" Rose asked curiously.

    "He asked my father to withdraw your men which means you are officially under his protection. That can only happen if you agree to marry him which makes you his fiancee," Jace replied watching her closely for any detail.

    "If your family have such a rule, why did you try to set me up with your brother in school?" Rose asked thoughtfully.

    "That was because I was ignorant. I knew nothing about the rule until recently. When my brother left home, I had hoped that one day he will return back home but with this, he will never return. He will never be able to be my brother again from the moment you get married to him," Jace said adding a sad expression on his once expressionless face to add to his persuasive speech hoping it works well on Rose.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I agreed to marry your brother for a very simple reason. And that is because he offered me a good deal. He will help me get the throne in order to be king. It assures me that he won''t betray me because he needs me to make that happen in the bloodless manner he wants," Rose told him truthfully.

    "And what about when he bes king?" Jace asked giving her a pitiful look that hinted a lot of things.

    "What do you mean?" she asked adjusting herself on the chair when she began feeling ufortable.

    "He can kill you just like your mother was killed," Jace replied her calmly ensuring to pronounce every word clearly.

    "I understand that you and your brother are not in good terms but it will be very childish of you to ce me in the middle of everything," Rose replied him in displeasure.

    "You have been in the middle of everything from the moment he saved your life," Jace said with an obvious hint of anger.

    This was yet another think that she found very confusing. "What do you mean by that?" she asked once again.

    "I will leave that to Liam to answer after all he did it not me," Jace replied seriously.

    "What happens if I refuse to marry your brother?" Rose had to ask despite how curious she was for the answer to the question she asked earlier.

    "He won''t force you to marry him. You will be protected by my family and we will help you get the throne," he replied.

    "I just can''t seem to trust you. I don''t believe what you just said. We don''t have a deal. I don''t think it is safe for me to believe you," Rose told him sincerely. She could not swear that she trusted Liam totally but she trusted the deal they made. Bing King has to mean a lot to him for him to give her his liver.

    "How about I discuss with my father ande up with a suitable deal that does not include marrying a man you don''t love?" Jace asked persuasively.

    "I am okay making decisions on my own. I chose your brother to be my shield. I will keep my word. You should try to persuade your brother to let me go. If he agrees then I won''t force him. I think that is when I will consider other options," she told him as she slowly stood up.

    He stood up too his expression back to the cold expression it was when he walked into the caf¨¦.

    "My friend is waiting for me," she said looking at Eric who was making his way towards her with a serious expression.

    "Well, then I must say it was nice talking to you although my effort turned out to be fruitless. I hope you consider working with us and not with someone who won''t hesitate to betray his family for his selfish interest," he advised her as he stood up too.

    "Thanks for the advice,"She appreciated with a slight presence of sarcasm in her tone. Jace left immediately before she could leave and she found herself staring at his back as he walked away.

    She wondered what changed the jovial happy Jace she used to know who loved his brother so much to an unhappy Jace who was looking for any means to destroy the very brother he used to love.

    "That was young master Jace," Eric said when he got to her.

    "Yes."

    "Hope all is well. He did not seem to be in a good mood at all. He looked really serious."

    "Yes, he was serious."

    She felt the sincerity in Jace''s words but she also felt the hatred he had directed to both her and his brother. This was a hatred she has never noticed while they were in the same ss. What really happened?

 Chapter 143 - He Is Not Busy?

    "Are you sure you are okay?" Eric asked when he noticed Rose looked a little pale and unhappy.

    "Yes, I am fine. We can go back home since you are done," Rose said with small smile and headed towards the entrance of the caf¨¦.

    "Young master Jace looked a little different today. I don''t why but I just can''t see him in the person I saw this afternoon," Eric voiced out his observation. Even when Jace told him to stay away from Rose he sounded really gentle and harmless. He could not see the gentleness in the young master who walked past him only a couple of minutes ago.

    "I guess everybody gets to face things in life that changes thempletely," she said with sad smile.

    Eric nodded in agreement as he helped her open the door of his car. When she satfortably, he closed the door and went over to the driver''s seat. "Thanks for helping me chose the fabric and sorry for stressing you out," he said when he sat and wore his seatbelt.

    "You are wee. Anna has a very sensitive skin and she will definitely want to wear somethingfortable," Rose said with a smile.

    Looking at her, Eric found himself feeling jealous of Anna. He was an only child and except his cousin who used to live with his family when he was young, he did not have anyone else to y with. When his cousin left and his parents got too busy that he might not see them for days, he became really lonely.

    He has not seen his mum for more than a month now and he was not sure he will see her at all till he goes to Star city. Rose''s foster parents were also very busy people but Anna and Rose had each other. He felt it must be very good to have someone care and feel concerned about him in such attentive manner.

    Rose looked outside the window as Eric drove her home but her mind was not on anything outside the window at least not anything she could see looking outside. She did not even seem to take notice of the buildings that they passed by or the people, adult, children and the cute dogs. She was thinking of what Jace said to her earlier.

    She felt she needed and deserved an exnation from the two brothers. Jace was most likely done with his exnation he obviously won''t want to exin further even if she asks him for a clearer exnation. The resentment she felt he had towards her made her not consider asking him for exnation.

    The only person she could ask was Liam. She sighed and looked at her phone with its beautiful cover shining under the smallest ray of light. She made a decision to talk to Liam about it. As soon as she got back home and entered her room, she called him but perhaps he was too busy to pick any call because his phone was switched off.

    After taking her medications, the doctor who took care of her advised her to rest the following day at home and forfeit going to school because she was too stressed and her body needed rest. She agreed immediately feeling tired both physically and mentally.

    She slept off almost immediately after she ate her dinner.

    ***

    She called Liam once again the following day although her curiosity was half of what it was the day before. This time, he picked her call in a few seconds.

    "Hello," he said with his voice just as musically deep and as beautiful as ever before.

    The people having a meeting with him in conference room all found themselves very shocked by the softness in their boss'' voice. They knew the boss was no longer with his family, so who could possible make the boss so soft and gentle.

    They pretended to go through the papers before them on the table when the boss looked towards their direction. The glimpse they got of their boss'' eyes which always seemed to remind them of the artic and gave them the feeling of being locked in an ice cell looked so gentle and warm melting all the ice they were frozen in.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They did not forget to note that this was the very first time their boss'' personal phone rang while they were having a meeting and it was also the first time he picked a call from someone in a meeting.

    A few did not miss the look of a very pleasant surprise on their boss'' face when he looked at the screen of his phone when the phone vibrated before he answered the call.

    Rose took a deep breath and exhaled fighting back the urge she had to simply tell him it was nothing and hang up. "Are you busy?" she asked carefully. She nced at the wall clock and it was just ten in the morning and he must be busy with work. She immediately regretted calling him at such a time.

    "No, I am not busy," Liam replied automatically and stood up happily. Did Rose sound worried about disturbing him? He smiled, this was a huge step. He made a mental note to write this date down although he had picture memory and will never forget this day ever. She did not sound like she was in trouble and in need of help which made him rx visibly.

    The people in the room found themselves stealing nces at their boss who was shamelessly lying that he was not busy when they had just began the meeting and the person giving a presentation was still standing waiting for the boss to let him continue.

    This was a day they all made sure to take mental note of. They actually saw their cold boss smile. The smile was small but not unnoticeable considering the cold personality of their boss.

    ? "Could we talk?" Rose asked doubting the fact that she was making the right decision.

    "Sure," Liam replied. "I will see you soon."

    The people seated in the conference room for a meeting watched as their boss ended the meeting with only a wave of his hand when they had so many other things left to do and discussion in the meeting. They also watched surprised as their very dignified and usually rx boss hurry out of the conference room.

    They were jealous of the lucky girl or boy who could melt their ice cold boss. Boy? Yes, rumors had it that their boss was gay because every girl seemed so invisible to him. A few boys tried to attract the boss'' attention when the rumor began circting in the HQ and when he did not show any interest either, they found themselves with no other thing to gossip than to conclude that he had a pretty boy at home.

    "No, I mean . . ." Rose began but the beeping sound made her know that he had hung up. She only wanted to talk and not see him. She wondered how he intended toe to see her when he was still in Star city. At this point, she had a reasonable reason to regret calling him.

    She nced at the back of her phone the shiny polished diamonds shining back at her. Her friends had been very baffled when they saw it. They wanted to know how much it cost and even estimated its worth to a number which had six bold digits.

    They were even more baffled when Anna told them it was a gift from a cousin. It was obvious that none of them believed that. The chain had a little pendant with the shape of a heart. Although they did not believe she got it from her cousin, she was grateful that they did not state the obvious because it saved her from answering a lot of questions she did not want to answer.

    She wondered how he wanted them to meet. She was advised to stay at home and she really wanted to stay at home to rest. She remembered Liam was not like any other person and getting into her room was not a hard thing for him. She found herself looking around the room for anything amiss that might make her room appear disordered.

    When she found none, she sighed in relief and returned to her bed. She read books while resting on her bed throughout that morning. She had no idea when Liam will arrive. She kept her phone beside her in case he calls.

    She also did not forget to leave the ss door which led to the balcony unlocked although she knew a locked door was never an obstacle to Liam. She did not know how he does it but he always seems to have the key at all times.

    She had her lunch outdoor. Mara offered to bring the meal to her room but she refused. She wanted fresh air and she did not want to stay locked up in her room for the rest of the day.

 Chapter 144 - A Comfortable Chat

    The outdoor dining table was in the garden. It was really cool with a white canopy that was designed to look like a white wool cap shielding her from the bright afternoon soon. Half way into her lunch which she had to eatte because she was waiting for Liam in her room, she felt a presence close to her.

    She almost jumped up and it took a lot of effort for her chest to prevent her heart from flying out of her chest. It was actually a pleasant surprise but considering the way she raised her head to see Liam sitting in front of her, it was too much of a shock for her.

    She gasped with her eyes now saucer-shaped. She almost chocked on the little food in her mouth. She took her time to chew and swallow thanking her stars that she did not choke when she gasped. "What . . . how . . .," she stuttered after drinking half a ss of water.

    "I am sorry I scared you," Liam said. He found her expression very cute but he scolded himself because it could have been a dangerous move if Rose choked.

    "Please could you not do this ever again? I almost choked on my lunch," she scolded ring at him displeased.

    "I am sorry your highness," he said jovially but sincerely. To show his sincerity, he helped her refill her ss with water.

    She actually felt pleased by that action. She took the ss of water and took a sip. She looked around wondering how he got to the garden but when she remembered he had very good sneaking skills, she decided to ignore that.

    "You wanted to talk to me, right?" he asked her when she was done eating lunch.

    "Yes," she said rxing in the cool sweet scenting garden. "I called you yesterday, your phone was switched off," she told him her tone sounding like she was scolding a naughty student.

    "Sorry about that. I keep my phone away when I am meditating," he said naturally.

    "Meditating?" she asked amazed. Her eyes shone with so much curiosity which he found very cute.

    "Yes, I meditate for a couple of hours every day for my mental health," he narrated with a smile.

    "Wow, that is so interesting but I wanted to talk to you and you were out of reach," sheined so naturally. When she realized what she had just said, she could not hold back the light shade of pink that tinted her cheeks. She dropped her face when she noticed her face was heating up.

    "Once again, I am very sorry about that, your highness. I will make sure to leave my phone on and never switch it off," he apologized. He was enjoying this conversation. He wished it could continue forever. He could never get tired of her soft light musical voice. It was like music in his ears.

    Rose cleared her throat when she discovered she had been talking to him sofortably like they have always been close friends. "You brother came to see me yesterday," she told him in a very serious mood.

    "What did you two talk about?" Liam asked automatically. He felt rage building up because he knew Jace must have tried to transfer all the anger he felt towards him at Rose.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing the rage in Liam''s eyes, she found herself gulping. He looked very much like the Mafia King everyone knew him as and not the young handsome man who was trying to win her over. "He told me not to get married to you. Is there a tangible reason why I shouldn''t?" she asked watching closely.

    "You know I will never force you to do what you don''t want to do, right?"

    Rose found herself nodding without a second thought. She was not sure her answer was right but at that moment, she could not give him a negative answer. "He said so many things I could not understand. He did not give me a clear exnation when I asked for one so I called you to give me an exnation," Rose narrated.

    "So what is your question?" he was very ready to give answers to her questions.

    "He said something about me being in the center of everything from the moment you saved my life," Rose told him and waited for his exnation.

    "I gave you a part of my liver. I saved your life," he reminded her.

    "I am not too dumb to forget that. I am sure he was talking about something else. Something I don''t know of," Rose told him displeased with the answer he gave her which was not what she wanted.

    " . . . Or perhaps something you have forgotten," he added.

    "Forgotten?" she asked thoughtfully. "I don''t think I understand what you are saying."

    "You know what happened but you chose to forget it among many other things. I think what you should be doing right now is trying to remember. Try to get those lost memories back. I really can''t believe that you can''t remember me," he said with a hint of mncholy in his voice. "Perhaps some things are best forgotten, right?"

    Now she has gotten to the end of the road with that. It seems she won''t be able to get anything out of Liam concerning that. Lost memories? Now, that was a hard task to do. How was she going to get memories she had absolutely no idea about. "Could you help me remember?" she asked after a while of silence in the garden except for the few birds singing around on the background.

    "Sure but I will only help when it is the right time. I don''t think you should ce the burden of such memories on your fragile shoulders," he replied.

    Rose chuckled softly finding his answer slightly cheesy. "I am okay with whatever I decide to carry on my shoulders," she told him confidently. She has gotten very painful memories back why should she be bothered by memories that had Liam in it? The memory of her death was painful enough, what memory could be more hurtful and traumatizing than that?

    "I will ask you once again when the timees," he simply told her since he knew she was very ignorant of what those memories held it was like opening a Pandora box. Not everyone will be bold enough to do that.

 Chapter 145 - Q And A

    "Jace also said something about you betraying your family," Rose began when she noticed that she might not be able to get any answer from Liam concerning that.

    "Yes, my family made it a taboo for a male from my family to marry someone from the royal family. Our loyalty lies with the throne," Liam replied.

    "When my mother died I don''t remember seeing anyone from your family protecting her," Rose said in disbelief. Why do they keep saying that it was their duty to protect the throne when her mother died in a faraway country?

    "You must have forgotten all the stories your mother told you about her kingdom. The Hart family has always been the loyal servant of the Queen. It might not have been known by most people because our service to the throne was a secret. We are meant to help the Queen when no one else could help. We umted wealth to help the Queen in serious economic situations and we maintained our wealth since we became so connected to the kingdom''s economy that a mistake from us will definitely affect the kingdom''s economy.

    "My father helped your mother the moment things began getting hard for her why do you think the rumors that your mother had an affair with my father began? The person who started the rumor knows about the rtionship the Hart family has with the Queen. Perhaps they caused the problem to make my father show his support. I have people investigating that and the moment all the dots are connected, I will kill the person myself.

    "My father was fighting for his life with the men working with my family all disoriented since a lot of them died when my father was attacked. When your mother disappeared from the pce, my father was unconscious to know what was happening or even offer his help. When he woke up, he was at the point of losing everything. He almost lost hispany and all the wealth his family took centuries to umte. You and your mother were also gone. He began trying to find you and your mother.

    "It took a while for my father to recover everything while trying to save hispany and the dying economy. You might not believe it since you never got to witness it but this kingdom was in a total mess when your mother disappeared that is why they me her. She was also framed for a lot of crimes she nevermitted. They all forgot the power and kindness she always showed as queen.

    "My father still mes himself for being useless when you both needed him most but that is a thing of the past that''s why he offered you help," Liam gave her a very detailed exnation.

    She felt at lose when he stopped talking. She wanted the music she heard in his voice to continue. She wanted to also hear more about his family more about the history he wanted her to know.

    "I betrayed my family because I wanted to help you get the throne but in a more powerful and ruthless way than my father would have helped," he said. He took her silence when he stopped talking earlier as an indication that she wanted to hear the answer of the real question she asked and not the imaginary one he wanted to answer.

    "Oh . . ." she said snapping out of the day dream she enjoyed from listening to his voice. How could someone''s voice sound so sweet that she did not notice the lies in them? He betrayed his family to help her? Bloody lie!

    " . . . And to be king," he said added when he noticed she was very skeptical about the answer he gave.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So, you left your brother and father because they did not want you to be king which is against your family''s tradition. You wanted what they call a taboo and had to leave them to get it. You are really just as cruel as Jace said you were. How can I be sure that you will not betray me when you find something else you want just as badly as this?"

    "Is there anything greater than being king?" he simply asked without a direct answer. A direct answer will most likely displease Rose since she won''t believe him anyway.

    "It depends," Rose answered.

    "As time goes on, I will help you know all you need to know about the history of your kingdom. I spent a lot of time learning it while growing up," Liam offered to help his fianc¨¦e.

    "Thanks in advance," she had to appreciate. She read all the history books she found in the library at home but it seems all her effort was fruitless.

    Liam told her a lot of things she was not aware of while they sat together outside. He told her very painful stories of what her people were going through that no one seemed to notice. They were all stories that motivated her to take the throne away from her father. She wanted a division at this point. She did not want the two kingdoms to remain together since her people were not treated right by her father''s people.

    It was after sun set and night was slowly arriving that Liam stood up ready to leave. "I have to go but I don''t mind staying with if you want me to," he told her.

    "Bye and thank you. I took a lot of your time," she said hastily although very sincerely as she ignored what he said and stood up too.

    "I am d I could be of help," he epted her appreciation with a slight smile.

    She nodded. He was of very great help to her. It has been a while since she felt this good just listening to someone talk. He was like motivational speaker trying to awaken an unbendable desire for her to work hard to save her people. She was very much motivated. She was determined to help and support her people.

    "Whenever you need anything, let me know. I don''t care what it is. I will ensure you get it," he promised her just before he left the garden. His promise lingered in the air for while when he left.

 Chapter 146 - Red Haired Boy

    "Did you contact Jace like you said you will?" Rose asked Anna on their way to school the following day when she remembered how strange Jace was when she met him.

    "I tried but I guess he was too busy to pick my call. I need a really hot and wealthy young master to hold unto if I want to save my pride. I need a distraction to prevent me from going back to him. I think I am getting really desperate these days. Like every day I see him, I feel I a stronger urge to apologize for being rude to him," Anna said sadly. "I think I should trying going on a blind date. I will have Wayne set me up with some handsome young master."

    "Don''t force yourself because you are scared you will apologize. You could simply wait. Our graduation is right at the corner and soon you won''t have to see him and feel pressurized," she advised her sister. "Although I think an apology won''t hurt. I might not like him much but it is basic manner to apologize to someone you offend."

    "I really don''t want to. I don''t think an apology will make him get back with me. I apologized to Noah but she refused to get back with Wayne. He used to go to her house frequently but she returned to Star city and I think he mes me," Anna told Rose with a very guilty expression.

    "It is a good think you know it is your fault," Rose said. "I think Wayne also deserves an apology from you. You jeopardized his rtionship."

    "Yeah. You are right. If I ever lose Wayne as my friend, I might never find someone as nice and smart as he is who will be willing to keep up with my craziness. We used to be four but the fourth person left. She was Debby''s friend and when Debby became my friend, she also became my friend. She left before I woke up. I heard her family moved somewhere else. Wayne said she cut offmunication. She changed her number . . . I guess I was really a bad friend to make her run away from us without looking back."

    "I don''t so. I think she did something bad. She feels too ashamed to see you guys," Rose replied with an encouraging smile.

    "You don''t have to say it that way to please me. I doubt if that is the case. She is happy now and I guess I should be happy for her."

    Rose did not continue encouraging her sister about her friendship although she was very sincere about what she said. From what she heard from Debby, the girl left only a week after Anna''s disappearance. She suspected that the girl had a hand in it all. Anna was yet to get her memories back which make almost everyone around Anna at that time a suspect. It could be Wayne or Debby although she hated to think of these possibility.

    "I will help you with your bag," Anna said bring their bags from the back seat when she parked Rose''s car which she drove. It took a while for Rose to seed in persuading her to use her license.

    "Thanks," Rose said and got out of the car.

    Standing beside a blue small car with most of it paints worn off, was a guy with a crown of red curly hair. He gazed at the two sisters intently with his grip on his bag further tightening.

    Anna looked towards the red haired guy and paused shocked by the amount of hostility she could feel directed towards her.

    "Are you okay?" Rose asked following her line of sight.

    "Yes, let''s go," she said and left the car park. She hugged Rose''s arm.

    "Are you okay?" Rose had to ask again when she noticed her sister''s mood had be really sad.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hmm."

    "I thought we settled everything with him? Does he still me you for his crush''s death? Hope he doesn''t harrass you?"

    "No one can harrass me. He just keeps giving me really creepy nces in ss. He stares at me as far as we find ourselves in the same ce," Anna replied unhappy.

    "We told Jace to help us find out what really happened. Perhaps we should tell mum about it. She will be able to help us. I don''t think it will stop with just the stares. What if he decides to revenge by killing you?"

    "I don''t think it will get to that. We could all call himter and talk to him. Perhaps we could have him tell us what he saw on the night Jace got stabbed," Anna suggested.

    "Yeah, I think we should do that first and if things does not work out well then we will have to let an adult take care of it," Rose concluded.

    Anna agreed. She took Rose to the door of her ss and left her after hugging her. Rose advised her to be careful and try not to be alone at all.

    Perhaps aftering in contact with a psychopath, Rose got really watchful and perhaps a little paranoid. She did not see a psychopath in the red haired guy but she was sure that someone could easily turn to one when hungry for vengeance.

    She did not want her sister to be a victim of any of that sort. At least she did not want it to happen once again. The first was a very huge blow on her sister both physically and emotionally. She did not want to imagine how huge of a blow it will be on Anna if it happens to her again. Anna might not be able to survive it.

    "Hello Master," Eric said in a sing-song voice when he saw Rose.

    "Hello Apprentice,"she replied easily with a soft smile.

    Two words came to Eric''s mind when he saw Rose''s bright smile, ''So Blinding." He however forgot to add ''as always''.

    "How do you feel now?" he asked when Rose made herselffortable on her seat.

    "I feel better," she replied maintaining her smile.

 Chapter 147 - He Knows The Culprit

    "I feel better," she replied maintaining her smile.

    "Yeah, I guessed so. You look better. I guess it was all my fault you had to miss school yesterday since I was a very ipetent apprentice who could not chose the right fabric without your supervision," Eric said in a dramatic manner she found funny. "I am very sorry. I promise to do my best in the future."

    "It''s okay. A little outing or exercise won''t hurt me," she epted his apology. "Have you started making it?"

    "Yes although I made a serious mistake which I am very embarrassed to say," he said with his head bowed in both guilt and embarrassment.

    ? "What mistake did you make?" She was a little rmed. She heard a hint of joke in his tone but she was not sure of it. She decided to y along. If he was serious then she will have to take up the work herself and if he was not serious then she willugh over his serious joke when he tells her, "I was joking".

    "Hey, don''t panic," Eric said happy he got her.

    "Why shouldn''t I? The graduation is only a week away and so is the ball," Roseined making sure to sound worried. She already suspected fully that it was only a joke.

    "I said you shouldn''t panic because I was joking," he said smiling broadly satisfied.

    "Oh goodness. You scared me. I thought I will have to do it myself," she said with just the perfect expression to show she felt relieved.

    "No, don''t you trust your apprentice?" he asked wriggling his brow.

    "Yeah I trust you and that is because I trust my skill as your teacher," she told him with a triumphant smile.

    He smiled at her answer and shook his head as he returned to his seat when the teacher walked into the ss.

    ***

    The private room Rose and her friends sat for lunch was quiet as they watched the red-haired guy who was visibly ufortable in their midst shifting on the seat he sat with his hands sped on hisps. When Anna told them about everything, Wayne called a few boys from the robotics club and had them bring the red-haired guy to the room.

    "We mean no harm, you can rx," Wayne said in a low tone which brought out the opposite of what he said. The boy froze when Wayne ced his hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

    "I have noticed the way you look at Anna," Debby informed the boy with a very serious tone and expression on her face. "I ignored it because I thought there was nothing wrong but I really think there is something wrong. You look at her like she killed your mother."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "She killed ire," the boy replied in a confident manner that they found surprisingly different from the scared boy he looked like just few seconds ago. "She fought with ire in front of the whole school."

    "How does fighting with ire in front of the whole school make her ire''s murderer?" Debby asked pissed off by his answer. "How could you say such a thing about Anna. I am sure you saw how your . . . I don''t even know who she is to you. But I am sure you saw the inhuman manner her copse was exhibited? How could you say Anna did it?"

    "She does not need to do it herself. She made Jace get hurt too. There are two possibilities, one perhaps Anna is not the innocent girl she pretends to be. Two, perhaps she is actually innocent but she is innocently implicating the people around her especially ire and Jace. You never know who is next."

    "We really don''t care what you think. We don''t care about all the ghost stories you have at the tip of your tongue to narrate but we want you to stay far away from Anna or we will find a way to send you out of this school just before your graduation," Wayne threatened very seriously. He meant every single word he said to the boy.

    "Do you know how hard I tried to leave this school when I witnessed what happened to Jace?" the boy asked with a hint of sarcasm showing Wayne''s threat had absolutely no effect on him.

    "What did you witness?" Rose had to ask. She believed all that the boy said although she did not know the reason why he was saying it and who the culprit was but it was very clear that the culprit was someone who knows Anna well and perhaps was very close to her even at this moment.

    She took in a deep breath and stared around at the faces of the people in the room. Will this boy be okay after saying all he just said? She was curious but she wished the boy will keep shut and hide the secret with him to save his head.

    "I saw Jace get stabbed. It was dark and every one was busy with fashion show stuff. I saw who did. Please don''t tell anyone I saw what happened, okay?" Fear became evident in the boys eyes. He was obviously very scared that the culprit wille after him.

    Rose observed from the boy''s unrestrained tale that the boy was not scared of speaking about what he witnessed that night in front of everyone in the room which meant the culprit was not among her friends. With this discovery she found it was actually weird that she actually suspected one of her friends.

    "I don''t think this can stay away from people''s ears for long. I won''t be able to keep it from Jace. I will tell him everything after all he was our friend and if someone was bold enough to attack him in school where his family made sure he will be safe in, then we have to warn him to prevent reurrence," Wayne said very serious about the whole matter.

    "In conclusion," Debby said in a very dramatic manner. "We want you stay away from Anna."

    "We won''t see each other when we graduate."

    "We had to stop you before you hurt Anna. We don''t care about what happens as far as you don''t hurt Anna."

    Behind the door, a man frowning rxed the muscles of his face and slowly lifted up the corners of his lips to form the type of smile that will do a good job of sending chills down your spine.

 Chapter 148 - Another Death

    Behind the door, a man frowning rxed the muscles of his face and slowly lifted up the corners of his lips to form the type of smile that will do a good job of sending chills down your spine.

    **

    A red-haired youth looked around as soon as he got down from the little car his father handed over to him after using it for over a decade but the car was maintained well that it was hard tell except for the model which was produced eleven years ago.

    He felt the presence of a stranger and he was scared but this was his home and if he stayed away, his family could get hurt. Now, he found himself almost confirming that Anna was not the good girl she pretends she is.

    He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and tried sending a message to his father that everyone should stay at home and not open the door of his room.

    A ck van parked in front of his car and a white tinted sport car stopped behind him. He was confused, it seems two set of people came for him because he could not imagine two carsing to take only him away when he was very weak and powerless.

    The door of the white sport car opened and a young man he recognized immediately as the guard who always walked with Jace in school stepped out of it in a ck suit. "Mr. Coleman?" the young man asked with a slight smile as he nced at the ck van which reversed immediately and speed off.

    "Yes," the red-haired replied exhaling in relief. However, his relief was short lived when he suddenly dropped to his knees due to the sudden sharp pain he felt in his temple.

    He raised a shaky hand to touch the source of the pain looked down at his hand with his blurry vision to see his once neat hands stained red with his own blood. The boy did notst one more seconds on his knees as he fell with his face to floor.

    Scott looked around before walking to the boy and tried to help the boy but he knew that there was no way he was going to be able to save the boy from the bullet he got in his temple.

    It was a pity yet another young bright life has been taken due to the greed and wickedness of mankind. This was all a confirmation that the boy really saw the culprit and he was killed to hide the truth.

    He was busy helping Jace with some paper works when Jace''s got a message from one of their friends in high school telling him that they know someone who witnessed the incident that happened over a year ago.

    Jace did not believe because he said there was nobody around when that happened but he suggested that they try to listen to what the boy had to say and when Jace agreed ¨C which took him two hours to make the decision ¨C he drove fast to the boys home but he was not early enough to safe the boy''s life.

    He called the police. He felt really bad looking at the pool of blood at his feet. If only he came a few minutes earlier, he might have saved the boy''s life and know who the culprit is.

    The sniper who ended the life of the now dead high schooler was a professional, hitting his target at the most fatal spot and ending the boy''s life before anyone could notice anything was wrong.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He was happy that Jace did note with him or he will have gotten punished for endangering his boss'' life.

    He returned home as soon as the police arrived. After giving them his statement and mentioning who he was in the Hart family, he was allowed to go without dy.

    The police will begin a serious investigation but no matter how serious the investigation will be, they may never find who the culprit is.

    The culprit is long gone and it will take more than the resource the Hart family had to offer to take down such a person. There was someone else, someone very powerful that he could swear over and over that he was not human who could help them.

    He took the route to the Hart family home where Jace stayed in with his father but parked on the side of the road.

    He shook his head. If he tells Jace the name of the person he had in mind, Jace will definitely hate him and since he was not willing to let that happen, he wanted to do it alone. He wanted to make the decision on his own. He lived to ensure Jace''s safety and if he had to go against Jace to make that happen then he was willing to do that even offering his life.

    It took a while for him to motivate himself about the decision he was about to make. He took his time to think about what the positive oue of his decision will and locked out all the negative decisions. He pressed the start button and made a U-turn to a different direction.

    ***

    Debby, Anna, Rose, Wayne, and Eric all sat quietly in the room they eat their lunch. They were all quiet. This room they all sat in was the same room the red-haired boy sat and he told them all he had to say only yesterday. They came to school to the news that the boy was dead. He got shot to death right in front of his house.

    Debby felt her breakfast try to make its way up her throat back to her mouth as she thought of how ire''s copse was disyed right in their school.

    The restroom where she was left in was now called a haunted restroom and has been closed up by the school.

    A few students say they hear her cry from the restroom when they are going back home. They also say she leaves the restroom to study with students reading in the school at night.

    It was bad enough that a student died that way in the school and yet another student has died. All were connected to Anna.

    She looked at Anna and she could not control the bile rising up her throat and she excused herself immediately to the restroom to dump the delicious breakfast she ate down the toilet bowl.

 Chapter 149 - New Expressions

    "Are you okay?" Anna asked gently patting her friend''s back.

    "Hmm," Debby replied but shrugged her friend''s hand off her back. She rinsed her mouth at the tap and looked at her friend who stood innocently behind her. "Two people," she says still looking at their reflections in the mirror.

    "Uh?" Anna asked shocked by that sudden statement from her friend.

    "Two people have died how many people more?" Debby asked seriously. She leaned on the wash hand basin. Her grip on it tightened until her knuckles turned white.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about Debby," Anna replied sincerely. She did not know what to feel anymore. Just yesterday Debby defended her but right now she was getting used by her best friend.

    "Rose too . . . was it because of you?" Debby watched Anna gasp her expression showing the pain she felt but at this point, Debby did not know who to trust. "The fire, was it because Rose is your sister? Did Rose get stabbed because she is your sister? Did ire really die because of you? Did you kill the Coleman boy too?"

    "Oh goodness . . ." Anna groaned running her fingers through her short ck hair. She pulled her hair gently as she looked at the look of usation on Debby''s face. Even if she might have wanted to hurt ire more than she did with the ps she gave her in front of the whole school, she will never want Rose to get hurt. "I . . ." she began but the words could not escape her lips.

    "This is too much of a coincidence, don''t you think so too?" Debby asked. "You should know something. First it was you then, it was ire, then Jace, then Rose before the Coleman. You are the key to all these. You know who is doing all these. I am scared. I don''t know if I will get hurt just because I spoke to you in such a manner. I just hope you hurt me alone and not along with my family."

    "Debby, listen to yourself," Anna cried frustrated, "Do you really think all these happened because of me? What about when I was dying the hospital? What about me? You know what happened to me. If it is an enemy don''t you think they will go after my family? If it is a friend don''t you think they will go after my enemies? But why then are my friends and enemies suffering? Shouldn''t that make you know that it is all a coincidence? It is not my fault."

    "Okay," Debby gave her a quick uninterested answer.

    "I know you don''t believe me but I am saying the truth. I know nothing about any of these. I am frustrated. I am tired of knowing there is someone haunting me and everyone I love and hate. I am way more frustrated than you are right now," Annained visibly tired of the whole drama. She sighed and looked up to hold back the tears that blurred her vision from spilling.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t know what to say Anna but I am very scared right now. I don''t know who is going to be next after all I am your friend. I heard Coleman''s sister was kidnappedst night and she is still missing. All these are too much of a shock for me. If whoever it is was only after your enemies, it would have been understandable but when he goes after your sister, I really don''t know what to say about that," Debby exined. She turned away and rubbed her face.

    "What do you mean?" Rose asked from the doorpletely confused by the conversation she overheard.

    "Rose . . ." the two girls chorused shocked to see Rose at the door. They looked like they had some really serious secret they were trying hard to keep from her and she happened to overhear a bit of that secret.

    "What about me? Who ising after me?" Rose asked looking from Anna to Debby and back to Anna.

    "No one," Debby gave her a quick answer. She felt she could not stay in the restroom with the two sisters with the heavy nket of tension and awkwardness that filled the room. She headed to the door but Rose held her hand and prevented her from going out of the restroom.

    For the first time since she met Rose, she got to see Rose show a good amount of displeasure on her face. Rose always seemed to mask her feelings under her beautiful obligatory smiles. She found herself staring at Rose shocked that she forgot the situation they were in. She envied how beautiful Rose looked even when she was angry.

    Rose was not satisfied with the answer she got from Debby and she was not pleased with the way Debby stared at her as though she was dumbfounded and totally had no idea about the reason why she asked the question she asked when she walked in on them talking about whatever it is they were talking about. It was best she gets to know who her enemy was and who was after her than being ignorant and die for an unknown reason.

    She was worried that the person knew about her real identity toe after her. Lots and lots of possibilities passed her mind which made her very much displeased. Her thoughts were running wild while her sister and her friend stood looking at her like she grew a horn in the middle of her forehead like a unicorn.

    "This is not funny,'' she reminded them of the situation.

    "Oh," Anna saiding out of her trance. She was also staring at the new expression she got to see on her sister''s face. She felt hurt seeing her sister look at her in that manner. She has seen Rose being really serious but this was the most serious expression she has gotten to see on her sister''s face. She wondered what expression her sister will give her when she finds out that she might be connected to the painful thing she experienced only a few months ago.

 Chapter 150 - Not To Trust Anna

    She wondered what expression her sister will give her when she finds out that she might be connected to the painful thing she experienced only a few months ago.

    "So . . .?" Rose asked tired of waiting for Anna who was taking her time toe up with the right answer.

    "Debby thinks you got stabbed because of me," Anna replied with a lot of courage. This was not an easy thing for her to do. She watched closely to see her sister''s reaction hoping it won''t be as bad as she was imagining it will be.

    "I did not say that, Anna. I said it was connected to what happened to Coleman," Debby corrected.

    "I think we should leave that to the police. Wayne just got a call from Jace. The Hart family is also investigating it. Whoever is behind all these, will definitely get caught soon," Rose said easily with a rxed expression. "Are you okay?" she asked Debby whose wrist she released from her grip.

    "Yes. I am sorry I over reacted," Debby said looking at Anna guiltily.

    "It''s okay. I know you are right and I will have to get a private detective to find out how the person I am connected with us. I won''t sit by when anynody could be the next victim," Anna said calmly. She took deep breaths to rx. Adjusting her expression and her putting a smile on her face after cleaning up, she left the restroom.

    "Debby, I know you are scared but I don''t think anyone is as scared as Anna is right now. You know what they did to her, right?" Rose asked as nicely and gently as she could not to offend Debby or act like she was taking side although if she was to support anyone, she will chose her sister.

    "I know. I just can''t . . . I just can''t believe Coleman is dead," Debby said as she burst into tears.

    Rose sighed and pulled Debby into her arms for a hug. "It is all going to be alright. They will find his sister and the culprit will get arrested," Rose assured the crying girl in her embrace. All these was too much for all them.

    ***

    "What are you thinking about so much that you did not notice me when I entered?" Liam asked Rose who sat on the massage chair facing the ss ceiling-to-floor door that leads to the balcony.

    "I saw you," Rose repliedfortably. She only saw him when he entered the room. She did not see him get on the balcony. It was like he fell from the sky. She shook her head snapping back to reality to think straightforwardly.

    "So, what''s wrong?" He asked removing the hood of the ck hoodie he wore on a simple pair of ck jogger pants. He picked the chair in front of her study desk and brought it to where Rose sat staring out of the window at the evening orange sky.

    "A student in my school got killed," she replied without hesitation and looked at him. She was aware that her shield who was her future husband was an intelligent man to be where he is now so there was a high possibility that he will have something important to say about the whole thing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I heard about it," he told her. He was really happy she wanted to talk about it with him. No one might understand but he felt like he won a lottery. Every progress he made with Rose was more than winning a lottery to him.

    "Someone thinks it connected to what happened to me in Star city," Rose narrated. She turned to face him and rested her gaze on him expectantly.

    "I suspected that too. I have people investigating the connection," Liam told her happy he thought towards that direction.

    He did not tell Rose but if the two incidents are connected then, there is a fifty percent probability that the person was aware of her identity and soon, Anna might be a threat to Rose''s well-being.

    "Could you tell me the result of the investigation when it is over?" Rose asked feeling a lot more better. She have been bothered by what Debby and said.

    Those incidents are connected, then she might have to be more watchful that ever before. She also must not trust Anna. Anna was obviously not the culprit but since the culprit was well connected to Anna then it was best to not trust Anna.

    She have always been secretive about her true identity with her foster family members. She now intends to be more cautious if that was even possible.

    "I will let you know," Liam verbally agreed although he did not agree at all. It was best to keep Anna''s true identity from Rose. This was not the right time.

    "Thank you," Rose appreciated finding the conversation they just had very warm and sweet. It felt good to be able to talk about someone about such things. He knew about her true identity and they both shared the same interests.

    "Hmm" Liam hummed with a smile. "You shouldn''t be scared of anyone at all. I make anyone who tries to hurt you disappear," Liam promised her with a smile she found very attractive.

    Now in a better mood, Rose decided to ask him a question that have bothered her for a while. She nced at the door of her room. Anna was supposed to bring some sketches she wanted Rose to judge as an artist.

    "How do you manage to keep everyone off when you''re with me? You did it in the garden too and now . . .," Rose asked curiously. She nced at the door of her room and back to him. Her eyes rested on his grey eyes which looked the very warm and calm.

    "I have many ways to make that happen," was his very not straightforward answer.

    "That is why I am asking. How?" she asked getting more curious with every seconds he tried to stalk.

 Chapter 151 - Annas Secret

    "That is not something you should be bothered with. Don''t you think there are many other things you should be curious about now?" he asked her to avoid giving her an answer and divert her attention to something else.

    "Like what?" Rose asked him. She saw very clearly what he was trying to do but since it seems he won''t answer the questions she wanted answered, she decided to know some other things about him.

    "Like my birthday," he said with a sheepish smile she found to be too cute to match his reputation.

    "I really don''t care," she told him feigning coldness despite the curiosity that began eating her right from the inside.

    "Ok, what about the progress with the person who sent the serial killer?" he suggested switching to a serious mode. The smile that once graced his thin pink lips was gone in seconds making it hard for anyone to imagine that he actually smiled in that manner.

    "Oh . . ." she could only say still shocked by the sudden switch in his mood. She felt at loss that she could not see the smile anymore but since it was her fault she did notment.

    "Well, I had them lock thedy up," he began narrating despite the fact that Rose did not give him the go ahead.

    "Where is she?"

    "She is in a correctional center. I have a few prisons under my control. I had her sent to one of them and ensure that she will never see the light of day till she dies."

    Rose shivered. That was what thedy deserves for attempting to kill her and making her fall into Liam''s trap in the process although now she could not fully identify it as a trap anymore rather it was a deal. A business deal she made using the rest of her life to gain what she craved for most in this life.

    "I wanted to have her get executed but Charlie suggested sending her to prison. She almost killed you, okay? She almost killed me too in the process. I don''t think she deserves your sympathy," Liam reminded her when he noticed she did not seem pleased. "I found out who sent her. He is a member of the council. His adopted son was your sister''s boyfriend. I think there is something bigger than what they let us see."

    "What could it be?" Rose asked sitting up straight. Was the teacher the person behind all the deaths?

    "From what we found out, he has a clean record. His record is too clean to be true. His foster father does all the dirty jobs while his son remains the good boy which is something that is impossible to believe. It is still under serious investigation and I am sure we will find a lot of things from the investigation. I suspect that your sister''s ex-boyfriend is aware of your true identity," Liam exined to her in his very serious tone.

    Rose was a baffled. How was that possible? She knew he showed unrestrained signs that he disliked her but she have never suspected that he knew about her true identity. "I don''t think that is true. I guess he will have told Anna about it if he knew my true identity," Rose argued.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That is just my spection and I had my men investigate his true identity. Have you ever noticed a resemnce between the teacher and your sister?" Liam asked. He knew how much she trusted her sister but he also knew her sister''s true identity. If the teacher was rted to Anna, then this case was way bigger than he thought it was but it will definitely help them since it will let them know who their enemy was.

    "They dated, okay? They can''t have any resemnce," Rose found herself denying it strongly.

    She had no idea what the big secret was but she was scared of finding out. She did not want to know the truth. She was scared that the truth behind it all will crush down the happy life she seeded in creating for herself with Anna. She knew all these could notst forever but she wanted it tost for as much as she could keep it going.

    "I don''t understand why you don''t want to believe it. Why don''t you believe what I said? Anna is definitely rted to the teacher she dated. I have had them carry out a DNA test and soon I will get the result. They are both orphans don''t you think it will be nice for your sister to find her brother so they could live happily ever after?"

    Rose stood up slowly and walked to the ss door with her arms folded on her chest. "I don''t think that will be good news to Anna," Rose murmured sadly. "I have seen the way you look at her. You don''t like my sister," Rose decided to state the obvious.

    "She is not your biological sister," he corrected her immediately. And the truth is I really don''t like her being around you. If she was somewhere else, I would have not disliked her but she is close to you every day and I don''t think that is right."

    "Why?" Rose turned to look at him where he sat on the chair looking so rxed in her own territory like he owned it all.

    "I don''t want you to trust her. I am saying this for your own good. I will let you know in the future but not now. My father wants it to remain a secret. He hopes Anna is not your enemy," Liam replied.

    "Since when do you listen to your father?" Rose asked slowly finding his determination to paint Anna as the viin without reason annoying.

    Liam noticed she was getting angry. He knew how much she loved her sister. He slowly got up and walked to her. He looked at her small back which looked so attractive and he knew that they will fit well in his arms. The blue gown she wore did a good job of showing off her beautiful shape. She grew up to be a very sexy and attractive teenager.

    She was not tall like a runway model and neither was she petite. She simply had the best body to fit into his arms. Her body always cuddled into his body in very perfect way like she was meant to be in his arms from the beginning of time.

    She had every right to be angry with him but he also had every right to try to specify her and make her forget the topic that made her pissed.

 Chapter 152 - Checking If She Loves Him

    She had every right to be angry with him but he also had every right to try to specify her and make her forget the topic that made her pissed.

    He moved close to her until her back was against his chest and he felt her freeze against him clearly startled. Without giving her a chance to escape, he wrapped his strong arms around her upper abdomen.

    Rose felt every single cell in her body react to the sudden embrace. This was different. It was very different from the embrace she got when she wanted to sleep. It was also different from theforting embrace he gave her when she cried against him.

    She did not understand why she felt the way she did but her stomach seemed to have bred butterflies and they were ying to their heart content inside of her. It was surprisingly not unlikable. The tingle she felt in her lower stomach, the familiar but yet not familiar warmth against her back, everything was a new pleasant feeling.

    She looked at her not so clear reflection in the ss door and further froze, if something like that was possible. She shouldn''t like this right? The truth her whole body knew but the rationality of her thoughts was against what she saw in the reflection. She liked it but she shouldn''t.

    Her brain took a while to calcte and n her next action because her body clearly wanted more time against that muscled chest that spoke of the strength of her future husband. She blushed at that thought.

    "Take you hands off," she ordered with her voice hoarse and filled with the strong feeling his touch gave her.

    "No," he replied in his deep voice sounding so close to her ear. The warm air that blew against her ear made her shiver involuntarily.

    "Get off me, pervert," she spatted out when she detected the teasing tone in his voice. She began struggling to pull his hands off but none of her effort was fruitful as his hands remained on her upper abdomen like they always belong there.

    "Do you mean every husband in this world is a pervert for hugging his wife and showing them love?" he asked in his voice obviously teasing her. "Don''t be unhappy. I will tell you everything when the time is right, okay?"

    "Okay," Rose said in a little dramatic manner showing him an okay sign above her head close to where she guessed his head will be ¨C right before his face. "Now, let go!"

    "I don''t want to," he replied stubbornly.

    "This is not right," she told him seriously. "We shouldn''t . . ."

    "Why? In a few months you will be my wife. Why isn''t this right? I should do more, if you let me," he whispered shamelessly leaning his head forward. He tilted his head and rested his chin on her exposed shoulder.

    "Until I sign myself over to you in our marriage agreement, you have no right to do this to me besides I am not eighteen yet," she warned him in a more serious tone. She made another fruitless attempt to take his hand off but he still held on like a stubborn ko.

    "Rx please," he begged in a suddenly serious tone.

    He seeded in making her freeze once again. His voice sounded just the way a character in a horror film will tell someone, "standstill, don''t move, I want you to rx" when there is a gaint blind spider or a zombie behind the person. "What is wrong?" she asked. Her voice sounded shaky with fear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Nothing. I just want to check something. Promise me you will rx okay?"

    His voice did not do any good of making her rx nodded.

    He released her from his embrace but his hand suddenly went to her chest. He ced his hand just where he guessed her heart will be and waited. She froze and he could fell her heart drumming hard against his hand.

    It felt like music to him. This was a sign that Rose loved him, right? He could feel his own heart beating hard against its protective covering. Charlie once told him that the heart beat says it all. This meant Rose was in love with him, right?

    "What are you doing?" Rose asked as she removed his hand as fast as she could. She turned crossing her hands on her chest with a displeased frown. She stepped away swiftly when she saw the smile that lifted the corner of his lips to form a victorious smile to hit her back hard against the ss door making her wince.

    "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He stepped forward to take a look at her.

    "Stay away from me. What the hell were you doing just now?" she asked totally losing her cool. She nced down at her chest and red at him.

    "I wanted to know if you love me," Liam replied truthfully with a good amount of innocence Rose found unbelievable.

    She scoffed. "I don''t love you," she spatted out. She kept ring at him as she made her escape through the little space left between them. Who on Earth will ce his hand on a girl''s chest to know if she loved him? It seems only Liam will do that and that is if he was even saying the truth.

    "Who is your first love?" Liam asked with a very darkened expression as he followed her.

    "I don''t have a first love," she replied as she made her way to the automatic door that led to the living area of her room.

    "I thought you love me," he murmured still following her. He felt happy that she did not have a first love who might be in her heart but he wanted her to agree that she loves him.

    "No, I don''t. It was only a crush, okay?"

    "That means I am your first crush and your first love," he jubted.

    She groaned when she got into the living area and she paused ncing at the door that led outside. She nced back at Liam who was still taking short slow strides towards her.

 Chapter 153 - Unaccepted

    She groaned when she got into the living area and she paused ncing at the door that led outside. She nced back at Liam who was still taking short slow strides towards her.

    "The moment you go outside, I will follow you," Liam warned with a smile that spoke of how much he enjoyed teasing her.

    "You will be the one who gets punished if that happens. After all, I am not an adult. I am sure it will make a really good headline on tomorrow''s newspaper," she informed him as she continued walking towards the door.

    "You are an adult already. From the moment you turned sixteen, it was legal for me be here with you. And concerning your marriage, I will be getting married to a princess not a fashion designer''s adopted daughter. We both know you turned eighteen months ago. The legal age for marriage is eighteen we could get married here in B city," he told her with a small smile.

    "Uh?" She looked back at him wondering what made him sound so impatient and unbelievably shameless. "We have enough time for everything," she reminded him knowing he could do it.

    "Yes but in case you forgot, the legal age for sex is sixteen," he said liking where he was taking the conversation to.

    "That is one of the things I will ensure to change as soon as be Queen," she told him ignoring the suggestive hint in his voice.

    "Don''t bother changing it. It won''t matter since you and I will be married by then," he told her. "I have to leave. I will be busy for a while preparing to get your true identity back but secretly until you want it to go public."

    "Thanks by the way although I hope as time goes on, you will be willing to give me the answers to my questions," she told him when he joined her at the door.

    "Yes. I will give you answers but you will have to give me your love too," he said. He nodded pleased with himself.

    "I heard you are a genius. I think whoever called you that made a mistake," she told him sarcastically and stepped away from the door so he could leave.

    Without picking offense in her words since she did not tell him she was not going to love him, he bent down to her very swiftly and ced a soft almost non-existent kiss on her forehead before leaving through the door.

    With him gone, she touched her forehead where the close warmth disappeared from and pouted in displeasure. She really wanted more than that.

    He seeded in keeping everything away from her and he might have seeded now but she made a promise never to let him leave her questions unanswered.

    What she wanted to know, she will have to make him tell her since he seeded in making her forget his questions. She could not forever remain on the losing side in theirplicated rtionship.

    "Anna," she murmured under breath and groaned frustratedly. What makes Anna her enemy? She wanted an answer. Why was everyone and almost everything pointing fingers to stain her sister with the tag of a criminal?<novelnext></novelnext>

    She might be a fool to think her sister was innocent and meant no harm but she chose to support her sister. She chose to believe her sister was not her enemy and she doesn''t care to believe what Liam said after all he disliked her sister or that was just what she chose to believe.

    She persuaded herself with those words although a voice deep in her heart kept telling her not to over look any of this but she did not want to dig too deep. She was scared of what she will find out and experience personally once the secrets bes known by her.

    What she also thought about was if her sister also knows about the secret. If her sister knew what Liam knew and was sessfully hiding it away from her.

    She groaned once again and fell on the sofa forgetting all the elegance she spent a few years mastering.

    However Liam made it possible for him to go in and out of her housefortably, made her confused but she decided to forget about it since he have not gotten caught by anyone yet and he might never get caught. Perhaps he had her house under his control, like everybody was ced here by him.

    "Whatever," she reminded herself to forget about it all.

    There was a knock on the door and Anna pushed the door before walking in with a sad face. She have been unhappy since the exchange of words she had with Debby earlier but she seem more unhappy now.

    "What is wrong?" Rose had to ask as she sat down upright with the appropriate amount of elegance.

    "I did not get epted into the Royal University," Anna announced with a very hoarse voice she had obviously been crying before she came to see Rose.

    "That is just the first batch. You will get epted in the next batch, okay?" Rose tried to encourage her as she stood up and walked to Anna.

    "The first batch is all that matters. If I don''t get epted now, I might never get epted again," Anna said as she began crying when Rose hugged her.

    "No, they always have a second batch for such situations. You will definitely get epted," Rose tried to encourage her. She had checked hers and she got epted.

    She was not surprised after all they were going to be happy to have an award winning designer study with their students when she should be in her work space working on a new design that will trend for a while.

    She was overly confident in her skills and talent that she did not expect a negative answer from the school although she was aware of how how hard it was to get epted to study in the Royal University.

    It was the best university in the kingdom. She knew Anna was a genius and deserved to be a student in The Royal University, so what made them not ept her? It made her remember what Liam said about Anna to her and she clenched her fist angrily although she maintained a calm sympathizing look as she continued to give herself a soothing hug.

 Chapter 154 - Sisters Argument

    It made her remember what Liam said about Anna to her and she clenched her fist angrily although she maintained a calm sympathizing look as she continued to give her sister a soothing hug.

    "I really wanted to go to the Royal University. It was my dream to go there ever since I was in elementary school," Anna continued sobbed.

    "It is okay. The selection is not over yet," Rose reminded her. She pulled away from Anna and stared at her tear-stained face. She has not seen Anna cry so much before. She actually felt hurt seeing her that way.

    The pain she felt switched to guilt when she imagined that Liam might have intervened because he disliked her sister. It was not surprising that she will actually suspect that since he clearly said he disliked the fact that Anna was always around her.

    He might have made her not get epted so he could separate them. "How about we tell mum or dad. They will be willing to find a way to help you."

    "You got selected because of your talent not their intervention. I want my case to be that way too. I wanted to do it on my own. They said I am a genius then why didn''t I get epted?" Annained as she sat down on a sofa in the room.

    "There must have been a mistake. You are a genius and you did well in the examination. I am sure you will get epted before the selection is over," Rose tried to persuade Anna.

    If anyone should get into the school, she thinks Anna should get in. She might not be as popr as she was for her talent but her foster sister was an obvious genius.

    What she said only made Anna feel more hurt than she did when she read the mail she received from the school. She was already confident that she will get into the university and there was nothing that could stop her but faced with the painful reality, she did not know how things turned out to be this way.

    "I wanted us to be together. I wanted us to live in the apartment together with Debby and Wayne," Anna continuedining. The more she thought about it the more she got hurt. She remembered the apartment and began crying again.

    "Hey, we can all still stay together because you will get epted," Rose continued ying her role well as the consoler.

    "I thought our friendship was going tost longer but it seems nothing eversts forever. Debby first had a figst with you. She also fought with me too and now this," Anna murmured. "Nothing is working the way we nned and it shouldn''t be that way. I really want us to remain close friends."

    Rose thought about what Anna said as she sat on another sofa in the living area of her room. She assessed it all when everything became slightly clear. Someone was messing with Anna''s life.

    The person that killed Coleman did it knowing it will make Anna lose her friends and foster sister. The person also took Jace away from Anna. The person tried to kill her too although that might have been for a while new reason she was yet to understand but the person did it anyway.

    Perhaps the person also prevented her eptance to the Royal University. It may not be Liam who did it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Anna, I guess this might not be the right time for me to say this but what if the teacher did it all?" Rose asked thoughtfully. "What if the teacher killed ire? What if the teacher stabbed Jace? What if he almost killed me and killed the Coleman? What if he also made you not get epted? What if these was all his hand work?"

    Anna paused in shock and stared at Rose with her eyes wide opened. She did not believe any of that. She have never even thought of it. Why will the teacher she dated do that to her?

    She shook her head as she mopped her tears hurriedly as though the blurry effect they had on her eyes prevent her from hearing clearly that she heard something different from what her sister had to say.

    "I know you hate him but you should not say that," Anna warned when she was done cleaning her face of the stain her tears left on it and looked at her sister.

    "What will make me hate him?" Rose asked in disbelief. She did not believe her sister will think that she was willing to dip the man she loved in dirt when she was clearly going through a difficult time without a tangible reason.

    "You are not helping at all!" Anna shouted ring at Rose. She stood up and gave her sister a once over before walking out of the room hastily like it was going to kill her to spend a few more seconds in the same room with her sister.

    Rose exhaled tiredly when her sister closed the door hard behind. She just felt different crazy emotions in a less than an hour. This was too much on her and what she needed most at this point was rest. She dragged her feet to her bed and fatigue took over leading her to a dreand just before her head even touched the soft silk fabric of her pillowcase.

    ***

    "Mara, have you seen Anna?" Rose had to ask. She just stepped out of her adopted sister''s room where she went to look for her sister. She have not seen Anna since she left her room more than twenty-four hours ago. Anna was not even in school.

    "No, I thought she went to a friend''s house. The guards said they saw her leave in one of your mum''s cars," Mara replied truthfully.

    "She did not go to school today," Rose told her unhappily. "She was angry when she left yesterday and no one has heard anything from her since yesterday."

    "I also tried to call her this morning but she has been out of reach," Mara narrated.

    "I think we should tell mum. I don''t think she is okay," Rose said worriedly.

 Chapter 155 - Annas New Boyfriend

    "Aren''t you going back home? It''s been more than a day now," a male voice said watching Anna who was busy with the te of ice cream on the table before her.

    "I don''t want to see them," Anna replied unhappy that she was made to remember home when she was trying to forget.

    "If you are throwing tantrums over getting rejected, I think you should forget about everything and go back home. You can''t be angry with your family forever. Remember that the selection is not over and you will get a chance to get epted and if you still don''t get epted, you can try any other university in Star city," he advices her calmly.

    Anna pouted as she stared at the ice cream for a few seconds. That was the only advice that made sense. She knew she might not be lucky to get epted again so the only option was for her to try any other university or high learning institute in Star city.

    The Royal University was the best university in the kingdom and one of the best in the world but it was not the only university in star city. She was already pissed off by them and she was slowly beginning to hate the school.

    She decided to try another university. She did not mind choosing a university in B city after all the selection period was not over. She sighed thoughtfully. She was angry with her sister and friend and in order to satisfy her anger, she got up with a determined look.

    "I will stay here in B city," she finally epted her fate. She also epted what was her fact that her friends did not want her anymore and her sister hated her now because she dislike the man she dated.

    "Are you going to be okay staying away from Rose?" he asked worriedly taking her now empty te of ice cream and reced it with full te of chocte ice cream.

    "Thanks. Rose hates us being together and since we are now back together, I see no reason why I shouldn''t be okay to be away from her," Anna replied before taking a full spoon of ice cream into her mouth to calm her very angry heart.

    "What makes you think that way?"

    "She said you are behind all the bad things that happened to me and around me," Anna answered carelessly. When she turned to see the shocked expression he wore, she shook her head apologetically and tried to pacify him, "I did not believe her."

    "What if I did it?" he asked looking away from her like he was very unhappy to be made a suspect of crimes he never consideredmiting.

    "Don''t worry I know you did not do anything bad. Rose said that because she hates you and she probably doesn''t want us to be together. Debby also hates me now. You are the only person who cares," Anna replied sincerely.

    She felt so hurt and alone because of what happened during the past few days but staying with him, helped her forget them all.

    "No matter what, I think you should go back home. They will be worried and the ball is right at the corner," he reminded her.

    "I know. I will go back home so I can choose some other university. I hope I don''t apply toote or I will lose everything. I want you to be my date to the ball, okay?" Anna asked hopefully.

    "Sure. If that that is what you want," he immediately agreed with a smile.

    "Thank you," Anna said as she threw her hands around his neck and hugged him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ***

    "Where are youing from?" Rose asked standing up when Anna walked in. She was annoyed after being made to worry so much over Anna. She had called everyone including Liam and asked him to help her find her sister.

    He simply told her her sister was fine with her new boyfriend and that did not do any good in making her rx. She got annoyed with him for giving her that answer and more annoyed when she tried to ask him for a clearer answer and he refused.

    It further annoyed her when her sister walked in with a few shopping bags and a smile that spoke of how she must have had the time of her life out there with the new boyfriend.

    "I went shopping," Anna replied in a careless tone as she gave the bag to Joyce who have been waiting with Rose for a few hours now.

    "What? And you got us all worried. I can''t understand what you were buying that took you more than a day to buy," Rose told her. She really did not like the scolding angry mum she was turning into because of her sister.

    "Oh that? I was with my boyfriend. When can I get my dress for the ball?"

    Rose took a deep breath and decided to be as calm as she can be. She shouldn''t lose her cool. "You will get it as soon as Eric brings them. You got us all worried. Try to tell us you won''t be returning early next time, okay?"

    "Sure," Anna saidplicatedly. She was shocked that her sister wasn''t going to keep scolding her. Surprisingly, that which was supposed to make her happy, made her feel sad and uncared-for. Her lips twitched when she watched Rose sit down on the sofa she stood up from earlier and rx visibly.

    She waited a few seconds for Rose to talk but when she said nothing more, she scoffed before stamping her feet away to the elevator.

    "She just wants attention," Rose murmured as she watched her sister''s angry leaving back. Since it was a new boyfriend and not the teacher, she tried to rx although she could not just seem to find peace.

    Groaning, she got up and found her way to the swimming pool.

    ***

    "Wow! You look gorgeous," a male deep voice told harmoniously as she stood in front of the mirror in closet.

    "Thanks," she answered without turning to look at the person. "All my friends have their dates. I think I am the only person left. Will you be my date?"

    "Sure," he replied immediately without a second thought.

    She did not miss the excitement in his voice and she immediately felt guilty. "I was only joking." She agreed to go with Eric.

 Chapter 156 - Jeweler And Husband

    She did not miss the excitement in his voice and she immediately felt guilty. "I was only joking." She agreed to go with Eric.

    "Really?" Liam asked with an unhappy voice. "I don''t care if you are joking or not. I will go with you," he said firmly not offering her any room for escape.

    "You are joking, right? I have a date already."

    "I don''t care. I will pick you up by nine o''clock," he told her before leaving.

    She looked back at him to argue and refuse but he was already gone.

    ***

    About half an hour before the time Liam said he was going toe to pick her up, she decided to call to Eric. He picked her call immediately.

    "Hello," she said in a low guilty voice.

    "Hello, I was just about to call you. I don''t think we can go together again. I decided to help Debby. Her date bailed out and she called me," Eric began exining in a very hasty voice.

    "What? You . . ." she began but she felt a hand take the phone from her and she could only pause shocked. She looked at the intruder and red at him in displeasure. "You made my friend betray me, right?" Rose used slightly pushing him aside as she walked to the drawers to choose a bracelet.

    "I did not make him betray you. You actually betrayed me first. You are not expected to take your best friend with you as a date. That is wrong. I don''t mind you two being friends but going to the ball as a couple, as you future legal husband, I have every right to stop that from happening," he exined in a very firm voice.

    The firmness in his voice made it sound really sexy and deeper than it used to be. She gulped. She never knew a guy acting possessive could actually make him look sexy especially when Liam was already overflowing with sexiness.

    Drowned in his sexiness and muscrity, she found her lips tightly shut and she did not argue. She picked the bracelet she wanted to wear that night. It was a very small intertwined gold and silver bracelet.

    Just before she could choose her ne, she felt Liam''srge tough palm around hers as he stopped her. She looked at him with the scent of his male expensive cologne filling her nose and she gulped once again. "I brought something for you," he told her his lips so close to her ear.

    The warm air he blew on her as he spoke, made her shiver visibly and she quickly took a step away from him but he was quick to hold her hand and pulled her close to him. She gasped and red at him.

    "Check this out," he told her handing over a ck box to her with his free hand.

    She wriggled her wrist off his grip and collected the gift from him before moving away to create a safe distance between the two of them. She opened the box to reveal a gold ne with a ck diamond pendant that was carved into a very gorgeous heart shape.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you like it?" he asked anticipating her reply.

    "I don''t hate it," she replied despite how much she wanted to tell him how beautiful it was.

    "I am d you don''t hate it," Liam said understanding very well that that simplepliment carried all the heartfelt praise she was bottling up in her heart for reasons he was yet to know and hopes to know soon enough. "Let me help you put it on."

    Without hesitating, Rose turned her back to him and waited after giving the box back to him. She liked the diamond pendant. It was the most beautiful diamond carving she has seen ever since she left the pce. It was the just the perfect jewelry for her elegant ck glittering gown. "How did you know it was going to look good on my gown?" she asked while waiting.

    "I saw your dress long before you saw it," he replied truthfully.

    She turned to look at him with a slight frown. "Did Eric show you my dress?" She had to ask.

    "He does not need to show me in order for me to see it. I saw the dress and hurriedly designed this jewelry for the dress," he told her sincerely.

    "You designed it?" she asked in disbelief. She never knew he had such a talent. "I never knew you were a Jeweler," she said her eyes shining in obvious admiration.

    "I am not a jeweler. I do it as a hobby. Sometimes I design it and have a jeweler make it for me. Like the phone case. I designed it based on a design I saw and had a jeweler make it since I was too busy to do it myself," he narrated with an obvious trace of pride. He was proud that she liked it and the look he saw in her beautiful hazel eyes was priceless.

    "I guess, I will leave my jewelry making to my very talented husband," she told him with a smile that will simply lock him in and make him do what she wants withoutint.

    It was Liam''s turn to gulp as he told himself not to get overly excited because she called him her husband. "I don''t mind designing your jewelries. They will be made just for you with no other one in the whole wide world," he promised her.

    Rose nodded with her rare genuine smile brightening up her unrivaled beautiful face. He noticed the dimples that she seemed lost the night her mother died.

    He wanted topliment her dimples but he stopped just before the words escaped his lips because he knew she was going to be self conscious and take away her smile and that was thest thing he wanted.

    He was surprised that she actually believed that he designed everything because Rose always seems to not believe anything he says. That was the biggest progress they made in their rtionship.

    "We are alreadyte," Rose suddenly said. The amount of warmth she saw and noticed in his grey eyes was too much to be real, it reminded her to get out of her Dreamworld before she gets lost in it.

 Chapter 157 - The Party

    With her reminder, he wore the ne around her neck in a fast but gentle manner. He leaned forward feeling at loss that she took her smile away and ced a feathery soft kiss on the back of her neck before stepping away.

    "I will wait for you outside," he told her and left the walk-in closet.

    Rose looked back at the door of the closet and sighed. The way he was acting towards her was just too alluring and it prevented her from guarding her heart against him. She was not sure that when he bes king, he won''t kill her.

    Trusting him will mean she will let her guard down and she will not be warned before he puts a bullet in her head when he gets what he wants from her.

    Just like he told her before he left her closet, he was waiting for her in front of her house and as soon as she stepped out of the building, he was stood beside her and offered her his hand. She looked around. Anna had left long ago and the ce was brightly lit despite the time thanks to the very bright lighting system they had in the mansion.

    He was wearing a mask that did a good job of covering the upper half of his face. It looked identical to the ck mask that she held to cover her face when she gets to the venue. He wore a custom made suit which made him look really handsome and attractive. The way he looked, he will do a good job of getting the attention of every single pair of eyes in the venue.

    She was not particrly excited about the whole and she was already missing her bed when she has not left home yet. She wanted to have a silent night unnoticed if possible at the party but it seems she won''t be able to enjoy any of that with the excessively handsome male god beside her.

    When she was seatedfortably in the ck limousine he brought to pick her up in, she yawned. "I will love to return back home as soon as I get my award," she told Liam tiredly. It was best they leave the party early to prevent too many eyes feasting on the man she wanted all to herself although that was a fact she will almost forever refuse to ept.

    "Sure," he agreed immediately considering how tired she looked. "You should get used to parties like this because you are going to be attending them a lot when you be the Queen and even my wife before then," he told her jovially.

    "I think it is easier to be the host than the guest," she told him stubbornly unwilling to ept his advice.

    "If you say so," Liam agreed with an obvious hint of sarcasm.

    She frowned at that although she found it very jovial of him to say something like that the way he did.

    Her entrance was not very grand since Rose liked things to be quiet and a show off will definitely cause people to get curious about the man holding her hand. He covered half of his face but that did not work at hiding the very handsome features under the mask and his eyes were open to everyone who looks at him. She really just wanted to stay at a corner of the room until she gets called to ept the award she won as the most creative student in the school.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She collected a lot of other academic awards only yesterday and here she was about to collect another. From what she heard, the award was arranged by her club members. From what they said, she was the most aplished fashion designer among all her predecessors.

    They said she made the world notice the club although she did not believe that because she knew about the club in the school even before she joined the school. It was said that a lot of young designers in high school try their best to attend the school despite how expensive the tuition fee was so they could participate in thepetition so they could get noticed in the fashion world.

    Most of the time, they did not have to win thepetition in order for them to get noticed. They just had to do their best and show their talents in the designs they made. That way even if they don''t win thepetitions they might get scouted. A lot of models also started their career from the show, their beauty and talent got noticed and it made them get popr.

    Anna''s social media has a lot of followers just because of her participation in thepetition as her model. She was d she was going to get awarded for her talent. She was not too humble to say that she did not deserve it because she knew she was good. She was talented and with adequate hard work, she will definitely be the best and unrivaled in the fashion world.

    She wanted that to happen since she will be making a name for herself. She spoke with Carl about starting her own brand and he was excited about it. If she could make that happen, she will be just the fashion designer she dreams of being.

    "What if I want to start my own brand?" she leaned closer to Liam and asked so he could hear her above the music in the back ground.

    "I will support you totally. I will invest in anything you want me to," he simply replied.

    She found his answer unexpected although she expected him to agree but not in the cheesy manner he just did. "Ohh . . ." she said looking away from him at the crowd. They just arrived and the party was already almost over.

    Everyone tried their best to look good in the clothes they wore although some looked really ufortable in the clothes that they wore probably just for the attention the cost of expensive cloth will bring to them. Most people might not believe it is profitable for her to think this way as a fashion designer but she totally believed that what mattered most when designing a cloth or even choosing a cloth to wear was thefort whoever wears the cloth will enjoy when wearing it.

    It will simply be a punishment for someone to wear something he or she was totally ufortable in. It will reduce the fun of the asion the person was attending because all of the person''s attention will be on adjusting the cloth or the difort he or she was enduring in the cloth.

    "Hi," Noah called out waving her with a friendly smile on her pretty face walking towards them.. She paused on her track when she noticed Liam standing beside Rose.

 Chapter 158 - Reminded Of Her Vulnerability

    "Hi," Noah called out waving her with a friendly smile on her pretty face walking towards them. She paused on her track when she noticed Liam standing beside Rose.

    Despite the gold mask Noah wore, Rose could easily recognize her because of the conversation they had during her weing party. Rose was not particrly happy to see Noah who was obviously overjoyed to see her.

    She actually considered Noah''s presence as a deviation from the mental task of tearing those clothes she thought was below her standard on her mind and remaking them into something more appeasing to her on her mind.

    She was actually carrying out this tasks in order to avoid staring at Liam for too long. It should really be made a sin for anyone to look that attractive.

    "You look so gorgeous," Noah said with a her smile further brightening her face to show a set of white teeth. She said that to Rose but her gaze was fixed on Liam who stood quietly beside Rose as though he wanted to make his presence reduce but it was really impossible for him to make that happen with the powerful aura that sorrounded him effortlessly.

    "Thank you," Rose epted thepliment mostly because she aware that she looked very gorgeous that night and that was made possible due to her hard work and the natural beauty she inherited from her mother.

    "I see you want to let your rtionship go public," Noah whispered to Rose her eyes unwilling to leave the beautiful male god. This was a very rare opportunity for her to get so close to the well-known Mr. Hale who was known for his inhuman overly attractive and powerful appearance.

    "I have no idea about what you are talking about," Rose immediately replied. One of the things she was notfortable with was someone confirming her identity as the princess and doing a good job of letting her know they knew.

    It reminded her of her vulnerability and her weakness. It reminded her that she had to remain hidden like a mouse in the territory of a cat or a linen sewn under the upperyer of a dress ¨C they are all meant to stay hidden.

    Liam sensed her difort but he stood quietly watching her. He knew from Charlie that this girl whose name was Noah knew about Rose''s true identity and they have been watching the girl closely for a while.

    Gray suggested they end her life since they knew nothing about her and they could not trust her with the top secret of the princess'' location but Charlie was totally against it.

    He said the girl was smart and she helped them with one of the major informations they used when investigating what happened in the fire. He epted the fact that the Intel the girl provided was very helpful but he could not conclude that the girl was not a threat to Rose or she might not be in the future so they decided to watch her closely.

    Despite his agreement with Charlie''s idea, he made up his mind as he nced at the girl that he was going to make her disappear forever if she showed any hostility to Rose. It was enough that Rose''s sister someone he could not trust. He did want a new person with an unclear identity around Rose.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You clearly know what I am talking about. I don''t want to spend more time stating the obvious. It is a bold move for him to be your date to the party. This is clearly a party for teenagers celebrating their great leap in leaving the guarded walls of high school. I bet he is bored," Noah whispered in a jovial manner with no hint of sarcasm or malice.

    Liam who should not have heard what she said heard her very clearly due to his inhuman hearing ability. He looked away from the talking girls to the surrounding. If Rose needed help uprooting the girl beside her who was clearly turning herself into a weed, all she needed to do was to look at him and ask for help.

    He returned his gaze to Rose expecting her to look at him pleadingly. She really did not need to say the words, her action was going to speak louder if she needed help from him but it seems she was too busy to spare him a nce.

    The party was not for someone of his age but he was not bored at all because he had the fact distraction for him alone. Rose''s beauty was too captivating for him to get bored of staying close to her.

    Being present in the party meant he was close to Rose and also meant he could have enough of the beautiful view she offered him naturally. It was as though she was unaware of it but unted it in the best way anyone could.

    Rose left Noah''s question unanswered. "I thought you broke up with Wayne?" Rose had ask to know why Noah was present when she shouldn''t be let into the building.

    "You might not know this but I am the future director of this school," Noah answered naturally. "My mother is the present director and I was offered a special invitation to attend this party. You don''t look reallyfortable, are you okay? You don''t look like you are enjoying any of this."

    "Is it very obvious?" Rose asked d that they were no longer talking about her identity or her handsome date.

    "Yeah it is, your majesty," Noah said and courtesied in a dramatic manner.

    ". . ." Rose did not like the fact that they were back to that.

    "Well, I guess since I have taken up the role of being your courtjester, I think I have to make this night a little interesting for you. I have two empty seats where I am sitting down and I don''t think it is right for our royal Highness to stand. I know you want to leave right away but you should befortable for as long as you stay here," Noah offered in a very nice and friendly manner.

    Rose nced at Liam questioningly and he gave her a slight nod to tell her he was going to support whatever decision she was going to make.

 Chapter 159 - New Friend

    Rose nced at Liam questioningly and he gave her a slight nod to tell her he was going to support whatever decision she was going to make.

    She agreed to follow Noah since it did not seem like they were about to call her name for the award eptance anytime soon. She did not expect the empty to seat to be in the front. The seat Noah led her to was the seat she was assigned to in the entry card.

    "I don''t know who did not arrive and left these seats empty," Noah said when they were seatedfortably.

    "This seat was assigned to me. I did not want to sit in the front," Rose replied easily.

    "I know you are brave so what is the reason why you don''t want to sit down at the front of the hall?" Noah had to ask since she could note up with any reasonable answer to her question.

    "Look around," Rose told her find the answer herself since she did not state the obvious.

    Noah took her time to dramatically look around at the eyes that kept staring at them. Their attention seemed to be pinned on the unusually handsome man sitting beside her. "They are also staring at you," Noah voiced her observation.

    "That doesn''t matter," Rose said brushing it off carelessly. She was not ufortable with getting stared at but when people begin to look at her future husband like he was avable for public view, she did not enjoy that. So many eyes looking at them through the holes in the mask they all wore of different colors, designs and patterns.

    She was not familiar with the tradition that led to them wearing masks during the party but she was very happy such tradition existed. She looked around for her sister and friends and after a while, she noticed them among the many other people present in the hall.

    Eric looked particrly good in his suit. The suit had a few stones on it and he looked like a lovely jovial member of a boy band with the two first buttons of the white tailored shirt he wore underneath unbuttoned.

    "Here," a warm male voice she recognized suddenly whispered so close to her ear.

    "Thank you," she said when she noticed the ss of a clear liquid he moved close to her. She gulped when her gaze met his eyes. His grey eyes looking so warm. He was so close to her. It took a lot of effort to look away but when she did, she felt at lose. She wanted to see more, to keep gazing into those eyes that seemed to have very strong maic energy pulling her closer and closer to him.

    "It''s funny that you are the possessive lover," Noah whispered with suppressedughter. "He is obviouslyfortable but you really want him hidden don''t you? A princess kept man," Noah continued although she clearly noticed Liam was not happy that Rose was looking at Eric earlier.

    Rose red at her surprised that Noah will actually say such a thing without feeling embarrassed or considering it inappropriate to be said especially to someone she was not close to. As a matter of fact, she knew nothing about Noah except the fact that she was her friend''s ex-girlfriend which was almost next to nothing.

    It actually did not feel weird that she was talking to Noah in such familiar manner. Within a few minutes of the conversation they had together, she found out that she was actually feelingfortable around Noah.

    Noah knowing about her identity no longer felt annoying when Noah courtesied and offered her a seat to sit on. Now, with Noah calling Liam her "kept man" actually felt it was funny.

    She nced at Liam whose attention seemed to be for her alone in therge hall with many other things that could possibly gain his attention. She blushed slightly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    That statement made her the boss of the rtionship. But was she really the boss? Her skin immediately returned to its fair color when she thought of that and she frowned slightly.

    Liam mirrored her action when he saw her frown. He then dropped his gaze to the drink her gave her and back to her half covered face.

    Rose smiled at his action and took a sip of the drink in the cup. It was actually water. She was surprised by the content because she expected anything else perhaps a vodka.

    "Do you want some other drink?" Noah asked when she noticed the shocked expression Rose wore as she looked at the ss of water she just moved away from her lips.

    "No, water is fine," Rose replied immediately. Water was really fine considering that she had very low alcohol tolerance. She looked around the hall and exhaled. She will never have attended if it was going to be the ideal party for teenagers just like the party she attended in her past life that left her with really bad memories.

    The asional background music that was yed was actually calming andfortable for her.

    "You said I was threatened by the teacher, right?" Rose suddenly asked reminded of another bad memory she had.

    "Yes, that was what I thought but I guess it was just my thinking. I must have thought too much but I know very well that you two don''t like each other," Noah replied cautiously.

    "I don''t dislike him perhaps we were not just meant to be friends," Rose replied easily.

    "I see that your sister is back with him. Didn''t she say something about him being the reason she forgot you went to the restroom when the fire started?" Noah asked ncing back at Anna who was sitting veryfortably with her supposedly new boyfriend.

    She was really back with the teacher as Rose observed. "We are not in good terms again because of him," Rose informed Noah with a sad smile.

    "And she still got back with him. I guess your sister is really indecisive or that young man is very persuasive. From what I saw earlier, she is also not in good terms with Debby," Noah told her displeased.

    "Yeah and Debby is not in very good terms with me either," Rose said. She was not happy at all at the way things suddenly turned out to be in their friendship. They were all happy together but very little things began pushing them apart from each other. This probably confirms the saying that nothing eversts forever.

    "I guess I am yourtest friend then. I hope we remain close for a very long time," Noah said dramatically expressing her joy.

    Liam nced at Noah before returning his gaze Rose. He came to find Noah''s presence unpleasing since she seemed to have taken up Rose attention from him.

    He was enjoying watching Rose steal nces at him and blush when she notice he caught her.

 Chapter 160 - Time Traveling Joke

    The party went on for about an hour after Rose received her award and they decided to go home immediately without waiting for the fun thates afterwards. Noah tried to persuade her to stay using the delicious delicacies to be made avable and the dance that will take ce.

    Rose was firm about going back home and Noah had no choice but to give up her persuasion. She made sure to exchange contacts with Rose since she was serious about being Rose''s new friend. When Rose asked her why she wanted them to be friends, she simply said that it was because she found Rose to be a very interesting person.

    When she could not persuade Rose with that answer, she finally said that it was because she wanted the privilege that she will definitely enjoy when Rose bes Queen and she will love it if her name gets included in history as the Queen''s best friend which was close to impossible depending on how close they were and how much of an impact Noah made on Rose''s life or in the kingdom.

    Noah was not giving up and Rose did not try to stop her. On the way back home, Rose thoughts went towards her mother''s friends including her foster mother. They were all people who stood by her mother and smiled at her openly but they were the same people who abandoned her mother and possibly betrayed her mother.

    "Are you okay?" Liam had to ask her when he noticed the unhappy expression Rose wore. Rose had been quiet and her mind was so upied that she did not even spare him a nce as she looked out of the window into the ckness of the night.

    "Hmm?" Rose asked turning to see Liam. She was shocked to see that he had already taken off his mask and his handsome face was visible in the dim light of the car.

    He moved to where she sat down and made himselffortable beside her. "You don''t look too good," he told her his observation. Lifting his hands, he brought them to her face and reached for the mask. He untied it and removed it from her face. With her face now in full view, he ced the back of his hand on her forehead and nodded in approval. "You don''t have high temperature."

    "I am fine, I just need to rest," she told him calmly.

    "If you don''t enjoy asions like this, you should not attend. It is best that you avoid things that you don''t like or things that stresses you," he advised her. He reached towards her and tucked a few strands of her hair that made their way to her face.

    ? "I am not stressed. It was fun. At least I could ept that," Rose said pointing at the award on the seat she ced it.

    "You did not look like you were having fun at all. Do you have anything against such parties that you want to talk to me about?" Liam asked in a tone that told Rose of how much he cared and how much he wanted her to be aware that he cared.

    Rose looked at him. His grey eyes were visible enough in the dimly lit car because she could easily see the sincerity in his eyes. "No, I am fine. I just need rest," she told him firmly. Some things of the past are just meant to stay hidden or locked up forever to avoid the pain they might bring.

    Liam knew she was not willing to talk about it and he did not push any further and leaned his back against the backrest of the chair. He wanted to be happy but since he had mentally tied his happiness to Rose, he prioritized her happiness above his happiness. He was willing to do almost anything to ensure that she was happy.

    He bent towards her and ced his head slowly and cautiously on her shoulder. "Ie from the future," Liam suddenly told her one of his biggest secrets.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uh?" Rose asked shocked. She turned to look at him with her eyes wide opened. She thought of what might have made hime up with such a sudden unexpected joke. Since it was a joke, she decided to smile.

    "I am serious," he said with a serious expression looking up at her face from where his head rested on her shoulder. It was actually a very pleasant surprise that Rose did not shrug him off.

    Rose concluded that the expression he now wore was to make the joke funnier and she decided to chuckle softly. Don''t peopleugh at jokes?

    Liam knew that she was only faking the expressions she showed him including her smile andughter. "You might not believe me but someday soon, I will prove it to you," Liam said smiling slightly. Since she decided not believe him, he knew there was no way he could persuade her vocally without a solid proof.

    "I will love to see something from the future, Mr. Time-traveller. What if I say I have lived two lives?" Rose asked looking at him fully to see every expression in the dimly lit car.

    Liam smiled at that because he thought she was saying that because of the ''joke'' he just told her. "It actually sounds cool," he said still smiling. "You are really not good at making jokes but I really want to know what you were in your past life. Were you a butterfly? Or were you a Queen from a century ago?"

    "I was none of that. I was actually a poor orphan that was killed to satisfy the cruelty of my stepmother''s heart and her desire to see me die in the most miserable way," Rose replied as a matter of fact. Those were the things she had in her memory. It was not sure that what she had in her memories was what truly happened to her but that was all she brought from her past life.

    "You might have had a dream when you were ina because there is nothing in this world like past life. No one dies and return with the memories of a past life that clearly does not exists," he told her seriously. He realized the reason why she said something like that from her answer and it immediately took him to his past which is most people''s future where he had to do everything to make this possible.

    "I did not expect you to believe me," Rose said without offense. She did not mind that he did not believe what she believed in because she did not tell with the aim of making him believe. "It is funny how someone who doesn''t believe in past lives believes in time travelling," Rose said jokingly.

    "Time travelling is actually very logical and I will prove it to you," Liam said earnestly. "Perhaps you travelled through time and you are actually thinking you have a past life."

    Rose did not take what he said seriously and moved her gaze to look out of the window. "Tell me what will happen tomorrow."

    "One of your father''s cousins will die from cancer. He is actually sick in the hospital as we speak," Liam suddenly whispered serious.

    Rose shivered. She had expected something less serious. He sounded like he meant but she refused to believe it.. As she thought of it, she felt living a new life sounded more reasonable than time travelling but what she did not know was that Liam was also thinking of the same thing.

 Chapter 161 - The "Actor"

    "Who was the young man who came with you?" Anna asked her the following morning when she when down stairs for her brunch.

    "A friend?" Rose replied as though she was not sure herself of what title to call the person.

    "Really? A friend?" Anna asked the irritation she felt obvious in her voice.

    "Yeah, I guess," Rose replied easily. She was did not mind that her sister was not happy about her answer. She did not want to tell her sister the truth which will make her answer be like, ''He is my future husband''. Now that kind of answer will cause Anna toe up with too many more endless questions.

    "Whatever," Anna said obviously pissed as she sat down to eat. It was almost lunch time and the two of them just woke up after the hectic ''fun'' night they had at the party.

    After a while of chewing and swallowing their brunches, Anna sighed. She could not just settle with the careless answer her sister gave her. "Okay, I know we are not really as close as we used to be but I think I deserve to know. I deserve to know who the guy I saw you with at the party is. So, now, who is he?" Anna asked a lot more irritated.

    Rose raised her head slightly from the bowl of ck bean noodles she asked Mara to have prepared for her because she saw it online and she wanted to try it out. "Don''t you think the fact that we are not close as we used to be is a very solid reason why I should not bother telling you? After all you did not tell me who the man you were with yesterday was." Rose decided to y the angry sister card since that might be the only way she could escape giving her sister an answer.

    "You know who the person is. Is there any reason why I should tell you again when I have told you once before?" Anna asked. Herplexion began to turn to bright shade of pink. "This is one of the reason you destroyed our sisterhood. You have so many secrets while I am the one who wants to tell you everything," Anna said.

    This was not the direction Rose wanted the conversation to go to but it seems Anna was bent on getting to the bottom of everything. "I told you who he is. I said he is a friend," Anna said looking down at the bowl of noodles and back at her sister whose expression darkened.

    "Rose!" Anna shouted. "Is that answer?"

    "Now, I really think you are overreacting. So, calm down and have a taste of my noodles. I saw it online and I wanted to try it. It is actually not so bad," Rose narrated to her sister.

    "A lot of people asked about who the man or boy whatever was and I had no answer to offer them. Obviously, the person who is supposed to be the closest to Rose who is her sister, does not even know who the man was, do you know how that made me feel?"

    "Angry? Left out?" Rose asked giving Anna her most innocent look. She made sure look as though she was wronged in every way which was actually the truth.

    "Yes, definitely left out and angry," Anna replied and huffed. She had to fan herself when the heat of the anger building up in her became too much to bare.

    "Then I am sorry," Rose apologized with a sincere smile. "I did not know not telling you was going to make you feel this way but I don''t think I can still tell you the person''s name. Isn''t it okay that you just know that he is a friend?" Rose asked.

    "Well, I don''t think he is a friend. I think you hired someone to y the role of the Mr. Hale you want so badly to go with you to the party. You wanted Mr. Hale to go with you and when you could not make that happen, you found a boy to y Mr. Hale," Anna said in the most offensive manner Rose have ever heard her speak to her.

    "Well, I guess there is nothing more I need to say if you think that way. I guess the actor I hired did not do well in his role y to get caught. That must have been embarrassing. I am d I left the party early," Rose said not forgetting to add a sigh of relief at the end.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Anna paused at that revtion and smiled in realization after the earlier shock subsided. She did not expect her sister to say that. She only thought about that when she noticed the man with Rosest night had just the same unique grey eyes that Mr. Hale had and she thought towards that because she saw no reason why Mr. Hale will be with her sister at such a party. She actually thought Mr. Hale hated her sister.

    "I also have something I want you to apologize to me for," Rose said after clearing her throat and leaning back against the backrest of the chair.

    "What is it?" Anna asked ring at Rose.

    Rose actually found Anna''s maturity to have reduced when it should clearly be increased with the fact that they have graduated from high school. However, she did not feel offended by her sister''s behavior since she knew that the person before her was not her sister. It was someone who was heartbroken and fell into the wrong hands. "No, forget it. I just think you have changed a lot and I don''t see my jovial cute sister in you anymore."

    Anna who has been acting so carefree felt Rose words hit home but since she have promised someone that she won''t try to be someone she was not and be herself, her true self, she decided to brush Rose words under the carpet. "I guess the girl you knew back then was the girl you and everybody wanted me to be so I had to be that but since I am finally leaving home for college, I have decided to be my real self."

    "No, you are wrong. The girl you are now, is someone you are obviously forcing yourself to be. You hate the fact that I got into the Royal university but you did not. You hate the fact that Debby thinks whoever was behind all that was close to you. You hate everything that is happening. You hate the fact that the major suspect of all these is someone you have found good enough to put you trust in. You hate it but you are channeling your anger towards the wrong direction.

    "I really think you should visit the therapist, you need to talk to somebody since you are not willing to open up to me. Don''t forget that if you get over the jealousy you feel towards me and the anger you feel towards Debby, you can actually talk to either of us.

    "If you think Debby is still scared of hanging around you, then you can talk to me. Remember that whoever did that to Coleman, was the same person who did that to ire and also to you and it is definitely not safe for you to be close to such a person."

    While she spoke all the words that she felt her sister needed to hear that might be what will save her sister from sinking too deep, Anna continued eating her brunch while ignoring her. It actually surprised her that Anna did not leave the table. It was actually good since that made her confirm that Anna heard her.

    "Please don''t tell anyone what I said to you. Don''t tell anybody at all since I can''t be sure of whom the culprit is. I really don''t want to die now," Rose did not forget to add afterwards. She shivered when she remembered how ire''s copse was left in a degrading manner.

    "I think the person who should be careful is you. Going out with men like that really does not suit you at all. I am not the only person who thinks that way and it could actually be a stain to your reputation," Anna gave Rose an advise as she got up to leave the table after eating her brunch and watching her sister eat the brownish stuff in the bowl that made her really curious of the taste.

    "I will be sure to be careful," Rose epted the advice with a smile.

    "That is good thing then," Anna said before leaving the dining hall. Entering the elevator, she found herself subconsciously reying the words of her sister on her mind. She nced at her blurry reflection on the wall of the elevator and sighed.

    Was she really pretending now? Or was this really who she was? With another heavy sigh, she stepped out of the elevator when it opened on the other floor.

    As her mind began wandering and wondering, her phone suddenly vibrated in the pocket of the pink hoody she wore on a pair of ck jean shorts.. When she pulled it out and saw the caller''s ID, all the thoughts simply evaporated from her brain.

 Chapter 162 - Just A Replacement

    As her mind began wandering and wondering, her phone suddenly vibrated in the pocket of the hoody she wore on a pair of ck jean shorts. When she pulled it out and saw the caller''s ID, all the thoughts simply evaporated from her brain.

    A smile slowly lifted the corners of her mouth as she stared at the screen of her phone for a while before picking the call. Finally, someone who isn''t judging her as someone who is jealous and not being herself has called her.

    "What do you think about eating lunch with me?" the male voice from the other end invited her over.

    "Sure," she said blushing a little at the thought of having lunch with him despite the fact that she just filled her stomach up with brunch. She ran to her room to get changed.

    Changed into the dress she wanted to wear out, she walked out of her room trying to hang her satchel on her shoulder. She paused in front of a door which has been closed from the moment she walked into this house as this family''s adopted daughter. Shaking her head, she walked pass the door.

    He was right, he was right that she was adopted to rece the little girl they lost. She was just a recement for their perfect daughter who died before she was adopted. She has never felt offended by it but at this moment, she could not help but feel annoyed. She could still remember what the girl looked like in the picture she saw in Valerie''s office.

    Then, she was very cautious and did not say anything about the smiling girl in the picture. She was just a toddler in the picture but Anna could not help but notice a few resemnces. The girl had long ck hair and a ck beautiful set of eyes just like hers. She subconsciously raised her and touched her hair.

    He was once again very right; it was time for her to go back to her roots. It was time for her to find her biological parents. Perhaps they were in a very tight situation that they had not option than to leave her at the orphanage home.

    She met Rose who was walking out of the elevator and she could not help but frown. This was it, Rose too was just a substitute. She was also adopted just like he said to rece her if she never wakes up from thea.

    Rose looked very much like Valerie and no matter what anyone says, she refused to believe that Rose was not rted to Valerie in any way. They looked so much and ording to what she found out, most of the descendants of Valerie''s grandmother look alike.

    "Mara said mum and dad will be around for dinner. I think you should be back before dinner time," Rose informed her when she got close to her.

    "Okay," Anna replied naturally and entered the elevator. She looked at Rose''s departing back when she turned to press the button to close the elevator. Rose hair, her eyes too which was not totally green but it had a few traces of green that someone will hardly miss when looking at her hair, herportment all pointed to the fact that Rose could actually be Valerie''s biological daughter or even the lost princess like he suggested.

    Rose felt someone''s gaze was fixed on her back and she turned to look back. She saw Anna staring at her just before the door closed and she shook her head before walking into her room. Anna was not yet her full enemy and there was a chance that she could recreate the bond they had as sisters before it bes toote.

    She did not know Liam much but she knew very well that he was going to eliminate anything or anyone obstructing his way to bing king. It was best for her to prevent her sister from bing a stumbling block on his part by betraying her. She really liked Anna. Anna gave her the happiness she lost from the night her mother died. She was more or less the only family she had.

    ***

    "About going to college," Anna began when she found the opportunity to speak while they were eating dinner.

    "I was too busy to reply your text," Justin said. He only paused long enough for him to say that before taking a small piece of steak into his mouth to eat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is okay," Anna said naturally. "I applied for a science and technology college here in B city and another in A city," Anna exined. She was ustomed to their usual excuse of them been busy especially her foster father.

    She used to admire the fact that they were aplished multibillionaires but now, she had no atom of admiration she only realized that her foster father was hardly around in their family home because he wanted to stay away from them as much as possible since they were nothing close to him in his heart as histe daughter.

    He simply had them adopted because of his wife and for the sake of doing some good for themunity by bringing some poor orphans into his luxury home and giving them the opportunity to live in luxury and have his great family''s name.

    "Why did you choose A city or B city?" Valerie asked with her face brightened up in interest. She ced her cutleries down gracefully and leaned back.

    Anna really wanted to say it is so she could be away from Rose who thinks she is jealous of her but she bit back those words and swallowed them down along with the slice of the juicy steak she just swallowed. "I could not get into the Royal university," Anna simply with a carefree smile.

    "You did not tell me early enough or I would have spoken to few people. They must have made a mistake because there is no reason you should not get epted," Valerie said obviously displeased. "I know you are smart and you are very qualified to get ept. I will tell my secretary to investigate it. I want to know why."

    "I had you were one of the best science students in B city from the examination. I saw the charts. You are clearly among the zero point thirty percent of top students with excellent IQ," Justin said unhappily. He also ced his cutleries down. "I came back because of this issue. I have somebody looking into it but the lead they got was very unreasonable. When they are done with the investigation, I will let you all know."

    Rose took in a deep breath. She confirmed that Liam had nothing to do with it but a little part of her still feared that it might all lead to him although she knew very well that even if he did it, he will not leave any trace.

    "Your dad and I will investigate this matter and find the reason behind it all. I don''t think you should a school you don''t like," Valerie advised her sincerely.

    "No, I am fine. I got epted by the two schools and I have the right to decide the school I want to go to. I will be leaving for A city soon for an eptance test," Anna said trying hard to appear unbothered by both the situation she was in and the care and concern her foster parents showed about the issue. She thought they will immediately agree with her decision without caring about what led to it.

    "I know you are fine with it but we are not going to let you get treated unfairly," Valerie said seriously. She smiled encouragingly at Anna before finally picking up her cutleries.

    "Thank you," Anna found herself saying. She looked down and continued eating when she realized she was actually touched by the concern they showed her. She nced at Rose who was busy eating her dinner and frowned slightly. She did not know what to feel out looking at her sister who looked very much left out in the family conversation. They did not even bother to ask her if she got epted.

    When her heart began to soften towards Anna, she snapped it back to it toughness. She convinced herself that they did not talk about Rose getting epted because they wanted her to feel better and not intimidated by the fact that Rose hot epted but she did not get epted.

    "Come here," Valerie called out to Anna after dinner with her hands spread out towards Anna.

    Anna knew what that was for and without hesitation she hugged her foster mother who gave her gentle pats on her lower back soothingly. She reminded herself over and over while she was in foster mother''s embrace that she shouldn''t let it make her heart waver.

    "It is going to be okay," Valerie promised her. "If you want to go to the Royal University, I will make them realize that they made a mistake by losing such a beautiful and talented girl," Valerie encouraged.. She pulled away from the embrace and ced a gentle kiss on Anna''s forehead.

 Chapter 163 - The Dinner Date

    "It is going to be okay," Valerie promised her. "If you want to go to the Royal University, I will make them realize that they made a mistake by losing such a beautiful and talented girl," Valerie encouraged. She pulled away from the embrace and ced a gentle kiss on Anna''s forehead.

    Rose subconsciously looked away from the scene and left for the elevator. Standing in the elevator she found herself repeatedly telling herself not to feel sad but it seems with every harmonious scene she gets to witness, she always get reminded of her mother who was brutally taken away from her at a very young age.

    Anna noticed Rose''s sad expression and felt her heart tighten. She always noticed that Rose seems to be left out in every family gathering. She found herself unable to shake the thought away leaving the couple and went after Rose. She stopped the elevator door from closing. "You don''t look too good. Are you okay?" Anna asked watching Rose closely.

    "Yeah. The steak was one of its kinds and that fruit cake was the best I have had in a while. I love it and I will have Mara bring some for meter. Will you like to have some too, so I could tell her to bring yours too?" Rose asked easily as she adjusted her expression and gave Anna a small smile.

    "You don''t look too well," Anna proceeded to state the obvious when she noticed Rose was trying to avoid giving the answer she wanted and she was hesitating to ask the question directly.

    "I am fine. Is there something on my face?" Rose asked innocently as she could not help but appreciate her sister''s presence since it was the perfect distraction from her sulking mood.

    "No," Anna said with an arched eyebrow. She pouted slightly confused if Rose was feigning the innocent or she really meant it. After staring for a while, she shook her head and pressed the close button of the elevator. "I need a nice dress. I want to wear it for a dinner date. Could you help me pick a cloth?"

    "Sure. I will do that for you tomorrow. Right now, I have to do some work," Rose easily replied. She had actually started a fashion blog for fun and she wanted to write down an article to uploadter.

    "Oh, thanks by the way," Anna said before going to her room. She was surprised by Rose''s answer. She expected Rose to give her a negative answer. She did not expect Rose to agree easily despite all the trouble making and rude things she has said to Rose for the past few days. She nced at the closed door of her room as she fell on a sofa and shook her head. She really could not understand Rose.

    Rose knew Anna was only testing her and she did not take it seriously also not hesitating to agree because she hoped and wished her little gestures will be recognized by Anna as a sign of her goodwill and prevent her sister from bing her enemy.

    ***

    "My sister picked it for me," was Anna''s replied when her datemented on how gorgeous she looked in the blue gown she wore which stopped an inch above her knees. "She also designed it."

    "Oh," was the reply of her date as he tried really had to hold himself back from scolding her angrily for talking about her sister whom he hated and was nning on ending as soon as he can defeat those walls she seeded in building around herself.

    He has been trying for close to a year now to infiltrate the strong walls of Liam''s organization but it only led him to lose his best men and lose money along with the mercenaries he hired.

    Looking at the dress that showed the talent of its maker, he could help but feel that soon, his patient will run out and he will have no option than to simply warn Anna directly to stay away from Rose or find a way to take Anna totally away from that family.

    As Anna made her way to the private room they were led to, she could not stop herself from smiling. It was not easy for her to admit it but for Rose to choose her cloth out for her like there was nothing wrong going on between them, made her feel d. It told her that Rose was not angry and will still take her as her sister no matter how she decided to behave.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just before she stepped into the private room, her eyes fell on someone very familiar dressed in expensive suit and a cold expression on his face as he walked out of a private room with a few young men around his age and she paused, her smile disappeared from her lips.

    Anna actually felt the rate of her heart beat increase when her eyes met the brown eyes of the very familiar young man before her. She never knew her heart could beat so fast before because this was the first it beat so fast. She gulped the lumps that began forming in her throat when she noticed how good he looked in the suit. It made him look like the hot handsome bachelor he has now be.

    He was not the young boy who let her step on his foot without hesitating. Rather, he now looked like a very strong man with a domineering aura she sure knew will keep any trouble maker away. Seeing him close up now made her realize why he did not answer her call when she tried desperately to call him few days ago.

    She was obviously way below his league. They were no longer ssmates. From what she heard from Wayne, he had alreadypleted a degree but came to their school for fun. She found it funny but sad that he could actually do such a thing. He must have had a lot of fun lying to her about liking her and left as soon as he got bored.

    "Are you okay," A voice asked close to her and she froze visibly before nodding hurriedly. She looked away from Jace and walked into the private room. She scolded her heart over and over again when her date pulled back a seat for her and adjusted it before sitting down opposite her.

    She was already with someone who she ims to find peace with but why was her heart beating for someone else so painful since the person did not even bother to consider her existence?

    "Hmmm," she said when her date fixed his gaze on her worriedly. She nodded to further assure him that she was alright.

    Jace could not hold back the urge he felt to look back at the door he just passed. It was the door Anna just walked in through. He sighed slightly as guilt gripped his heart. He remembered the day Anna called his number over and over again for a while but he ignored all her calls leaving them ringing endlessly until it seems Anna got tired and stopped.

    He could still remember how much he wanted to reach out and pick the call but he remembered that he should not be bothered by things like that coupled with the fact that his father informed him of Anna''s true identity and how he might be the person to order her death if she ever tries to harm the princess in the future.

    Seeing Anna in the slightly revealing dress she wore, though hard, but he admitted to himself that he was unhappy. He really wanted to go back to her and wrap her in his suit jacket and kick the man she was standing with far away from Anna''s side.

    He could recognize the man as the man as the man that saved Anna. The man became his rival from that moment and he spent a lot of time sulking afterwards but now he does not think he has enough time in his schedule to sulk about the man being with Anna.

    He reyed the way Anna''s eyes looked when she saw him on his mind. Doing that, he could easily take note of the sadness in her eyes the sign that showed she like him, right?

    "Are you okay?" One of the men he came to eat with had to ask when they noticed that Jace''s expression was not as good as when they were still eating.

    "Yes," Jace replied before entering his car. In the car, he went through his call history and found her contact there with her name and he frowned. He really should not do things like that when the girl was his enemy and she was not interested in him but rather she was interested in the man who was with her.

    These were words he chose to use to encourage himself and make the diversion of his thoughts easier.

 Chapter 164 - The Video

    "Who is ire?" Justin suddenly asked his adopted daughter after breakfast on a day he was free enough to have breakfast with them.

    Everyone in the dining room turned and looked at him shocked by the sudden question. At first all of them listening were not sure of who the question was directed to but when they noticed his gaze was fixed on Anna alone, they also turned their gaze to her knowing he was talking to Anna.

    Seeing the gaze of her foster father fixed on her, Anna gulped. She did not like where this conversation was going to. She did not know how he knew about ire. It was only a few days ago she stopped hearing that girl''s name. She seeded in oveing the nightmare she suffered from due to the incident that happened to her only to bring in a new one.

    ire has be her biggest nightmare now. It was as though the girl was haunting her every day. She chose to believe that she was only over thinking when she got her peace back for a few days now but it seems the ghost of the girl was not satisfied with the way things turned out.

    "Who is ire?" Justin asked obviously displeased that Anna remained silent when she should be giving him an answer.

    "She was a schoolmate," Anna replied with a lot of effort used to prevent stuttering.

    "A schoolmate you hit so hard that she had to see a doctor, right?" Justin asked sternly.

    "When did that happen?" Valerie asked obviously surprised by the new revtion. She turned towards the two girls who were her adopted daughters and frowned waiting for an answer. She wondered when it happened that she did not know about it.

    "I . . ." Anna stuttered unable to prevent it any longer. Her palm became very sweaty and she did not like this at all.

    "Since she can''t give us an answer, you should be able to do that, right?" Justin asked now fixing his gaze on Rose.

    Rose frowned. She really did not want to be the one to tell the tale. It should be best if the main lead narrates it, right? She also held back just like Anna with her head bowed and her chin almost touching her chest.

    "You two don''t want to give me an answer, right?" Justin asked getting really angered by their silence. He scolded himself over and over again on his mind about letting the girls into his family. He lied to himself that if his daughter was alive, she will possibly have been the best child and not bringing problems and troubles to his door step. Perhaps he was actually right to think that way and he was not lying.

    "I hit her really hard when she said something bad about me. She insulted me. I did it because I was very angry when I heard what she said," Anna suddenly lifted her head and narrated sincerely. She avoided her foster father''s gaze but she did not look scared any more.

    "I see that you are very proud that you hit the girl, right? I saw the video," Justin said angrily. He sat down back on the chair he sat to eat breakfast when he felt like he could not hold back his anger. The look of confidence in her eyes was what pissed him off more.

    "That happened over about two years ago and everything was settled," Anna told him confidently. What gave her the sudden rush of confidence was the memory of what happened that day. She remembered what ire said about her. "She said nasty things about me. I guess they did not include it in the video or you won''t be this angry with me."

    "Really? Do you know what will happen to your reputation if the video gets out?" Justin asked trying hard to keep himself from shouting out at her.

    "I really don''t care. What she said then, was a rumor that she could start and ruin my reputation in a more effective way than me beating her up would. I had to make her stop to prevent the rumor from spreading," Anna justified her action.

    The incident that happened to her was still a very dark dot in her memory. It was like a locked safe that she had no key to which prevented her from know its content but that does not give anyone the right to try creating her memories for her.

    "You then found a way to kill her afterwards to seal it up, right?" Justin asked. Looking at Anna, he knew that she possibly did not have anything to do with what happened to her since it seems the person who did it was definitely someone ruthless and equipped enough to make that happen.

    Looking at the teenager before him and remembering her reaction when she saw the girl''s copse, he knew she was not aware of who the culprit was and was possibly feeling threatened herself.

    Anna gasped at that unexpected question. She looked at her foster father in astonishment unable to believe what she heard from his lips. How did she be strong enough to make that happen? She did not bother giving him an answer but made sure to show how wronged she felt.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Jace was the person who helped us stop the rumor," Rose chipped in although and she feltpletely uninvolved and out of ce in the conversation when she was done speaking which immediately made her regret talking.

    Justin nced at Rose but said nothing about that because he was fully aware of that. "Well, I am sure you are wondering why I am bringing this up. The video is the reason why you did not get epted by the Royal University," Justin announced. He shook his head before standing up to leave.

    "Who sent the video to them?" Anna asked because she could not remember that such a video existed. "How did they get the video?"

    Justin nced at Rose for a split second without giving an answer to Anna''s question and walked out of the dining room.

    Anna was literally losing her mind. Someone have to take the video because she does not think the school will want to hand over the CCTV tape to the university she wanted to attend. This was too much, who was behind it?

    She nced at Rose when she felt tears fill her eyes.

    "Are you okay?" Valerie asked walking to Anna.

    "I am fine, I just need some time to think about this," Anna said and ran out of the dining and out of the housepletely.

    Rose nced at her foster mother before running out after Anna. "Anna. Are you okay?" Rose had to ask when she saw Anna simply standing in front of the mansion staring up at the morning sky with the sun shining with a mild intensity.

    "Do I look okay?" Anna snapped and looked down. She frowned at her foster sister. "Who do you think did this to me?" Anna asked sadly as she returned her gaze to the sky.

    "What you are doing is not good for your eyes. Let us go inside," Rose said softly as she reached for Anna''s wrist.

    "It was a lot better when I did not know the reason. Then, I was able to ept it but with this, I feel so wronged. I don''t deserve any of these. You heard what she said about me, right?" Anna asked looking at Rose with her now red and misty eyes.

    "Yes I heard and she deserved getting those ps from you but she did not deserve to die the way she did. Whoever did that to her is the cruelest being in existence," Rose said truthfully. She knew how bad the girl looked and ording to rumors, the girl was molested and abused before getting killed.

    Rose felt whoever did it to Anna used the cruelest method to have her kicked. "What if the video gets leaked?" Anna asked when it urred to her.

    "I don''t think it would. The person will not want to get caught since it will be easy to track him down," Rose tried to assure her. She will have to task Liam with the job of finding the person as soon as Anna calms down. "Also don''t worry. Dad will make sure it does not get leaked out on the inte since you are his daughter and it might affect his reputation."

    That seems to be a very persuasive reason why the video will stay hidden because Anna who was about to begin crying calmed down visibly.

    "We can ask Wayne to hack their system to find out who sent it to them and how it got sent," Rose suggested giving Anna some hope before she gets to talk to Liam.

    Anna frowned when she remembered someone who could help her who was more powerful with more resources than Wayne who was now so high up that she could only brush it aside.

    She had a cause to smile when she remembered someone else.. Shaking Rose''s hand off her wrist, she ran into her room to get the keys to the car her mother told her she was free to use at any time.

 Chapter 165 - Who Sent The Video

    Rose grabbed her phone as soon as she stepped into her room and called Liam. Liam picked her call immediately. "I need you to help me find the person who sent a video of my sister pping someone to the Royal University," Rose said hastily without waiting for him to say a word or even care to exchange pleasantries.

    Liam did not find that pleasing especially because she was asking for help with something that concerned her foster sister. "I will ask some people to look into that. I will call you as soon as they find out," Liam assured her trying hard to remain calm despite how unhappy her felt. The only joy he found in the phone call was the fact that he got to hear Rose''s voice.

    "Thanks then," Rose said pulling the phone away from her ear. She had to try calling Anna to know where she went and if she was okay.

    "It is my pleasure. Are you okay?" Liam asked her worriedly but his words were not heard by her and the answer he got was the beeping sound indicating that Rose had hung up.

    Rose exhaled tiredly as she began to call Anna but Anna kept cutting her call off. After the first and second trial, she decided to patiently wait for Anna to return home hoping she was alright and did not go to do anything stupid. The only person that came to her mind as she sat down on a sofa in the area of her room was thete Coleman.

    Coleman was the only person who might have a motive to do such a thing to avenge ire but Coleman was dead and unable to do anything of that sort. She racked her brain for any other person who could have done that. She ticked Liam''s name out of the short list of people she came up with for reasons she could not point out.

    A little part of her felt such method was below Liam and she could not just see him doing such thing. His methods will definitely be direct because for all these while she has known him, he only seem to use direct methods to get what he want and this method might actually be direct for a few people but definitely not Liam.

    If only Liam who was sulking about Rose calling him in such a short hurried manner to seek for help for her foster sister that he clearly did not like knew what Rose was thinking at this moment and the height of her expectations of him . . .

    ***

    "You don''t look good," a young man said as soon as he opened the door of his house for his young girlfriend to go in.

    "I don''t feel good," Anna said truthfully. "I found out the reason why I did not get epted into the Royal university. Someone sent a video to them. Why should a video destroy the fact that I deserve to get epted? I am smart and whatever I did in high school should not affect me in university, right?" Anna asked angrily as she walked into his living room.

    "The Royal University has a lot of people from all over the world who wants to be their student but they have a limit of the number of students they can ept so they carry out an evaluation of the behavior of the students when they have too much applicants who are qualified.

    "They check the records of the student from junior high to high school. In special asions where the video gets sent to them, they will find it hard to ept such student. Must students aspiring to get ept try to be in their best behavior," Steve exined to Anna taking his time to exin it to her. "You might have not noticed but your sister tried her best to avoid trouble while in high school."

    "Rose is gentle and elegant naturally. She is not that way at school alone but she is that way at home too. I spent a lot time with her before we went to high school and she has always been that way," Anna told him easily without thinking about what he said seriously.

    "Do you remember that you told me that you had to beat up a few guards at home to convince your foster parent that you could stop being home schooled? Just imagine if someone got the video of it and decided to send it your school? I don''t think they will want to ept a student who might possibly kill a few of their guards," he reminded her sternly not bothering to sugar coat it.

    Anna sighed none of what he was saying was helping her present situation. She was beginning to regret her past actions and there no regret that feels good. "I should not have done those things," Anna said in a small sad voice with her head bowed like a child who just received some serious scolding.

    "You did them because you had to. If you had not beaten them up, then you could have been home schooled till the end of high school and we might have never met. The girl ire, she deserved the beating she got from you. You did all those things because they were unavoidable and there is nothing wrong with what you did. I think the person who is at fault is the person who sent the video to them," he reminded her of the person she should direct her anger towards which was not her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You said you know how to hack, right?" Anna asked. The new hope she felt made her lift up her head and look at him with her eyes shining.

    "Yes," he said nodding his head as though he was not sure of his skills. "I . . ."

    Knowing he was about to refuse to help her hack the school system, she shook her head furiously. "I know you can do it. You are a genius after all. Help me find out who sent the video to the school or how they got to know that such a video existed although I doubt if they actually looked for it themselves. Help me please, uh?" Anna begged with her best puppy eyes looking up at him.

    Steve gulped the lump down his throat and nodded although appearing a little hesitant.

    "Thank you," Anna told him in jubtion. If she could find the person, then she could know who to direct her anger to and who to seek revenge from. When Steve sat in front of hisputer and began trying to get into the school''s website first since it was most likely sent to the school through their website.

    She thought of the culprit being a few people before eliminating them one by one after careful evaluation. On the list, people like a friend of ire with whom ire was talking to when she heard the new born rumor from ire and very few people including Coleman whom she cancelled immediately his name as soon as it crossed her mind and few others which she eliminated from her thoughts.

    After watching Steve use hisputer for close to half an hour while she stood waiting made her really tired and finally she could slightly rx. The first heat she felt from the whole drama had finally cooled off and she pulled a stool close to his work desk and sat on it after getting a ss of cold water.

    "How long is it going to take?" she asked looking at the screen unable to understand half of what was on the screen.

    "It will be done soon. It was not sent to them through their website so I am going to check the school''s official email," he replied as he continued his work with his eyes fixed on the screen before him and his hands working fast to give him what he wanted.

    "Thanks once again for helping me," she appreciated sincerely. She doubted if Wayne will be able to hack into the school''s website and email. It was her good luck that she had who was willing to help since her only left option, Jace will not offer her any help.

    Seeing he was already making progress, she found began feeling very anxious. She felt a rush of eager ness make her stand up and stood beside him when he nced at her.

    "What did you find?" she asked looking up at his identical ck eyes expectantly.

    "I . . ." he began and nced at her again obviously hesitating to tell her anything. He shook his head firmly and continued typing on the keyboard of hisputer.

    "I want to know who sent the video to them and how the person did it," Anna said slowing getting pissed off.

    "I think you should see it yourself," Steve said moving his swivel chair back from the table and pointed at a part of the screen.

 Chapter 166 - Becoming The Suspect

    Rose waited anxiously for Liam to call her with the answer she from him. When Liam finally did he remained silent for a few minutes before finally speaking.

    "The video was sent from your email," he replied softly. "I am sorry I did not give this issue the priority it deserves because I thought it was only about your sister but I just discovered it was targeted at making you the culprit."

    Rose remained silent unsure of what to say because she knew this issue was not a joke in any way. Liam was saying the truth and that means Anna and her foster parents knew about it. "Who do you think did it?" Rose asked in a tired weak voice.

    "I thinkthe teacher did it. He wants to find a way to destroy the sisterhood between you sisters and his biggest aim is to make your sister alone and lonely. He is trying to take everyone from her and make her rely on him alone and I think he did a very good job," Liam replied worried about Rose.

    "I see. I guess there is no way I will be able to persuade Anna with the truth. She won''t believe me. We have not been in good terms for a while now and that is possibly a good reason why I will do such a thing to her. No one will believe otherwise. I don''t know what to feel right now," Rose told him tiredly. She was not even considering giving anyone an exnation.

    "Rose are you okay?" Liam asked unable to hold back this question any longer.

    "I am okay. I just . . ." Rose began but stopped when the door flew open and Anna walked in with her face stained with tears and her eyes staring daggers at Rose as soon as she noticed Rose where she sat. Rose could not hold back the helpless smile that lifted the corner of her lips.

    "Are you . . ." Liam began to ask but he was cut off when Rose hung up. Without wasting time, he called one of the people he ced in the Whitfred family to go check on Rose and ensure she was okay while he picked his jacket and walked out of his office.

    He scolded himself over and over for not noticing the seriousness of the whole thing when Rose called him. However, he felt it was good that he called Rose before someone elsees to her.

    Rose stood up when Anna walked to her. "I know what you heard but I did not do it," Rose began exining despite how she told herself to try not to persuade anyone in a pathetic manner.

    "What do you think I heard? Give me your phone, I want to check your email," Anna said stretching one of her hand to Rose while the other did a good job of cleaning the tears off her face.

    "I . . .," Rose began while giving the phone to Anna. She prayed that Liam deleted the message from her email.

    "This is it. I hoped you deleted the video so that I will have a little hope that you did not do it but I can see the sent message and the video saved on your phone," Anna said feeling both betrayed and disappointed.

    Rose found it very ridiculous. The person who did it was very smart and he did a good job of arranging the set to match his script. She chuckled at the situation despite how much she did not find funny at all.

    "You actually think this funny, right? You ruined my life. You ruined the n I made for my life. You even called me jealous when you were the person dying of jealousy. You were so jealous of me that you decided to destroy me, right?"

    "I am not jealous of you at all," Rose corrected her foster sister. "I have never been jealous of you and I did not send the video someone else did."

    Rose knew it was useless to try to exin because she could easily see the look of hurt and pain in her foster sister''s eyes and she knew she was set on believing Rose sent the video.

    She tried to exin because she did not want it to be as though she kept the truth without trying to rify it at all and to avoid future regret.

    "How do you expect me to believe when you have all these to confirm that you sent the video to them. If you did not do it out of jealousy then does that mean you mean the words you left? What do you mean my me being a bad luck and a cmity child?"

    This was getting more ridiculous. Rose found it very stupid of the person to have left such childish words. She was not childish enough to write such a thing like cmity child about her foster sister.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The person obviously did not know that if she actually sent the video she will send something better and logical or she might not even bother to send any word with the video aside from the apart from the identity of her sister.

    "How dare you also tell them about the Coleman that we are supposed to keep to ourselves. Don''t you know I am well-known? Such a video going viral will simply destroy my reputation on the inte and affect dad too. What if they say our family is the one doing the killing?"

    Anna did not believe that Rose will do what she did without a reason. Rose remained silent not bothering to correct her sister since she had done it repeatedly.

    "Answer me," Anna demanded very angrily.

    "I am sorry but I don''t think they will suspect our family since you and I were also victims," Rose gave her an answer to the only question she felt like answering to prevent her sister from getting angrier because she remained quiet.

    Anna red at her sister. Based on her personality, she wanted to do more than just stare. She wanted to grab a fistful of her sister''s hair and tug it until each strand of hair pull from her scalp but she held herself by repeatedly reminding herself if how strong Rose was on the mat and she mostly likely beat her up instead.

    If she does not get beaten up by Rose then perhaps she might end up as a murderer considering Rose''s health status.

    "I really did not do any of that, okay?" Rose said.

    "Could you stop lying and give me a reason why you did that. I thought were sisters. I cherished every single thing that happened between us. I was so lonely before you came and I made my enemy my sister and friend. I always trusted you. I trusted you more than I have trusted anyone in my life then why? Why did you ruin my life? Why did you do that to me? Why?!"

    Rose watched Anna break down in tears before her as her eyes also began filled with tears that she could not hold back as the flowed down her cheeks. She also cherished it all. She loved her sister. Anna was the brightness she found in her very unhappy life.

    If she had not met Anna and her friends in this life, perhaps she would have lived a quiet sad and lonely life unable to trust anyone at all but Anna and her friends showed her that she could actually live a normal life.

    "What is happening here?" Valerie asked when she walked in on her favorite adopted daughter squatting on the floor as she cried painfully. She nced at Rose before going to Anna and lifted her up.

    "She ruined me," Anna cried ring at Rose despite the tears that flowed down her cheeks. "I trusted her but she betrayed me. She sent the video to the university."

    "I know. That was what I came to find out. Why did you do it, Rose? After all my husband made avable for you. We thought you were nice and well behaved. All these still makes me feel surprised. I find it hard to believe but the evidence is enough," Valerie said unhappily.

    "I really did not do it," Rose corrected her foster mother as she mopped off her tears while repeatedly telling herself on her mind to stop crying.

    "You should be begging for forgiveness," Justin said angrily as soon as he walked into the room. "You should be giving us an answer and an apology not trying to deny it." Justin could not believe that the girl he thought was well behaved turned out to be the devil.

    "We brought you into this family to be a part of us but you betrayed one of us. I don''t think you can continue to stay since we don''t know what you might do next," Valerie suddenly said firmly.

    Rose was surprised as she looked at them in astonishment. She could not believe what she just heard.

    "We want you to leave after all you would have been given your freedom if you were in an orphanage."

 Chapter 167 - Gone For Real

    "We want you to leave after all you would have been given your freedom if you were still in the orphanage," Valerie stated looking into Rose''s hazel eyes.

    Everyone in the room was shocked by the sudden statement Valerie made.

    Justin was very shocked and confused. He wondered what made Valerie change her mind so easily since he spent more than an hour trying to persuade her that it was best that Rose leaves but Valerie was bent on keeping Rose with them.

    Anna felt her heart hurt hearing that. She never knew that this was what the whole thing will turn into. She was angry with whoever sent the video and since Rose was the suspect with evidence, she decided to get angry at Rose. A little part of her believed Rose but because of the evidence she saw, she could not hold on to a baseless hope.

    Rose felt fresh tears sip down her cheeks as she watched Valerie. She did not know what to feel at that moment. It would have felt better if Valerie did not look so much like her biological mother. She scoffed when she could not form the right word to say.

    Valerie was also shocked. She had blurted those words out hoping to get Rose on her knees acknowledging her crime and beg for forgiveness so she won''t get sent out. Looking at Rose, she was shocked because Rose did not give her the reaction she expected.

    She wanted to take back her words when she saw the tears slipping from Rose''s chin down. Rose looked very hurt but she could not just form the words and let them out of her mouth, it felt like the guilt she felt was choking her.

    "I . . ." Rose began after a few minutes of absorbing the news. She was not going to beg to stay. It seems the chapter of her life in the Whitfred family was over and it was time for her to leave into the world with her true identity.

    "I think if you confess and apologize you will be allowed to stay," Anna tried to persuade Rose. She was not ready for Rose to leave their home. She could not imagine the floor they lived on bing empty once again. She prayed that Rose will confess and apologize just as she said. She was willing to forgive her if she did although she knew it will be hard for them to get back to the way they were.

    "I did not do anything wrong, why then should I apologize?" Rose asked looking at each of them starting from her foster parents before her gaze finally rested on Anna. "You all believe I did it, right?" she asked smiling sadly.

    She thought about just taking the very few things she owned in the house and leave but she knew it will be so unlike her to do such things so a little drama and expression of the hurt and pain she felt might do some good in making them believe she was going for good.

    "I . . . I never knew you all thought so little of me. You must have smiled at me with the words on your mind of how I am just an orphan brat you saved from a country like Y country. I must have looked really pathetic and untrustworthy since you all think I did it. I only wanted a happy normal life. I wanted to know love. I lost my parents and I have not gotten over it.

    "I thought I could enjoy some familiar love but I guess my luck is so bad that the people I took as my family doesn''t care to listen to my exnation as soon there is a problem. This is the first time such a thing has happened, even if all the evidence points at me shouldn''t that be enough to persuade you that I did not do to?" Rose said with enough emotion filling her voice.

    "How can you proof that you did not do it when we have the evidence?" Justin asked when he noticed that it seems Rose was not lying although he was not sure if he trusted her or if he has ever trusted any of his adopted kids.

    "I don''t know to proof it," Rose replied despite the idea that that popped up on her mind when she thought of who took the video of what happened. "I really am grateful for all you gave me. You gave me all the material things I feel I don''t really deserve them. You are a very nice family. If only I did not lose mine, I would have not being forced to experience this. You want me to leave? Then I will leave," Rose said.

    Anna pulled her hand out but stopped immediately. She wanted to see where this was going. She did not believe Rose will leave for real.

    Rose ran to the closet and picked the ne Liam gifted her and returned to the room where the others were waiting for her. She nced down at the pair of fitted ck jeans she wore on a baggy floralprint vintage shirt she was wearing above. Seeing that what she wore for breakfast which was what she was still wearing was good enough for her to leave in, she finally looked at the people in the room.

    "All that is with me are mine. I will send these clothes back and I will send the money for the phone back to you. Since I am no longer a member of this family, I will like it to be official and legally agreed. I will not bear the name of a family who does not care for me," Rose said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She tried not to be too dramatic as she walked out of the room but with a nce back at the door of the room, she saw her foster family dumbfounded but knowing it might be toote to leave so smoothly if she dares to stall, she left without looking back again.

    ? As she walked out of the mansion without getting stopped, she knew that was it. She knew that she was finally not a member of this family anymore. It was actually much easier than she thought it will be.

    Walking to the huge ck gate, she realized that she has never had to trek so much except on the treadmill. She ignored the guards at gate and walked out. She looked down the road that lead to the town and groaned.

    This was definitely going to take up all her strength. The house was built far from the city and trees were nted on either sides of the road. She actually felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. The ce was too secluded for her to walk alone.

    She really did not feel good about it knowing she was made a lot more weaker due to her liver transnt. If she is faced with any problem she was not sure she will be able to escape at all.

    She nced at her phone and called Liam he was the only person she could think of at that moment who will do everything to ensure her safety. He was not reachable after a lot trials.

    She finally gave up and decided to call her best friend. Eric picked her call almost immediately.

    "Eric, I am sorry but could youe over to my house?" she asked hoping he won''t begin asking her questions because she did not want to answer any such question over the phone.

    "What us wrong? You don''t sound well. Are you okay?" he asked just like she guessed he would his voice sounded very worried.

    "I am fine. You are free toe over?" she asked.

    "No, I heard my mother is sick. My dad and I are going to visit her in Star city. You should call Wayne or Debby if something is wrong," he advised her.

    "Sure, I will. Thanks," she appreciated. "Send my greetings to your mum. I hope she gets better soon. I will visit her as soon as I get to Star city," she promised him before hanging up.

    Now she was all alone with no one else to call and no hope of finding a way to get to city except on foot. This will be the longest trek of her entire life.

    She began the trek praying her body cooperates since she was not as strong as she used to before she got stabbed.

    ***

    The now family of three nced at each other but remained quiet. Rose was not known to be impulsive in her behavior.

    From what they knew about Rose from the four years she spent living with them, they all knew all Rose actions are well calcted. That made them know that she was very serious about making it official.. She no longer wanted to be their child in every way.

 Chapter 168 - Roses Departure

    Rose has really gone. She has made it clear that she did not want to be a part of their family any longer because they did not trust her.

    "I will have her adoption cancelled. She asked for it," Justin said before walking out of the room whose owner was gone. Justin was reminded of the life his father had to live as an adopted son of the Whitfred family. He could never forget all the humiliation he was made to go through. He saw it all but he still did the same thing to his own adopted daughter.

    It made him fell like a monster but no matter how he tried, he could not bring himself to love those girls the same way he loved histe daughter and he was not even making any effort to love them. The material things he provided for them was enough after all they would not have the opportunity to enjoy the luxury he provided for them as their multi-billionaire adopted father.

    This was the first time he felt bad over anything concerning his adopted daughters perhaps because he was reminded of his father but he was still not pleased by Rose''s reaction. His father has been humiliated over and over again but he never considered running away like Rose did and that was why he got to enjoy the life of luxury that was connected to being a distant member of the royal family.

    That was something not everyone is opportune to enjoy although all those luxury made him lose his mother who could not endure it all. Rose was lucky but she threw away her golden card. She might return on her knees when she finds it hard to survive without the luxury. If she ever returns, he promised himself that he will not falter. He was going to make everything official so she won''t have any ce in their family again.

    Anna sighed. It was all confirmed and sealed. Rose was not her sister anymore and it will be almost impossible to have Justin consider letting here back even if Rose returns saying she was sorry and only left in an angry fit. She went to her room and rested her back on the door of her room when she closed the door.

    Warm tears streamed down her cheeks as she came to realization what just happened. Looking around her room, she noticed almost everything was connected to Rose. She was reminded of the times the spent together. It was priceless. If Rose had note to their family, she might have never woken up from thea that had trapped.

    She could not hold back the guilt that gripped her. It was very suffocating. She wished she had not being as tough as she was and at least believed Rose. Since Rose left, she was actually slowinging to realization that Rose might have not done it. The more she thought of it, the more it made her certain that Rose did not send the video.

    She further pressed her back against the door as more tears escaped from her cheeks down. She did not bother to wipe them off. It was not her fault Rose got sent out but it was the fault of the culprit, the person who sent to video to the university. She felt so weak; it was as though her legs could not carry anymore as she slides down to the floor.

    Valerie called Mara to the third floor as soon as she got there. "I want you to follow Rose. Take her to wherever she wants to go and give her this," Valerie said when Mara walked into her study. She stretched a brown envelope of money to her.

    Mara epted her new task before heading out. She actually saw Rose walking out of the house towards the gate but because she was busy with something else, she had no option but to ignore Rose and continued what she had to do.

    After driving slowly for a while, she saw Rose walking behind the first row of trees on the way. She horned and packed beside the road. "Rose!" she called out to Rose.

    She noticed Rose stopping but Rose did not answer. She was very cautious as she looked at the car from behind a tree. She looked like a cute child ying ''hide and seek''.

    She was forced toe out of her car. She walked towards Rose who also walked out from behind the tree and walked towards her. "I am sorry I scared you," she apologized sincerely although she was not sure if Rose was really scared.

    "No, I am okay," Rose replied frankly. She was really not scared at all. She recognized the car immediately as the car her ex-foster father gave Mara as a gift for being their butler with a good reputation, hardworking and trustworthy.

    "I will give you a ride," Mara offered with an inviting smile.

    "Sure. I was tired of walking. Are you busy at home?" Rose asked when she followed her to her car.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No, I am not. Your mum asked me to bring you to wherever you want to go. I am not much of a gossip monger but I am curious about what happened. Why did you leave home all alone? Don''t you know it is risky to walk on the road alone?" Mara had to ask although from where she noticed Rose was walking, she knew Rose was aware and was cautious.

    "She is not my mum any longer as you know. She sent me out of the house because I did not admit tomitting a crime I was not guilty of," Rose said unrestrained because she knew Mara will take it all back to Valerie and that will be the best since she had no intention of returning.

    "She was not serious about it at all. Valerie has a little problem controlling her emotions and it all started when she lost her first child. She has not gotten over it all although Anna has been of great help since Anna looks a little like herte daughter. I am sure she did not mean what she said and she is going sometime with her therapist for the following weeks," Mara narrated to her.

    "I don''t think I believe you, Mara," Rose told her truthfully. "You did not witness what just happened and you also did not experience it firsthand."

    "I know but if she is not sorry, she would have not asked me to pick you up. She also sent me to give you this," Mara said as she lifted the brown envelope and passed it to Rose.

    "I don''t need their money. I am thinking of how to pay back all I owe them. I don''t want to add to my debt," Rose told her seriously. She took the envelope from her but ced it on the brown dashboard.

    "I know you are hurt but that does not mean you have to leave in such a manner. You . . ."

    "Mara you know this issue is not public right?" Rose asked looking at Mara.

    "Yes, I know it is not public."

    "Do you know what will happen if something else happens that go public? It will ruin my reputation. It will make me lose all I have tried building up for all these years. I know they made most of it possible but I will never let them do such a thing to me again. Do you know what it means to be tagged as the orphan who was grateful and tried to ruin her sister because of jealousy? I bet you don''t know."

    "What about Anna?" Mara had to ask.

    "She did not trust either and she did not speak for me when I got asked to leave. She did not trust me. I doubt if she ever trusted me. This must be a very pleasing revenge for her. I am gone now and she must be satisfied with the result. I was used but I took it all. I had no intention of leaving. I was trying toe up with evidence to proof my innocence but before I could use my n, they asked me to leave.

    "Did they expect me to beg pathetically and confess to a crime I did notmit? I will never beg when I am not at wrong. If I begged then imagine how miserable my life would have be in that house. I won''t feelfortable because I will simply be someone they just kept around, like a charity case," Rose exined her displeasure. "I have forgiven them because I know it is not their fault but I can never stay with people who don''t trust me or want me around."

    Mara could only sigh. It appeared that she won''t be able to persuade Rose to go back. "So, where are you going to now?" Mara asked as she looked a head.

    Now, Rose had to rake through her brain for someone she could possibly go to since Liam was out of reach. "I . . .. my best friend left the state and I don''t think he will be back anytime soon so, I am not sure of anyone I could go to."

 Chapter 169 - The Cafe

    Now, Rose had to rake through her brain for someone she could possibly go to since Liam was out of reach. "I . . . my best friend left the state and I don''t think he will be back anytime soon so, I am not sure of anyone I could go to."

    Her phone vibrated on herb and she picked up. It seems someone was finally interested in her business. It was Liam. He sent her a text which she began reading immediately after picking up her phone.

    He wanted her to stop at the caf¨¦ that sells her favorite cake and he will send one of his men to pick her up. She smiled slightly before replying his text with an okay sign. She really wondered how he knew she had left the Whitfred mansion.

    Mara nced at Rose who was smiling happily that she actually saw a dimple she has never seen in Rose''s cheeks and found herself confused. Why did Rose look very happy to have left her foster family home?

    "You look happy," she immediatelymented when Rose ced her phone on herp and stared ahead. Without waiting for Rose whose lips were parted but it seems Rose could note up with the right words to say she continued "so, where are you going to?"

    "I . . . I am going to stop at a caf¨¦ it is on the way to my alma mater," Rose replied looking down at her fingers on herp when she felt heat rise to her neck she was certain that her face was tinted pink at this moment. She warned herself to not make things obvious although she was not sure of what she wanted to hide.

    "Tell me when we get there," Mara told her as she did not try to dig further into the fact that she saw Rose blush but she now believed that Rose was not happy because she left the Whitfred family but because of a certain person.

    "Okay. Thanks."

    "You''re wee. I am just doing my job," Mara epted her appreciation with a small smile.

    "You do your job well. I will miss you. I don''t think I will get to meet anyone who works so selflessly like you. I am grateful for everything," Rose said staring ahead when she began feeling emotional. "I will miss Joyce too."

    "Don''t bother with all these. Joyce and I are paid very well that is why we do our jobs well. You are a very good person to work for I guess that actually made our work easier. I hope you continue been nice to your employees this way. It is hard to find nice employers," Mara said seriously.

    "No, I was nice because I did not belonged with them. I needed a few supporters to keep me safe and I did a good job," Rose lied with a joking smile across her lips.

    "You are really funny," Maraughed because she knew that Rose was lying. "I enjoyed working for you for a while. You were very easily pleased. I hope you get to live a good life out there. If you need a part-time job, I know a few ces I could introduce you to. If you also need a ce to stay before going to Star city, just call me."

    "I will not hesitate to call you at all. Thank you Mara. I am very grateful once again. I hope you are okay and happy. Tell Joyce I wish her good luck too," Rose told her. "You can park, the caf¨¦ is over there," Rose said pointing at the building she was asked to wait in by Liam.

    "Oh . . . I guess this where we say goodbye," Mara said as she found a spot and parked her car.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you mind me hugging you?" Rose asked her carefully. She wanted to show Mara her sincerity.

    "No. Definitely no. I don''t mind at all," Mara said a little shocked. She pulled her hands out to Rose and hugged her. "Thank for that hug," Mara appreciated after sitting properly once again.

    Rose got down from the car and walked into the caf¨¦ where she was weed well as a frequent customer with the smile of the employees. "What will you like?" an employee asked.

    "I will like a ss of milk shake," Rose replied returning the employee''s smile. "and a slice of toasted whole wheat bread." She could note up with anything sweet to order considering that she was not in her best mood.

    The employee took it down and she went to make herselffortable on a seat.

    It was notfortable waiting for close to an hour but when Liam arrived himself to pick her, she forgot how tired she was waiting and stood up with an unhappy pout to show her displeasure and get him to apologise.

    "I am sorry. I wanted to pick you up myself," Liam apologized sincerely. "I knew you will be safe here that was why I made you wait here for that long," he exined to her.

    Rose did not know how to react after hearing his exnation so she simply gave him a quick nod before walking past him towards the entrance of the caf¨¦.

    She expected him to pay as she waited for him at door but he simply walked to her. "Let us go. I will cook lunch for you today," he promised her very naturally as though they have always been this way.

    "Whatever. Aren''t you going to pay?" she reminded him as she avoided his grey eyes when it suddenly urred to her that the way she acted was totally out of character.

    "Don''t bother, I own this caf¨¦," Liam simply answered before suddenly taking her hand into his and led her out of the caf¨¦.

    "Uh?" Rose had to ask as she looked at him surprised.

    "Yes. I own the caf¨¦ and Ie here often when I am in B city and free enough toe," Liam informed her sincerely.

    At first, Rose actually thought he really visited often enough to see her frequently but when she heard the words that followed, she knew he hardly visited the caf¨¦ because it was hard for Mr.. Hale to have a schedule that was not busy enough for him to visit a caf¨¦.

 Chapter 170 - Fever

    Rose was quiet as they walked to his ck tinted sport car. She remained quiet through the ride until they got home. Liam kept ncing at her since she looked like she was not in the mood to talk, he left her. When they got to the mansion they met officially for the first time, Rose got down from the car.

    As soon as he opened the door and they entered, Rose found her way to the second floor and went into the room she stayed in the first night she visited the house as though she has always been a co-owner of the house. The truth was that she actually found the house veryfortable that it felt so naturally to be in it.

    As soon as she stepped into the house it was as though she had just returned home after a tiring day at school as she was craving the softness of her bed. She was feeling very serious pulsating headache and her whole body ached. She had no idea that the whole drama of today would actually affect her physical health.

    Liam followed her upstairs and adjusted the nket covering her when shey down. She looked up at the beautiful pattern on the ceiling and slowly moved her gaze to Liam who looked very worried. "Should I call a doctor?" he asked sitting on the bed and ced the back of his hand on her forehead.. "You have little fever."

    "I will be fine," She said closing her eyes to sleep. She assured herself that all the difort she felt will be gone as soon as she gets some sleep. "Today was really tiring," sheined to him with a slight pout of her pink lips.

    "I will prepare lunch for you before you wake up. Rest while I go downstairs and begin working," he told her and stood up to leave after patting her gently on her head. He felt she needed sometime alone after all he heard she was made to go through today. He was very angry with whoever had the audacity to frame his future wife.

    He heard Rose agreed to leave the family as soon as she was asked to without begging or trying anymore to prove her innocence and that made him very puzzled. He could note up with a reason why she decided to leave. She even asked for it to be made official. He was actually thinking of a way to have her adoption cancelled but he was not sure of how to bring it up with Rose. This incident made Rose unhappy but it actually had advantages.

    "Is there anything specific you want to eat?" he asked pausing for a while.

    "No but I think any porridge will do me some good," she replied him. She wondered why her body began acting up when she was perfectly okay while waiting for Liam in the caf¨¦.

    "Okay. I will prepare porridge for you. Do you mind some soup?" he asked her.

    "No, I don''t. I wouldn''t mind some tea too. Ginger tea will do," she told him as she yawned.

    Liam watched her drift off to a dreand before going to prepare lunch. He also wanted to call his doctor and asked for a pill or home treatment he could give Rose to ease her of the fever but when he remembered that she said she only needed rest, he decided to believe her but he made up his mind to call his doctor if she does not get better after sleeping.

    Rose did not get better rather she got worse by the afternoon and he had no choice but to call his doctor over to visit but his personal doctor was out of town for a lecture and he sent his junior.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose woke up and everything felt very foggy and she was very scared. She kept drifting in between sleep and being awake that she could not differentiate her dreams from reality. Those haunting nightmares seemed to have followed her to reality. She felt so alone and lost. The room feltrger than it was when she was awake and when she was dreaming, her world still sorge and lonely.

    Liam walked into the room with the food he prepared for her and ced the dishes on a bedside table. She was sweating furiously and he had absolutely no idea what to do and he was forced to immediately call his doctor over.

    While he was waiting for the doctor to arrive, he decided to use wet clothes to wipe the sweat off her forehead and neck. Rose suddenly groaned like she was in serious agony as she gripped the nket tightly in her clinched fist. "Rose," he called to her to wake her up from whatever nightmare she was having.

    "Hmmm?" Rose asked as she opened her eyes slightly and looked at him with her eyes clearly not focusing properly.

    "It is me, Liam. It is only a nightmare," he assured her as he carefully unclenched her fist and held her hand in his slowly rubbing it.

    "It is . . . is . . . is . . . not a nightmare," Rose slurred as she tried to focus her vision on the man whose voice she heard amidst the confusing blurry sight she could only see.

    "I promise you that it is," he continued to assure her. "I called a doctor and he will be here to see you soon. Once you get treated, you will feel better," he promised her sincerely.

    "It is not a dream. My mother disowned me. How can a mother abandon her own daughter?" Rose asked as she began sobbing quietly. Tears streamed down the sides of her face down to the fabric of the white pillowcase leaving its wet mark and it slowly spread as she kept sobbing and more tears flowed.

    "She is not your biological mother that is why she could do that to you," Liam informed her calmly hoping she understood what he said.

    "It was my mother, the Queen. She was the person who disowned me. I saw her and it was not a dream at all," Rose sobbed as her hand gripped Liam''s hand that held hers.

 Chapter 171 - Not Your Mother

    "She is not your mother. She looks like your mother but she is not. She adopted you but she is not your mother," Liam corrected her to pull her of whatever world of illusion she in right now.

    If Valerie did not look so much like Rose''s mother perhaps Rose won''t have felt that way. He felt angry that his father chose that family for Rose when she could be any where else.

    "She is my mother. She did not trust her own daughter like she should," she continued to cry. " I am all alone now. I have no one with me. I have nobody. They all abandoned me," Rose said gripping his hand tighter.

    "No, you are not alone.. I am here with you, right?" He asked her carefully as he used his free hand to pet her by slowly running his hand through her hair.

    "No, I have always been alone. No one loves me. No one cares. My father does not care and my mother disowned me. They have all forsaken me," she told him fearfully. Her mind drifted off the darkness she felt.

    She was in a ce so dark that she could not see beyond. She has been slightly relieved of her past nightmares because she has gotten so used to them that they had almost not effect on her but this nightmare was one she was new to.

    It felt so real. The darkness and all felt so real. She tried reaching for anything that could reduce the feeling of loneliness that was squeezing the life out of her but there was nothing, just the darkness and void.

    Liam felt her grip tightened. He leaned forward until his lips was only a few inches away from her ear and whispered, "You are not alone, Rose. I have always been here with you and I will always be. I will always be with you."

    Rose''s foggy vision seemed to focus a little on the side profile of the man whose hand she could feel now supporting her pushing away her loneliness far from her. The scent that filled her nose from him also gave her more assurance as her eyelids became heavy and she fell into a deepfortable sleep.

    ***

    Opening her eyes to a slight dark room, Rose rolled only toe face to face with the most handsome man she has ever since. She actually saw this face earlier but the closer she was, the more she felt he was handsome.

    Her heart beat elerated loud enough that she felt it could wake him up from his obvious peaceful night rest.

    She was too engrossed in the view before her and the reaction of her heart to the view that she did not bother to check the time.

    When the eyes of the person whom she has beenpletely engrossed in the wonderful feast for her eyes with his face been the dishesid out began to move, she turned hurriedly and faced the other side of the bed.

    Liam smirked at her cuteness. He was awake from the moment she steered and woke up before adjusting her pillow well so she could look at himfortably.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am going to gym downstairs after cleaning up," he told her easily as he watched her stiffen but pretended to be sleeping.

    Since she was shamelessly pretending to sleep after staring at her fearlessly for more than thirty minutes, he decided to be equally shamelessly as he leaned forward and ced a kiss on her neck.

    Rose shivered due to the sudden warmth she felt on her naked neck. She froze no knowing what he intended to do next but she had no intention of stopping him or showing any sign of resistance.

    After all he was her future husband. She remained frozen until she felt him move away from her and got down from the bed before she could finally sigh in relief. That feeling was pleasant but very foreign.

    She remained calm on her bed until he came out of the bathroom and she heard him open the door and walked out of the room. She rolled on the bed and looked around. The room was just like it was thest time she came. It had a simple uniqueness to it and a homely feeling.

    She wanted to continue sleeping since it was only five o''clock ording to the wall clock but after many fruitless trials, she gave up and sat on the bed. She wanted to sleep till Liam was done with her dinner and she will go downstairs to eat but when since she could not sleep, she rested her back against the head rest of the bed. She wondered why five o''clock looked this way. It should be brighter right? She was confused since she had no idea for how long she had been sleeping.

    When the day seemed to get brighter rather than darker than it should be since it was five o''clock and ording to Rose''s subconscious mind it was supposed to be five in the evening and not five in the morning, she went downstairs to look for Liam who was the only one she could ask about this.

    Liam was jogging on the threadmill when she walked into the gym after opening many other doors. He had a fully equipped gym for a home gym. From the way his muscles flexed as he jogged on the threadmill, she knew he works out a lot.

    "I guess you work out a lot," she told him to hear a confirmation to her assumptions.

    Liam tapped on the scream and slowly the machine came to a stop. "Not a lot but I work out," he replied her as he took a towel and wiped the sweat off his face.

    "I thought you use all these," she said looking at him as he walked to the weight bench.

    "Yeah, I use all of them but I don''t use them all every day. I have a weekly work out n."

    "Do you have a trainer too?" she asked obviously forgetting the question she came to ask earlier about.

 Chapter 172 - A Coward Soldier

    "Not anymore but I had one when I was much younger. I still follow the workout routine n he made for me. What about you? Do you work out?"

    "I used to but ever since I got back from the hospital I haven''t tried it. I am scared that my might body break down. I know soon, I will be able to but not now," She said seriously. "I do yoga. I guess that is enough although I am not consistent."

    "Yeah. I think so too. What do you want for breakfast?" he asked as hey down on the bench.

    That was an answer to her unasked question. "For how long did I sleep?" she asked watching him in astonishment.. "It was lunch time when I fell asleep."

    "It is a good thing that you are awake now looking very healthy. Yesterday, I had to invite a doctor to check you. You had high fever and kept sleep talking. I guess you don''t remember what you said."

    "No, I don''t," she told him sincerely. She really hoped she did not say anything that she should be embarrassed of. "What did I say?"

    "Don''t bother, you only confessed your love to me," he teased her with a serious face.

    "I don''t believe you," she told him unwilling to believe him. "I had night mares, why should I confess when I was going through hell?" She red at him yfully.

    "I saved you from your nightmares and like a damsel in distress you confessed your love to me as the knight in shining amour. You are actually blushing," he told her when he noticed the cute pink color that tinted her smooth cheeks.

    Rose rubbed her warm cheeks and avoided his gaze but she did not believe him. She felt like he was joking to hide the truth from her. "I don''t mind knowing what I really said. So, what did I say?"

    He turned away and looked at the high ceiling of the gym to avoid her gaze as he lifted the weight he now held with his two hands. "Some things are best not spoken of," he told her with a small smile as he continued lifting the weight up and down.

    "I said something sad, right?" she could vaguely remember the nightmares that haunted her sleep until she felt a hand which definitely belonged to Liam save her from the world of mental torture.

    "You cried. Valerie is rted to your mother thete Queen but she is not your mother," he told her seriously as he continued his weight lifting.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know."

    "Then tell you subconscious mind that. Your mother will never have abandoned you or disowned you the way Valerie did. Valerie is not your mother," he reminded her as a matter of fact. "You should not hurt yourself because she looks like your mother."

    He suddenly returned the weight to its original spot and got up from the bench. Rose looked down at her fingers as she thought of how much she was affected by what happened and she was affected that much because of the physical simrities Valerie had with her mother.

    Rose raised her head to see Liaming close to her the bright lightening system in the gym making the sweat rolling down the side of his neck visible in a way that promoted his muscrity in a very sexy manner that she had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat.

    Seeing Rose drooling with her eyes fixed on him, Liam could feel so many butterflies celebrate with him in his stomach. It was a very pleasant sensation that he almost couldn''t focus on what he stood up from the bench to tell Rose. It made him want to show her more, to make her more pleased and impressed by him.

    Rose took a step back what when he was only a step away from her and another when he took another step to her. She was mesmerized by his overly handsome appearance that it was hard to keep her saliva in her mouth and her eyes could not look elsewhere as it wanted more of the feast it was enjoying at the moment but she could not ovee the urge to walk backwards as he got closer to her.

    The look of strong desire and passion she saw his grey eyes gave her brain danger warning. She yielded to the warning and moved away to seek refuge until her back touched the wall and she had no ce to turn to but she did not stop seeking an escape route as Liam pulled her into his embrace and held her against him.

    She surrendered like a soldier surrounded by his enemies and he knew that was the only thing he could do to save his neck without thinking of the future when he might be asked to betray his people. She has betrayed her self slowly breaking down the walls she built up around herself due to the fear she had of getting betrayed in the future by him.

    When he noticed that she did not struggle like he thought she will, he smiled and pulled her tighter into his embrace and rested his chin on her neck. "You are not alone, Rose. I want to rule as king with you by side. So, I will not let any harme to you and I will not let you face any insecurity or mistreatment under my watch. We are allies and I will ensure that we won''t betray each other, right?"

    Rose nodded in agreement. "Hmmm."

    "When we arrive in Star city next week, you and I will get married and we will be legal partners. That way, we will be bonded together forever," he said sincerely anticipating the event. It is one of the events he has traveled through time to see happen.

    Rose froze against him and bit her lower lips. She wondered why he smelt so good in the morning when a displeased part of her was wondering why she was very convinced by what he said to her.

 Chapter 173 - Betrayed

    Rose froze against him and bit her lower lips. She wondered why he smelt so good in the morning when a displeased part of her was wondering why she was very convinced by what he said to her.

    "I have you, I want to hear you say it out loud," he said when he pulled away although he was very reluctant about releasing her warm smaller and curvy body frame away from his embrace looked at her hazel eyes which were now looking up at him. He bent forward until her was at her eye level.

    "I have you," Rose had to tell him when he kept staring at her that she could not remain silent.

    "You have me and I have you too," he said straightening his tall frame with a triumphant smile on his face.

    "I have you and you have me," she echoed innocently.

    Liam chuckled he said that as a confirmation not for her to repeat. She looked so cute when she looked at him with her lips tightly pressed together when she could obviously not figure out why he wasughing. "You look so cute," he said patting her head after releasing her shoulder which he had caged in his hands..

    "I am hungry," she told him looking away before hastily leaving the gym when she could not stand the intent gaze he had fixed on her.

    "It is just six in the morning, how hungry are you that you want to eat now?" he asked her as he followed after no longer interested in working out.

    "Very hungry," she snapped before increasing her pace as she tried to escape his presence. She went to the kitchen with the lights of the passage turning on as she passed under them. The kitchen became brightly lit when she entered that she wished it would turn off her save her the embarrassment of her blushing appearance. These lights really had no knowledge of helping people cover up their shame.

    She opened the fridge and pulled out the package of sliced bread she saw and ced it on the ind. She has never tried cooking since she narrowly escaped getting showered in hot fish sauce in the orphanage and there was nothing she could prepare despite the densely filled fridge before her except toasted bread with jam and a heated cup of milk.

    "Why don''t you cook something for both of us," he asked her as he watched her closely because he knew more than anyone that Rose was not a good cook.

    "I will toast bread for both of us," she told with a serious expression not giving room for the teasing tone she heard in his voice.

    "I want egg along," he told her with an equally serious expression.

    "Okay," she told him with a nod. She knew how to boil egg, it was not a hard task for her after all she once worked in a restaurant as a waiter in her past life.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He sat down on one of the stools and rested his elbows on the ind. He watched Rose as she began operating the toasted with a very serious and focused expression. She did it carefully like he guessed she will work her magic on a piece of fabric.

    "You look like you actually doing a great job there. Do you need my assistance?" he asked her when she began arranging the toasted bread in tes. She picked the jar of jam and ced in on the ind while she left one egg to boil in a pot of water.

    Liam watched her with interest as she sat down and took a slice of bread to eat. When the bread was only inches away from her lips, he decided to speak, "You should check the egg."

    "I don''t think it is okay. I just put it," she said ring at him and took a bit of the toasted bread. "You should actually be the one cooking for me. I was sick yesterday. Is this how Mr. Hale takes care of his guests?"

    "I guess you must have forgotten that you actually as much of a host as I am now, Mrs. Hale," he reminded her teasingly. "I will cook lunch for both of us."

    "I am not changing my name after our marriage. It is against my family rule for a future Queen to her husband''s name," Rose said after taking a sip of the warm milk.

    "I guess you have forgotten that your mother changed her name after getting married to your father," he reminded her.

    "I will not change my name to your name but I will change myst name to my grandfather''s name. My mother changed her name because she was marrying a prince and her marriage served as the union of two kingdoms. That is very different from our case. She did not even change itpletely," she corrected him as a matter of fact. "The reason my mother was betrayed was because she changed her name. It was she broke aw that should never be broken."

    "Whatw did she break?" he asked seriously interested in knowing what Rose thought of what happened to her mother.

    "She trusted my father who immediately abandoned her the moment her name got stained. She loved so much that she could not see fault in those around her. She was very clearly devastated after my grandfather''s death but she should not have trusted them. Those she trusted were the very people who abandoned her afterwards."

    "Who betrayed her? Your father did not speak about your mother''s disappearance rather he asked everyone to be careful about what they said about your mother when your mother was dered dead," he asked when he noticed that she strongly believed that her father was her enemy.

    "Silence is also an act of betrayal. He should have spoken in her favor before the whole kingdom remembered her as a Queen who was willing to sell her own very people for a greed they knew very well that she did not have. My mother was someone who could give almost everything she had to her people so why will she betray them? "

 Chapter 174 - The Money

    "Silence is also an act of betrayal. He should have spoken in her favor before the whole kingdom remembered her as a Queen who was willing to sell her own very people for a greed they knew very well that she did not have. My mother was someone who could give almost everything she had to her people so why will she betray them? "

    "Who do you think was behind it all?" Liam asked her as he watched her closely.

    "What do you mean by that?" she had to ask when she could note with what he meant with that question.

    "Who do think betrayed your mother and kidnapped her?" He asked her again.

    "What I think does not matter because it is not enough evidence to have them punished for what they did to my mother and I," she replied him. She shook her head uninterested in going further into that topic.

    "Whatever you say here goes as evidence. I never said I was going to follow thew of our kingdom to get the throne for you and avenge your mother''s death. I will have them pay in cruelest way you could imagine and thew of this kingdom cannot make that happen.. However, if you think it is best we let them get punished by thew then I can make that happen," he exined to her seriously and stood up to check the egg she was boiling for him.

    "I don''t want to hurt someone who is innocent but I am very sure that my step mother yed a significant role in my mother''s death and my disappearance from the pce. My father also yed a role by not defending my mother when they said she made a deal and that she was the master mind behind the terrorist attack," Rose replied and continued eating her breakfast.

    "I have people investigating it and I really want to know how they got the footage that circted and from what I found out, your mother really met with them but I don''t know what they discussed in the meeting because I am sure she did not sell her people," he informed her as he returned with a bowl of sliced boiled egg.

    "That looks appetizing," Rose said drooling at the site of the egg as steam escaped from it. It was the perfect distraction. She really did not want to talk about the video.

    "Here, eat it all if you want to," he pushing the te to her. "Take a slice then," he persuaded her when Rose shook her head and pushed the te back to him.

    "Okay, thanks," she appreciated as she took as slice and ate it. Warm egg was actually not bad at all for a delicious breakfast.

    "What do you think about me calling you Rosaline?" Liam asked her when he took back the te of sliced egg.

    "Not bad. That is my real name after all and you have already begun calling me Rosaline," she replied him easily and got up from the stool being done eating her breakfast.

    "Yeah, I know. I just want to make it official. I will give you all you now own under your true identity. I have been tracking down some of the properties your mother owned that have always been under my family and those that she kept hidden away from the royal family. You are actually a millionaire," he informed her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose''s eyes shone in excitement. How was that possible? She returned to the ind and sat down on the stool she stood up from earlier. "Well, how much do I have?" she asked him with a smile as she sped her hands one the ind.

    "Enough to buy your mother''s brand," Liam replied truthfully. "In fact that is actually a little underestimating."

    "So, . . . what are the things she left?" Rose asked curiously. She was actually thinking of starting arge scale business and she needed enough capital to do so. This was very big good news.

    "Houses and a lot of money in an ount she left under the supervision of my father that belongs to you. Your mother transferred a huge amount of money only a couple of weeks before she was kidnapped to an ount she asked my father to open in your name," Liam told her. "I have been able to take it from him."

    "How did you take it from him? I thought you were not in good terms with your family," she asked.

    "I hacked into their system and my father did not say anything about it although he knows what I did," he replied. "I handed the ount over to you," he informed her.

    "How did you do it?" she asked confused. She wandered how he was able to hack into a bank. "It is definitely not easy to do that."

    "Yeah but I did because I am very good at things like that. I have gotten your identity back for you."

    "Thank you," she appreciated as she slowly stood up when she felt bad over how she just felt about having all those things her mother left for her. "I will visit my mother when we arrive in Star city," she said as she slowly stood up from the stool and began heading upstairs.

    ***

    Rose sighed when she stepped into the room. Since she jubted over the money her mother left for her, she had been working on investigating what happened to her mother weeks before her death that made her leave such a huge amount of money for her. Perhaps her mother knew something was going to happen to her and wanted to ensure that Rose has enough to take of herself.

    "The money is in a safe," Liam had to tell her. "What about visiting the safe before we go to Star city to see if your mother left a message for you in the safe? She has to be sure enough that you were going to survive it for her to leave the money behind," he continued.

    It seemed that all the life sipped out of her in the morning that he thought she was sick again but she clearly did not have fever when he checked.

 Chapter 175 - Angry Liam

    "Why will there be any clue in the safe? I am sure my mother never visited it for once," she replied as she slowly sat on the bed. Here she was beating herself up over her reaction when she was told about the money and he was trying to persuade her into going to see the very money she was beginning to despise.

    "She visited it after my father put all the money in it. She visited it in secret," Liam replied her truthfully. He could still remember the information he saw about the number of times someone visited the safe that he saw in the bank.

    "Then we could visit it tomorrow," she replied quietly. Her mood actually felt lightened when he told her about her mother visiting the safe. What if she could find something her mother left personally for her in the safe? That will do her a lot of good and the thought of receiving a message from her mother who was long gone was very pleasing and it made her happy.

    "What will you like to eat?" he asked d that he saw color appear on her once pale skin. It seems he actually did a good job this time.

    "How did my mother know that I will survive or she was not expecting me to get kidnapped together?" she asked him ignoring the question he asked about what she will like to eat.. She has now further determined to find the people who did that to her mother and her. They were much and she was going to find them all one after the other, none excluded.

    ? "Perhaps she received a tip. Your mother was a very smart woman. She must have known something was wrong from the way people around her spoke. Members of the Royal council must have showed her something from their words and their bodynguage. Or perhaps she was threatened by someone."

    She stood up from the bed. "Did you investigate what happened before she went missing? My mother must have gotten threatened. If it was because of their bodynguages of words, she must have noticed long before only two weeks prior to when she got kidnapped.

    "There is another possibility that she actually overheard something. I have once thought it was possible that my mother was actually trying to run away when we got caught. What if something really bad was about to happen and she needed me out of A city. My mother was definitely not as powerful in A city as she would have been at home in Star city.

    "She might have nned to escape before I brought up what someone told me about visiting a ce," Rose narrated as she walked to a sofa in the room and sat on it.

    "Rose, finding out things like that could make you do things you shouldn''t do. It could get very dangerous. You are already in a situation where your life is hunted. You should leave all the dangerous tasks to me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "My men and I will do all the dirty jobs for you that is why I made the deal with you. I will give you vengeance and the crown. I will do all that while you do your best being a good Queen and watch the show from the save spot I have made for you beside me," he tried to persuade her as he sat on the sofa beside her.

    "No, I will like to but what kind of daughter will I be? Also, what kind of Queen will I be? If I don''t learn how to fight my battles now, how will I be able to find the battles I will face in the pce? Bing a Queen is not easy but maintaining your position alive is harder," she replied him not the least persuaded by what he said.

    "I will be your shield. That was what you wanted when we signed the contract?" Liam said very unhappy with her sudden decision. He wanted very far anything dangerous. She should simply hide behind him while he use his money to make her dream to make that happen even if he has to take a bullet into his heart for her.

    "I . . ." Rose began because thinking about it now, she remembered that, that was actually what she wanted when she signed the contract with him and there was no way she could back out or break the contract. He clearly stated that without working with him, she should give up her throne and pay hundreds of millions into an ount every month.

    None of that was possible at this moment but she was also not giving up fighting for herself eve if that requires him to work with her.

    "We work together. I don''t care what you mean or want but you and I must work together. I want to know every progress you make. I want to know everything," she told him sincerely. "I also did not sign the contract to have you do everything because I don''t even trust you enough to sign my whole life to you. I signed it so we could be a team."

    "I am okay with that but the very moment you let your be in a life threatening situation because of this, that will be the end of our contract. I have many ways I could be king without you. I could easily kill off your step brother and take you little step sister as my wife the moment she turns eighteen," he said clearly angry with her as he stood up. "Please, remember," he told her and walked out of the room.

    She scoffed at his sulking attitude. She should be the person who walks out of the room angrily not him. What right . . . yeah, he actually has the right to do anything at this point with her signature and fingerprint in the contract.

    "I wish I took a picture," she said when she remembered how he looked angry. It was actually a very different kind of anger one that she was very sure she was the only person on earth lucky enough to witness. No wonder I spoke about food. He must think she loves food so much. He clearly wanted to stay away from that topic.

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 176 - The Thing In The Safe

    Liam paused outside the door when he heard what she said about taking a picture. He was very surprised and confused. Why will she wish she took a picture when he was clearly angry that she wanted to put herself on the front line in the battle when he was willing to be her shield?

    Must people will not give it a second thought before agreeing with him. But he understood why she did not want him to do that for her and that reason was very cruel to him. He knew she did not trust him but hearing it directly from her lips, it actually felt very hurtful.

    He sighed and went down stairs as he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Grey to prepare the security in and around the bank ready for her arrival. He med himself when Rose got hurt in the restaurant that was why he did not hesitate to be her donor when he found out that they werepatible.

    Not even caring about his own health, he gave her what he could offer her at that moment to ensure that she does not die or repeat what he travelled through time to prevent.

    ***

    The bank was well secured when Rose and Liam arrived on the rooftop in his helicopter and they went to the safe through a private elevator and a private route which was specifically made for VIP customers. When Rose finally stepped into the safe, she gasped at the sight that weed her into therge safe with its shelves upied with bars of gold and the floor covered equally with only a passage left.

    She turned and looked at Liam who followed her to the safe.

    "Why do you think my mother left them in a bank and not a safe somewhere else? Perhaps your father could have bought a house and buried the gold in the foundation of the house or anywhere else?" she asked him as she walked through the passage looking around for the secret message her mother might have left for her in the safe.

    "I don''t know. I know that she only asked my father to do that and she chose the bank she wanted. She also picked this branch. I had my men search the building for any clue she might have left but we found nothing. I also checked the data base of this bank and the staff but I found nothing rted to you mother and her disappearance.

    "This was the reason why I thought it will be good for you toe yourself. You are her daughter and you know her better than I do. I am sure if she left any message, it might not be only in this safe but I did not find something but I think you will be able to find something. Should I leave you?"

    "Yes," she replied although she did not think it was necessary but since he brought it up, she decided to agree with it. He must have taken what she said about not trusting him seriously.

    "Then, I will be outside waiting for you," he told her before stepping out of the safe and closed the door behind. He felt she must not feelfortable in his presence while searching for a clue her mother left for her since she did not trust him.

    "Mum, please," she moaned as she rubbed her face. It suddenly felt stuffy in the room with Liam gone. She did not like this feeling at all. Knowing that her mother was here shortly before she died, it made her very emotional.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She touched a gold bar on the shelf and the dust on it made her confirm that no one has entered this ce since her mother. She was the first person meaning whatever clue her mother might have left for her should still be in here waiting for her to find.

    She stepped back from the shelf and the gold bars on the floor and looked at them all from afar. "Tell me something," she begged as she watched them all for a while essing every single gold bar her eyes could see looking for a pattern or whatever could be hidden on for her eyes to see.

    She tried to remember what it was like with her mother a week before her mother got kidnapped. She groaned as her frustration began building up making her chest feel so tight and suffocating.

    "If you knew you were going to get killed, why did you not leave a message for me? I actually believed that you would leave something more than money for me. If you did then where is it?" she asked as her eyes slowly began getting misty and the tears slowly began running down her smooth cheeks down.

    She felt she shouldn''t feel that way but she did not know why she was reacting in such a manner. Was it the fact that she was locked in the safe alone? She was clearly fine when Liam was with her. Fragments of her began shing before her eyes but she could not put her hands fully on anyone. They were just scattered images she could not understand.

    Amidst those images, she saw a gold bar. She saw a gold bar on her mother''s vanity table. A unique gold bar but being the fast time she was seeing a gold bar then, she concluded that it was not really unique.

    She was not sure if what she actually saw was her memories or she was creating new memories to satisfy the feeling of fruitlessness she was feeling since after half an hour of looking around the safe, she could not find anything. Some of her memories were actually still lost but she was not aware of what was missing among the memories she now had.

    "Mum, what is this?" a little Rosaline asked her mother.

    "This? It is a gold bar," the beautiful Queen replied as she turned and looked her beautiful curious daughter with a small smile.

    "Gold? Did they make your crown out of it?" little Rosaline asked as she reached to touch the gold bar but her mother was quick to pick it up. "I want it."

    "This one is a fake. How about I give you a real gold barter?"

 Chapter 177 - Counterfeits

    "This one is a fake. How about I give you a real gold barter?"

    "If it is a fake gold bar does that mean your crown made of fake gold?" A curious Rosaline asked her mother because she could not see the difference between the gold bar on the table and the gold her mother''s crown was made of.

    "No, I know what a real gold bar looks like and I know my crown is made of pure gold," the Queen, Doris said patting her cute daughter''s head.

    "Could you teach me how to identify real gold?" Rosaline asked her mother jumping excitedly.

    "Why will you want to know how to identify real gold? As a princess, you might never have toe in contact with fake gold," a male voice said from the door of the room.

    Rosaline noticed her mother hide the gold away in one of the drawers but she did not take it serious as she ran towards her father with her hands spread out. "Daddy," she shouted with so much pure joy and energy as she hugged her father''s legs.

    She never spoke about gold again till her mother died and she also did not see that gold bar again.

    Rose opened the door to see Liam leaning on the wall waiting for her in the passage. She held his wrist and pulled him without saying anything or giving him the chance to say anything.

    "Do you know how to identify actual gold from an imitation?" Rose asked when they were in the safe and the door was locked behind her.

    "Yes," Liam replied truthfully as he watched her knowing she was close to finding something.

    "I need to find all the fake gold bars in this room," Rose said. "I know my mother left something important in a gold bar."

    Liam nodded and Aurora stood by the side and watched Liam check each gold bar. She had no idea what he was doing or how he could identify it but he did anyway. After checking fifteen gold bars among the hundreds in the safe, he found one counterfeit. Rose knowing her mother won''t put only one since her father heard their conversation so they continued the search.

    After searching for over two hours, they found three more counterfeits. It was a very tiring work for Liam but he kept going. He knew Rose did not trust his men enough to let them help her so the work was left to him alone.

    "Should we stop? You have being standing and moving gold bars for a while now. Could you teach me how to do it?" she asked walking to his side and stood beside him.

    "Help me move the gold bars then. I could teach you how to do itter but it will not be good if we miss any of the counterfeits," Liam replied as he passed one already checked gold bar to her.

    Rose did not argue since what he was doing was actually a huge mystery to her and she was not sure she will be able to learn it right away. "Thank you," she told him with her lips tightly pressed together.

    "You are wee," he replied naturally but in a manner she felt sounded distant.<novelnext></novelnext>

    While he tried to identify the gold bars, she suddenly stood behind him and pat his pockets carefully.

    "Hmmm? What are you looking for?" he asked shocked by her action. Rose has not made any attempt to touch him before he was always the one making the first move.

    "Did you bring a handkerchief with you?" she asked him.

    "It is in my breast pocket," he replied clearing his throat awkwardly as tried to bring his mind back to the business before him. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat when Rose''s hand went to his chest and removed the handkerchief while he was trying really hard to focus on the task at hand.

    "You are sweating," she said as she gently patted the beads of sweat off his forehead.

    "Thanks," he appreciated as he tried hard to take is eyes away from her very gorgeous face that was only inches away from him. He felt his heart beating fast. From the first time he met Rose over a decade ago, he has not gotten used to the ceaseless elerated beating of his heart whenever Rose is close to him.

    "Hmmm," she casually epted his appreciation knowing he was sweating because he was helping her. "Do you think we should stop and continue some other time?"

    "If you are tired, you can leave. There is a way I could search for them faster but that will simply be a cause for attention," he exined to her.

    "Well, then we will simply continue this way," she told him. She regretted not bringing in some snacks or even water. It was almost lunch time.

    They continued that way until all the gold bars were searched and they ended up with six counterfeits. They left with the six counterfeits. She did not understand the secret behind the gold bars and she did not even have the energy to do so. She was so hungry and tired when they were done that she requested that they leave right away so she could eat dinner.

    They left by the helicopter just like they arrived. Rose did notin but she was dying of hunger. As soon as they got home, Liam went to the kitchen and poured out a warm cup of milk and sliced some fruits for her.

    While she was eating and drinking those, he was busy preparing dinner for her with the ingredients in the fridge.

    "Are you hungry?" she asked Liam with a mischievous smile as she stood up from the stool when she was done eating what he gave her.

    "No I am not. I don''t eat at all," he said sarcastically as he continued what he was doing.

    She peeled a banana and brought it to his lips. "I am sorry I made you do all that. It is toote to eat so much. How about we just have toasted bread?" His sarcastic answer made him look like a little boy made to do all the house chores.

    Liam smiled knowing she was feeling guilty and was only trying to brighten up the mood by acting mischievous. He actually felt she looked cute doing that.

 Chapter 178 - The Things In The Gold Bars

    Rose arranged the fake gold bars on the table and stared at them from different angles. "I wonder which of them has what I am looking for," Rose said as she picked them one after the other and shook them.

    "I think they could also be in all the gold bars. I don''t think melting will be a god idea to find it. I will find a jeweler. I have one I can trust. I will give it to him to cut it. It will be better than giving it to a total stranger even if you don''t trust him," Liam suggested when he brought a small nket and wrapped her shoulder.

    "I think so too. Do you have some underground safe or something of that sort that I could hide my gold bars in?" she asked looking at him with sleepy eyes. "One I can lock with a password of my choice," she added with a yawn.

    "Oh .. . . I will just change the password of the one I have. It requires a lot of processes; do you want to wait for so long?" Liam asked as he looked at her sleepy countenance. "I think you should rest early. I will take care of it."

    "No! I will wait for you," she replied sharply and sat up straight blinking her eyes to prevent it from dropping close. She has never felt so sleepy before. It has always been until she was lying on her bed before she feels sleepy or perhaps after even lying for more than half an hour to even for a few hours.

    "Fine. Follow me," Liam said biting the inside of his cheeks. She was willing to go through the torture of being awake just so she could watch the gold bars get hidden away from his reach.

    "When you take the gold to jeweler . . . . no, we will take the gold bars to the jeweler together," she told him seriously.

    "I will remember that," he said feigning calmly despite how wronged he felt from her openck of trust.

    He did just as she told him and changed the password of hisrge underground safe to her fingerprint and let her chose another password which she did not tell him about. He wondered how she will feel if he decides to refuse and make her feel he did not trust her because he also had some things hidden in the safe but he brushed off the thought immediately knowing he won''t be able to stand seeing her get hurt.

    "Thank you for everything," she said rubbing the bars she held in her arms like a baby. She was so excited to see what message her mother left and she wanted to protect that little message whatever it was because she might never get lucky enough in the future to find something her mother left purposefully to leave a message for her.

    "You are wee," he epted her appreciation as he watched her lock the safe when they walked out. He understood that she was trying to protect it from anything that could harm it but the thing was, he was not at all in that category.

    "This must be the thing your father was talking about when he asked me to work with him," she said thoughtfully as they took the steps upstairs to the room. She was very tired. Walking upstairs made her feel like she was floating, she had to depend on the handrail for support.

    "Are you going to be able to bath before you sleep? It will be very refreshing," Liam advised her. They spent hours in a dusty enclosed environment and a warm bath will do them both a lot of good.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I think I will skip that and go to sleep. I feel . . ." she said with slurred speech and swayed to the side.

    "Okay," Liam agreed as he reached for her shoulder to support her. When she was at the state she was in already, a bath was definitely not a good idea.

    Rose did not understand the fatigue she that overwhelmed her that she could hardly go upstairs without Liam''s assistance and she fell asleep even before her head touched the soft silk pillow. She becamepletely unaware of her environment as she travelled into a dreand.

    "She must have been very stressed," Liam said as he watched her sleep in the clothe she wore to the bank and he shook his head hard to ward off the thought that began forming on his mind when he noticed a few dust stains on her dark blue dress. He removed her shoes and covered her with theforter.

    ****

    Rose held a sh drive in her hand as she stared at it intently. After scraping off the metal of the gold bars, the "jeweler" found a sh drive in the third one. Liam was the jeweler who did it at the end of the day because Rose refused to trust a jeweler she has never met and she did not want to take the gold bar out of the mansion.

    Liam did it all in the safe under her strict supervision. She expected more in the other gold bars. Liam checked the others and just like she expected, he found a key in thest gold bar. She nced at the gold key on the table and sighed. She hoped that the information the sh drive will lead her to the door she had to open with the small gold key.

    She nced around to appreciate Liam''s effort but he was gone. She bit her lower lip feeling guilty of what she did to him. She really made him go through a lot. She began thinking of what she could do too show her appreciation but she could note up with anything.

    She did not know him much to buy him a gift that he will like and she was not sure she could do anything at the moment to show her appreciation that will be worthy enough.

    She knew she had been very stubborn with everything through the process of getting the things she got from the gold bars. Someone else will most likely not be patient enough to let her boss them around but she just could not reduce her vignce.

    With another heavy sigh, she inserted the sh drive into theptop Liam gave and she clicked on the file that appeared. There were three video files in it. Her heart began beating hard and fast as she moved her finger on the mouse to unravel the secrets in them. She felt scared and paused. Was she sure she could handle whatever was in the video?

 Chapter 179 - "Im Sorry"

    Her heart began beating hard and fast as she moved her finger on the mouse to unravel the secrets in them. She felt scared and paused. Was she sure she could handle whatever was in the video?

    Her hand shook before finally clicking on the first video file. Her mother''s beautiful face suddenly appeared on the screen of theptop with her smile that showed a very beautiful set of dimples she inherited from her.

    She could not hold back the tears than began rolling down her face. Her mother seemed to have sat down very close to the screen making her eyes on the camera look as though Rose was actually having a video call with her.

    "Mother, Mum . . . ," she sobbed as her shoulder shook violently. She missed her mother so much. She has never felt it so much until now.. She have not taken noticed how lonely she felt without her mother by her side growing up in the orphanage home, bullied and mistreated and moving to the Whitfred mansion where she had to see her mother''s look alike so frequently.

    She reached towards the screen as tears flooded down her cheeks. The person on the screen smiled in a bright manner as though she was seeing Rose. The attractive dimple on her cheeks deepened as her smile broadened.

    The more she watched, the more her heart felt like it was getting ripped into two. She ced her hand on her chest. It was very suffocating, this feeling of seeing someone you miss so much who is long gone, gone that it was not possible for her to touch her again.

    "Mum!!!" she cried out gasping as the feeling came to her in a very overwhelming manner. "I missed you."

    "Rosaline, my princess, I am sorry," she heard her mother say in a soft voice loud enough to be heard over her painful whimper.

    "No, it is my fault. It is my fault. I did it all. I caused it all. If only I had not given them the chance. I am sorry I believed her and dragged you along. I am sorry. I am sorry mum," she cried shaking her head as she kept patting her chest to take the me on her fragile shoulders. "I caused it all."

    "I am sorry. I am sorry I could not protect you and our people. I am sorry that when you get to watch this video, I will be long gone. I will be gone far away from you. However, I want you to remember that the pce is where you belong. My kingdom is yours.

    "Don''t leave the pce when I am gone. You must be Queen after me and separate our kingdom. Give our people the freedom they deserve. You are the only person who can make that happen. No matter how hard it might get, don''t leave the pce. It is your home. It is your birthright," her mother''s smile slowly disappeared as a sad but determined expression took over.

    "I am sorry that I have to give you such a hard task but if you don''t do it, who will? As soon as he marries her, it will be the end of our people. Rosaline, I am sorry. I am sorry," her mother began crying. She turned away from the camera to hide her tears and face from her daughter.

    "They are nning something. My father is dead and I married the person he never wanted to me to marry. I should have listened to him. They killed him. They killed your grandfather and they are going to try to kill us but I won''t let that happen. I will make a deal with them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will make them let you live. If you live, you must get what is rightfully yours. People are dying every day because of the mistake I made. They are killing them every day in the name of some of experiment. You must stop the experiment. It will take them years to discover it but when they do, it will be the end of us all. Their greed is beyond this world."

    Rose had long stopped crying as she focused on her what her mother was saying. What experiment could that be? She really wondered and this is a new task for her although she hoped that clues might be left in the other videos or her mother will tell her everything before the end of the video. Her mother paused for a while and looked down at her fingers.

    "I am sorry," her mother said smiling embarrassingly, she mopped the tears off her face with a handkerchief and looked at the video with her wet green eyes. "I should have never added this. In fact, I don''t think what I am saying is right. I should not do this to you. I should let you leave your life but what if they try to kill you too in the future?

    "When the research is done, they will kill everybody and you might be their first victim." Her mother looked down at her hands again and looked at the video pleadingly. "This video did not turn out to be half as decent as I want it to be." She gulped as her hands fought against each other on herp. "I don''t know what to say again. I can''t believe that this is happening.

    "You are actually outside ying with your dad in the garden but I had to take this video. The kingdom is going through serious financial crisis and it is mainly affecting our people so he is not bothered by it at all. I am not saying he is the bad guy but it all started when we got married. The deaths began when I was pregnant of you.

    "You should trust no one. It is not easy to do that at all but try. It is better to be alert leaving peacefully and getting stabbed suddenly. I will make a deal with them and any other people I can so that you will protected. When I was pregnant for you, I saw a very young boy. He suddenly walked up to me among the kids I went to visit in a foster home and he told me I was pregnant for a girl.

    "I don''t know how he knew but he also told me that he will protect you. I promised me. I thought he was joking but only a few days ago, I saw him again and he told me not to make the deal with them but there is nothing I can do at this moment."

    Rose found herself very confused and she had no idea what to think.

    Her mother chuckled nervously. "This should have been better. I will keep this for now. I will try to take another videoter to rece this. I really let my emotions take over," her mother murmured as she stood up. The video ended with that.

    Her mother must have not had enough time to record another video for her to have settled with this one. Rose mopped her tears and moved to the next video file and clicked on it. Seeing how scared nervous and paranoid her mother was in the other video, she felt a stronger desire to find out what really happened.

    Her mother used to be a very calm and collected woman being the Queen and a genius but what she saw and heard in thest video was very different from who she knew her mother as.

 Chapter 180 - Grand Wedding?

    ***

    "My mother said they were not going to hurt me and she made a deal with some people I know nothing of. I want to find out who the people were. She could not trust the pce guards and her soldiers any longer then so she decided to ask for help," Rose said as she sat to eat the breakfast Liam prepared for her.

    "I will have my men investigate it. I will also try to find out anything I can," Liam said also sitting down to eat breakfast.

    "We are leaving for Star city today, right?" Rose asked before she took a bite of the homemade bread Liam baked for her.

    "Yes, we should leave before noon," He replied her. He has tried for the past twenty four hours not to say anything about the sh drive they found in one of the fake gold. She had remained in the room for hours unwilling to open the door or answer him.

    He was already losing his cool when she opened the door and walked out of it with her eyes swollen and red and there was something new about her.. Something was very different although he could not put his finger on it.

    "Okay," she said monotonously and continued eating her breakfast.

    Liam began noticing the difference in her. This was the first time he has heard her speak in such a tone.

    "When are we getting married?" She asked after breakfast as she stood up.

    "A week after we arrive in Star city. Your foster father has made everything official. You are no longer their daughter, you have also gotten your identity back and I have gotten everything ready. Are you sure you don''t want a grand wedding?" he asked although expecting a very negative answer from him.

    "I will think about it."

    "Really?" Liam asked with his eyebrows arched and his eyes shining with excitement. He could not believe she was actually going to think about it. "If you agree then we will postpone the wedding so we could get everything ready including sending out wedding invitation cards," he said happily.

    "I will go to the pce afterwards," She told him as she rinsed the cup she used to drink the fresh orange juice he served her.

    "Uh?" Liam asked astonished as he stood up. All the earlier excitement was gone. "Why?"

    "I have to. That is where I belong. I will go to the pce. It is one of my mother''sst wish. She wants me to remain in the pce," she replied resolute and unbending.

    "Are you . . ." Liam began but stopped. He was not sure she will be safe in the pce but he won''t stop her because of that. He will simply find a way to ensure her safety in the pce before she finally moves into the pce. He was going to try not to stop her but rather support her as her shield. "If you will be moving into the pce, then I don''t think it is right we let people know about our rtionship yet. It might make things harder for you."

    "Whatever you say," Rose said and headed upstairs to take her bath and get ready to leave for Star city. She nced down at Liam who was taking care of the remaining dishes and shook her head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She knew he was very excited when she said she will think about making their wedding grand and public and she was actually thinking of changing her mind but since he did not want to because she was going into the pce, she decided to let him make the decision.

    He must be really angry that she was going to the pce for him to take back his word about the grand wedding. She did not know why she felt that way but it seems he was not going to make their wedding grand because he was angry in a petty way that she was going into the pce.

    She smiled when she opened the door of the wardrobe in his closet that contained the clothes he had made avable for her. She grabbed an off-white cotton shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. She wanted to look casual and befortable.

    ***

    The journey to Star city was notfortable at all at first. She could not sleep at all and her eyes have been so swollen from crying just hours ago that she had to wear a pair of sun sses to cover her eyes to shield it from the bright light of the sun before she entered the jet because her eyes felt unusually sensitive to the sun light due to rubbing them frequently as she cried.

    "I found this cream," Liam had said when he offered her a cream as sheid on the chair begging sleep to take her to a farawaynd but since it seems it was not willing to grant her her heart desires, sheid with her eyes closed.

    After rubbing the cream around her eyes, it seemed to have worked magic making the pain she felt around her eyes stop and when she used an eye drop he went to bring for her from only him knows where, she felt the pain in her eyes reduce to afortable level.

    When sleep did not take her away after a long trial, she gave up and picked a magazine and began reading through it. She spent her time going through those pages still feeling bored until Liam walked up to her.

    "Do you want to sleep?" Liam suddenly asked standing beside her.

    "Yes," she replied hoping her brought a sleeping pill she could use and finally sleep.

    "Move aside," he suddenly said with a serious look.

    "UH?!" she asked confused and looked at him in confusion. She nced at his hands but she did not see any pill and she frowned.

    "Move aside," Liam repeated waiting patiently for her. He watched her frown in disappointment and her lower lips pushed forward slightly to form a little pout.

    When she seemed to be unmoving, he bent and carried her and moving her to the side of therge chair which was now converted into a small bed.

    "What . . .?!" she began asking him but she shut her mouth when he joined her on the chair and hugged her smaller frame.

    "Now, sleep," he whispered warmly into her ear, his warm breath blowing against her ear.

 Chapter 181 - His House

    The journey felt shorter than ever when she Liam woke her up. She actually wanted to sleep more. The scent from his body and the firmness of the hands around her was the best sleeping pill ever. She frowned when she had to put on her seat belt and get ready tond.

    Liam gave her a gentle pat on her head when he noticed her pouting in dissatisfaction.

    When they got to his home, the sleep got wiped out of her eyes when she noticed he took her to her grandfather''s house. It was once her grandfather''s holiday house in Star city. Her grandfather used to likey staying in that mansion whenever he was not upied with matters of the kingdom.

    This ce her mother''s second home. She have visited this ce a few times but then she was too young to remember much about it except that her grandfather was sick.

    Her mother lived most of her life without her mother.. Her father now dying, told her mother to remain Queen of their kingdom while her father forsake bing King since he imed to love her mother more than his birthright.

    She was going to rule as Queen while her father supports her but her mother was totally against it. She was very angry with her father and she stormed out of the house. Her motherter did just what her father told her not to do by merging the two kingdoms to be one.

    Her grandfather left a few of his people in the Royal council of their kingdom to ensure that doesn''t happen but as soon as her grandfather passed away, all those people he ced in those positions died along with him. Her mother said they were killed by someone she was yet to identify.

    From the information she got from those videos, she knows that the decisions her mother made yed a very important role in all that have happened and she as her mother''s daughter was going to clean up all the mess her mother made and set her people free.

    To do all that, she had to be powerful enough to fight for herself and the millions of lives she had to protect.

    "How did you get this house?" she asked when she stepped into the living room to discover it had been redecorated leaving no trace of it''s past owner.

    "I got it from one of your mother''s distant cousins," he replied sincerely. He frowned when he saw the displeasure on her face. "The house was empty when got it. It seems they sold all that was in the house and left the house empty for a year. I bought the house when I was looking for a house for myself in Star city."

    "Oh. Where is our bedroom?" she asked biting back shyness and making the word "our" sound insignificant.

    "What will you like to eat for dinner?" he asked in a low tone.

    "Anything you make for me," she replied casually and waited for him to take her to the bedroom so she could rest her head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The bedroom is this way. Come with me," he said and led the way upstairs to a room. "I won''t be able to prepare dinner for you but the chef has very good culinary skills. She will prepare something good for you."

    Rose narrowed her eyes displeased. What does he mean by some other woman will cook dinner for her? She did not want that at all. She wanted to eat his food.

    She nced at him and back at the bed thoughtfully. She wondered if he was still angry because she wanted to return to the pce. Shouldn''t he be happy she still wanted to go on with the wedding?

    While staying locked up in that room, she actually considered refusing to marry him and having his father settle the contract issue for her when she thought of how much of a disadvantage her rtionship with him could have.

    Weighing the pros and cons, she found out that the with bad rtionship he has with a few of the noble families and the reputation he built for himself as a Mafia King it was wrong she gets involved with him like that since it was very important she does what is a right and proper as a future Queen.

    However, she was no longer going to take things gentle. She was going to be tough like her great grandmother. Her great grandmother was a Queen who did not care what people think. She got the nickname of Ice Queen from most students studying history but she was a heroine.

    She loved and fought for her people evening up with a very good military tactic that saved her people. She was one of the strongest Queens in history and that was what she also wanted to be in history.

    She did not want to be a Queen who cared so much for etiquette that she lost it all and endangered the life of her people because she was too scared to disobey a rule of etiquette. That was the reason she wanted to make her wedding public.

    She was going to openly hold that strong hand since she did not leave him to join his father considering that he was more powerful in A and Star city than his father. Their rtionship might actually ensure her safety in the pce.

    "I have something to check out with my men here in Star city. It is very urgent that is why I really can''t stay to cook dinner for you I have to get going now because I am almostte," he found himself exining to her when he had to withstand her gaze for a few seconds.

    "It is okay. I will like to know all about anything that concerns me," she replied walking to the closet to get a new set of clothes.

    "The house, are you okay with it?" he asked following her.

    "Thanks for buying the house. I am sure my grandfather will be happy that you bought the house."

 Chapter 182 - The Dress Shop

    "I want a grand entry into the pce. I know my mother does not have a good reputation among her people but I want to be weed into the pce with the whole world being aware of it," Rose told Liam seriously.

    "I will make that happen. Get ready to meet your father for a dinner next tomorrow," he informed her.

    Her lower jaw dropped at that information. She did not expect him to be able to set that up or she would have asked him to earlier. She would have asked him to set up a meeting with her father but he was faster than her.

    "I will make sure to tell him about the grand entry tomorrow morning," he informed her.

    "Thanks," she said and began cutting her steak.

    "Eat well," he told her with a small smile when she began chewing on the mouth full of steak obviously enjoying it in a way that pleased him..

    "We should get married soon enough before my movements gets too monitored to keep our rtionship a secret or we won''t be able to go on with it," she told him calmly but it was not hard to see the raging storm under that calm fa?ade.

    Liam smiled softly as he looked into her hazel eyes. Why did it sound like she was in a hurry to get married to him? Or perhaps she was angry that she wanted their rtionship kept secret.

    Rose avoided his gaze and took a sip from her ss of non-alcoholic red wine. She did not know what he was thinking by smiling at her in that manner but she knows that she felt embarrassed under that gaze.

    "You too, eat well," she said when she could not stand his gaze any longer.

    ***

    Rose spent most of her morning shopping for a gown that will look very expensive enough to intimidate her father if possible. Most of the clothes Liam bought for her in that house were based on her past style and way of dressing with a lot of calmness to it but that was not the way things was now.

    She was not calm and gentle any longer she needed her cloth to make a statement and since she could not make one in such a short period, she went to one of her ex-adopted mother''s stores to pick one of the dresses she designed.

    "What are you looking for miss?" one of the staff in a ck suit walked to her with an obligatory smile.

    Rose did not bother to smile back. "I need one of your most expensive dresses," Rose simply replied pulling out the ck unlimited card Liam gave her when she left his mansion in his sport car.

    She did not want them to think she could not afford the dress since she was only wearing a simple ck pair of jeans trousers and a cream wool sweater. She was saving them the trouble of being scared that she was only going to waste their time.

    Being aware of the power of the ck card Rose held, the staff''s smile broadened in a manner that was clearly trying hard to please Rose in every way.

    "Come with me," the staff said in a singsong voice.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She led Rose to the next floor and opened a door that led to a whole different section of the shop where the very expensive clothes were kept for VIP customers.

    "This world is really a small ce," Rose heard a very familiar voice say from behind her and she heard foot stepse closer to her.

    "You must be here to buy some clothes," Rose stated the obvious. This must be so since Rose was no longer avable to make her clothes.

    "But I am very surprised to see you here especially with the drama you pulled before leaving," Anna said with an obvious hint of sarcasm and scoffed.

    "I can''t remember pulling any drama. I am here because I trust my hand work more than any other," Rose replied easily and walked to a ck backless sleeveless dress and touched the silk fabric.

    "I want to buy it so keep your hands off it," Anna said antagonistically. She folded her hands on her chest when she got close the dress.

    Rose nced at Anna with a bored expression. She really did not expect such old school childish bickering from her very matured and modern sister. She moved away from that dress to another dark purple dress with stones on it in a beautiful pattern.

    "I want that too," Anna shouted pointing at the dress. She was made to get angrier by Rose''s nonchnt attitude towards her.

    Rose nced back at Anna but she did not say a word as she walked out of the room. The staff was stunned and could not say anything since she knew the identity of the antagonist who was being served by the manager herself.

    "Hmmph," Anna said angrily and stumped her feet on the floor. She knew what she did to Rose by not believing her was wrong but she was still not sure that Rose was actually saying the truth. However, Rose left her in the cruellest manner.

    She had already virtualized all the fun she will have with Rose in the Royal University but it all got ruined. She ran after Rose and met her about to leave the shop.

    "Rose," she called out to her despite how hard she tried not to.

    "ˇ­" Rose turned and faced her sister with a nk expression.

    "I got into the Royal University," she told her feeling awkward when she felt so many gazes on her. "We will meet in the Royal University."

    She wanted to sound challenging but at the end of the day, she sounded like she couldn''t wait to meet her sister in the Royal University and have fun with her. When she realized what just happened, she frowned with her fist clinched and walked back towards the steps to go back upstairs.

    Rose found that very cute as she smiled before walking out of the shop. The reason she did not bother taking things seriously was because she was supposed to be angry with her ex-family and that Anna was unhappy that she left without a word to her.

    She was no longer a member of that family and she did not want to be bothered by them. Anna should be apologizing to her not trying to offend her but she found herself unable to get offended by what just happened because she could not simply bring herself to hate Anna at least not now.

 Chapter 183 - Do You Love Me?

    She went to some other cloth store to buy a dress and after a while of searching, she found a cloth she wanted. She bought the cloth and bought a shoe to match along with a purse.

    She went to the spa afterwards. She had her hair washed and she also had her hair done. She maintained her hair color but she made it wavy just like her mother''s hair and she let the length of her hair go down her back close to her waist.

    Liam came to pick her from the building when she was done and he took her to lunch.

    Liam staring at her across the table found himself unable to take his eyes off her.. She looked very gorgeous like always but this time, her temperament seemed to have changed totally.

    Rose had to try very hard not to blush under his intent gaze as she continued eating her lunch. She wanted to eat food cooked by him but he said he had been too busy and since she was hungry, they should eat in a five star restaurant.

    She did notin but ate the food when it was served.

    "You look beautiful," Liam could not hold back hisment anymore as he stared at her.

    "I always do," she replied sharply to mask the shock she felt due to his suddenment. He really shouldn''t say things like that out of the blue. They have been together for almost an hour now and he decided toment in the middle of it all.

    "Yes you always do," Liam said with a dotting smile. He could not help but think back to the little Rosaline who he tried so hard to help when she was traumatized by the ident.

    "Hmm," Rose said and continued eating. She also wanted topliment his always perfect appearance in return for hispliment but the words were stucked in her mouth and she took a mouthful of her lunch while trying to avoid this gaze without being obvious.

    He refilled her ss of water and reached towards her lips to clean an oil stain on it. She literally froze unable to move to stop him as her heart began beating fast.

    He leaned close to her making their face only inches apart from each other. Soon they will be joined together as a married couple. She gulped at that thought.

    He really looked perfect in his bad boss style with the sleeves of his ck shirt rolled up to show his wrist watch and ayer of bracelet with the logo of hispany. The first button of his shirt was undone. It did not reveal much but the little her eyes saw was beautiful to her.

    "Could you stop staring at me like you are undressing me with your eyes," Liam suddenly asked making her astonished as her body further froze if that was possible.

    He pulled his hand back and rxed on his seat before putting the napkin he used to clean her lip on the table.

    "Don''t worry, I will show you everything when we get home. That will be when we are already man and wife," he said with an insinuating smile.

    That smile made her feel a chilling sensation down her smile making her shiver almost visible. She gulped in a manner that had her coughing soon.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hey, are you okay?" Liam who was enjoying the view of his bbergasted fiancee, had to ask now worriedly as he stood up to give her a cup of water.

    He held the ss to her lips and let her drink from it slowly while he gently rubbed her back in a soothing manner.

    They stayed that way for a while until Rose was better. She shrugged his hand off her unhappily. "You . . ." she began but bit back her words as she red at him. He really shouldn''t say things like that when she is eating.

    "I am sorry. I won''t say anything while we eat lunch," he promised her with a pleading smile although it was not hard to miss the slyness in it.

    "I going now," she said standing up. How did he expect her to keep eating with him when she just almost choked because of him?

    Liam also stood up and followed her out side with a pleased smile. This way, they will be able to finish their marriage procedures early and go back home early.

    If only Rose knew what was on his mind.

    ***

    It was all done and legalized. They were officially married and when they got home, Rose went straight to the room to arrange the things she bought.

    Liam went to the kitchen and got himself a ss and a bottle of wine. He was happy. After so many years, so many travels through time and space, she was finally his. He finally married his first love. He finally married her!

    He wished he could go to the top of the mountain and scream so the world world will hear. He was not sure Rose was happy but he promised to make her happy. He promised himself that before his time is up, he will do all he did to do to ensure her safety.

    He was going to make her happy. He was going to make her heart beat for him. He frowned when reality hit him hard as Rose came downstairs to the kitchen with a nk expressionless countenance that made his heart hurt like every drop of blood was getting squeezed out of it.

    What if he did wrong by roping her into all this? He did not like this realization at all. He closed his eyes and sighed. Was it the wine? Why did he feel so mncholic and sad?

    "Rosaline, do you love me?" he suddenly asked as he watched the wine swirl in the ss as he shook the sses slowly.

    Rose felt her heart stop when she heard his question. She frowned and look at him from the fridge she about to open.

 Chapter 184 - Dose Of Ice Cream

    Rose felt her heart stop when she heard his question. She frowned and look at him from the fridge she about to open.

    "What if I don''t?" Rose asked as she looked at the state he was in and her heart felt hurt. That was one of the questions she was holding back from asking him.

    Do you love me? Will you ever betray me? Do I mean more to you than the kingdom? And many more questions.

    Liam sighed and slowly stood up from the stool. A part of him kept shouting out to him that he should wake up and stop this instant before it gets toote..

    But the part of him who have waited for so many years and that part of him which keeps reminding him that his time is short acted as the fuel to his actions.

    "You are so cold," he told her. The expressionless appearance she maintained only made him hurt more. "You are really so cold," he said repeated as he lifted his hand to her face.

    Slowly he touched her cheeks in a gentle feathery touch with the back of his hand. He let his hand slide down very slowly from her checks to her chin and down to her neck.

    She had frozen from the moment he got close to her. When he began touching her cheeks, she felt a cold current run from her head down her spine. She felt her heart beating fast and loud that she was scared that he might hear it and give him the answer to the question he asked her.

    She did not want to appear simple and easily controlled to him. She wanted to be strong and the very moment she let a man into her heart, she will make crazy decisions like her mother did and whatever decision a Queen makes, will affect her people in every way.

    "So cold," Liam murmured bitterly letting his hand slide down her neck to the neck of her cardigan. His other hand went to her waist and held it in a strong hold that made her hold her breath.

    "Liam, you are drunk," she blurted out when he began leaning close to her. So close she could perceive the appetizing aroma of the very expensive wine he just had.

    "No, I am not. I am not drunk. I want you to give me an answer," he said in an impatient tone as he leaned forward bending his head to her height and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Do you love me?" he whispered in her ears.

    Rose shivered visibly when his warm breath blew against her neck and ear. She was unable to know how to react when her whole body was giving her very strange signals that she has not experienced in her life. He was so close to her and their bodies were touching at different parts and it felt very new, very foreign but not unpleasant in anyway.

    His grip on her waist loosened and she released her breath when he walked away from her. He did not look back as he went upstairs. The lonely feeling his back view gave her made her look down at her fingers in guilt.

    His touch on her cheek, neck, shoulder and waist still lingered and when fresh air came in contact with the ce his chin once rested that gave warmth to that part, she could not hold back a shiver again.

    Her cell phone ringing snapped her back to reality and shook her head. What the hell just happened? It was like she went into a trance and had no control. She pulled out her cellphone from her pocket and picked the call when she saw that the caller was Eric.

    "Hey, how are you?" she asked trying to sound normal after clearing her throat but her voice still came out a little hoarse.

    "Hey, are you okay?" Eric asked worriedly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am okay. What about you?" she asked him.

    "I am fine but are you really sure that you are okay?" he asked again his voice sounding even more worried. "I heard what happened. Where are you now?"

    "I came to Star city. I will visit your mother once I have the chance to," she told him. "How is she now?"

    "My mother is well enough to return home. She will be discharged tomorrow but she needs a lot of rest," Eric replied sincerely.

    "I wille see her as soon as I can," she promised him.

    "No, it''s okay. I should visit you too. How are you? Hope you are not having a hard time?" he asked her carefully.

    "No. I am definitely not having a hard time," she assured him sincerely.

    "Oh. That is good then. Debby told me about it. She narrated all she said Anna told her. I know you will never have sent the video to them but what then is the motive of the person who did it?" Eric asked seriously. "Annater got into the Royal University."

    "Yes. That means the person''s target was not Anna but me," Rose said as she sat down on the stool when her legs felt too weak to carry her any longer.

    "You should really be careful. I don''t think you deserved that at all. I also heard that they made it official and legalized," Eric said shaking his head. He was sad that his innocent friend had to go through all that.

    "Yeah. I will survive and live don''t worry. I only spent four years with them. I did not get too attached to them to that point," Rose assured him but it sounded more like she was trying to assure herself. It will be weird if she doesn''t show that the incident affected her.

    "That''s is actually good news. Let''s eat ice cream anytime you are free enough," Eric pleaded. He knew how much Anna meant to Rose and wanted to cheer her up with desert.

    "That sounds great. I will call or send a text to you once I have the time," she promised him.

    "Take care."

    After hanging up, she felt like she was back to herself and the trance was over. She stood up steadily and opened the freezer. There was a bowl of ice cream she bought earlier. She took three scoops of the vani vor ice cream and sat down once again on the stool to eat it.

    The ice cream served as a pill for the reaction her body had with Liam. She needed something to cool down her whole being with.

 Chapter 185 - Liams Ice Cream Dose

    Waking up, Liam seemed to have forgotten what happened in the kitchen as he passed by Rose without a word and he still wore his usual good morning smile but Rose knew he was only faking it since he would most likely have stolen a kiss from her if he was acting truly as though nothing had happened.

    "I should toast bread for us," she told him when they were finally in the same space. It was though he was avoiding her.

    "No, I want to do aplete breakfast," he replied almost too sharply as he took a step away from her when she walked to the toaster which was beside him.

    She pressed her lips together and left him since he wanted to do it himself and he did seem to not want her around him. "I will go and take my bath then," she told him with a tight smile before going upstairs.

    She thought he was shameless from all his actions before they got married but after their wedding he seems to have changed drastically in just a day.

    When she returned downstairs refreshed, he smiled to her in his usual manner with his grey eyes appearing very warm and gave her sweet heart calming effect despite that, her heart began drumming fast. Why does it seem like he reached a resolution and was finally going to talk things out?

    "Happy one day anniversary," he told her with a gentle smile as he pulled back her chair and she sat downfortably.. He ced his hand on her shoulder which was bare due to the boat-neck blouse she wore. He leaned down and ced a kiss on her cheeks. "You scent nice. I see you are using the shower gel well."

    She froze. She was actually already grateful to her luck that Liam was no longer as shameless as before, that way there won''t be a repetition of what had happened but she actually rejoiced too early because he was still the same Liam and maybe even with an upgraded shamelessness activated.

    "You should wish the same thing to me. How about we have a little celebration, let me take you out. We should go out on a date," he suggested still leaning down so close to her. He sniffed her neck in a dramatic manner before kissing her neck and finally letting go.

    She was about to agree with him but she stopped the words that were about to escape her lips and got up from the seat. She walked to the fridge and fetched three scoops of ice cream.

    "Why are you taking ice cream this early?" Liam asked walking to her with a confused expression.

    "I will eat it with my breakfast," she replied and walked to the table away from him. Why did it feel like the role was reversed and she was now the person having to run away from him?

    "Excess sugar is not good for your health," he told her with a serious expression as he returned to his seat and sat down while watching her suspicious.

    Rose appeared oblivious as she took a spoon of the ice cream and sighed before lifting her head and began eating the oat meal he took time to prepare which was given second priority whenpared to the ice cream she had beside her.

    When he remembered the very thing he had been trying to forget all morning, he also stood up to get his own share of ice cream. He took four scoops of the vani ice cream and returned to the table.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When Rose noticed the extra desert te he brought to the table had ice cream in it, she lifted her head up and looked at him.

    Liam met her questioning gaze but said nothing as he made sure to finish all the ice cream he had before him and sighed. He leaned his back against the backrest of the chair and watched her as she ate.

    Rose furrowed her brow when he kept looking at her without looking away for a second. "Is there anything on my face?" she asked him trying to sound as innocent as she could at that moment.

    "About yesterday," he began after shaking his head to give her answer to her question. He wore a serious expression as he adjusted himself on the seat feeling a little nervous. "I should keep my distance, right?" he asked her directly.

    He was not going to promise her on his own to keep his distance. He was holding on to a silver of hope that she was actually not against any type of intimacy between them but he had to be careful.

    Rose wanted to simply tell him okay or nod in agreement but she held back. He was her husband after all. "We are married, Liam," she said maintaining an unreadable outer shell.

    Liam gulped he never knew his name could sound so good in his ears. She made it sound so charming. Her morous voice made her statement have more impact to him but he was still confused.

    "I am with you for protection, I should at least pay for the protection I get from you," she unexpectedly said as she tried to bring herself back on the track. She should not let things get to far. The hours she spent in that room, she spent a good part of it closing her heart and dropping the key in a bottomless pit.

    Liam clearly heard what she said and he found himself wishing he was not so attentive to take in every syble that was vocalized from her lips. It was all a huge to him. She was very good at giving someone hope and then taking it away with enough cruelty to break his heart.

    She was the only person in this world who could treat him this way. He could only hope that his patient won''t run out because he was anything but a saint and his patience was everything far from limitless.

    "You have me here. I am all yours but what is mine that belongs to you is mine, right?" she asked with a cold smile.

    "You said it yourself," Liam said taking his turn to be unreadable. "I intend to use your word against you," he warned her seriously.

    Rose gulped when she heard him and her smile disappeared. She dug her spoon into her ice cream and took a mouthful.

 Chapter 186 - The Dinner

    For the rest of the breakfast, Rose felt ufortable under his asional nces. She did not feel good about this at all.

    "Do you want to go out on a lunch date with me? I want to give you your ring," he said with a lighter jovial tone.

    That actually eased her worries but made her nod automatically as though she did not want the temperature of the room to get any colder since it has warmed up a little.

    "The king is here in Star City for a meeting so we will meet with him as nned today," he reminded her warmly.

    "Oh. I won''t forget," she said with a nod.

    "How is it? Do you like it?" Liam suddenly asked fixing his eyes on her.

    "Uh?" Rose asked shocked as her mind went ces about he meant by that question.

    "The meal, is it to your liking?" he asked her gesturing at the dishes before her.

    "Oh, it is good. You made it well," she replied sincerely. She cant remember eating an oatmeal that good.

    "I am d you like it," Liam said with a genuine smile the coldness that was in his eyes were all gone now leaving an almost too sincere warmth.

    Rose exhaled in relieve despite how much she warned herself not to take what he said serious.

    ***

    She was quiet throughout the lunch date until he brought out a brown small box and opened it to expose a pair of rings. She gasped at the site. The rings looked very simple but elegant and gorgeous at the same time.

    "Wow," she said sincerely amazed by their beauty.

    "I designed it and had my jeweler design it so it must not look like one of those expensive rings and I also think it won''t be for you to wear a ring that clearly states its purpose but I still want my ring on your finger."

    Ok . . . so . . . he made the ring so she could wear it in a low key manner. No wonder it looked simple. Her train o thoughts paused when she noticed the very tiny ck white stones that were used to design the outward part in very professionally beautiful way.

    "So, do you love it?" Liam asked hoping to receive thepliment for the ring her spent years trying to design. He has made so many in the past years but dropped them all when she said she wanted to return to the pce.

    "Yes, I do. They are beautiful," she said subconsciously stretching her hand to him with her fingers spread out.

    "This is now yours," Liam said picking the ring he made for her and wore it on her fingers.

    "Thank you," she appreciated with a tight smile like she dared not be too excited about getting the ring from him. As she pulled back her hand and stared at it to discover it looked a different from the one left in the ring box. "Why do they look so different?"

    "So we could keep our marriage a secret," he replied seriously.

    "Oh," she simply said with an understanding nod as she continued staring at the ring on her finger. They looked so good on her. He was still unhappy that she was going to the pce.

    Being petty, right? He must be wrong of how much he thinks he means to her for her to give up carry out the task ordered by her mother.

    ***

    When it was time for the dinner meeting she had with her father, they left with their car in between two other cars which had some of Liam''s body guards. Rose was not sure if she saw right but she must have actually seen Liam hid a gun on his body.

    After more than an hour of driving out of the city, they got to little modern vige. It was built and designed by her grandfather then for people to go whenever they wanted a break from the city air.

    It had a lot of people who settled there mostly the retired looking for afortable ce to live. It was one of many others around star city.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her grandfather did it to revive those viges which were abandoned by the youth and adult. These viges always attract the wealthy, young couples, and many others who wish to be reminded of their kingdom''s culture and also tourists.

    One of things her father came to Star city was to see and elder who was over a hundred and forty years. She did not know why he was suddenly doing things the kings of the past did by which is paying respect to the oldest elder in the kingdom for longevity.

    She did not ponder on that thought since she was already upied with the thoughts of how she should react when she meets her father for the first time in decades. She did not know if he was the bad guy or not.

    Throughout the drive to the vige, she spent time thinking about how she should speak and act with her father. It waspulsory that she acts confidence, elegant and respectful to her father. She thought of what to say first or what to order. Should she mention her mother in their conversation?

    When she could note up with the right mental speech, she finally gave up with a sigh.

    "Hey, it is okay. If anything goes wrong I will protect you and if you don''t want to do this any longer, then we can leave. You will meet him in the pceter after all," Liam advised her with a small smile as he rubbed the back of her hands and rubbed gently.

    She smiled tightly and nced at where she got a glimpse of his gun earlier. "Thank you," she replied slightly hoarsely and swallowed.

    When the car finally stopped in front of a small restaurant that looked like a farm house, they all got out with the guards surrounding them as they walked into the restaurant. Some of the guard stay outside while a few ordered carefully.

    Rosaline noticed Liam was very serious about their security for the first time since she got together with him. The bank wasn''t even this secured when she visited it.

    She actually smelt danger herself when she walked into the restaurant and noticed how well secured the restaurant was although that was not surprising since the king had to be well protected.

    They were led by a staff of the traditional five star restaurant who had a lot of professionalism to a private room.

    She paused and took in a very deep breath as she felt her heart race fast.

    Liam noticed her tense and gave her a friendly encouraging pat on her shoulder.

    She lifted her eyes and met his grey eyes which were doing a very good job of telling her he was there for her. She nodded at the staff when she moved her gaze from his with enough courage as though telling him that she was fine all along.

    The staff opened the door and she walked into to the private room. The restaurant was worthy of it''s five star rating as it looked really elegant and traditional in a way that reminded anyone of the long lost culture of her mother''s kingdom.

    There was a ss table in the middle of the room which had a ceiling to floor ss wall facing a beautiful garden. She feared seeing the face of the man seated at therge ss table as she stared around at the interior design of the room that had enough touch of modernization, tradition and elegance.

    When she was done looking around the room and had nothing else to look at and her gaze fell on her father who had been watching her all along.

    When her gaze met his ck eyes, she froze. She could not take her eyes off him as she felt a sudden surge of a blend of different strong emotions.

    After so many years, she was standing before her father who abandoned her and her mother in an unknown country and did not defend her mother''s name when the whole world turned against her.

    She was not sure if he could be trusted or not. He also seemed to be shocked to have met her gaze as he slowly stood up and walked to her with his arms spread out.

    "You look grown up," he told her with his voice slightly shaky. The amazement in his eyes as he stared at her felt so natural and sincere. She was not sure but she actually noticed a hint of happiness in his eyes.

    "You also look a lot more older than I remember," she replied him with an equally sincere smile.

    When he got to her, he pulled her into a warm embrace. "I can''t believe it. You look so much like your mother," he said when they separated.

    Their happy reunion was put into rest when the door opened again and Liam walked in. Her father seemed to tense when Liam walked in.

    eparating from us.. It will only lead to war."

 Chapter 187 - His Support

    "Your majesty," Liam greeted with a slight bow of his head but maintaining a very cold countenance.

    "Mr. Hale," the king said as he returned to the seat he stood up from and sat down.

    "If anything goes wrong, I will be outside the door," Liam informed her assuringly.

    "You don''t have to be so serious Mr. Hale. What can a father do to hurt his daughter?" the king asked with a pained expression.

    "You will never know," Liam said with little regard to the king. The domineering aura he had could make someone think he was actually the king and the king was the prime minister.

    Rose did not feelfortable with the silent battle going on between her father, the king and Liam, her husband. She nced at Liam and moved her gaze to the door indicating that he was free to leave.

    Liam left quietly afterwards leaving the father and daughter duo together. Sittingfortably, her father handed over a booklet to her.

    "Order for what you will love to eat. Their special dish was your mother''s favorite dish. She once tried to take the chef away to the pce but the chef remained working here since he was employed personally by your grand father. He is not even a professional chef but he is very good at cooking traditional dishes."

    Now what Rosaline could not understand was why the discussion was moved to a chef she knew nothing of and did not care about.

    "Your mother still visited this restaurant asionally even after the rejection of the chef," the king, her father continued talking about the restaurant and its chef.

    "Why are we talking about this restaurant?" She desperately wanted to ask but she held back and went through the menu.

    A staff walked in to take their order and the room was quiet once again.

    "Why are you with Liam?" he suddenly asked with a frown. "Last time I checked, you were not my daughter and I am forced to ept you to the pce. You were with Justin''s family. What made you leave?"

    "Are you finding it hard to believe that I am actually your daughter and not an imposter? Do you want me to prove my identity?" Rose asked confused by the sudden turn of events. He clearly acted like he believed she was his daughter earlier.

    "No, don''t bother. Mr. Hale has made a way for you to get into the pce so your identity does not matter at all. I heard you want a grand entry, I have informed the Royal council and they will be present to wee you into the pce. What I want to know now is what did Mr. Hale offer you?"

    "Can I trust you?" she asked while leaving his question unanswered.

    "If you think you can," he replied and leaned back when their was a knock on the door. The restaurant staff entered with the dishes and served them carefully.

    "I found a message in a bank. Mum hid it in a counterfeit goldbar. There were three videos in a sh drive I found in the gold. She told me to return to the pce. She was so scared and disoriented in one of the videos.

    "She said she made a deal with someone so that I could continue living in the pce unharmed," she narrated to him truthfully.

    "Shortly before you two went missing, she had actually not acted strange around me. She was still the elegantdy I married," the king told his daughter with an expression that was very hard for Rose to read.

    Rose felt like she was ced in a very difficult spot. She really wanted to believe her father was saying the truth but she could not understand why the way he constructed his sentence actually sounded like he meant the direct opposite of what he said.

    "Your mother was trained to hide her pain and stand strong so I wonder how she could have left such a video for you," her father continued to give her his thoughts on everything.

    "If you don''t believe I could show you the video. Do you want to see the video?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No," her father replied hastily shaking his head. "I believe you. After all, there is no reason for you to lie about it, right?"

    "Yes. I want something from you when I return to the pce," she suddenly told him as she looked at the very appetizing dishes on the table.

    "What? I have not been in most of your life so I think it is only right I give you what you want from me as your father," her father agreed almost immediately but obviously without hesitation.

    Rose smiled inwardly. "I am the direct descendants of thete Queen and the present king. I am the offspring born from a union of two kingdoms. It is only right that I be the heir, right?" She watched the eagerness to help that was on her father''s face disappear instantly and got reced with a very unpleasant surprise.

    He seem to understand where it was all headed. "What do you want?" he asked her with a hint of reluctance in his voice.

    "I want to be named the heir of throne as soon as I return to the pce. I am my grandfather''s heir.

    "If your people don''t want me to rule as a woman, we might as well divide the kingdom and take it back to what it used to be.

    "My mother''s people will be very pleased if that happens they never wanted the union to begin with," she told him with a very surprising ease. She was further surprised by how good she felt by taking it off her chest.

    "The kingdom will not get divided," the king snapped with his voice low but strong and firm. He looked into the hazel eyes of his daughter and frowned. "You will get your position as the heir as soon as you return to the pce but you must not think of separating from us. It will only lead to war."

    "Really? Will I get all that along with your support? My mother''s family have long turned against her and they won''t be willing to offer me help. You are the only person who I can seek help from in the kingdom."

    "What about Liam? Do you know you made a very big mistake by getting married to him?" her father suddenly asked.

    Rose froze. She thought Liam made sure everything was a secret. She did not expect anybody else to know about their union. She was shocked but she did not show it as she remained calm.

    Her father noticed that and he could not see a single crack in her calm and elegant fa?ade. His daughter has really grown. She was no longer the little princess who was her mother''s Pearl, the Queen. She was obviously a strong Queen herself now.

    Rose picked her cutlery and began eating. She must have been too na?ve to think no one will know about it. Her father was the king in a pce with very good means of obtaining any information especially since she was returning home.

    "The support you would have gotten when returning to A city have all being lost from the moment you tied the knot with Liam. Do you know how many noble fear Liam and want him dead? They will stop you from taking the throne by all means. None of them will want Liam to be king."

    Rose remained calm as she geltle ced her cutlery and smiled softly at her father. "I did not ask for the support of all the royals. I am asking you to support me," she told him seriously.

    The king was baffled. He was going through a tough mental situation because of her request and he knew things will only get harder as time goes on. It was enough trouble that he was going to make sure she gets back her title knowing fully well that no one wants her back.

    "So, am I getting your support? Remember the promise you made to my grandfather that made him agree with the merge? You made me your heir. Or was it all a joke? Remember the prenuptial agreement you signed.

    I thought I could persuade you to support me as your heir using the fact that you are my father but you are clearly asking me to take some other measure," she asked calmly trying hard not to sound rude in anyway.

    She prayed that her father will be sensible to stand for her. She was not sure if he was her friend or a foe yet. She was not even sure if he had anything to do with her mother''s death. She could only pray and hope that she won''t have to fight a bloody battle with the only close blood rted family member she had left.

    "You have my support. I will support you fully.. I will also talk to a few people who I am sure will get persuaded earlier enough," her father finally gave her the answer she wanted and she could finally exhale in relief.

 Chapter 188 - Did You Kill Her?

    "I also need your support on something else," she said with a smile before appreciating his earlier offer.

    "What do you want?" The king asked knowing fully well that she won''t ask for a simple favour.

    "I want to clear my mother''s name," she replied him seriously.

    Her father was very surprised. He had expected her to do that when she moves into the pce or be his heir but he never expected her to ask him to help her because after all, a lot of people believe he was behind it all.

    "No one knows my mother as much as you do. From what I heard, you two were very close even before you thought about getting married to each other. You knew her long enough more than anyone else."

    "Your mother betrayed me," her father suddenly used her mother. "She went after someone else shortly before she died."

    "Who did she go after?" Rose asked since this was news to her. She knew nothing about her mothermitting adultery except the rumor that spread that time between her mother and Mr. Hart.

    "You must have heard about Mr. Hart, right? Or perhaps you must have met him before too. He was the man your mother went after. She always had a rtionship with him even before we got married.

    "They remained close even after we got married and she went to him for help and forsook her husband. He made her not trust me anymore and perhaps that was why you thought she was paranoid.

    "She was obviously scared him by him. She destroyed our marriage before she died because of the affair she had with him. That was why I did not defend her when everything went wrong.

    "She was no longer the woman I married. She was a woman who was in love with her husband''s best friend. I will not help you restore her past glory because I don''t even trust that she did not betray the kingdom.

    "You said she made a deal with someone about your safety. I want to know who that person is and you should also investigate that because whoever that person was, he or she knows more about who your mother truly was before she died.

    "You might have been too young to understand then but your mother and I were slowly drifting apart."

    Rose listened quietly while asionally consuming her dinner, slowly masticating as her eyes remained fixed on her father''s face as he spoke. She observed every single detail she could notice.

    When he was done speaking, she could onlye to one conclusion from what he narrated to her.

    And that was, he was not willing to help her clear her mother''s name because her mother had an affair with his best friend which led to them being in bad terms before her mother died.

    She ced her cutlery down calmly without exposing the tornado of emotions happening in her little head.

    "Did you kill my mother because of that?" she asked directly without beating around the bush. If it was in the past she would have been scared of asking but at this point, she has never been this brave.

    She watched her father who was drinking water after his lengthy exnation choke on the water and his skin bright red like the slice of tomato in her te.

    He picked up and napkin and wiped his mouth as he began coughing violently.

    Rose remained quiet as though the person who was almost coughing out his lungs was not her father.

    When he was done coughing and gettingposed once again like the king he was, he met her gaze that looked so calm and shuddered almost visibly.

    He felt an icy feeling run down his spine in a manner that made him develop goose bumps under the sleeves of the white shirt he wore.

    "Why will you ask me such a question?" he asked angrily as he rubbed his chest.

    "Because I really want to know. I want to know so that I could know who is one my side and who isn''t. It is certain that someone killed my mother because I was by her side when she died and I can still remember herst minute.

    "I will go any length to find her murderer and put him or her six feet below the ground. I will kill the person with my own hands. That is why I want to know if you killed her," Rose asked calmly as though he would simply confess to the crimes because she asked if he was the murderer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You shouldn''t ask such a question. You should not ask me such a question. Your mother might have betrayed me but I still loved her and hoped that one day she will return to my arms. That was what I was waiting for but she died withouting back and that was why I felt hurt," her father told her with hisposure returned fully.

    "Dad, that doesn''t answer my question," she calmly reminded her father. "Did you kill my mother?"

    The king sighed frustratedly as he picked his cutlery to continue eating. "You are really stubborn like your mother. I did not kill your mother," he replied in the most sincere tone she has ever heard her father speak in.

    She exhaled and smiled. "I was so scared that you might have killed her because of her assumed affair. I did not want to fight against my father. Thanks for telling me the truth," she told him with a very na?ve smile.

    "Are you still going to be with Liam? Coming to the pce as the princess, the only thing that will help you with more support is an arranged marriage with someone from my hometown. That way, the council members will allow you be the heir without hesitation."

    "If that is your suggestion, I might have to respect it. You alone know about my rtionship with Liam. You can keep it secret for as long as it needed but Liam and I are married and they will have to ept that by and by. Doesn''t this remind you of something?"

    "What?" the king asked totally unsure of what she meant.

    "My grandfather was against my mother marrying you but because she loved you, she insisted. The elders were clearly against it and threatened that they won''t support her if she married but she still got married to you because she loved you. Perhaps I am equally too love stricken to think properly."

    Her father could not say anything more as he continued eating when she told him that with a lovestruck expression.

    Seeing the serious discussion was over, Rose smiled. "How was the blessing ceremony?"

    "The old man is a very wise man," her father simply replied.

    "Oh," Rose ohhed with a slight nod. She found herself getting very curious about they spoke about for her father to call the man a wise man.

    The father and daughter continued eating their dinner after breaking the rules of table manner by having such an important discussion over their meal.

    ***

    "Do you believe all he said to you?" Liam had to asked on their way back home.

    "I haven''te to a conclusion. He might have not killed my mother but he might know who did," she replied without caring to ask how he knew what was discussed.

    "You should be careful. You have made him aware of you desire to avenge your mother''s death and he will surely find a way to kill you if you ever get close to your answer if he is the murderer," Liam reminded her.

    "Do you really not understand what I was trying to do?" Rose asked baffled. She felt that above anyone else, Liam should know what she was trying to do by doing what she did.

    "I know but he might not have thought what you want him to think. Your father is very good at putting up a show. You will never know what he is thinking."

    "I am aware of that. He is very unreadable but I know I seeded in control his thoughts to where I want it to go."

    "You did good."

    She gave him a slight smile to appreciate hispliment. She wanted to use a tough method to meet her father but from the moment he hugged her, she changed her mind immediately.

    She could not use a domineering aura to harm a king especially her father it might only made her look arrogant in a way she did not want and since she discovered that, she decided to use that na?ve arrogance to mask her seriousness.

    "We will visit your mother''s grave when you want to before you finally move to A city," Liam reminded her.

    "Hmm. I did not forget.. I miss her more knowing I am going to back to the pce and she won''t be there," she told him sincerely as she stared out of the window at the green grasnds.

 Chapter 189 - The Princesss Return

    "I don''t believepletely that my father is my enemy unless proven otherwise. I don''t have a proof yet of any of his wrong doings so I guess he will be my father until things change which I hope won''t. It was actually good talking to him."

    Liam gave her a warm encouraging smile. "When you move into the pce, you will have enough time to talk to him and conclude if he is an enemy or not," Liam said with a underlying message in his tone.

    "Do you know something?" She asked him seriously.

    "Not yet."

    "Until you do, he is harmless, right?" she asked feigning an innocent look.

    "You know better than I do of how hunted you will get once you move into the pce. The people of the northern kingdom never liked your mother it will be hard for them to like you but I will be there to help you.

    "I have had a few of my men stationed in the pce already. They will be assigned to be your guards as soon as you get to A city," he informed her knowing she was only pretending but he only wanted to remind her that he had the resources to ensure her safety.

    "Thanks for that," she appreciated but immediately cleared her throat slightly and regained her new cold countenance. "I have a work for you," she suddenly said.

    Liam noticed her sudden change and he immediately adapted to match her new countenance although it was a really hard task for him not to try to talk things over with her.

    ****

    The announcement of the return of the princess was made internationally with the world knowing that the princess who was assumed be dead was alive and returning to her rightful ce as the heir.

    It caused a storm both politically and domestically with people having a lot of questions on their mind.

    Her father did a press conference the following day after she had dinner with him and he took all the me as a father who gave up and did not search even to the ends of the world to find his daughter but he abandoned her and buried her when she was still living.

    People reacted very differently. The difference between the reaction of her southerners and the northerners was vast.

    Majority of her mother''s people were happy mostly those who knew of the underlying problem of the United governance which were mostly the older citizens.

    These group of people supported her mother and did not believe that her mother was a traitor but those of the younger generations strongly believed all they were taught in history sses and they were not bothered because they were perhaps too busy trying to get sessful to notice the difference in the way they were treatedpared to those from her father''s kingdom or they just did not notice the difference because it was still inconspicuous.

    Indigens of the northern kingdom which is her father''s kingdom were not happy about it at all. They began talking about her mother''s past and all that happened before her death.

    Videos and pictures from her mother''s past surfaced including those she has never seen before and the scandal with Mr. Hart also went viral once again.

    It was as those by going to the pce, she was walking on a field with lots ofndmines but she did not bother about those that exploded when she stepped on them because they were only empty words.

    She continued preparing to return to the pce. A day before the D-day, all the seemed to subside and soon. There were talks about how her mother might have been used wrongly or forced to leave the kingdom the day she did.

    Her face had not yet been revealed to the public as they were trying to protect her before her arrival but the insiders of the Royal council all know and most of the nobles knew that the girl who''s test came back negative was the king''s daughter.

    That caused a lot of problem among the members of the council but they were forced to ept it when the heads of the council of both the northern and southern kingdoms agreed with the king for reasons only a few of them knew about.

    The princess''s grand return to the pce was aired live by a lot of TV stations. Those who knew nothing about the identity of the princess got to see her on TV and she was immediately recognized by those who knew her.

    ***<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing the video on the screen of her tablet made Anna pissed off. She mmed on the table. She was actually thinking Rose will one day return home when things get really hard for her but all these was a sign that Rose will not have a reason to return home.

    She was also considering bullying her sister in her petty ways to get her sister''s attention back to her like it has always been since they met as adopted sisters but this will be almostpletely impossible.

    "She lied to me," Anna suddenly voiced her realization when she remembered that her sister told her her parents were dead and she knew well them before their deaths.

    Anna felt very betrayed by Rose. How could Rose lie to her about her biological parents when she knew who they were all along?

    "She lied to us all," Anna continuedining. She wanted to go back to the time she met Rose so she could stop her dad from adopting her.

    She knew it was all a lie because she was grateful despite all that happened between them. She was grateful that Rose was once her sister andpanion.

    She also felt guilt eating her up right from the inside but she was unwilling to ept it. She knew she hurt Rose that day when she did not believe all Rose told her.

    She felt that she was the reason Rose was forced to leave. She felt that Rose will never have wanted to return home to her father, the king if she had not mistreated her, right?

    "What is wrong?" Steve asked hugging her tightly from behind with his chin resting on her shoulder.

    "Nothing," she replied trying to sound with as much sincerity as she could show in her voice at that moment.

    As usual he did not take nothing as an answer as he released her from his hug and picked the Tablet up. The face of the very beautiful girl in a very gorgeous dress was very familiar but the majesty he noticed in herportment was very unique and foreign.

    "It is your sister again," he said with a sigh. He was unhappy with Rose''s interference with his life with Anna. Anna was either feeling guilty that her sister left or feeling unhappy that her sister left her alone he was clearly by her side everyday.

    He wondered why all the tests he carried all told him Rose was not rted to the Royal family at all.

    He also heard about it the day the king officially informed the Royal council of her return but there was nothing he could do to stop her return to the pce.

    He tried to stop her from returning to the pce because thest thing he wanted was for her to return to the pce even under the protection of one of the people he hated with his every breath when he was still far away from aplishing his goal.

    "I am sure she has her reasons. I am sure she could not tell me because she couldn''t," Anna whispered trying not to feel as hurt as she felt because of her sister''s vengeance.

    "She has betrayed you so many times. I guess this all enough for you to snap out of it," Steve snapped as he threw the Tablet which flew to the marble floor and its screen cracked.

    Anna was shocked by his sudden action as she looked down at her destroyed tablet and slowly moved her gaze to Steve.

    Steve did not care about the gaze that was fixed on him as he grabbed his phone and walked out of the apartment he stayed in with Anna in Star city.

    He lost so many men, his foster father lost his fortune and almost lost his life to Liam and Rose. He really could not continue to be one the losing side.

    He called his assistant when his car went into auto-pilot. "I want to you to give me five men from the southern kingdom. They must pay for what their little princess has done. Afterwards call for an important meeting tomorrow."

    Less than a couple of hourster, five men were hanging from the ceiling of a warehouse with their hands as they got beaten up and tortured one of the other by very brutal methods.

    The assistant who made that possible went of the warehouse and made a call to arrange a meeting with some very important people in the kingdom who were associated with Steve.

 Chapter 190 - His Reminder

    The muffled cried of those who were getting tortured filled the warehouse loud and painful that anyone hearing it will feel the fear and terror they felt from the maltreatment they were facing.

    ****

    Anna nced at the bedside table and it showed that it was already midnight and Steve was not back. She expected him to return and apologize for breaking the screen of her tablet.

    She also wanted to know why he was so angry with her. Her sister not very connected to him for him to have such a reaction to her sister''s return to the pce. When she could not resist the drowsiness that clouded her mind, she finally fell asleep.

    Hourster, she heard the door open and she heard his footstep as he walked around the room. she remained still expecting him to sit beside her on the bed and pat her head like he always does but he walked into the bathroom and that was exactly when he patience ran out.

    She got up from the bed hastily that she felt dizzy from the sudden movement. She wore her soft fluffy clogs and went into the bathroom without knocking to announce her arrival and walked to the shower cubicle and slide the door open angrily.

    The site that greeted her was not the site she always admired due to his well-toned body but this was very different. Diluted blood flowed down from his body. He also had a bleeding wound in his abdomen.

    When his cold gaze met hers, she was so shocked that she could not hold back the scream that escaped her lips. "What is this? What happened to you?" she asked as she walked into the cubicle without removing her shoes which immediately got soaked.

    "Get out!" he shouted as he red her with the wound further bleeding down his body to the tiled floor and the color of her pink shoes got darker from the colored water it soaked.

    "No I am not. I am not going to be at the receiving end of your strange behavior when you are losing all the blood in your veins. Who did you fight with? I have never seen you this way. What happened to you?" She continued towards him fearlessly.

    "I said get out!" Steve shouted as soon as she received for his hand. His brushed her hand off and walked out of the cubicle and grabbed a white wool dressing coat. The woolen fabric of the coat immediately absorbed the blood.

    "Who hurt you?" Anna asked as she ran after him and tried to hold his wrist but he flung her hand off.

    She slipped to the marble floor of their room and winced in pain.

    "I did myself. I did it to remind myself of all I lost. I did it to remind myself of all the unfairness I have suffered, of all the things that belonged to me but were stolen without pity. I will get them all back. I will get them back as soon as I can. For you and I, i must get them back. You deserve what she got and I will help you get it," he shouted as tears ran down his cheeks.

    "I don''t understand any of what you just said. I don''t understand. What do you mean by that?" she asked him in a very confused state as she struggled to stand up.

    "You don''t need to know. let me handle it all," he re plied and went into the walk-in closet with Anna following him behind. He opened a drawer and pulled out a first aid box. Right there, he stitched up the wound himself and dressed the wound until it was certain that it will not get infected easily.

    Anna had to support herself on the door of the closet. She was unable to believe what she had just witnessed. This was the first time she was encountering this part of Steve. He was so strange that she found it very hard to recognize him.

    He always pampered her and treated her with so much care but he had shouted her and even threw her to the floor once in just less than thirty minutes.

    "What are you staring at?" Steve was forced to ask. This was definitely a manner he never wants Anna to stare at him. This was the very way most of the kids in the orphanage stared at him, like he was not just a normal person like them or like he was a monster.

    "You look so different," she said in a low hoarse whisper. "Why will you hurt yourself for me and what do you mean by all you just said?"

    "I said you should not be bothered by anything because I will take care of it. Just like he is helping her, I will help you too."

    "Do you care to borate?" she asked feeling very frustrated him his speech.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He removed the dressing coatpletely and wore a pair of purple pajamas and went into the bedroom. Anna regained her strength after recovering from the bloody scene she had just witnessed earlier. She kept following him as he went to the kitchen and took a box of pills from the kitchen cab.

    She felt angry to be ignored by him continually. She did not give up asking him all the questions she wanted to him but he did not answer her. When she felt her patient run out, she found out that she could not keep standing close to him in the kitchen with all sort of knives shining in the presence of the slightest beam of light.

    She walked out the kitchen and went into the room. she changed from the lc night gown she was wearing and wore a pair of ck jeans and a white shirt. Grabbing her purse with her credit card and the keys of her motorcycle, she walked out of the room and went to door to leave until he was willing to give her an exnation for his sudden weird behaviors.

    "Where are you going to?" he asked her with his hands tightly gripping her wrists that his fingers almost dug into her flesh.

    "Out, until you are willing to give me an exnation that I will understand," she said as she tried hard to shake his hand off her wrist.

    "Don''t struggle much or you will only get hurt. I have had a very tiring day and I don''t want you to begin acting out," he warned her dangerously.

    She did not miss the threat in his tone and the dangerous gleam in his eyes. She flung his hand off her wrist and pushed the door open. "You are not even making effort to apologize," she told him angrily.

    "I am sorry if you that is what will prevent you from leaving now," he apologized as he grabbed her wrist again. "It is toote for you to leave."

    She looked into his eyes and when she saw the sincerity in his eyes and the pain she had no idea of, she rxed. "I will go back into the apartment only if you promise me to go to the hospital to get that properly treated."

    "Fine, but that will be tomorrow morning. I will go after dropping you off at school," he promised her as he led her into the apartment and closed the door behind him.

    "You looked very dangerous when you taking the pills in the kitchen," she found herself saying to him when she finally changed into her night ware and returned to bed.

    "I am not nice to many pother people but I will forever love you and be nice to you. I might appear dangerous never dangerous to you. What is important is that you should never look at me as though I am a monster," he said pleadingly.

    Anna rolled to him and hugged him as she pressed her head to his chest. "You are free to tell me all that you are going through and all that is going on. If you don''t tell me who will you tell?"

    "I will tell you everything at the right time."

    "Hmmm. I will wait until you are ready but you also have to let me in. and don''t forget that you need to apologize harderter for making me fall," she reminded him.

    "I will apologize with anything you want," he promised her with a soft whisper in her ear.

    "And don''t ever hurt yourself. If you want anyone to remind you of anything, you can tell and I will do it well, okay?" she asked rubbing his bare arm.

    "Sure. Always remind me that there are a lot of things that are ours and that I must not forget to get them all," he told her quietly.

    "I will remind you. You also owe me an exnation. I will patiently wait for it," she promised him.

    As Steve closed his eyes to sleep, his mind went to how he was ruthlessly abandoned in the orphanage home by his parents along with a little girl.

 Chapter 191 - Back To The Palace

    As Steve closed his eyes to sleep, his mind went to how he was ruthlessly abandoned in the orphanage home by his parents along with a little girl.

    He turned and looked at the little girl who he was left with who had grown to be a budding beautiful woman. Anna opened her eyes and met his ck eyes which was very much identical to hers.

    "You need to rest," she told him with concern.

    "Hmm," he hummed and closed his eyes with a sigh.

    ***

    Rose remained calm despite the familiar storm of very strong emotions brewing on her mind as she stared at her stepmother dressed as a queen with so much elegance and pride when she was clearly in a position that wasn''t hers.

    She was in a position she most likely stole from her mother. She looked at her suspiciously. A lot of people benefited from her mother''s death but from among them all, the Queen benefited the most.

    She was definitely a suspect.

    The troublesome but important banquet and other legal and ceremonial rituals for her return was over and what she needed most at this point was rest not the fake smile of a woman who clearly loathed her for taking the position of her son which was once hers.

    "You . . .," the Queen began with a soft singsong voice and a smile Rose wanted to wipe off.

    "I am tired and I need to rest," Rose immediately interrupted her with a calm unreadable expression. She showed neither like nor dislike.

    "Oh . . . Take her to her room," The Queen ordered her secretary.

    "No, I want to go to my mother''s room. I heard that it was left unused," Rose immediately told her with a nk expression.

    "Oh . . .the king . . ." the queen began nervously. She hated the feeling of tension she felt under Rose''s gaze.

    "Let her go to the room. You can take her to her room afterwards," the king immediately ordered from behind.

    The secretary of the queen took the king''s order and led the Princess Rosaline to her mother''s room.

    As Rose walked down the hallway, she found herself traveling back to the past. The whole ce was the same nothing changed except her mother''s absence.

    The patterns on the walls remained the same, the marble on the floor haven''t changed either and the vaulted ceiling of the grand hallway was still high above and brightened by the luxurious lighting system.

    When they finally arrived at the door of her mother''s room, the secretary opened the door with a key she held in a gold chain. She remembered seeing her father pass the key to the Queen''s secretary before they left.

    "Can I have the key?" She asked the secretary at the door when she pushed the door open for her.

    The secretary, a woman in a herte fifties with a tall build dressed in a navy blue suit pants and zer nced at Rose''s out stretched hand with her eyes eyes holding enough disdain to show that she wished Rose was not back in the pce.

    "I want the keys. I will give it to my father, the king when I am done here," Rose ordered her calmly but with an obvious hint of supremacy in her tone.

    The woman who she clearly recognize red at Rose''s palm not boldly but with her head bowed as she reluctantly ced the key on her palm.

    "You can leave. I want sometime alone here," Rose told her as she walked into the chamber closing the door behind her without waiting for the secretary to respond.

    As Rose stepped into the room that was once where she stayed over night asionally as a child so she could share the room on the bed with her mother and father on either side.

    It was happy then. There was joy and love shared among the Royal family of three. The room was still the same.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She could almost see her mother sitting on the dressing in the dressing room with herb running through her long brown hair without the help of her assistant.

    Her mother likes to do things on her own at times without the help of anyone. It was something she found confusing because there were a lot of people who dedicated their lives to serving the Royal family.

    Her mother was very with state duties that she had little or no time for herself but whenever she has timez she liked to sit her daughter down and style her hair.

    It was always a simple hairstyle, mostly a ponytail or a bun. She subconsciously touched her hair as she fixed her gaze on the dressing table.

    The room was still the same. It''s been more than a decade but the luxurious beauty of the room did not diminish at all. The gold, cream and white still shone neatly not aging at all. It was just like her mother just walked out of the room.

    "Mum, I am back," she said smiling sadly as she walked from the living area to the room. She wondered why her father kept the room neat despite the fact that it was locked.

    There were a lot of rooms in the pce but there was still a high possibility of this room getting used. This pce was built rapidly after her mother got married to her father.

    The pce in Star city was just asrge as this but slightly modernized and the pce in A city for the Northern kingdom was smaller. Her paternal grandfather and her maternal grandfather both sponsored the building of this present pce as a wedding gift to her parents.

    Her grandfather, the king then of the southern kingdom was notably wealthier than the king of the northern kingdom since the southern kingdom have always been wealthier than the northern kingdom, her grandfather spent more on the construction of the pce and he was the reason the pce waspleted when she was given birth to.

    She was only two years old when her grandfather died and her mother was crowned Queen with her father supporting her mother''s reign as the king.

    From what Liam told her, the southern kingdom experienced a rapid downward fall in their economy shortly before and after her mother died leading to everyone letting her father rule solely as king.

    They dropped the southern reign and let the northern kingdom take over fully but she was back as her father''s daughter as well as her mother''s daughter to take her ce as the heir.

    She sat on the soft feather bed she once shared with her parents and rubbed her palm on the smooth patterned surface of the beddings and sighed.

    "I am here. I will clear your name and take the throne back and return the glory of the southern kingdom," she whispered softly as she slowlyid on the bed with her head resting on the pillow.

    She was not sure when she fell asleep but soon she drifted off.

    ***

    The vibration of her phone made her slowly and sluggishly open her eyes. She moaned softly as she reached for her purse where her phone was and pulled it out.

    The caller''s ID immediately told her it was Liam. She wanted to pick the call immediately. The fact was that right from the moment she drove in through the gates of the pce, she felt so alone.

    All she saw was either the mocking disdainful gazes of the nobles and members of the Royal council. She did not recognise all the faces that wore fake smiles. She was away from all her friends and the sister she loved and cared for hated her guts now.

    The call she was getting from Liam was a wonderful calming pill. She could not exin the feeling she felt from seeing his name on the screen of her phone.

    It was a sign that someone was there for her. She found herself staring at the screen for so long until the call got missed. She sighed but she did not call him back.

    She waited patiently because she knew very well that he was going to call her back. Sheid her head once again on the pillow and stared at the ceiling of the room. It was painted by the most famous painter in the kingdom.

    It showed a story if her mother as goddess from her childhood until she became a Queen. It was beautiful. She always wanted one and her father promised her that he will before turns sixteen and that she had to do a lot of great things in life in order to have a great story drawn for her.

    Her phone rang once again. She picked it up and picked it call after a few seconds in order not to sound desperately in need ofpanionship.

    "Hello," she heard his deep musical voice speak to her from the other end.. She closed her eyes enjoying the after effects of that divine sound.

 Chapter 192 - Dinner

    "Hello," she replied him softly as she rolled andid on her side.

    "How was the ceremony?" He asked her concerned.

    "It was fine. I will be busy from now onward with my duties as a princess and my preparation for school. I won''t be able to start tomorrow but I will be avable soon," she narrated to him.

    "Ok. So, how do you find life in the pce?"

    "I don''t know. I have only spent a few hours in here. I will get to know by and by," she replied sincerely.

    "You don''t sound too good. Are you okay?"

    "I am fine. I just woke up from a short nap. Today has been a little hectic and the days ahead won''t be easy too but I am ready," she told him confidently.

    "I am here for you, okay?"

    Rose liked how it sounded but she did not want to reply him and sound like a weak and scared girl.

    "You just arrived in the pce. They will have a lot of things to teach you before you finally leave for Star city. We will meet when youe to Star city."

    "Okay."

    Here in the pce, she was all alone. She knew nobody well, she could trust nobody and she was also scared that her life was in danger too. Her stepmother will definitely not let her be after taking the position of her son.

    "You don''t have to scared, Rosaline. I have my eyes on the pce twenty-four hours of everyday. No harm wille to you under my watch, okay? They won''t dare hurt you in the pce. Where you will need protect is when going out."

    "I am not scared, I am fine. I will get used to this ce soon," she told offended by the way he spoke to her as though she was in a dangerous situation that needed his rescue. "I have to be here," she whispered under her breath.

    "I am sure you will," he told her in total believe.

    "I prepared your wedding gift here in Star city. When you arrive, I will take you to see it," he informed her with a hint of excitement.

    "Ok," she replied him after clearing her throat to prevent her voice from sounding excited after she contacted his easily transferred excitement.

    The two of them remained silent for the next few minutes. It was a simple silence without tension. Their minds was clear of all thoughts as they just enjoyed each other''spany even if they had nothing to say to themselves for that moment.

    Liam wished she was there with him physically and he could wrap his hands around her waist and enjoy the warmth she will give his chest from her back and kiss her neck. "I miss you," he suddenly broke the long silence his voice sounding husky in a sexy way.

    Her heart raced fast with the words spoken with such voice. She slowed the lump that formed in her throat and closed her eyes. She knew nothing to say at that point that won''t make her sound just the way she doesn''t want to ¨C a girl hungry for love.

    "The house feels toorge and quiet without you, so, I moved to my apartment in the city," he narrated to her. I don''t sleep well in the city because the air isn''t clean enough for me but I can''t stay at home anymore. I just miss you so much."

    She had no idea why the rate of her heartbeat seemed to further elerate due to hisin that her brain felt too frozen to find a suitable reply. She was bothered by his baselessin of how the air in the city was not clean for him.

    "When you return to Star city, let us spend sometime together, okay?" he asked softly.

    She remembered how his breath always brushed against her ear whenever he speaks this way close to her. She shivered from the feeling but she had no understanding as to why she felt that way.

    "You should take care of yourself, bye then," he said with a disappointed that he was trying hard to hide from her. It was his fault for expecting more than he deserved from her and not her fault for not replying with those fours words he hoped to hear from her, ''I miss you too''.

    "Wait!" she blurted out knowing he was about to hang up. She felt reluctant to end the call.

    "Hmm?" Expectations brewing in his heart as he listened to hear her tell him what she had to say.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I . . . I want you to help me find somebody," she immediately replied him although a little hesitant since she was not sure if the person really existed.

    "Who do you want to find?" he asked after throwing his expection off the window of his mind.

    "I want to find a boy. My mother said a boy warned her about something. I am still wondering if it was an actual human or she was seeing things before her death."

    "It is a human, an actual human being," Liam replied confident of his answer.

    "Then help me find that boy. I want to know how the boy knew what was going to happen to us, although I am not sure how you are confident that she was not seeing things," she told him.

    "Okay, I will find the boy."

    Knowing that he was unwilling to let her know how he knew, she decided to ignore it. "Well, thanks then," she told him and hung up without warning.

    Liam gazed at the screen of his smartphone and he shook his head with a smile. It was obvious that she was angry with him for not telling her how he knew but he was only waiting for the right time which isn''t now or on the phone. If he ever tells her, he wants to tell her when they meet.

    Rose scoffed as she sat on her bed. With him having so many secrets, how did he expect her to trust him?

    She shook her head and stood up. She stretched and yawned before she heard a soft careful knock on the door. It must be a staff. She nced down at her dress that she did not bother to change before taking a nap and tried to straighten it out.

    After a few seconds, the knock was repeated and she invited the person in.

    It was a youngdy perhaps in her mid-twenties with a pair of beautiful blue eyes and a blonde hair styled to make a bun. Thedy smiled at her as soon as their eyes met before thedy dropped her gaze.

    "My name is Mathilda Andrew and I am your assigned assistant. I would have introduced myself earlier but you needed rest. It is dinner time and the Royal family awaits your presence," thedy, Mathilda informed her.

    Now, she has been assigned an assistant. "Who assigned you?" She was forced to asked as she looked at thedy suspiciously.

    "The king," she replied still keeping her gaze down. "I will take you to your room right away so you could change and arrive before the king does."

    Hearing that, Rose picked up her purse. Thedy immediately led her to her room. That ce was once her chamber. She was young then and liked to spend time in the Queen''s chamber despite the fact that her mother was busy most of the time.

    Her room had been remodelled and it was designed to her taste. Who ever did it, did a great job. She looked up to the ceiling and it still had the painting of a rose field with different colours. Her grandfather was the brain behind this too. She smiled.

    This room was approximately two timesrger than her room in the Whitfred''s mansion. It was spacious and nice. Growing up, she used to hate staying here alone because it felt toorge although her mother''s room wasrger but it never felt too big.

    Her new assistant opened the door of the closet and made a gesture for her to follow which she did. As a talented fashion designer, Rose does not get easily amazed by dresses and she could easily tell a well designed cloth from one that isn''t.

    Staring around at the clothes in the closet, she knew that they were all designed by someone of great talent. She was not sure if the person was popr but the person did an awesome job of making the clothes look very elegant and beautiful.

    "Do you know who designed the dresses?" she was forced to ask.

    "Yes, the Queen''s designer designed them all. It was the king''s order. Some were designed recently but the others are her limited edition designs."

    "You seem to know much about the clothes," Rose said without any underlying meaning.

    "Oh . . . I was assigned to arrange the clothes along with two of my colleagues," thedy replied sincerely.

    Rose simply smiled as she walked to a cream off-shoulder gown and removed it. She passed it to assistant and went in search of a shoe to go along with it.

    "What about the shoes?" She was very much willing to take her time.. Those at the table will have to be patient with her.

 Chapter 193 - A Threat?

    As soon as she stepped into the dining room she was weed by the gaze of those who had been impatiently waiting for her and the king at the table for more than five minutes.

    A couple of minutes after she sat down to eat her meal, her father walked in and she was not aware of how it all started but she was supposed to stand up but she remained seated as she watched her step-siblings stand up and her father sat down. When he was confortable and gave them a nod, they all sat down too.

    "My sincere apologies, I am not aware of that tradition. That tradition never existed when I was here as a princess with my mother as Queen," Rose apologize to her father with a slight bow of her head.

    "It is okay, you don''t need to do it. It is all because of formality," her father epted her apology with a broad smile lifting the corners of his lips.

    "Oh, I see. Family''s familiarity," Rose said with an obvious hint of sarcasm as she looked at the Queen who wasfortably seated on the very seat her mother once sat on.

    "Important formalities," her step brother who she has been trying to ignore his existence along with that of his sister suddenlymented on what she said.

    Rose slowly raised her cold gaze from the dish before her which had almost frozen under her gaze and fixed that gaze on her step brother who she almost regarded as insignificant. "Who are you?" she found herself asking no matter how hard she tried to bite back those words.

    The Queen could not hold back her gasp. "You . . ." she began clearly agitated.

    "I saw you at the banquet but you clearly did not get introduced to me," she told him with a serious expression.

    "I . . ." the boy''s face immediately turned red. It seems all the years of training on how to keep his emotions under check failed him at the end of the day. He clearly hated her guts since she came to take the position of the heir he has always had.

    "He is Prince Peter, your half-brother," her father introduced calmly in aposed manner that Rose could not help but admire. "She is Princess Sharon, your half-sister. You three should try to get along with each other."

    "You two are quite good-looking," she said with a fake smile. She was trying really hard to keep her emotions under strict control. She was in the pce but that does not mean she should act hostile to the recements.

    "Thanks," she heard the soft of voice of her stepsister appreciate her for thepliment in an elegant manner that had her praising the young girl on her mind.

    "No need for the formalities, I could not help but admire your appearances after all you resemble the king," she immediately added as she picked her cutleries and began eating.

    It was the Queen''s turn for her face to get all red and angry.

    Rose scolded herself really hard for talking in such petty manner. She should at least try not to act immature. She bit back all the other sarcastic words that tried escaping as swallowed them down with her food.

    "The ball on Friday . . ." her father began saying before he began eating his meal. Getting the attention of all those at the table, her continued, "You should all get ready for it."

    They all agreed except Rose who continued eating her food in slow elegant movements. She was elegant enough for a daughter of a wealthy family but she knew she had shortings whenpared to a member of the Royal so she decided to try her best to do the right thing in the most elegant manner.

    "I heard the princess will be able to pick a fianc¨¦ from the ball. Have you ever attended a ball?" her stepbrother asked her mockingly.

    She ignored him making him more worthless than a mosquito disturbing you which you will use something to blow off your face or ear. She continued eating her meal.

    No one spoke again during the meal. When the meal was over, the king invited her to his study. She followed him as requested.

    "How do you find your new assistant?" he asked her as he sat down behind his huge brown polished wood desk which was ced in front of a bay window.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Good? She seems nice. Thanks," she replied respectfully.

    "I know you might not like your step-siblings it is normal because after all they were living in a life of luxury while you were out in the middle of nowhere struggling to live but that should not make you speak to them in such manner.

    "If you do, it will only make you look petty and immature and that is not a good image for the future Queen to have. They might get annoying but try to get along with them no matter how much you hate them or how much they taunt you.

    "Protecting your image is equal to protecting your position as Princess. The moment your mother''s reputation got ruined, that was the moment she lost the support of the people. You can seat down if your legs ache," he offered her a seat only after he was done scolding her along with giving her a few advices.

    "No, I am okay. I am sorry for the way I spoke during dinner. It was a wrong thing for me to do," she apologized sincerely.

    "Your mother had faith in you, that''s why she told you to remain in the pce. Don''t make any mistake and watch your actions too."

    "I will. Thanks," she appreciated. Hearing such advice from her father, she felt convinced that he cared for her deeply and wanted her to get the throne at the end.

    It was weird because she could not find a reason why he will want to do such a thing since she clearly took away his son''s position from him but that did not matter much to her as her mind was filled mostly with how he was worried about her.

    "About the ball, is it necessary?" she had to ask. She was not totally ready for the bombarded schedule she had for the few days of the week.

    "Yes it is. It is to introduce to the noble society. I invited your ex-family," her father replied as he pulled out a book from his drawer and wrote something she could not read from where she stood on it.

    "You shouldn''t have bothered," she told his seriously. She knows fully well that he was aware of what happened to her in the Whitfred''s mansion, why then did he invite them?

    "I wanted to show them how you are living now and you did not deserve the treatment they gave you and one day you were going to rule over them," her father informed her.

    She found his reason usible but also not too usible because she has no intention of intimidating them with her present status because after all they were rich not powerless themselves and she did not hate them. "There is no need for that," she told him seriously.

    "I have invited them already. You can also get to meet a few young men during the party and get someone who will earn you a few points."

    "You know I can''t, considering my present status," she said showing him the rings she wore on her index finger instead of her ring finger to prevent it from getting too much attention.

    "You will have to. As time goes on, you will have to have one even if it is just for show off. Or should I talk someone into it?"

    "No. No one else should know. I will take care of things like that. I don''t really need much as far as I get to keep my position as the heir," she informed him.

    Her father stood up and walked to her with a frown. He stood very close to her with a sad look in his eyes along with pity. "I know you don''t love him and it is a marriage contract. What if I find someone who is strong enough to fight you off his hand?" he whispered to her in a manner that no one else will hear.

    "No, I am fine," she said stepping back. "It might be what it is but I am willing to stay with forever. I love him," she whispered strongly. "Besides, he is someone I can trust."

    "Trust builds up slowly. If you want someone you can learn to trust, you will find him during the ball and he will be the ticket to you being a Queen without a war from northern kingdom."

    "Are you threatening me with an impending war?" she frowned as shepletely stepped away from him.. The shock and disappointment in her eyes were obvious.

 Chapter 194 - You Dont Belong

    "Are you threatening me with an impending war?" she frowned as shepletely stepped away from him. The shock and disappointment in her eyes were obvious.

    "No, it''s not a threat. It''s a warning. You might be able to have the position as the heir now but it will be hard for the northerners to ept you without a solid prove that you arepletely on their side.

    "They will never want to be rules by two Southerners at the same time. That is how it works. It will definitely lead to a serious uproar and I might not be alive to protect you," her father informed her solemnly.

    She smiled warmly appreciating his concern sincerely. "I will think about it. If I find someone good enough at the ball, I will consider changing my mind. Someone with power, influence and shares the same interest with me," she replied him truthfully.

    She will have to do a lot of thinking. If she breaks her deal with Liam, she will be forced to pay the penalty which will mean putting a stop to all her ns. She might also lose her throne or her rule over the north.

    "I might also consider giving up on the north of if need be. That is if I don''t find someone suitable," she informed him firmly.

    "You should not think of doing that at all. You must not think of dividing the kingdoms, you must not talk about it either. You must not!" Her father stepped back to his table enraged.

    "Why? After all we were independent before you married my mother. We might as well go back to the way things were in the past," she told him as she walked to the ck leather seat in front of his desk and sat down knowing it might actually be a long discussion.

    Her father also went to his seat and sat down watching her unhappily.

    "My grandfather wanted you to marry my mother into her royal family and not the other way around. You know more than I do that this was the reason my grandfather was against your marriage and I heard about the prenuptial agreement you signed before getting married to my mother. I think if northerners are against it then we might have to use the signed agreement."

    Her father was very shocked by the words his daughter was letting out of her lips. He never knew that anyone outside knew about the prenuptial agreement. His expression ckened immediately. "How do you know about it?"

    "My grandfather left a copy with the Hart''s family remember that they are loyal to the southern royal family," she replied him easily.

    "Why . . .why did he . . ." her father was clearly very confused by all he was hearing.

    "As much as the northerners are against the union of the two kingdoms, the Southerners are also against it and they are willing to give me enough evidence to make a peaceful division."

    "You are mistaken. One of the vital thing they did not tell you is that there can never be a peaceful division. It will lead to war and you know what war leads to," the king informed her sternly. "You should really not rte with such people," he added a warning.

    "That depends solely on the response I get from the northerners. If they are still against me, I will only conclude that they don''t want to be a part of the southern kingdom and call for a division."

    "Are you threatening the north?" it was her father''s turn to feel threatened.

    "No, I am not. I am only warning them not to get too uncontroble just like they acted after my grandfather''s death. If a marriage can unite two kingdoms, it might as well take another marriage to divide it," she said calmly.

    "You should not act unruly either or you won''t even be able to persuade the Southerners," her father warned her.

    "I know that very well, father. I also know that with your support, everybody will get what they want and we can have peace. I will also listen to your advise. About the ball, I will try to look pretty enough to get a handsome, powerful man."

    "You have my support," the king said calmly. As far as she was willing to try some other man, his heart was slightly settled. Thest thing he wanted and many others from the northern kingdom was to have a descendant of the Hart family rule over them.

    With a smile and a slight bow, she stood up and walked out of the study without waiting for him to dismiss her. She had some serious stuff to discuss with Liam.

    She met her stepbrother on the hall way. He stopped her as soon as they got close. "Do you really think you cane here and think you will find a ce here after living as an orphan for decades? You don''t belong here, go back to slum you originated from and give us some breathing space."

    Rose simply stated at him as she tried to pick somethings from his facial features that resembles her dad because he seem to resemble his mother a lot making him look like an arrogant pretty boy.

    She only noticed his eyes colour which was dark but that was also his mother''s eye color. "Excuse me," when she got tired of looking at the young male version of the Queen.

    The boy scoffed very annoyed with her nonchnt attitude to him like he was an unworthypetition. "You should not think too highly of yourself. You should leave before you embarrass yourself and the Royal family with you.

    "You don''t seem to be aware of the power of the position you upy and you are not even properly trained to be the heir."

    Rose heard all he said but remained calm as she watched him fool himself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You are dumb, right? Don''t you speak?" he asked ridiculously.

    "Peter," the young princess called out to her brother when she got close to him. "Father sent for you, remember."

    Even after he turned to continue towards the king''s study, he still paused to nce at Rose.

    "Did my brother say anything wrong to you?" the princess asked with her voice soft and gentle like she was scared of startling a littlemb.

    Rose looked into the girl''s ck eyes that are just like her brother''s eyes and suddenly felt like she looked like someone she knows. She remembered how Anna looked when she woke up and how she looked into her beautiful ck eyes.

    With a slight nod of acknowledgement, she continued walking down the hallway with her assistant behind her. She changed her clothes as soon as she got to her room and sat staring at her smart phone for a while.

    She knew very well that just like her naughty step brother, a lot of people especially the nobles and other branches of the Royal family thinks that she is where she should not be.

    They will look down on her without pity and she had to get ready for all their harsh speeches although she was never going to let them hurt her. She was going to do all she can do protect her position even if it means meeting a young male northerner or stubbornly refusing not to.

    Just as she stretched her hand to pick the phone which was only an arm length away from her, the phone vibrated and from the caller''s ID disyed on the screen, she knew it was Eric.

    "Hello," she said when she picked the call.

    "Congrattions," he said immediately excitedly.

    "Thanks," she epted it immediately knowing the reason why he called.

    "I saw you on TV, you looked so graceful and beautiful," Ericplimented her.

    "Really?" she asked with a smile.

    "Yes," he replied as though he could see her smiling in front of him. "You always do."

    "Thank you," she epted hispliment naturally.

    "How have these few hours been?"

    "Little argument with my father and that''s all. How is your mum now?"

    "A lot better. She seems to have travelled to the past and have be a youth once again. She was so happy to see you on TV. She wants to speak to you."

    "I am happy for you," Eric''s mum told her warmly from the other end. "I hope you are doing fine and the ceremony was not hectic."

    "To be Frank, it was. I only survived it, luckily. I will restter so I will be strong enough to go on with theing ones," she repliedzily. "How is your health?"

    "I feel very good. I will visit you when I can," Eric''s mum told her.

    "No, don''t bother. I will visit you when Ie back to Star city. I wille back soon."

    "Ok. Watch what you eat. Remember your health needs to be nurtured properly. Don''t stress yourself much. Your sleep is important . . ."

    "I am really okay. I don''t know why but I feel like that advise was meant for the two of us," Rose joked.

    Eric''s mumughed heartily. "You are a funny girl. Take care of yourself.. Bye then since you don''t want a few more nagging."

 Chapter 195 - Her Ex-Family

    She was not sure how it happened but she actually got sorrounded by everyone she knew beforeing to the pce during the ball.

    Eric arrived first, she actually told her father she wanted him to be present with the fact that Eric''s mum saved his life and Eric was her best friend.

    Eric was so amazed to see Rose with her true identity known to the world. She was not used to things like that and her father was the host of the party but she was the celebrant.

    She wore a champagne colored gown that the queen designer had them deliver to her that morning along with a hilled sandals.

    She smiled at him when he gave her a slight bow of his head. "There is no need for that," she said when she allowed him to take her hand in his and kissed it.

    "You look beautiful," he said raising his head and looked into her hazel eyes with a small smile.

    She allowed a slight shade of pink to appear on her cheeks as she returned his smile. "Thanks you also look into her new home good," she told him sincerely. "I guess you made it yourself."

    "Yes, I did. It is not as good as I hoped it will be," Ericined looking down at his zer.

    "It looks better than any other here," she told him sincerely. The blue zer was ssical and very befitting for a Royal from the direct line of the Royal family.

    Ericughed as he moved his gaze to the door where a handsome young man in a simple but well designed tuxedo walked in through. He had an arrogant smile on his lips as soon as he noticed he had gotten the attention of those present in therge hall.

    He was very handsome and stylish in a simple yet proud manner that Eric found himself admiring. The boy also surprisingly looked familiar.

    Rose followed his line of sight when she noticed something caught his attention at the door and a some other girls were staring at the door. When her eyes met Carl''s searching eyes, she smiled at him.

    "Hello, your royal Highness," he said with his usual yful smile lifting the corners of his lips. "Your beauty is blinding," he added as he reached for her hand and kissed the back of her palm.

    Rose found herself forgetting her resolution in Carl''s presence. "Thank you," she said smiling due to his contagious smile.

    "Don''t bother, I was only saying the truth."

    Eric nced at the boy and back at Rose confused. He knew all Rose''s friends which wasn''t much to begin with. He could not help but wonder who the person was seeing how freely Rose spoke to him.

    With the young man now standing closer, he noticed that the boy was actually a lot younger than he looked from a far and he definitely had a welltoned body beneath the shirt and tuxedo.

    "Who is this handsome male god?" Carl could not help but ask when he met the beautiful eyes of the man standing beside Rose.

    "He is Eric, he is my friend," Rose replied naturally.

    "Simple friend?" The suspicion in Carl''s eyes was not hard to miss.

    "Yes, simple friend," Eric snapped annoyed that that the young man was bold enough to ask such question. He clearly remember the warning his mother gave him about how Rose was now married to her boss and it was best that he does not make her boss suspicious of anything.

    "Oh . . . Easy. You''ve got a fierce guy here," Carl said with his yful smile not leaving his lips. "You look familiar."

    "He is your doctor''s son," Rose gave him answer to what he was confused about.

    "Really? No wonder you looked so much like my beautiful doctor. Thest time I called her, she said she was ill. How is she now?" The sincere concern in Carl''s eyes was not hard to notice.

    "She is okay now. She will return to work very soon."

    "She is like a mother to me. Make sure you take care of her," Carl ordered Eric with a slight pat on his shoulder.

    "Who are you?" Eric asked unhappy that he heard to listen to them say a lot about him and he knew nothing. He nced at his shoulder still feeling a lingering feeling of Carl''s touch.

    "My name is Carl. I am the princess''s cousin literally meaning I am also a noble. I am also a member of the Royal council at my young age," Carl replied without trying to be humble as he made sure to sound as proud as he could.

    Rose was surprised by that sudden revtion. "When did that happen?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I got call with the news yesterday. I will officially begin on Monday."

    "We have a lot to discuss when I return to Star city," Rose told him seriously. She wondered what evil he did to get his position.

    "Don''t worry, your highness. I did not kill anybody," Carl leaned forward and whispered.

    "I hope so," she said seriously.

    "Loosen up. This is your pce," he whispered before standing away from her.

    Her frown disappeared and she smiled at him before nodding. s, she was not alone. She had people around. She could not trust them well now but they had potentials and personal desires that she could satisfy to have them on her side for as long as they are needed.

    "Let us get to know each other more," Carl told Eric as he wrapped his hand around Eric''s wrist and pulled him away from the princess in a firm but gentle manner when he noticed some people around wanted to talk to the princess.

    Eric looked back at Rose pleadingly but Rose''s attention was on the people who were trying to get on her good side. She might not be liked much but she was still the heir and nothing could change that, at least not yet.

    "I know you think she can''t handle it but trust her and she looks beautiful everyday so you can stare at her when you meet her in Star city."

    Eric could not keep listening as he wriggled his wrist and frowned. "I will go and make some new friends."

    "Are you implying that you can''t make friends with me? I don''t know why you hate me but I am a nice guy."

    "I don''t care," Eric said as he got a ss of wine and sat close to the wall and took a sip of the drink.

    Carl smiled and mimicked Eric''s action. He was now sitting beside Eric only taking a sip after Eric does and in the manner with which he did.

    Soon, a few girls came over to talk to Carl it seems that the news had gone around that he was a new member of the Royal council, that meant wealth and connection.

    There was a girl who tried to talk to Eric but Eric told the girl directly that he liked someone else.

    When they left, Carl leaned towards Eric with his usual yful smile. "You should not like her for too long. She is married," Carl whispered to his new friend.

    "Who are you talking about?" Eric asked feigning ignorance.

    "You can''t be anymore obvious. It''s shows even in the way you looked at her when you told that girl that you liked someone else. I won''t be surprised if the girl already has an idea."

    Eric was shocked that the guy knew about Rose''s new marrital status. His mother told him it was supposed to be a secret.

    "I know because the princess is my cousin, okay? Her husband is feared by everyone and he is so wealthy that the king has to show him some respect. Your mother also works for him," Carl told Eric.

    "Why are you telling me this?" Eric asked pissed off.

    "You should not fall for the wife of your mother''s boss. Liam might be nice to Rose but he is a very dangerous man. He will kill any one who tries to touch what''s his," Carl warned him seriously.

    Eric stood up feeling ufortable listening to Carl. "I have no such feelings towards her. She is just a friend. Make sure you also keep your mouth shut about her marriage?" Eric warned Carl with thest word said in an angry whisper.

    Carl chuckled softly and stood up too. "I will go to the restroom. You and I have some serious discussion to carry out that concerns the three of us." He nced at Rose with that statement.

    Eric was curious although he suspected that Carl was joking despite the serious expression he wore. "What discussion?"

    "A serious discussion," he left that answer as he left.

    Rose raised her head just in time to see her ex-family walk in. Anna was dressed in one of the dresses she designed for her which was both elegant and wild.. With her ex-family came her sister''s boy friend who was the reason she had to leave that family.

 Chapter 196 - The Stranger

    Justin faced with his ex-foster daughter who turned out to be his cousin''s daughter did not know what to do or say.

    He looked at his wife who smiled at him with a slight nod trying to tell him that he did nothing wrong and he has no reason to feel guilty.

    Valerie had had her fill of crying behind the locked doors of her workroom when she discovered that Rose was her favorite cousin''s daughter.

    She felt more guilty than Justin will ever feel after all his father was not directly rted to the king but he was an adopted child of the Whitfred family.

    She was close to her cousin and used to adore her before things went wrong. She remembered the familiarity she felt towards Rose when she saw her for the first time.

    Then it was only a mixture ofplicated emotions that she could notprehend but now she understands why she felt that way.

    Even after almost crying herself dry, she could not help but feel teary again when she saw how beautiful Rose looked.

    Rose looked so much like her cousin. She could still remember how beautiful her cousin looked when they were young.

    She never seized to get the attention of everyone on her because of her beauty and status of the heir to the throne of the northern kingdom.

    Anna reached for her mother''s hand and pat her gently. When Valerie raised her head and met her daughter''s gaze, she smiled encouragingly.

    Justin wanted Rose to value the opportunity he gave her to have the Whitfred''s family name and return on her knees to beg for forgiveness when she life gets really hard by the reality of the mistake she made by agreeing to leave his family without an apology.

    Rose did not apologize rather he will have to apologise. He could not help but remember the meeting he had with Rose''s father, the king. He really was the one to apologise now.

    After greeting the king and the Queen, he went with family to congratte their ex-family member. The one they refused to believe even when she cried and tried to persuade them that she did not do it.

    Anna shifted nervously as she looked at her sister. She used to like Rose a lot but now she was not sure of the feeling she felt staring at her sister. She was not sure if it was guilt, shame, or jealousy.

    Rose smiled at them when they walked up to her. She could see her father staring at her waiting to see her reaction. She moved her gaze from him to the family before her.

    "Your Royal Highness. Congrattions," It was Valerie who spoke.

    "Thank you and thanks for everything you''ve done for me so far," Rose appreciated sincerely. She was taken care of well by them as a girl who wasn''t their daughter and came into their familyte.

    "There is no need for that since we are family," Valerie said with a sad smile. "We are sorry."

    "No . . . No, it''s okay. I really did not send the video but whoever did it wanted me out of your family and the person seeded," her gaze went to the young man beside Anna and back to Valerie when she met his gaze.

    "Do you know who did it?" Justin was forced to ask. He really did not believe herpletely but he knew there was a high possibility that she was saying the truth.

    All the evidences pointed at Rose but he could note up with what her motive could be. He only hated her arrogance when they used her but now he knew why she was arrogant.

    His father had to crawl almost all his life to the Whitfred family because he was a total orphan and because even if he knew his family, they might just be a bunch of nobodies.

    Rose did not ept such treatment because she knew her family and they way ahead of them in both wealth and status.

    "Who did it does not really matter now, does it?" Rose asked smiling sadly. "I hope you have a lot of fun here, today."

    "Rose . . ." Valerie began her voice hoarse with fear and concernced in it.

    Rose paused at she met the gaze of the woman before her. She felt a slight tightness in her throat as she looked at the face of the woman who looked so much like her mother.

    This picture was just so sad. She turned away from it feeling very ufortable. Her mother should have been here with a loving look in her clear bright eyes.

    When she felt her eyes sting, she suddenly felt and urgent need to leave the ce or she might really cry and that was thest thing she wanted to do when she tried her best to harden her heart so she could survive in the pce.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Anna was not sure she saw Rose eyes get teary since her mind was clouded with how she found Rose''s behavior to her mother rude.

    "Excuse me," Rose really could not stand it anymore as she gripped her skirt and lifted it ever so slightly before walking out of the hall through the door the Royal family alone was to use.

    "Rude bitch," Anna hissed with her fist clenched. "Even if things are not good between us now, she should never forget how we ate and slept together. So rude," Annamented in a whisper as she watched Rose''s departing back.

    "Shhh," her mother immediately stopped her as she walked to the people she knew in the party.

    This was a party not just with the secret intention of the king to find a spouse for his daughter but also party to help Rose fit into the world she has returned to.

    As a result of this, the people present were of very high status in the two kingdoms. When the king noticed Rose walking off, he pulled out his phone.

    As Rose hurried down the hallway to find the rest room and turned down a corner, she collided with a solid warm wall. She raised her head knowing that there should not be a wall there.

    She touched her forehead and stepped back when she saw the face of the wall she hit. The wall has a very handsome face.

    "You must be princess Rosaline," the wall said in a deep musical voice that had her pausing for a while.

    "Yes, and you must be?" she asked him as she nced back and could finally rx when she noticed her guards watching her steps away from them, the person will not be able to hurt her easily.

    "You don''t look okay," he voiced his observation as he bent to have a good view of her face.

    Rose pretended not to understand what he met as she gave him a questions. "Five specialists took their time to give me this look," she lied to him offended.

    "No . . . You look really gorgeous but . . . I meant your face . . . Not that it does not look very beautiful because you look really pretty but I mean yourplexion. You don''t look happy," he told her worriedly.

    "I am fine," she replied him avoiding the gaze of his ck eyes. "Now, if you will excuse me."

    "You were clearly heading somewhere else. Where were you headed?"

    "What gives you the right to ask?" she asked slowly feeling pissed off by this stranger''s act of familiarity. "You did not even bother to introduce yourself."

    "Does that matter?" He took one step after the other close to her.

    "Stay away or I will tell the guards to take you away," she ordered him as she also took a step backwards.

    "I am very familiar with everyone of them. They know I mean no harm," he told her still looking worried.

    "Stay away from me," she said as her back hit the wall, this time a real concrete wall.

    "You are crying," he observed as he reached for her face and wiped the tears off with his thumb.

    Rose moved her face away from his touch as though she got burnt by it. She was feeling like she was having some serious mental breakdown and she wanted an outlet.

    She raised her hand and mopped the tears off herself. "I need to leave," she told him when he stood like a broad pir in front of her.

    He did not only look like he worked out a lot but he also looked like he was a very skilled fighter. He did not look bulky but he sure had a well toned body tht even showed with the way his expensive tuxedo fitted him like a A-level model.

    "Princess Rosaline your attention is needed in the ballroom," she heard her assistant''s voice call from behind her.

    "I think it is time for me to excuse you," the man said as he slowly took steps backwards from her with a mischievous smile like he just found himself a new prey.

    "Actually I made that up.. I thought you needed help," her assistant told her when the man left.

 Chapter 197 - Her Dance

    "Oh," was all Rose coulde up with as she stared ahead feeling a strong desire to go back to the hall she just escaped from.

    "General Leo is known to be a very reserved person. I was shocked when I saw him cage you."

    Rose could not help but look at her assistant like thedy was having an additional head.

    "Sorry," the assistant apologized blushing in embarrassment.

    "He is a general?" Rose asked as she tried hard not to run into the hall and give the young man the p she was supposed to give him earlier.

    "Yes. He is the youngest general in history. He is not so young but he looks very young. He is the second hottest ideal husband in this kingdom."

    "Oh . . . A general without proper etiquette," Rosemented offended by what he did to her earlier, she is married for goodness sake.

    "Oh . . . He is not always like this. I have never seen him so close to a woman. He is known to be very reserved. Some say he was gay but now I know he isn''t."

    "You will never know," Rose said as she waited for the door to open so she could go into the ballroom.

    When Rose stepped to the ballroom, it was not hard for her to feel a domineering presence even more than that of the king.

    She met the gaze of Liam''s grey eyes which held no warmth as they looked at her intently.

    She felt an unpleasant chill run down her spine and the hairs on her skin stood up as she walked to her spot.

    She did not know what happened but she felt like he was angry.

    After pondering for a few seconds without being able toe up with what might have caused him to look at her that way, decided for forget about it.

    Her night was filled with a lot congrattions from people both the sincere and insincere ones.

    Being that upied, she had not time for other thoughts but when she noticed Liam was done talking to her father and now walking to her, she felt her heart beat fast.

    She maintained an elegant and confident fa?ade as she watched him look at her with so much coldness that she felt like she might get frozen.

    He was not supposed to be here in the room with her. She was not aware that he was going to be present.

    She nced at her father who was staring at Liam but soon looked at her when he felt her gaze on him.

    She moved her gaze back to Liam''s cold grey eyes and could not help but gulp.

    The feeling she felt at this point was one you will feel when you have a strong desire to run but you know fully well that there is no need to run.

    "You are stronger than this," she chanted on her mind as she watched him walk to her.

    She felt strength from her chants. A princess must be strong. She was strong or more less she had to be strong.

    He took her hand in his after greeting her with her title and bent his head to kiss it but his eyes never left hers.

    She found herself engulfed in his gaze that she could not look away.

    He closed his eyes as soon as his lips touched the back of hand. He pressed his lips and inhaled gently.

    She smelt like Rose. He inhaled again and frowned when he perceived a foreign scent.

    Like her hand burnt his lips, he pulled away and let her hand drop down.

    Rose could not understand what made him angry suddenly as she furrowed her brow.

    When his gaze hers again, she looked down at her hand where the warmth of his lips still lingered.

    "I . . . I never thought you woulde," Rose said trying not stutter obviously.

    "The king invited me," he simply replied her. "I hope you enjoy your night, I have to leave now," he told her taking a step away from her.

    "Are you okay?" she blurted out and bit her lips slightly shocked that she just asked him such a question.

    "Hmm," was his very simple answer to her question.

    "You don''t look good," she told him worriedly.

    Since she had started showing that she cared, it seems there was no way out of it to find out why he looked at her in such cold manner.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am fine. I am really busy. I will leave now. We will meet when youe to Star city," he told her in a low whisper.

    "Stay and dance with me," she suggested knowing she will be invited very soon to dance.

    "I am sorry. It won''t be good for reputation. The first person you dance with, is the person you fancy most in this hall."

    She watched him turn and left through the door. She looked down at her finger for a few seconds sulking over the rejection.

    She took a deep breath and raised her head with a fresh new feeling.

    "If Liam has a problem, it is none of my concern. We are only in a business rtionship. He actually had the guts to reject me," she encouraged herself.

    Just as he was done talking to her dad for a few minutes and he was done leaving the hallpletely, the music began.

    She looked at the well-known Royal band and slowly moved forward.

    "He really must not mind that I will be dance with someone else despite knowing what the tradition of the first dance meant."

    "Will you grace me with the opportunity to dance with you?" the General Leo said when he walked up to her.

    Without a second thought, Rose gave him an obligatory smile and allowed him to take her hand in his.

    He took her to the middle of the room. She nced around and smiled slightly when she met Eric''s gaze.

    "You must not like this party," the general observed as they began dancing with one of his hand holding hers and the other on her waist.

    It''s been years since she danced like this wirh anyone. She knew how to but she still felt a little stiff despite the hours of practices to learn.

    Thest time she danced this way with someone was when she was princess and she could remember that it was a young boy about her age.

    "Don''t you think it hical to dance with me a very handsome man and still let your mind your mind wander?" the general asked her clearly displeased.

    "I . . ." she began to stop him from dancing with her so she could leave the hall but he pulled her closer and she could feel his body against at certain ces.

    "Let the dance finish, your highness," he murmured in tone that told her he felt wronged. "You should not leave a man in the middle of a ball room."

    Rose inhaled but stopped when she could not withstand the scent of mint that came from him in a cool and rich way.

    She made and attempt to pull away but he only used that as a very attractive move and had held very close to him.

    "I told you that was rude," he whispered and he made space avable between them.

    Rose hid it all from her face as she remained calm praying impatiently that the music will stop but it seems the musicians thought they were having the time of their lives and will definitely want it to continue.

    "The king wants us together. I also want us together. I noticed you on TV when you won an award. You looked young and beautiful.

    "I was already considering looking for you in the Royal University but you turned out to be the princess.

    "You should think about that. We will be a power couple. I am member of the Royal council and also a general.

    "Don''t you think that is enough support you need to be Queen in the future. You will have my support along with my subordinates."

    "That is a good suggestion but what do you want in return?" she asked him.

    "I want you to be my woman and let me be your man," he replied in a low whisper close to her ear.

    "I like someone else," she blurted out when she felt the warmth of his breath on her.

    "I could free you from him. There is nothing he could to do to hurt you under my protection."

    "He gave me a better deal."

    "You are not only very beautiful but you are also funny, your royal Highness," the general said in a manner that made her feel like she was watching himugh.

    "That was not a joke," Rose told him seriously.

    "I can give you as much power and support you need than any bachelor will be willing to give you including the most ideal bachelor."

    Rose''s heart froze. She knew very well who that was.. She remembered the coldness in his eyes earlier and she looked up at the warmth visible in the dark eyes of the man she was dancing with.

 Chapter 198 - Loneliness

    Rose''s heart froze. She knew very well who that was. She remembered the coldness in his eyes earlier and she looked up at the warmth visible in the dark eyes of the man she was dancing with.

    When the dance was finally over and a few other young men who thought themselves qualified requested to dance with her.

    "I feel tired for her," Carl said as he watched from the side. After her first dance, the dance floor has other couples dancing on it.

    "She did not ask you to feel that way. I am sure she is doing fine," Eric said.

    "You should really have asked her to the first dance. That would have been the only means you might ever have to confess to her.

    "She has found a lot of worthy suitors and you are not even on the list," Carl told Eric without restraint.

    "I told you that I don''t have feelings for her. She is my friend and nothing more. I only wish her happiness," the Eric tried without progress to persuade Carl.

    When he got fed up with Carl''s pestering, he invited a very beautiful quiet girl to dance with him so he could escape.

    "She is obviously a friend," Carl said sarcastically as he took another ss of wine.

    He winced when he took a sip. Feeling bored since Eric had gone, he also invited a girl to dance with him.

    ***

    Rose groaned tiredly. Her body has almost reached its limit and she was in desperate need of rest.

    She called her assistant to her to room after she sat on the massage chair and let the machine do a good job of loosing up all her tensed muscles.

    "You called for me, your highness," Her assistant spoke when she got to the princess.

    "Yes I did. I am really in need of some sugary stuff. Will I be able to get ice cream? I want some chocte ice cream," Rose told her.

    "Yes, I will get it for you," the assistant epted her task and left.

    Rose looked at the fridge she had in the living area of her chamber which only had water in it and frowned. She should really have them fill it up with some sweet stuff.

    She had no idea why Liam was obviously angry with her during the party. He did not even try to celebrate with her secretly even if they were in a secret rtionship.

    She remembered the general who acted very enthusiastic about being in a rtionship with her that he saved his number on her phone when she refused to give him hers.

    Liam must not have any idea of how she could betray him and have someone else help her while making sure he gets prevented from carrying out a revenge on her.

    He might have the best bodyguardpany in the kingdom but the general should have a way to protect her from him, right?

    ***

    Liam did not contact her afterwards. She expected him to callter that day but he seemed to be giving her some distance which made her angry.

    She might have thought towards betraying him but she could not bring herself to do so especially with someone from the Northern kingdom.

    Since he did not call her first for a while, she did not bother to call him since she did not have any urgent need that might require her to throw her pride away.

    She was finally going back to Star city to resume school after weeks of intense training.

    She met with the Royal council twice and she noticed ady who she sensed hostility from although thatdy was not the only person showing their displeasure with her status as the heir but she felt thisdy''s case was a lot different, it felt personal.

    She saw Carl during the meeting and her curiosity increased. He was not even twenty but he had already be a member of the Royal council.

    He also seemed to get along with some of the members of the council despite their age difference.

    Her meetings with the council was simply for formal introduction to the members of the council.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She found out that most of the members of the council her mother told her about, were not present and neither were their heirs present.

    The council was dominated by the northerners so much that she could not help but feel intimidated in their presence but she maintained a confident and fearless countenance.

    She asked if she could stay in the dormitory but her father told her she could not because of her safety.

    Her father reminded her that there were a few people who lost a lot during her mother''s reign and they will alle after her if she is not well protected.

    She actually did not want to stay in the dormitory but she asked to find out how things were knowing that they will definitely not let her.

    Hearing her father''s reply then, she knew that things will get a lot harder for even the princess. All the anger directed towards her mother in the past will be inherited by her and will be all hers.

    Her mother was one of the most hated people in the world before her death. After the bomb attack and during the strange economic recession that at only disturbed those in the south, the hate towards her mother increased.

    Then, there was a newly developed bacteria that no one was aware of its origin got developed to add more to the people''s pain and her mother was used of everyone of them.

    She knew from the video that her mother was not involved at all. However, her mother was med for it all.

    She was going to find the trail of all the problems, find those who did it and kill them after restoring the reputation of her mother.

    They said the higher you climb, the harder you will fall and that was just what happened to her mother who was once the most celebrated person in the two kingdoms.

    She was loved and adored then. The elders of the south who were angry that she sold their Kingdom for love all came to love her after the first year of her rule.

    The glory did not evenst for two years before things went wrong. She was going to carry out a research on how everything started.

    She was going to find a way to link every event to the other and draw the part to the person or people behind it and their motive.

    Her new home in Star city was the renovated pce. When she stepped into therge pce, she felt unhappy.

    It was the old pce but everything in it was new and modernized. She could not find anything familiar in it.

    It also felt excessivelyrge and it made her feel alone. She remembered the house Liam got renovated for them and decided that she won''t mind getting found out but she could not sleep in this house alone.

    She grabbed her purse and the key of one of her cars. She told no one as she snuck out to the garage and drove out of the gates minutester.

    She needed fresh air. After driving for a while, she parked on a hill and got down from her car. She walked to the edge and inhaled.

    The wind was cold in a way that felt soothing.

    "Mum, I am back but I don''t feel happy. I know you want me to remain in the pce but it is suffocating. It is so spacious yet so tight," she murmured to the breeze that blew swirling the end of her gown.

    "I thought I will feel better here in star city but I feels harder than ever. It reminds me of you and the fact that I might never see you again."

    She sat down on the grass and cut a de of grass. She felt really tired. She tried to lock her emotions up but it seems that the more she tried, the more she got hurt.

    She felt so alone and she did not want it to continue. She was only eighteen for goodness''s sake.

    "I just started but I feel tired already. I feel so exhausted. I know this is what you want but that means I will never live a happy life, right?

    "You were happy for a while, weren''t you? There was a time you had your mother and you were happy. When your mother died, you had your father and you were still happy.

    "What did I have as your daughter if not pain and hurt every single day? I can''t trust anyone, I can''t love anyone and I must remain among the very people that I think killed you.

    "I think I will lose my mind if I go on this way. I thought I could do it. I thought it was going to be possible to live alone for vengeance but I can''t."

    She sniffed and rubbed her tears off as more rolled down her cheeks.. She began crying more but the more she cried and the more she felt mistreated by fate, the more she wanted to get revenge and the more she wanted those who caused it dead.

 Chapter 199 - Lets Meet

    It was already dark when she came to a resolution. She stood from where she sat and stared around.

    Her guards had some how found her and they had been behind watching her along with her assistant.

    "I should drive," her assistant offered as she tried not to look at the princess with the pity she felt towards the princess being obvious.

    "No, let me drive. You cane behind me," Rose said firmly although her voice was hoarse from crying.

    It was enough they watched her cry and she found out that her alone time was actually not spent alone.

    Her assistant did not argue she opened the door for Rose and closed the door when Rose wasfortably seated.

    "Oh Gosh," Rose groaned running her hand through her hair. She was tired of all the drama.

    She pressed the start button and nced at her assistant who was waiting beside her car.

    She knew that her assistant could not see her because the ss was tinted so she took her time to wipe her face off the tear stains.

    It seems from now onwards, she has more or less sold her privacy and personal space for the vengeance she wanted.

    She sat to eat her dinner when her phone rang. She knew it was Liam from the caller ID showing the name she saved it as.

    To avoid creating suspicion, she saved his number with a female name changing it from the former.

    She knew no one will easily guess who the Liam was but they will want to find out when he keeps calling her frequently.

    "Are you okay?" he asked as soon as she picked the call without giving her chance to talk.

    "I . . .," she began with her voice hoarse. She paused and brought the phone down and nced at the screen.

    She was not seeing things. He actually bothered to call after a few weeks, right? And to ask her if she was okay?

    "I am fine. If that is what you want to know," she replied angrily. So, he knows how to call.

    "Are you sure?" Liam asked surprised by the contempt he heard in her voice.

    "I am sure. I know myself better than anyone. I know I am alright? Since a certain someone decided to call me today, I won''t lie," she replied him.

    She heard Liam chuckle at the other end and frowned when she released what she just told him.

    "Hmm . . . Thanks for calling," she said and pulled back the phone from her ear to hang up.

    "Don''t hang," she heard him stop her. "Whenever you are going through anything, let me know. If you can''t tell your husband then who can you tell?"

    She pressed her lips together and looked down. They were not that type of couple

    "Believe it or not, I love you and you are my wife so I will definitely feel bad knowing that you are hurting alone.

    "You might not believe anything I say because we started on the wrong part but you can not live in this world and remain sane without having someone you could trust.

    "You can trust me or at least try to trust me, okay?"

    She did not reply as she stared down at the dishes on the table. She sighed as she reached for a ss of water.

    "Rosaline . . . I don''t have much time left," Liam murmured as he stared at a file on his desk.

    "What did you say?" Rose asked not sure of what she heard or what it meant.

    "I said we don''t have much time left. I helped you do a research. I found out a lot of clue and I can assure you that we are not far from finding who was behind everything."

    "I think it is an organization," she replied him finally.

    "I know. I have found clues. The father of Anna''s boyfriend is one of them. I am trying to trace everything through him.

    "He has been very careful not to leave any trace but I know that it is more than what they let us see. We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg," Liam informed her truthfully.

    "We will talk more when we meet. My dinner is already cold," she told him.

    "Oh. Sure," Liam agreed immediately. "Take care of yourself. We will meet when you are free enough."

    "Sure," she agreed with it. She was not sure if where they were going to meet but she was up for it.

    He had his means and she knew all she will have to do is create a time for them to meet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Liam done with the phone call raised his head and looked at the transparent bag of fluid hanging up and down to the file he nced at earlier.

    With his hand with a fixed cann and the other bare, he picked a knife and tore the file open.

    He had little or no time left on his calendar. He had beenpletely out during the past few days.

    He had to leave the party early because he feared that he might drop down anytime. He barely made it into his car when he cked out.

    It was a good thing to find out that Rose was not happy with the fact that he did not call her.

    He remembered hearing that she had her first dance with the very general he wanted dead.

    It was not a good thing for him to hear and he was trying to speed things up as fast as possible. It won''t be good for him to leave her in the hands of those people.

    He had a n to weed them all out before he can''t anymore. There was a knock on the door of his study and he invited the person in.

    Charles walking in to see his boss working so hard even with the fluid transfusion he was taking, he could not help but frown.

    They had all tried to persuade him to rest but he wanted to see to a lot of things personally.

    "The man we sent in has returned," Charles said after bowing to salute his boss. "He is undergoing treatment now. The doctor said he needs a day''s rest," Charles lied.

    He knew his boss will get rid of the cann if he tells him otherwise. It was best his boss rests for the day before he starts gathering more information.

    "Ok . . . I have somewhere to be. I want you to drive me there," Liam said as he stood up. He removed the cann fast but carefully and wore his suit.

    Charles found himself lost for words. "Boss . . ." he began to advise but stopped when his boss nced at him with his grey unique eyes cold.

    "That is all the more reason why I shouldplete this," Liam told his subordinate. He knew very well what the young man wanted to talk about.

    Charles zipped his lips close as he hurried to open the door of the study for his boss.

    As the two got downstairs, Gray gave Charles a questioning look. Seeing his friend, Charles could only smile helplessly.

    A set of guards immediately followed them out.

    ***

    Rose''s arrival in the school on first morning was as low-key as she tried to make it but seems people had ns for her that she was not aware of.

    When was weed by as swarm of reporters asking questions and taking pictures.

    She had clearly told her dad she wanted it to be quiet but it seems no one was listening.

    She felt apologetic towards the students who had their privacy invaded and she was not at all impressed by the way the school handled it.

    After her sses for that day, which she had to endure with the gazes of those angry, jealous and impressed, she went to the Chancellor''s office.

    She booked an appointment with him not wanting to directly him with her status as princess. He seemed to find out her identity and invited her into his office personally.

    "I might sound rude but I need some assistance. The schools clearly have guards who can stop those reporters froming in. Please let us do the right thing."

    ***

    She was watched from afar but no was bold enough yet toe close to her to vent their anger.

    She had her assistant do a research on the various power groups in the university and when she was done, she got no relevant information from what thedy did.

    She decided to find Liam. If anyone will know anything tangible, Liam would know.

    She called him around dinner time before she went to the dining room to eat.

    "Could youe overter this night?" she asked immediately her call got picked.

    Liam nced at his doctor who was trying to set-up a cann raised his free hand to stop him with a smile.

    "Yes. What time?"

    "Nine o''clock will be okay. I will be done with everything by then," she replied.. She knew he will somehow find his way over just like he did in B city.

 Chapter 200 - Her Visitor

    At nine o''clock, she heard a soft knock on the door of her room before the door was pushed open slowly.?

    A figure walked in and closed the door quietly behind.

    She turned off the lights of her room to reduce suspicion since she should be asleep and prevent shadows frown getting casted on the windows.

    She saw the ck figure take slow steps towards her while staring towards her. "Wee," she said when he joined her at the table.

    "Thank you, your highness," he replied as he sat down at the table.

    Smile found herself smiling but frowned when she met his gaze. The room might be dark but it was bright enough thanks to the very bright moon outside for her to see certain things.

    "How have you been?" he asked worriedly as stretched his hand towards her face and touched her cheeks in a gentle brush.

    "Fine," she replied. She held back from pulling away when she felt the coldness of his hand.

    "I am happy to know that. I thought you wereing to Star city for us?" he said as he retracted his hand and folded it on the table.

    "That is impossible. I have eyes watching me closely and besides, I am still young and we have a lot of time to spend together," she replied seriously having an idea of what he was talking about.

    "I did not tell you I want kids now, I should have the right to seek my wife''spany, right? And there is definitely no way a man can wait for too long," he said sadly.

    She found his sad tone funny, was he trying to seduce her by acting sad over this??

    She smiled slightly. She knew it was best to change topic at this point. "Why are your hands cold?"

    She had no idea why she blurted that out instead of talking about something serious especially the reason she invited him over to discuss.

    "I have been sick for a while now that''s why my hands are cold and the cold breeze outside added to it all," he replied her sincerely.

    "Oh sorry for inviting you here thiste," she apologized thinking he was lying toin.

    "No, it''s okay, at least we could have a serious discussion. From now, I might be too busy toe over so we will talk online.

    "Could you bring yourptop over?" he sounded serious making her think he was really unhappy about her invitation.

    "Yes," she said with a frown as she slowly got up. She returned with herptopter and ced it on the table in front of him.

    "I am going to ensure that yourptop can''t get hacked. I will create a firewall. Take this." He gave her a small jewelry box from the pocket of the jacket he wore.?

    "What is this?" she was forced to ask when she opened it and found nothing inside.

    "It will protect this room from getting wiretapped. If anyone tries to, I will get a signal and find the person. You must be careful," he replied her.

    She was amazed by how a small thing like this could have such important use. She wondered why she has never thought of it before.

    He pulled another two other items from his pocket and gave them to her.

    She took them to discover one of them was a fountain pen and the other was a small lipstick.

    "You can easily carry these two around. The lipstick does the same job of the box while the pen does the same job but it has other functions."

    She found herself curious of the other functions as she stared at the shape tip of the expensive looking pen.

    "It has twoyers. The first is the pen and the secondter could be used as a knife and it can release electricity. It is weapon," Liam informed her.

    He took the pen from her and uncapped it again to reveal a different pen tip. With a button pressed, she saw it create blue lights sparking.

    "It is very dangerous, you have to be careful with it. Talk to your assistant about getting a self defense teacher and I will send someone here to teach you."

    "Ok. I think I need it," she agreed immediately. If she knew how to fight well, she would have fought off that psychody.

    "Now, what was I invited here for?" Liam asked when she had sat down withfortably on the seat she stood up from opposite him.

    "Oh . . . I wanted you to tell me what you found. I want to know what progress you have made. I also have a task for you," Rose replied watching him open herptop and began typing fast on it.

    He did not ask for the password as he had already began working on theptop and she did not bother telling him.

    "All the money and businesses I got for you, what do you want to use them for?"

    "I want to open a fashion designing school. I want to bring less privilege kids from all over the world to learn and know about fashion in Star city.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will not want people to know I am behind it as it will only cause people to get suspicious in regards to the source of capital."

    "Why do you want to do such thing?" Liam knew Rose was kindhearted but he could not help but feel there was another reason behind it.

    "I am only doing a good deed, can''t I? I want to help someone. I also want to create a hide out for myself.

    "We will meet there when we want to and I will work there as a teacher to help kids you love fashion but are not able to do it because of theck of funds.

    "Whoever is recognized as the director should not have a direct connection with me."

    "Ok . . .I will find a fashion designer with the right background and use mypany''s name to fund it."

    "Ok, that is perfect. I also wanted to start a brand of my own with my friend and cousin. I will tell Carl to visit you with everything needed.

    "He will be the brain behind it while I will work with him as a fashion designer. It should be a false secret.

    "I will try to hide it but not too much so people will find out eventually in the manner I want them to."

    "I will meet with Carl next week Tuesday. Why do you want to work with him?"

    "He is one of the few people I know. He might be young and a little ruthless at times but I am fine with that.

    "If he works together with Eric as a co-owner, you can say he got the fund from you since his mother saved your life.

    "That might not be true but just for the sake of the public ears."

    "I understand."?

    "I also want to know everything about the Royal University. I asked my assistant to find out but she could not give me what I wanted.

    "I want a full detail. I want to know who and what organization holds the most power in the university. I also want to know who the Chancellor answers to."

    "After the fire, the seat of power in the university changed. You could take over that seat of power, you are the most powerful student in the school now. Should I help you?"

    "No, I will take care of it myself," she refused to ept his help. If she could not persuade a group of youngsters then that shows how helpless she is.

    "Ok, they are hostile except they dislike you. I will send information about all of them over to you tomorrow afternoon."

    "Okay, thanks."

    "I found the truth behind a few things. The child you told me about, the gold and the footage of your mum that led to the bomb."

    "Really? Could you tell me how the child knew?"?

    "That child travelled through time to save your mother''s life so it will be hard to find the child now but if you still insist, I could let him meet you."

    "That was funny. You are joking, right?"?

    "No, I am not. You asked me to find the child and I did. I will find him and n a meeting if you are still interested."

    "Who told you that when you haven''t seen him?"?

    "I have seen him. I will n a meeting if you are interested although it will a little difficult."

    "Are you serious?"

    "Yes, I am very serious."

    "What if I know what will happen tomorrow, will you believe me when I say it and tell you it is because I am a time Traveller?"

    "Yes. There will be a very heavy rain fall tomorrow. It will be best for you to be indoors two hours after dinner."

    "Oh . . . Come on, it won''t rain . . . No, it can''t rain."

    "It will and no weather forecast will be aware of it. I wille over after your dinner tomorrow."

    Rose did not believe what he said at all.. She was also not expecting rain to fall tomorrow but she knew he will most likely visit her.?

 Chapter 201 - Use Me

    Rose did not believe what he said at all. She was also not expecting rain to fall tomorrow but she knew he will most likely visit her.

    __

    _

    "Give me your phone," he stretched his hands to her and took the phone from her when she gave it to him.

    "What do you want to do?" She asked confused.

    ? "Someone installed a tracking app on your phone," leaving her question unanswered, he told her.

    "I know. My assistant installed it," Rose replied.

    "Ok." He continued tapping on the screen. After a few minutes, he gave her the phone and stood up.

    "Are you going?" She asked standing up too.

    He did not miss the sadness she was trying to hide in her voice. She might not see his face clearly but he saw her well.

    She looked sad. He walked to her and took her hands making her surprised but he was also surprised when she did not attempt to pull away from his touch.

    "There is no need bottling your feelings. I know how you feel towards me but why do you make so much effort to pretend?

    "You are not even pretending properly. You are lonely and scared. It''s okay to ept that. Your mother might have left a serious task for you but you have the right to decide how you will do it.

    "You father may or may not have betrayed your mother but that doesn''t mean I will betray you.

    "I am true to my word as far as you are. I will not ask you to trust me immediately but I will ask you to use me.

    "Use me for yourfort. It is all part of the contract if you are notfortable with doing anything with me that is not connected to the contract.

    "Use me as your personal therapist. Tell me what is bothering you. I will listen and help you with the emotional support you need.

    "It is not only about your vengeance alone but about your life. You can not live your life only for vengeance, it will be meaningless afterwards.

    "You are my wife and as your husband, it is my duty to ensure that you are okay. I will let you use me at all times so don''t forget, okay?"

    After the long speech, she found herself nodding in response. Even if it was all part of the contract she will not want him to see her weak.

    "Don''t be scared of appearing weak. Sometimes, I am going to cry on your shoulder, I am going to want to touch you.

    "That means I will show you my weakness as a man. I want you to show me yours too. I have hard times. You have hard times too.

    "Don''t you think it is only appropriate to share it since we will live the rest of our lives together?"

    She swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat with an expressionless appearance but the amount of emotions she felt at that moment but his words made her eyes sting uncontrobly.

    Liam noticed her eyes get ssy. He tightened his hold on her hands and rubbed the back of her hand slowly and assuringly with his thumb.

    A bead of tears rolled down one of her cheek. He released her hands and cupped her face in his hands. He slowly rubbed the tears away with his thumb.

    Soon more tears flowed and when Rose snapped out of the trance she went into because of the nice words he said to her, she tried to pull away.

    He released her face and hugged her tightly. "Use me now that you need someone, okay?"

    "You are so cruel. You know the right words to use," she cried as she struggled but his strong hands did not budge. "I don''t trust you."

    "That is okay. I didn''t ask you to trust me but to use me to your advantage. I will get my payment after this," he told her.

    After using up her strength to struggle, Rose gave up and rested against him with her body too weak to stand on its own.

    The strong hands embracing her and the strong chest muscles with the heart that she heard beating fast ¨C perhaps for her ¨C engulfing her, she foundfort.

    It all gave her a foreign but likable and desirable feeling of reassurance. She was really not alone and she could still revenge and be happy.

    She had nothing negative on her mind towards what she felt in his arms at that moment and she seemed to want it tost.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She left her hands that were hanging limp by her side and hugged him tightly as she listened to the music the beating of his heart made in her ear.

    When it was time for him to leave, Rose felt a strong longing for him to remain and it was only after he had gone that she could wake up from her trance.

    She slumped down to her bed and ran her hands through her hair making a decision not to let Liam talk to her the way he did or she might waiver and she won''t know what to do if she makes a major decision because of how she felt at that point.

    Liam stopped by at a small isted clinic to see a middle-aged man who was sick. As soon as the man saw him enter the room, the man stood up respectfully.

    "Don''t bother, sit down. I know you must be tired from all you had to go through. What you need now is rest," he said.

    He nced at Charles who followed him and at ss jug of water. Charles served the man the water from the jug.

    "Thank you," the man appreciated as he took the cup with shaky hands.

    The man knew Liam was never going to hurt him at this moment but he could not help but tremble visibly before his boss.

    His boss was known for his cruelty in the underground world and it will do him no good to offend him.

    He also respected the young man who built a name and an empire for himself in only a short period of time.

    "What did you find?" Liam asked as he sat down on a chair beside the bed. It seems they prepared well for him arrival by providing suchfortable chair.

    It won''t be surprising to find out they got it from the doctor''s office. The clinic was neat and well taken but for it''s purpose, it was not to be too fancy for any reason.

    "We lost people to the guards there. I alone survived. I took a video of everything that I witnessed," the man narrated with shaky voice.

    He reached into the pillow and pulled out an item. He gave it to Charles who took it and gave it to his boss.

    The item which was a small device looked like a nail cutter but it was actually a camera. It looked clean that no one will get suspicious.

    The man still wondered how his boss could make something like that. It was impossible for anyone to get suspicious of it.

    He could still not believe that the nail cutter could take videos and record audios making him unable to ess whatever was inside without Liam''s help.

    "Thank you for this," Liam said as he looked at one of his inventions.

    When he sent those men away to investigate a research institute in A city, he gave each of them cameras with different unidentifiable shapes of items with important uses.

    One of them had the shape of an eyedrop but only one out of the four researchers returned.

    "I will use this well to find those people behind it," Liam promised the man.

    The researchers might have their personal reason for going into the crazy research institute but h had a deal with them to help them avenge their family members the research institute stole from them.

    "Thank you so much," the man appreciated sincerely.

    "What will you do afterwards?"

    "I don''t know but I have always wanted to live a quiet life since my wife died. I will buy a house on an ind and make a living as a Fisherman," the man replied with a sad smile.

    "Okay. I will have them buy a house for you. You will be under protection until we are sure that you are not hunted down."

    "I don''t think that will be necessary. A ce like that where researchers and other staff die almost every day, I don''t think they will care about a missing researcher.

    "I will live quietly. I won''t be foolish to make them know where I am," the man replied truthfully.

    "You will be protected and we will make sure know no one is looking for you from the institute," Charles immediately stopped the man from refusing when he noticed Liam was not in the mood for long discussions.

    "Thank you so much," the man appreciated.

    "Thank you got this too," Liam said as he stood up. "You look lean. Try to eat enough."

    "Thank you," the man replied sounding excited over the advice he got from his boss.

 Chapter 202 - The Rain

    "Thank you," the man replied sounding excited over the advice he got from his boss.

    _

    __

    Liam held the nail cutter in his hand and stared at it wondering what sort of secret he will find in it.

    He ced it on the table where he had his tools for dismantling it to find the little memory card he ced in it.

    None of this could be found in this world. He used advanced technology to do most of his things, that way, he won''t be suspected and all his acquired information will stay with him.

    Unless he wants someone else to know or see it. The little memory card was a so small that someone will easily dismiss it''s existence in the nail cutter along with the microphone, the camera and other things.

    He opened it and he ced the memory card into the card reader he made for it and inserted it into hisputer.

    Therge screen of his underground workroom room immediately began ying a video.

    It showed how he turned the camera on and gave the man. When the main part of the video began to show after he forwarded the video, he sat down on a swivel chair in front his very advancedputer.

    His whole body tensed when one of the men he sent in got killed with multiple bullets in his chest when he got scared after entering the ce and tried to run away towards the gate.

    This was more brutal than he thought it was. He was no angel and he was not doing this to save the life of those in pain but he hated the fact that something was happening somewhere he could not gain ess to.

    He could not find about that research institute even after traveling through time over and over almost losing his life countless times.

    That institute was not a good institute in anyway. In his past, he sent a drone into the ce but it seems they made an invisible nket over the ce to prevent every type of invasion.

    He will need to find out how the man got out alive. That ce was worse than a prison. He had lost men to that institute and also almost lost his life.

    That institute was the only ce in this world he could not gain ess to and it was connected one way or the other to the Royal family and to Rose.

    He was willing to lose his men and his life to destroy the institute along with the people that set it up.

    Someone was controlling it and as far as he knew, he might actually not be the only person in this world who does not belong here at this time.

    If someone from the future arrived in A city and started the institute with the help of the Royal family and made it imprable, then he had to get ready because this will be a potential enemy to Rose.

    He watched how advanced everything was in the institute. The institute had to have someone with knowledge of the technology of the future.

    It will take further watching to guess who the boss was. He took a sip from the ss of water he had on a stool beside him and kept his eyes on the screen.

    This was a footage of months worth, it will take a while for him to watch it and also do other things he had to.

    _

    __

    Rose began rethinking the effectiveness of her decision and her mother''smand for her to return to the pce. Now this was not veryfortable.

    It was expected and very unavoidable but she wished people will get used to her presence fast and mind their own business.

    That way she might feel the joy of having a little amount of her privacy protected because right now, it seems there was none.

    She had gone through the file Liam sent to her and the revtion of all therge and small power groups made her both scared and surprised.

    The Royal University has been in existence for centuries and some of the groups are deep-rooted.

    Others were not and those that weren''t, were the new ones which she knew will hardly survive in the university.

    Those groups will seize to exist as soon as all it''s members graduate from the university.

    From the information, any group made that is not acknowledged and epted by the otherrger groups will have to seize its existence.

    The strongest among all the groups is a group of mainly nobles from star city. They were called by different names by different people.

    She continued reading about the few cults, fraternities and other secret and open societies in the school.

    _

    __

    She has not eaten in any cafeteria in the university because she did not trust that she will be okay in the cafeteria.

    As she sat to eat, the head of a minor group tired to talk to her but he could not get past the guards.

    _<novelnext></novelnext>

    __

    She got visited by Liamter that night but the moon was not up in the moon and she had fallen asleep due to the busy day she had in school and the assignment she had to do.

    Liam walked to her bed and sat down. He reached for her face and ran the back of her fingers from her forehead down to her chin.

    He bent to her and pressed his lips against hers with her chin held between his fingers. Her lips was soft and warm.

    Rose was forced to wake up due to the sudden touch of her face and her lips.

    She had been trying hard not to fall asleep when she did so she was not sleeping deeply.

    She did not hate the warm feeling of his lips on hers and she did not make any attempt to stop it despite the hesitation she felt.

    She told herself continuously as she parted her lips to give him ess, that she was his wife and he had every right.

    Liam pulled away and sat up. "So you were awake," he said as he got up from her bed gently cleaning the wetness on his lips.

    Rose swallowed. She did not expect him to stop just when she felt he was about the take it to the other level.

    "You are here," she stated the obvious after clearing her throat but her voice still came out a little hoarse.

    "Yes, I am. How was your day?"

    "Hectic. I was too busy with school work today. I was given an assignment that I had to do after dinner. I was too tired to avoid falling asleep."

    "I guess you should keep sleeping then. I will call you tomorrow," he told her in order to give her time to sleep.

    "No, what we have before us is more important than sleep," she said as she stood up.

    She walked to the living area and sat down and turning the lights on.

    Liam walked behind her in a way that he could avoid casting shadows on the window of her room.

    The curtains were down but it won''t be hard to notice his shadow from outside.

    "You should get darker colors or thicker curtains," he told her as he sat down.

    "Oh sure. The rain haven''t fallen yet," Rose said remembering the joke he made about time traveling as she sat down.

    "It will start soon. I might be forced to spend the night here, if it does because it will fall heavily," Liam replied as he pulled out his smartphone.

    "I want to know how my mother got such huge amount of gold even when there was recession and people were suffering."

    "I have contacted my father for that information but he did not tell me. The information is not stored anywhere but with him."

    "What if I talk to him about it. I could ask him to tell me where she got the gold from."

    "I will set up a meeting. You have turned me into a secret assistant who does not get paid."

    "You will get paid when you be king."

    Heughed as he tapped on the screen of his phone.

    "Your phone, I have never seen one like it," Rose suddenly voiced her observation.

    "I made it specially for myself when I took over apany. They made your phone. I wanted to make a phone that is unique. I designed it and made it myself."

    "You can make phones too? That''s cool."

    "Yes. I have information from the future."

    "Future? What do you mean?"

    "I told I am a time Traveller."

    Roseughed over his joke only to frown immediately. She nced towards the window of her bed room. It was raining.

    She got up and walked to the window. This morning, she did not forget to check the weather forecast and a rainfall was not expected at all. How is this happening then?

    It was obviously raining heavily. She gave him a questioning look as she returned to where she sat.

    "How was that possible?" she asked.

    "I told you I know the future."

 Chapter 203 - Staying Overnight

    "I think there is more to it than you are saying. If you travelled through time does that mean you are not Mr. Hart''s son?"

    "I am his biological son."

    "Then why are you young?"

    "Because I am still me."

    "You came from the future, why don''t you know the people who killed my mother?" She asked him still not believing him.

    That was a very ridiculous joke. How could hee from the future? It will save and better to say he was reborn.

    "That is something I will leave to be answered some other day," he replied with a sadplicated smile.

    "That''s because you did note from the future. Perhaps you were given a chance to make amends by the heavens," she told him seriously.

    When she was in the orphanage after her rebirth, she could predict her future.

    She knew those girls were jealous of her to the point the never wanted her to leave the orphanage.

    Looking back, she realized that she was a very beautiful and adorable girl even despite the situation she was living in and all she was made to go through.

    The kids in the orphanage knew that she was going to get adopted before them and if she doesn''t, they will have a chance to get adopted, that was why they bullied her.

    She knew all these because she knew the future.

    She knew the future when they will get into a fight and confess what happened in a fit of rage before she left the orphanage at eighteen.

    "You were reborn," she told him firmly with no room for an otherwise persuasion.

    "Uh. How do you know?" he asked baffled by her confidence.

    "I know that because I experienced it. I mean rebirth. I was reborn after getting killed."

    "Who killed you?"

    "My step mother along with her kids. She also said she killed my mother. I was killed in a warehouse."

    "No, you weren''t. You were not killed by them. Someone else killed you and that is what I came here to find out.

    "You lost your memories and simply reced it with some other memories that will remind you of your death, those who are likely to be your enemies and those you should trust."

    What sort of logic was that? She had no idea what he was talking about and since she did not believe his story about time travelling, she pushed it aside.

    "What is the future like?"

    ''I raged war against the north and killed every single being I could find. Afterwards, I began trying to find a way to bring you back,'' he thought as he watched her.

    He got up and walked to her with a sad expression. He wrapped his strong hands around her waist slowly and gently.

    He pulled her into his tight warm embrace and pressed his lips against her neck.

    Rose was not expecting any of this and her first reaction was to struggle but she finally gave up when he did not let her go.

    "What if I am the reason you are living now with the memories of the past?"

    "That''s not possible." She remembered her death and it was not one anyone could get involved with. It was definitely supernatural.

    "Yes, it is. I know it is. What if I tell you the real story behind it? What if I tell you what really happened to you?"

    She began struggling again not happy with what she was hearing. "You know nothing of my past."

    "Is your past not the reason you want vengeance?"

    "It is."

    "If I tell you all I did for you in the past that you can''t remember, will you love me?"

    "Get off me," she said as she struggled to push him off apply more strength to her hand.

    Liam finally gave up and released her when it seemed that his words were only agitating her and not helping her rx and believe him.

    "You should leave," she said suddenly.

    One of the things she will not ept is getting called by anyone is a liar. Why will she tell him she was reborn if she really was not reborn?

    "I can''t. It''s raining," he replied firmly as he sat down.

    "What do you think you are to tell me that I am lying?"

    "I am the man who made the life you are living now, possible or you would have been dead," he replied seriously.

    Rose felt a strong urge to hit him and help him snap out of his dreamy thoughts. "You are not a god."

    "I never said I was," he replied her calmly. "Is there water somewhere in this room?"

    Rose scoffed. Why did he suddenly change the topic of discussion to water after steering her emotions and feelings in such a way.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When he found the fridge in the living area, he got up and went to get water for himself.

    She knew from the beginning that no one will believe her. But somehow she didn''t like the fact that Liam did not believe her.

    Liam after drinking enough water to quench his thirst returned to her and hugged her even when she tried to avoid his touch.

    "Whatever memory you have about the past, is your memory and I respect that but my own memories of the past are also to be respected equally.

    "I hope that one day, you will be willing to listen to what I have to say when I am ready to tell you and I will also listen to yours when the timees. Is that okay?"

    Rose wished she could see his face so she could give him a satisfactory re but she still nodded.

    "I want to spend the night here with you," he suddenly told her.

    She found another reason to struggle but she gave up much earlier this time. "What about the guards? What if my assistant sees you?"

    "The won''t. We can just lock the door and send her a message that you don''t want to be bothered tillte tomorrow morning."

    "I have lectures to attend tomorrow morning."

    "I will make the lecturer unable to attend the meeting."

    "Uh?"

    "Yeah."

    "You came here to discuss something serious."

    "Yes I did. We are done with the discussion. I wille over tomorrow to continue."

    "Leave now so you could return tomorrow," she tried to persuade him to leave.

    "I will stay here. What about your closebat training?"

    "I haven''t spoken to her about it yet," he replied.

    "You should right away. The university has a lot of restrooms and you might get unlucky in one although I will try to prevent it all cost."

    "Oh . . . I will."

    She made up her mind to avoid such contacts in the future by using her learned closebat skill.

    He leaned his head down and kissed her neck. She was not of a tall build. She seemed to give him a pleasant task of bending to get to her.

    He inhaled her sweet scent that reminded him of his garden of roses just after a rainfall.

    Rose seemed to forget everything when his scent engulfed her as well as the strong arms did.

    He released her waist which he hugged from behind and turned her to face him.

    He lifted his hand to her neck where is lips just touched and rubbed it with his thumb slowly.

    Rose shivered visibly as she felt that touch send cold pleasant current to the back of her neck and running down her spine.

    He cupped her face in his hand and gently lifted her head up to meet his gaze.

    His grey eyes were filled with so much emotion that seemed to be clouded slightly by the beauty his gorgeous eyes disyed.

    She looked at his high bridged nose and to his thin sexy lips that kissed her earlier and she could not help but swallow.

    He could not hold back from kiss her again when she gave such heated gaze.

    _

    __

    Rose opened her eyes to the feeling of a pair of familiar hands around her waist.

    Her eyes fell on the digital clock on the bedside table and she tried to stand up but those hands won''t let go.

    She turned in his embrace and looked at him warm handsome features. He was sleeping and appeared so rxed.

    His cold tough appearance was gone and he looked like a nice handsome husband when asleep.

    She found his eyes to be very unique even more rare and unique than her eyes.

    She wanted him to open his eyes which made her have illusions that it could freeze someone when he is angry and warm someone up when he stares warmly at the person.

    "Sleep. You need more rest," he told her with a smile even with his eyes closed.

    "I don''t want to. I have lectures to attend," she replied seriously.

    "I told you the lectures won''t hold.. You can leaveter but not now," he objected as he pulled her closer into his arms and her head was pressed against his strong chest.

 Chapter 204 - Waking Up Together

    After struggling fruitlessly, she gave up and she only pray that her assistant won''te looking for her early.

    When they finally woke up, Rose did not want to stand up from the bed. It seemed like Liam''sziness was very contagious.

    She remained on the bed until she heard a knock on the door which will definitely be from her assistant.

    She struggled up after ncing at the digital clock to discover it was already eleven in the morning.

    She picked her phone and called her assistant who kept knocking softly on the door periodically. "I wille down stairs when I am done dressing up."

    "Yes, your highness," her assistant replied. "Do you need assistance?"

    "No, I am fine," Rose replied firmly. She have always avoided letting the maids dress her up.

    She had to endure it in the pce but as soon as she arrived in Star City, she made sure to stop it for her ownfort and privacy.

    "Okay. What will you like to have for brunch?"

    "I will like to eat anything veggie," she replied as she walked to her bathroom.

    She took her bath to go outside so she won''t raise any suspicion because she refused toe out of room for hours now.

    She was picking cloth to wear for that day because she nned to meet with Eric and Carl when Liam joined her with a sleepy look on his face.

    "When are you going to leave?" she asked him without turning to face him.

    "Today. Eat your brunch here," he said as she felt his arms wrap her waist from behind and he kissed her neck.

    "Why should I?" she asked displeased.

    "Because I want to eat with you. Where are you going to?" he asked her as he slowly turned her to face him with his hands on her shoulders.

    "I am going to meet my friend and my cousin," she replied naturally as she stared at his grey eyes.

    "Oh . . ." he said taking a step back and scanned her from her hair down to her feet.

    "Is it okay?" she asked him as she looked into his beautiful eyes that showed the admiration he felt towards her.

    "You always look beautiful, perhaps too beautiful." He leaned down and kissed her pink glossy lips. "Hmm that tastes like vani," he said licking his lips and smiled.

    "Thanks," she appreciated with a slight shade of pink tinting her cheeks. She wondered why all this felt very natural and real. It felt like he was there for her and will always be there for her.

    "You are wee," he said as he scanned through the ss for a wrist watch for her to wear.

    He pulled out a ck leather wrist watch and helped her wear it.

    "Thanks," she appreciated again enjoying the feeling of being taken care of with so much attention by someone who was not a staff in the pce.

    "Stop telling me thanks over and over. I am supposed to do this for you. You are my wife," he said as he searched for some other essory for her to wear.

    Rose liked the sound of that but she tried not to take it to heart because she did not trust him well enough to feel lightheaded because of such sweet words.

    They might be married but they both know very well how it all started and that makes it have a very indefinite end.

    She could betray himter although that was the least of the things that bothers Liam or he could betray her which is the think that scares Rose most.

    "Okay. I will let you take care of me well then," she said after much hesitation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You don''t need to trust me. That is something I want you to remember although I wish you will. Just use me for yourfort whenever you want and I will neverin," he whispered when he walked close to her.

    Her mind simply remembered that what he said sounded very familiar and she remembered not to fall for his words but with much hesitation, she concluded that she will simply use him just like he wants.

    She was confortable in his presence and he saved her the stress of picking a wristwatch to wear. He helped her wear a pair of stud earrings.

    She smiled at him after he helped her wear a silver thin ne.

    Liam captivated by the smile that lifted the corners of her sexy lips which she had to reapply lip gloss on because of the kiss he gave her earlier, could not resist the urge he felt to bend down and ce a kiss on a corner of her lips.

    He pulled back and smiled happily. "At least I did not ruin your lip gloss again," he said in satisfaction.

    She could not help but chuckle softly. She met his grey eyes and became very curious of how his eyes got that color since his father''s eyes were different.

    "Your mum . . ." she began only to notice that he suddenly got tensed with the mention of his mother.

    "Yes . . .?" he asked when she stopped as he removed his hands from her face which he cupped earlier to kiss her lips.

    "Don''t worry," she said waving her hand with an awkward smile.

    "No, it is okay. I don''t mind if you want to know more about me," he said with a smile that was clearly forced out to cover up the unsettling feeling he felt.

    She noticed his smile was forced and looked down guiltily. "I . . . you should not bother at all," she said biting her lower lip.

    "Look at me," he said cupping her face in his hands and lifted her face to meet his gaze. He gave her a peck on her lips and looked into her hazel eyes. "Ask me anything you want. If I can''t give you an answer, I will tell with the reason why I can''t and if not, I will definitely give you an answer."

    "It is nothing serious," she said stepping away. "I wanted to know who you got your grey eyes from," she told him as she turned to the mirror behind her to avoid his gaze.

    "Oh . . . I was not born this way. My eyes are one of the reasons why my mum abandoned my brother and me," he said with a simple smile she could see through his reflection on the mirror.

    "Oh . . ." Rose said looking down when her eyes met his eyes on the mirror. She never knew his mother abandoned them. She has never even thought of his mother at all.

    "She and our step father left us on the roadside at night, that was when I found you," He said sincerely.

    "How did you find me on a road at night?" Rose asked confused. she could not remember meeting anyone at night on any road side.

    "We used to live with her alone. She said my father was a lover she feared. She said he always sent her money to take care of us but she was scared of me and that I reminded her of my father who she only got see four times in her life and he left her with kids two times out of the four times.

    "She finally decided to run away from the ws of my father. She said my father made sure she had nothing to do with other men because of us. She made up her mind to run away to Y country with us. Afterwards, I think my father found her and she abandoned us when she was running away again.

    "I don''t know how much of what she said about my father was true but my father found us afterwards and he took us to A city," Liam narrated without much emotion in his voice as though he was talking about someone else''s life.

    Rose was speechless, she could note up with the right thing to say that won''t hurt him so, she simply remained quiet.

    "I am okay. Then I did not care much about what happened because I had my hands full with taking care of you and my brother," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her body.

    "How did you meet me in the middle of the night?" she asked when his statement reminded her that he imed to save her life.

    "I think that is a story forter. I am not even sure that you will believe me because you have lost your memory. You clearly don''t remember a lot of things and you are making up false memories over some of the things you could not remember," he replied.

    Hearing what he said, Rose removed his hands from her waist surprised that he did not even try to resist.

    "I texted your assistant to bring your meal over here," he said as he walked out of the walk-in closet knowing fully well that she was angry with him but he did not want to tell her now.

 Chapter 205 - Her Assistants Secret

    "I texted your assistant to bring your meal over here," he said as he walked out of the walk-in closet knowing fully well that she was angry with him but he did not want to tell her now.

    There was a knock on the door after a while and Liam walked into the bedroom.

    Rose went to open the door for her assistant who entered with a few maid''s andid a table with her brunch.

    "Thanks," Rose said with a smile as she sat to eat. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

    "Yes, I have," the assistant replied looking around the room to find anything to satisfy her suspicion.

    "What about lunch?" Rose asked.

    "No not yet."

    "This brunch looks like it''s too much for me alone to consume. Let us eat brunch together."

    "Oh . . . No, please don''t bother. Your highness," the assistant rejected immediately but cautiously as she found the offer very awkward.

    "It is an order," Rose said with a tight smile. She wondered what Liam will do with her blocking his exit.

    "Thank you, your highness," her assistant immediately appreciated as she sent a message to the butler.

    "You can sit down. I will like to visit the spater this evening after talking to my friends."

    "Your schedule is full for today," her assistant hastily reminded her with enough respect carried in her voice.

    "Really? What am I supposed to be doing right now?" Rose asked not aware of how her schedule got filled up.

    "The student Union nned to have dinner with you," Her assistant said as she held a tablet and scrolled through.

    "That is not full then. I could still enjoy the treatment hereter if I can''t go to the spa. I am sure they offer home services, right?"

    "His majesty sent a teacher from the pce to teach you here in Star city. You will meet the teacher after lunch today."

    Rose smiled. Why did it seem that they were trying to keep her fully upied that she won''t have any extra time for other thing.

    "This was the information I got from his Majesty this morning," her assistant exined to her firmly more like daring her to disobey the order of the king, her father.

    "Are you my assistant? Howes I don''t know of all the ns," Rose said calmly as she began eating while watching her assistant.

    "His majesty said that you have a lot of free time and you might as well learn a lot of things that you could not learn while in the orphanage," her assistant was bold enough to give her such response.

    Even with the respect in her assistant''s tone, Rose could not help but feel disrespected due to what thedy just said to her.

    She hoped Liam was listening and he will find away to get her out of this problem.

    "I will meet with my friends first today before meeting anyone else. I have enough free time now but when I am with them it won''t be a free time anymore, right?"

    Her assistant''s eyes twitched slightly but she bowed her head until her chin almost touched her chest.

    "My father knows nothing of my schedule that''s why he thinks my schedule is not busy at all but that''s where you have to step in and y your role as a messenger.

    "You are to tell him I have ns. Okay?"

    Her assistant did not reply as she watched her while she continued eating her meal.

    The assistant who was still moved and tapped on the screen of the tablet she held before raising her head.

    "His majesty said you are not aware of some of the role you are to y as a Royal and the heir to the throne so he wants your movements and outings monitored.

    "He is scared that you are going to do something that will bring disgrace to the Royal family. I have sent the schedule he asked his secretary to send to me.

    "It is just the perfect schedule for someone from the Royal family and no one will get the opportunity to hurt you.

    "It is both for your safety and to give no one any opportunity to take unsightly pictures of you."

    Rose found all she heard funny. Staring at her assistant, she had no idea if this assistant of hers was for her or against her.

    She looked down at the dishes on the table and smiled slightly. She said nothing as she hoped Liam will try to investigate who her assistant was working for precisely.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Your highness, the fate of the southern kingdom rests on your shoulder," she heard her assistant say suddenly.

    She lifted her head to look at thedy sitting across her with a calm countenance but her mind was in a state of confusion.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Pretend you agree with everything that has been nned for you. Go with the flow. If you do against the ns the north has for you, you will end up living a wasted life."

    "What do you mean?" Rose asked with her brow furrowed ever so slightly.

    "Is it not easy to differentiate a northerner from a southerner? I am obviously a southerner and I hope you bring justice to the South."

    Rose scoffed with an uninterested expression as she dropped her gaze from thedy before her who refused to hit the nail on its head.

    She continued eating without giving regards to thedy before her.

    The assistant was not happy with the fact that she got ignored despite talking about something serious like that.

    "You seem to know what is going on," the assistant continued trying to get her attention.

    "What is going on? What justice? Isn''t the most flourishing city in the world in the south?"

    "No, can''t you see what is happening? My father died when I was sixteen. He was killed by a police in A city. He was a scientist who went there for a seminar.

    "He was with his friends and three of them died. The only survivor was a northerner.

    "They killed them all brutally and med it on armed robbers but they had no idea that my father always carried a pen he always carried around for protection and evidence keeping.

    "That pen had an inbuilt camera and it showed everything. I could find out all that happened that night through the video.

    "They cursed my father for being southern and refusing an offer they gave him to join a research party.

    "I found those policemen only to discover they belonged to a secret bureau created by the Royal council.

    "I chose to serve you when I went to the pce to investigate the connection of the Royal council to what happened to my father and his friends because I believe that you were here to bring justice to the South.

    "I vowed to protect your life in every way I can because that way, I could have the courage to ask you to avenge my father''s death.

    "Your mother, a lot of us believe she was killed by the north. A few of us from the south are beginning to notice the different way we are been mistreated by the north.

    "You have to behave appropriately to fully gain what you need to avenge for us. We are not all after a division because we know that will only lead to war since the north benefits a lot from the union.

    "However, we believe you will be able to help us nheless. Your father has your schedule nned out for you.

    "I don''t think it is right for you to go against it because your position is not secured yet.

    "You have to live ordingly because if you don''t, you lose your position as heir and that will make us all lose hope."

    "Why are you telling me all these? How can I be the hope of the Southerners after all my father is a northerner?"

    "You are the sole direct line of the southern royal family."

    "Shouldn''t you go to the Queen? She is also a southerner."

    "She is not of the direct line and her selfish desires exceeds your imagination. No one trusts her either the Southerners or northerners."

    "What makes you think I don''t have selfish desires after all my mother sold the kingdom to the north through her marriage and when she met with our mortal enemies."

    "A lot of us believe it was only a set up. We did not believe it before but now we do. We believe she was framed and killed so the north could take over.

    "The elders know that very well. They knew that was going to happen from the moment your mother got married to your father.

    "They protested and tried to fight it but they could not go against it when thete king of the south persuaded them.

    "Your mother made a foolish move but that was because she was blinded by love. She also fell in love with the wrong person."

    Roseughed coldly.. This woman was very bold to speak ill of her mother and father in her presence. Wasn''t she scared of making her get agitatedly angry?

 Chapter 206 - The Protest

    "I have had sleepless nights thinking about this. I chose to tell you because I have burnt the bridge. If you hand me over to the guards, I will get killed for the secret I know.

    "If you let me remain on your side and help you, then from henceforth, I will serve you as I nned."

    "I am going to do none of that," Rose said firmly as she got up being done eating her meal.

    Her assistant looked at her surprised by what the answer she got. She really was not expecting that.

    "I heard nothing from you today. You should eat your lunch. I am heading out," Rose informed her.

    She picked the key of her car and a smallbag to go with her outfit.

    She did not nced at her assistant as she walked out of the room followed by her guards.

    She trusted no one. Perhaps someone was listening to all her assistant narrated.

    She knew that Liam had made something to prevent such a thing from happening but what if her assistant was going to do the job herself?

    She could find no reason. After listening to what thedy said, she did not know what to believe.

    She did not trust thedy. She has not seen the evidence of the injustice her father faced in his death.

    She was not even sure that her assistant was a southerner not from the north after all she was employed by the king.

    What if that was a test? If it was a test from her father, she was not sure if she passed it and if it was a test from anyone else, she did not care a bit of what the result was.

    The thing her assistant said about Southerners looking different from northerner was something of the past before the union.

    After the union a lot of children who were given birth to to parents from both Kingdoms became so much in the kingdom.

    She was one of them. The difference could only be noticed by someone who is very observant.

    She was not observant enough to differentiate a northerner from a Southerner.

    She only knew that the most beautiful people came from the south.

    They were known for their height which was different from her since she was not as tall but she was not short either.

    With her eyes color which was neither light not dark, she wondered how hard it will be for anyone who tries to identify her.

    The people from the south had lighter eyes color and lighter hair color. It was not very well distributed because some northerners still had those features.

    She heard elderly people found it easy to differentiate the mixed from the northerner and a southerner from a northerner.

    She had no idea since she was sorrounded by both northerners and Southerners who never identified themselves.

    "I could teach you how to identify people easily," she heard a voice from behind just as soon as she was done putting on her seatbelt.

    "How did you get in!?" she asked shocked but trying to act other wise.

    "Through the door," he replied easily.

    "I clearly left you in my room," she said with a puzzled expression.

    "I left your room. I am now in your car. I guess I will disturb with the task of driving me out of here," he said as he jumped from the backseat to the front seat beside her.

    She gave him a soft re before pressing the start button.

    "I could drive you if you don''t find it proper."

    "Fine," she said as she got down from the car and went to the back seat.

    "Aren''t you scared that we could get sighted and you will have to get scolded by your assistant?"

    "You heard what she said, right?"

    "Yeah. I did. It was convincing enough but I will advise you not to trust her at all. She was put on your side by your father."

    "I know that much," she said looking down at her small designer bag. She bit her lower lip helplessly.

    "You should not take what she said seriously. It was a good thing I heard everything. I will investigate ordingly."

    "What if what she said is true?"

    "You don''t need her help although having someone you can trust by your side is a good thing. It will be best you watch her until she proves herself til you are satisfied."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Do you know about the research party she was talking about?"

    "Yes, I know. I sent four people into the institute but only one of them came back alive."

    "Is it that serious?"

    "Yes. A lot of researchers have lost their lives due to that research institute and lot more will keep dying.

    "Southerners are known all over the world for their extraordinarily high IQ. We have more geniuses than all other countrybined in the world the north included.

    "They keep taking researchers from the south to that institute and most of them don''t return alive.

    "Most people are too upied to notice a few geniuses going missing.

    "Although things are changing now. They will be a protest soon which will lead to angry scientists and their families fighting against what has happened.

    "No one will believe what they say because after all, they have no evidence and other people will think it''s simply ridiculous.

    "No one knows where the institute is and it took me years to find its location. It is located in an unsuspected ce.

    "People will die. It is the first wave of the elimination of the Southerners.

    "I guess your arrival will dy things a little. People are really looking up to you.

    "Things will be calm until you show your full loyalty to the north," he took his time to narrate as he drove her away from the mansion which was once her mother''s home.

    "Why will I want to do something like that?" Rose could not understand why she will show full submission to the north after all, she was her mother''s daughter.

    "For your survival. Right now your position in the pce is not stable. You are not even in A city to y your role as the princess.

    "Your step mother is already trying her best to see that her son bes king.

    "She won''t sit by and watch you take it from her. Knowing this, you will want to proof that you can be the puppet princess your father told the council you are.

    "The moment you do that both the northerners and royal council members will be at ease, the Southerners will lose hope and try to fight for their right themselves."

    Rose groaned frustratedly. "Why is this so hard andplicated?" she murmured.

    "That is where I will get to work. I will stop the protest since I know very how that is going to happen.

    "Secure your position as the heir. By doing that, they won''t have the guts to kill you although I will never let that happen.

    "I will take care the scientist who are looking for their colleagues and the family of the missing scientists. I will do everything.

    "The deaths of those scientist they killed are being staged. I will slowly release the real cause of the death of any scientist.

    "They seem to have very good writers who are good at creating the perfect scenario but people are not believing their lies anymore.

    "I will handle all that. You will get interviewed soon. On that interview, I want you to side with the north.

    "They will throw really absurd questions on your part.

    "When the timees, I will give you the original list of questions before the interview and we wille up with the right answers for them."

    Hearing him tell her all these, she found out that she was getting a lot of help from him and she had no idea of what to do if she was faced with such happenings alone.

    "The division, are you in support of it?" she asked him after a moment of silence.

    "Yes. I am totally in support of a division. My family was never in support of it.

    "A division will take things back to the way it has always been. Your mother''s marriage to someone from the north is the reason all these are happening.

    "She also died because she trusted the wrong people and forsook those she should have remained with," Liam replied her naturally.

    She looked down at her fingers and bit her lower lips again. She has been told that twice today.

    "Do you think our marriage will lead to a havock?"

    "No, it won''t. I think you should rx because I am definitely not someone who will betray you. I met you by chance as young boy and I swore to marry you then."

    She chuckled. She wondered why his answer which sounded firm and serious actually felt cheesy.

    "It is not funny. Shouldn''t that make you believe that I am never going to hurt you or the Southerners although I can''t assure you that I won''t hurt a northerner or her supporters?"

 Chapter 207 - At The Cafe

    "Okay then," she said still unable to take the smile off her lips.

    Liam looked at her reflection on the mirror and he could not help but smile too. He actually got to see her dimple it is a pity he could only see it through her reflection.

    "You should really stop talking about how you saved my life when you are unwilling to let me know how it happened," She murmured displeased

    "I don''t want to be the one to tell you. you won''t believe me even if I do after all you don''t trust me. If you get your memories back then I won''t be used of making up deceptive stories," Liam replied seriously.

    "Who else knows about what happened?" she asked bing serious about the issue. She still found it weird to have a lot of missing memories and even falsely reced memories.

    "My brother was there when it happened and the doctors in the clinic I took you to and many others. However, don''t you think I would have bribed them to say what I want you to hear?"

    She found what he said very true but knowing his brother was witness, she decided to ask his brother knowing they were not on good terms and Jace will most likely not try to cover up for his brother considering the fact that Liam betrayed their family.

    "What about Jace?" she asked him and watched him closely even if all the could see was the side of his back view.

    "Jace will most likely tell you to ruin my n or remain quiet in order to avoid getting involved in my business. You never know what the oue of asking him will be," Liam replied easily.

    He knows fully well that his brother has changed a lot of recent and has be very unpredictable.

    "I will ask him then," she said seriously making up her mind to find out. "I will meet with your father and brother soon as the princess of the south, right?

    "I want it to be very official. I am not in support of keeping it out the public''s knowledge. I am going to use them to my advantage and I want you to make it possible.

    "I want a pleasing headline for it. Something about the princess gathering her hunts man . . . no, that is a little extreme but I think something about the princess meeting the descendant of her grandfather''s most trusted general.

    "I bet since your family serves the throne, your father will be willing to publicly pledge their loyalty to the me."

    "Do you think it is right to show all your hidden cards?"

    "I know a lot of people know about it already. It won''t change anything to fearlessly show them I have someone by my side that is powerful in the south and he is strong enough to help me gain the trust and the support of the south?

    "They know about it already, it won''t make any difference to let them all know that I am not in the mood of ying hide and seek. However, you can be my real hidden card. Doesn''t that sound great?"

    "I don''t know. Don''t you think they are aware of our rtionship already?" he asked not liking the sound of him being the hidden card although he ys a major role and this was all his idea.

    "That is where the general steps in," she replied him natural and since she was engrossed in stating her n, she did not notice him get tensed.

    "The person you danced with during the ball?" he asked between clenched teeth as his grip on the steering tightened despite knowing what the answer will be.

    "Yes. my father must have set that up. He hates you," Rose told him as a matter of fact.

    "Who?"

    "My father. Or rather, should I say he is scared of you?"

    "I don''t know what you are talking about."

    "My father wants us to divorce. He told me on the day I left A city that he wants us to get divorced whole I remain with the general. I guess it is a battle of generals."

    "I am not a general although Ie from a family of generals. My father only left his post when your mother gave birth to you."

    "Now, that makes it more interesting," she continued analyzing the situation.

    "You seem to be enjoying this," Liam voiced his observation although he was happy that she was happy and could smile and let her dimple show.

    "I am. I have business about talk soon I could at least have some fun before it gets all serious."

    "We are still talking about business," he reminded her.

    "Yeah, you are right," she said a little disappointed.

    "The so called cold general actually has a flirty side to him. People like him strongly believe in their charm. I will take care of that part. I guess that''s where I finallye in," she said d that she was having the task of protecting her position.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I can work things out to prevent them from knowing about our rtionship and prevent them from spreading it out to the public even if they know," Liam said.

    "What about the curious public. If I get into a rtionship with the general won''t that secure my position and make the north trust me?

    "If I seed, I could have the full support of the north since they won''t oppose me bing queen with the general on my side.

    "His family have been generals for centuries and their loyalty lies fully with the north. It''s the perfect scenario to create at this point," she exined to him.

    Liam was trying not to be petty about this as he nced at her reflection. "I think it is only right I also find myself a female partner," Liam said seriously.

    "If that reduces suspicion," she said easily.

    Liam''s grip on the steering further tightened. He could not believe what he just heard. She was actually very okay with it.

    "She is a business woman. She is managing her father''s business as the CEO. She has been trying to get my attention for a while.

    "I think I should y along with her after all she is a member of the council and her father is a close subordinate of the king in fact he is the king''s most trusted aid," Liam narrated.

    "She has the perfect image," Rose said with a hint of sarcasm although she tried hard to sound natural.

    That little presence of sarcasm was enough to make Liam rx and he was beginning to regret what he told her because he has never considered letting that happen.

    Rose remained quiet for the rest of the ride. She did not want to hear any more of his ns.

    She rested her head against the back rest and closed her eyes. She did not know why this n of his made her feel very irritated by it but she will rather close her eyes to sleep and not listen.

    ****

    He helped her open the door as soon as they arrived at the cafe she chose to talk to her friends in.

    "I will leave from here," he told her after giving the key of her car to her.

    "I guess you will be busy with arranging your date with the business woman. I won''t dy you any longer."

    She turned and walked away as she scolded herself for saying what she just said. It was really petty of her to say that.

    Despite not feelingfortable with what she just told him, she walked in an elegant manner that her effort to keep it all low key became fruitless. She got a lot of attention.

    She was not sure if they knew her identity or they were only amazed by her beauty but she considered it as none of her business as she walked into the busy caf¨¦.

    She seeded in getting the attention of both the staff and the customers.

    This was something she got to witness when Liam arrives in a busy ce; she never knew she will get to experience it personally.

    She noticed her friend Eric standing in front of a door and walked to him.

    She hoped the guards assigned to watch her closely because right now, those present seemed to have recognized her and they were whispering among themselves.

    "Your highness," Eric said with a broad smile. He opened the door for her like a kind gentle man and she could not help but smile to appreciate that.

    "You should not call me that when we are alone," she told him when she stepped into the room. It was arge room with a nice square table made of brownish red polished wood.

    The four leather chairs around the table gave the room a business like vibe to it which was different from the casual decoration outside.

    Outside the ceiling to floor door, was a beautiful rose garden.

    "Will you like to stay here or out there?"

    "I like here better," she replied easily, she wanted to enjoy. "I guess you have met Carl."

    "He is arrogant."

 Chapter 208 - Psycho Cousin

    "Arrogant?" Rose asked puzzled. She could understand what he meant.

    "Yes."

    "Did he say anything to offend you?"

    "Not really but I could easily tell that he is a smart guy."

    "He is a genius but he uses really ruthless methods," Rose voiced her observation in a low thoughtful voice.

    "Ruthless?" Eric asked with his brow furrowed.

    "Nevermind. I will only advice you not to get on his bad side although I doubt if he will hurt you even if you do."

    "He doesn''t dare. He said my mother saved his life."

    "Yes and from the party, I think he likes you. He tends to stick to those he likes.

    "That''s what he did to me while I was in the hospital. He was also a goodpanion," Rosemented sincerely.

    She had a soft heart but due to her situation, she didn''t have the luxury to like people but Carl was surprisingly very likable.

    She was not sure if she trusted him fully but she was sure that she could give him a little piece of her trust.

    There was a soft knock on the door and Carl opened the door and walked in. He smiled broadly when his eyes met Rose''s beautiful hazel eyes.

    "Your highness," he said with his smile broadening, he gave her a dramatic bow.

    Rose''s lips twitched slightly. She was not sure what to say him as she stared at him but she felt happy to see him.

    "I bet I am good looking that I have made the princess''s overwhelmed," Carl said with a proud smirk now on his face.

    "Arrogant," Eric said under his breath with a displeased frown.

    "I am sorry I kept you waiting. I tried to bring someone along. From what I heard, this is going to be an important discussion about making money."

    "Who could that person be?" Rose had to ask.

    "A business strategist. He is someone I can trust. I left him out there. I was discussing with him just now."

    "What makes you think you can trust him? The princess wants her connection to this business kept secret," Eric said sternly.

    "I know that much, okay? That''s why I left him out there." Carl ced a tablet on the table in front of Rose with a picture of a man on it.

    "From what I heard, he is the best and you can leave the management to me. I can guarantee that this man will make our brand world-known in only a couple of years," Carl said seriously as he waited patiently watching Rose intently for any detail.

    "What makes you think we want to wait for two years before bing a world known brand. The princess had her designers known all over in a very short period of time."

    "Shhh," Carl told Eric. Eric opened his mouth to say but Carl reached over and covered his lips with three of his fingers pressed against Eric''s lips and a warning expression.

    "I am fine with it," Rose said seriously.

    Carl removed his fingers because showed her approval. He leaned back on the back rest of his chair. A smirk appeared on his lips when he saw Eric clean his lips angrily.

    "How about we discuss this next time online through a conference call? It is not safe for me toe out so frequently.

    "When the timees for me to begin working, I will let everyone know that I work for yourpany. That way, I won''t have to hide much."

    "That is right but what about your ex-foster family?" Eric asked worriedly.

    "I can not please everyone. I will provide the start-up capital. I have to seek the approval of a business man so I need the business proposal."

    "Here," Carl and Eric chorused as the ced their proposal on the table.

    "I don''t believe in starting small," Carl said sincerely. "Therger the weapon , the more destruction it will cause.

    "We are going to cause an explosion in the fashion. It is more than possible with money. We don''t want a simple ripple in the ocean but a typhoon.

    "We will spend a lot of money to begin but we will make a lot as time goes on. We will make a lot.

    "We are trying to create a high end fashion business here, one that only celebrities and millionaires who have a lot of money to spend can wear.

    "We are going to make a lot in this business," Carl narrated the n he had exined professional in his n.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You are after the money. We are fashion designers and money is not the only thing we think of," Eric said in disdain. "I want our designers to make a name that will be remembered for centuries."

    "Rose makes a lot of such designers. I don''t think that is anything to be bothered about. They will not be forgotten or over looked," Carl said with a firm and serious tone.

    "Which of what we just discussed do you think is okay?" Eric moved the decision making to Rose.

    "I want a design that gets both world wide. I want a lot of northerners to wear it. I want people to buy my clothes from all over the world.

    "I want to make a lot of money from this business. We have to recover the capital in less than two years," Rose replied sincerely.

    She wanted to reach out to her people through fashion. This is where her war against the north begins.

    Even if Valerie was well known in the south as a designer, as well as in the whole world, she was going to go way above that.

    She going to make the world reference Star city for it''s fashion although a lot brands has made it happen and Star city was the world''s seat of fashion but it''s strength reduced drastically statistically after her mother''s scandal and all the bad things that followed.

    She was cleaning her mother''s mess. She is going to bring the world to Star city for a fashion week.

    When all that happened because of her mother took ce, a lot of people moved to A city since they believe Star city was not safe for them and their businesses.

    Some of them returned after her mother''s death but not all.

    Star city was still powerful city known world wide but those people behind the scenes had hurt this city badly and she going to heal it.

    She did not care if anyone saw what she was trying to do for them but she was willing to keep doing anything she could to help.

    She wanted to see it for herself that the people some villians hurt using her mother as a scapegoat are doing fine.

    "Is this man a northerner?" she asked.

    "No. He is a native of this city. Both parents are from the south."

    "Don''t want any northerner handling anything important in this business. They are very destructive," Rose said firmly.

    She tried speaking with the anger and disdain she felt hidden but she could not despite her effort.

    "I also don''t to see any northern model. Simply keep them out of my sight," she said sounding a little emotional.

    Carl and Eric looked down thoughtfully. They had no true idea of what made her very repulsive of the northerner.

    Rose knew she had to stop and get back of track when she felt her eyes get clouded with tears.

    "I don''t hate them all but I don''t like them all either," she said with a tight smile.

    "Rose," Carl was the only one who got the courage to speak.

    Rose raised her head and met his gaze. "I am fine."

    "I know you are," He replied her truthfully. "If anyone hurts you and you are scared of getting your hands dirty, tell me and I will take care of it all."

    "What?" Rose asked in disbelief. "I know you have psychopathic tendencies but not as much as this." She shook her head finding his offer ridiculous.

    Carl seeded in distracting her and he felt fulfilled by doing that but he did could not help but feel a set ofplicated emotions engulf him.

    "I really meant what I said. Do you want my business card?" he asked as he pulled out a card and ced it beside the tablet.

    She chuckled softly as she reached to pick the card but he immediately snatched it before she could.

    She gave him a surprised and confused look as she reached for to take it from his hand but he took it far from her reach and put the card in his pocket.

    "There is no need for that because after all you have my phone number. I will do a clean job for you."

    "Psycho," Eric hissed shaking his head in obvious disdain.

    "You too. I can give you my number now."

    "I don''t need it," Eric replied shaking his head. He felt Carl was simply joking like a youth who have watched too many action movies.

    "How did you get your post in the Royal council?" Rose asked as she looked at her young cousin who had a lot evil tricks up his sleeves.

 Chapter 209 - The Pitiful Duo

    Carl looked down for a while remaining quiet. He raised his head and met her gaze.

    "I did not kill anyone," he told her with his voice calm and gentle. He actually now looked like the young youth he truly was not the older young man he acts like half of the time.

    "Then how did you make that possible. It is weird enough that you are not even eighteen yet but you scored yourself a post in the Royal council."

    "Even if I killed them, I did nothing wrong. They killed my mother, especially that devious old woman who has made me feel worthless more times than I have ever felt useful," Carl said seriously. It was easy to see the hurt and pain in his eyes.

    "I know you are hurt but what you did to them is what I want to know right now," Rose did not allow him to sessfully use the victim card.

    "My brother can''t walk again. My father . . . he got on the bad side of my mother''s family that handed the post over to him. Being the only heir left, my mother''s family members decided to give the post to me," he narrated sounding very truthful and innocent.

    "Do you expect me to believe you? They can''t give you, a young boy such a prestigious post unless you pulled some strings in the background."

    "Why don''t you want to believe me?"

    "I don''t believe you because it is very obvious that you are lying. Your lies have clearly gotten worse, young man," she said firmly.

    "Why do you care?" he asked and exhaled angrily looking like a very rebellious youth.

    "Why won''t I care for the person who is closest to me as a brother? You are clearly the only blood rtive I have around here that I can trust."

    "No, you don''t trust me because we are rted by blood but because I also have a story. My father is in the ICU fighting for his life. I tampered with his car.

    "He was nning on killing me through the same method when I am going out the following day on an errand he sent me to do."

    "He is your father nheless."

    "What will you do if you find out that your father and not the northern royal council is responsible for your mother''s death? Will you watch him n your death and die because he is your father?

    "I did not get the chance to know my mother but I was filled with wrath when I found out what they did to my mother.

    "I saw her medical report and they had induced herbor so she could give at the same time my step mother gave birth.

    "I am going to expose the medical report to the world soon. My mother who I never got the chance to know was wronged and I was willing to go such a length to avenge her death.

    "I wonder what you will do if you are in a simr situation like mine. You knew your mother. You were with her before she died.

    "You must feel more wronged than I do because after all, you are more of a victim than I am. You will feel the urge to make them suffer before your eyes.

    "You will hurt them more. You won''t even bother giving Mr. Hale the chance to do the job for you. You won''t even call me."

    Rose found herself unable to speak as she listened to him. This was the second time someone was asking her about what she will do to her father if she finds out he killed her mother.

    Eric who was at the table with them but has been ignored throughout the whole conversation found himself feeling fear towards the younger youth before him.

    This boy was very dangerous and he wondered how he could still remain calm despite sending his father to the ICU and hurting his brother''s legs.

    He made up his mind not to say anything that offends this boy. He was also rethinking his choice of working with him.

    "Let us get back to business. We are here to discuss business and not talk about how cruel I can be or how much you think I am psychopath."

    Rose stared at him without saying anything. She felt pity towards him. She wondered why life treated people like her and him unfairly.

    He was forced at a tender age to attempt murder. She was forced to live her life unable to trust anyone.

    "I think this is where our discussion ends for today. I will call you after talking to Liam. He will decide if we can work with this man. I will y my part and begin working on new designs," she told them as she slowly stood up.

    "Rose . . ." Carl began but stopped and rested his back on the backrest.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Take care of yourself," she told him as she grabbed her bag.

    "I will. Can Ie over to your house to eat lunch one of these days?"

    "I will call if you don''t hurt anyone else."

    "I can''t guarantee that. I will definitely hurt anyone who tries to hurt and I will hurt them badly that they can''t hurt me ever again."

    " . . . "

    "Please can Ie over for dinner or lunch?" he asked her seriously gripping her wrist in a gentle hold. "I am really lonely these days. My step mother is going around looking for a thigh she can hug and the house is sorge but empty."

    She looked down at the hand holding her wrist and looked up at his face. She felt a strong connection with him. He looked really lonely and obviously thinner than thest she saw him.

    Eric at the back was shaking his head furiously although no one was looking at him. ''Don''t agree,'' he could only think because right now, he did not have the guts to say anything against the youth.

    He has heard once before that psychopaths never forget any evil deed done against them. They will try all they can to avenge and they don''t forget faces either.

    "Call me before you came," she said with a slight smile. "Also try to see a therapist. I think you will need to talk to someone to let go of the burden you are clearly carrying on your shoulders."

    "I am fine. A therapist will force my secret out of my mouth and have me get arrested afterwards. Do you want to be my therapist?"

    She found herself smiling at him. "Let go of my wrist young man," she said looking down at where his hand held her wrist.

    "Sorry. I really don''t want my hand getting chopped off," he said when he remembered she was Liam''s wife.

    She gave him a puzzled look when he released her hand and stepped away.

    "I should really get myself a boyfriend," he said shaking his head. He covered his mouth with his eyes wide open when he realized what he said after a few seconds.

    Rose also found that weird. She paused and slightly furrowed her brow. "Are you . . ." she could not believe what she heard.

    "No . . . I meant girlfriend. I feel jealous of your marriage really. I will bring a wedding gift when Ie to visit you. I hope you have a lot of kids. I love kids. I will like to y with them too," he said yfully.

    Rose shook her head and left without listening to anything else he had to say.

    He exhaled when the door closed behind her. "That was close."

    He turned to sit down and eat the cake they were served with that none of them touched only to see Eric sitting with his head bowed as though to diminish his existence.

    "Hey, handsome, I totally forgot you were here," he said as he sat down and took a slice of the wonderful work of art that was actually a cake.

    Rose saw her assistant when she left the building standing beside her car. She looked around her. Her guards were guarding the caf¨¦ tightly.

    It seems someone leaked out her location and that made a lot of people gather around trying to take pictures of her.

    She was lucky she dressed decently enough or as a fashion designer, she will feel bad if she has to appear on the front page of a magazine improperly dressed.

    "Your highness," her assistant said as soon as she got to the car with her head bowed. "I think I should drive."

    Rose did not argue as she gave her the key and entered the car when her assistant opened the door for her.

    On the way home, she could not help but look out of the window in a way that you will easily conclude that she was pitiful and lonely.

    "I want a closebat trainer," she suddenly said making her assistant shocked.

    "Oh . . ..I will find someone suitable."

 Chapter 210 - The Top Boss

    "No, not just anyone. Have you heard of Mr. Hale? I heard his agency produces a lot of well-trained body guards.

    "I was trained once but it did not do me much good. So, I need an outstanding trainer," she told her assistant seriously.

    She really did not care what the girl thought about her asking for a trainer from Mr. Hale''s agency specifically but that was what she wanted and she did not hesitate to ask.

    "I will contact their agency. They actually train one of the best body guards in the kingdom. Most of their body guards work for very wealthy people and popr celebrities.

    "It is actually hard to hire one of their trainers. The Pce once invited their star trainer who was once a soldier to give some body guards special sses.

    "It was the king''s order," her assistant chatted away about the agency. From what she noticed in thedy''s tone, she had really strong admiration and respect for Mr. Hale.

    That was the popr feeling amongdies of the south towards him and the Hart''s family.

    "I will like to begin as soon as possible," she told her seriously.

    "Ok, I will contact them as soon as we arrive at our destination," her assistant agreed. "What about the teacher sent from the pce?"

    "I will take sses with her once a week. You can make corrections to my schedule," Rose replied seriously.

    She could easily guess who the teacher her father sent was. She hated that woman so much.

    She was in ate fifties and all she taught her was about the tradition of the northern Royal family.

    She really did not like listening to her talk for two hours. They sometimes did some practicals but she hated it all.

    She used to have a teacher before her mother died. She wondered if her teacher was still alive. It will be really good to have someone from the south as her teacher.

    She held back a groan and looked out of the window. This was really tiring. She will learn everything the woman had to teach her fast so the whole thing will be over.

    "Yes, your highness. I will make corrections to your schedule," she heard her assistant reply her solemnly.

    She found herself feeling very confused by her assistant. One second she was talking about vengeance and advising her always obey her father.

    The next second she was showering praise on Liam''s security agency. The very next second after that, she was agreed to help her adjust her schedule.

    The schedule was the one her father nned for her and the one she advised Rose to obey earlier.

    She did notment on what the girl said but leaned against the back rest and closed her eyes.

    "I could help you talk to the leader of the Firm hearts," her assistant suddenly said as they approached the gate of her house.

    "Uh . . .?" Rose asked tiredly not understanding what the girl was saying in her rxed state.

    "I know the leader of the Firm hearts. He is a distant rtive of mine," her assistant replied. "He is a strong follower of the southern Royal family and he will do anything to ensure that you are safe in school."

    Rose was surprised by her assistant''s reply. She has been thinking of a way to talk to those students without asking for Liam''s help.

    "I will talk to him today so you could meet him tomorrow if you want me to," Her assistant offered.

    "Oh . . ."

    "Your guards can protect you but they can''t do much in the school. It is upied by different people with different motives and feelings towards you."

    ". . ."

    "I think it is only right you have the strongest group of students standing with you.

    "Last time I heard, they are in charge of the whole campus territory and they also have a bigger boss.

    "No one knows who their boss is but I am sure they will give you the authority over them as soon as you persuade them that you stand with the south.

    "They have been the secret guards of every member of the Royal family paying a visit or studying in the Royal University for centuries now.

    "It is only right that you be their leader. Things almost fell apart after thete Queen''s death that is why they have a boss.

    "They had to get one to maintain their position in the school among the students and the teachers."

    ". . ."

    Rose found herself very speechless. She knew her assistant was aplicated character but right now, she was getting moreplicated than ever.

    "Who is their present boss?" She asked.

    "Someone from the Hart family. I think the second son of the Hart family."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "How do you really expect me to fight with some one of such status?"

    "You can because you have a higher status than theirs. The Hart family is loyal to the southern royal family. I am sure he won''t be an obstacle.

    "I actually heard that he was preserving it for it''s rightful owner. His father was the boss before he took over.

    "Should I talk to the leader? He is also the student Union president and that shows you will only be at an advantage if the group epts you are their boss."

    "I will met with him tomorrow then," Rose agreed although she still felt suspicious of her assistant.

    "What do you think about your department library?" Her assistant asked.

    "Faculty library is better it," Rose replied seriously. The faculty library had more crowd than the department library. Most people prefer the faculty library especially first year students.

    It was not test or examination period very most students don''t go to library at this time.

    "I will talk to him then," her assistant agreed. She opened the door for her when she got outside.

    "Okay."

    ***

    "I heard the Firm Hearts is managed by your family. Why didn''t you tell me?" Rose asked when she called Liamter after meeting with the teacher her father sent.

    She was not wrong it was just as she guessed. The teacher had also taught her in the pce and it was the same woman she disliked.

    She sat down on the massage chair in front of the ceiling to floor door that led to the balcony.

    "You rejected my help," he simply replied.

    "Telling me that can not be considered help because you are not even in good terms with your family.

    "How could that have meant you were helping me? I found out anyway and I will be meeting their leader tomorrow."

    "Be careful," he advised her worriedly.

    "I will be careful. I chose a public ce to meet him. I heard they are loyal to the southern Royal family."

    "Yes, they are but things have changed since your mother died. You might not know how many of them don''t support the Royal family anymore."

    "That''s right but I guess since they have been managed by someone from your family, nothing will go wrong."

    "I hope so. I will have people ensure you are safe with them," he promised her seriously.

    "Okay, thanks," she appreciated sincerely.

    She knew things can''t always go the way she wants so she had to be very careful when meeting with those students. She could not predict or guess what the oue will be.

    ***

    "I spoke to him and he said his boss is in Star city and agreed to meet you outside school," her assistant told her in a low tone that no one around could hear while she was eating her breakfast.

    "Oh. . .," Rose could only say not liking the way things was turning out to be. She thought it will be more straightforward. "Where do they want to meet?"

    "He said his boss wants to have dinner with you," Her assistant replied.

    She grabbed her phone and went to her contact list. She has not spoken to him in a while but she should have his number or anyway else for her to contact him.

    As soon as she found his number, she called him. He did not respond until after her second trial.

    "Good morning, Mr. Hart," she said trying to be calm and not sound bossy.

    "Good morning," he said his voice sounding deeper than ever before. She felt no familiarity with him.

    "Could we meet any where else that won''t cause much suspicious. I want a ce that I can guarantee my safety," she told him directly.

    He showed her no friendliness in the way he spoke and she decided not to beat around the bush or try to act familiar with him.

    "It is up to you toe. I chose a quiet expensive restaurant. No one will take pictures and it is my territory so I can guarantee your safety.

    "I will send the time and location to you. It is up to you toe.. I will simply eat my dinner and leave if you don''te," he told her firmly with no room for negotiation.

 Chapter 211 - Their Plan

    She forwarded the message to Liam as soon as she got it.

    "I found out that restaurant is far from the city," she said when she called Liam.

    "I know the restaurant well. It belongs to my father. It''s a quiet ce and it''s also well secured.

    "Jace won''t hurt you for any reason he is after all a member of the Hart family and he has pledged him life to protect you.

    "I will ensure your safety on the way there but in there, I have promised my dad never to invade that territory for any reason.

    "You might also meet my dad there," he exined to her.

    "I am not scared. I only thought it was right I tell you directly."

    ****

    The journey was smoother than she thought it will be with a lot of people hunting her in Star city.

    She took it a miracle that she arrived in the ce safely. She felt grateful to Liam. She had left home with only her assistant and ditched all her body guards.

    It will be easy to stop her and kill her on such road with very little traffic.

    The ce was well guarded just like Liam told her and when she got to the entrance, she was invited in by a staff.

    The building was notrge but it had a very admirable design that showed elegance and it was definitely designed by a genius.

    She knew the restaurant was popr that tourist enjoyed the ride with a beautiful scenery only to eat there.

    Staring around now, she found the ce was empty even at dinner time. She walked into the well designed building following the staff with her assistant behind her.

    The staff led her to the door of a private room and knocked gently. There was no response from inside but the staff pushed the door opened and ushered her in.

    Just when her assistant tried going in, she was stopped by the staff and the door was closed.

    She saw Mr. Hart and his son waiting for her sitting in front of arge ss table.

    The room had a very formal design. The design was worthy of a six star rating out of six. It was elegant and spelt both wealth and power.

    "Wee, Your highness," the head of the Hart''s family greeted her with a bow of his head when he stood up.

    "Thanks, Mr. Hart," appreciated with an obligatory smile.

    "Come, have your seat," Mr. Hart said as he ushered her to one of the chairs at the table.

    "Thanks," she appreciated sincerely as she sat down and tried to make herselffortable.

    She nced at Jace who had remained quiet till now almost not acknowledging her presence.

    "Jace, do you have a score you need to settle with me?" she asked him directly.

    He looked a more matured and serious faced. He was almost as cold as his brother was when she first met him.

    Although his coldness was totally different. She felt hostility from him. She could also sense anger and the presence of a little disdain towards her.

    "No, I don''t," he replied seriously. "Congrattions. I heard you got married," Jace said with contempt.

    That didn''t sound like he was really congratting her but it sounded like an expression of his dissatisfaction towards her marriage.

    "I know you told me not to get married to him but I discovered that if two siblings have a problem, they should settle it among themselves and not rope in innocent people."

    "Innocent?" he asked with a frown. He shook his head and remained silent.

    Rose found this very ufortable.

    "Congrattions. My son might have cut ties and left our family but he is still my son. He is still my biological son and that makes you my daughter-inw.

    "I hope you make yourselffortable her as much as you can. You can alsoe here whenever you want. You won''t need to pay for the meal.

    "How is Liam doing this days?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He is fine," Rose replied finding the question weird. She hardly spent time with Liam to know how he was doing right now and she expected his dad to know everything about him.

    "Really? That''s good then. I just want you to take care of him for me. I know I should be telling him to take care you instead but my son might appear strong, physically.

    "He might look like nothing in the world can hurt hit him but he is actually fragile. He will be angry to know I said such a thing to you.

    "He also likes you a lot. He loves you more than himself. I hope you recognize that soon enough and not hurt him more than you have already," he told her sincerely.

    From his tone, she noted that he sounded like a very worried father.

    "I will take care of him as best as I can," she told him to assure him although that is definitely something she isn''t ready to do.

    They were not even living together. They hardly had time to see each other.

    She also did not believe what his father said about Liam loving her more than himself. She could almost swear with the heavens that what he said was a lie.

    "I heard your son saved my life," she said although she knew that with what he just said, she with believe anything they said because they were in support of her. "Is that true?"

    " . . ."

    "If you want to know, you could ask him. After all, he is your husband. He will be in the best ce to give you an answer," Jace replied slight irritation audible in his voice.

    "I won''t be asking if he was willing to tell me," Rose told them directly.

    "Then I guess it is not right to get involved with your businesses," refused to help her.

    "He will be unhappy if we tell you what he is trying to hide from you. It is unwise to get in-between a husband and wife issue," Mr. Hart told her seriously.

    "I heard you want leadership over Firm Hearts?" Jace changed the topic when it looked like Rose was thinking of ways to persuade them.

    "No, I don''t want leadership over them. I have enough responsibility on by hand right now," she said truthfully.

    "That''s why we are nning on making you the new boss. The responsibility you have now is based on the north what if we can''t give you the leadership now, we will never give you again or give you a lending a helping hand," Mr. Hart informed her.

    "No, you will. I heard your loyalty lies with the Queen. I am the future Queen of the south. I n to let the world know about the rtionship of you family with the Queens in history," she told him seriously.

    "Why will you want to do that?"

    "It will be best. I could also strick out one of my mother''s scandals. It will let everyone know that you two have a master and servant rtionship and nothing more," she reminded him.

    "What makes you think doing that will make people believe you?"

    "I don''t care as far as I make it known that my mother did not cheat or having any affair with your father."

    Mr. Hart smiled. "You can''t change it unless you be Queen but your father is still alive and well," Mr. Hart informed her.

    She looked down angrily. Why didn''t she know about that? What was what he said also implying?

    "What do you mean?" she asked seriously.

    "We seek a division. The north has brought us more harm than good. They have been our enemies for centuries.

    "They assassinated three of our kings in history and five of our princes. Your grandfather was almost poisoned as a child by a northern servant in the pce.

    "Your mother once went to the north when she imed that the emnity was over but she was attacked by a gang in the north.

    "Our hatred go back a long time ago and will never change. We Southerners got foolish thinking a marriage could change it but no, the marriage simply made them more greedy.

    "They want ournd more than ever now. We are definitely more flourishing and richer than them even after what they did to your mother and all the havock they wrecked.

    "They will never make you Queen. Soon, you will get killed. They are only dying it. When you die, the war that their ancestors have nned will begin and all the southerners will be killed in a matter of time.

    "When they win the war you and I will be dead to defend our kingdom and it will be taken over by them.

    "Remember that thend mass of the north is only one third of thend mass here in the south but they are three times more popted than the south.

    "Do think they won''t upy all ournds and take over our business. They are already doing it.. Most people don''t believe that they are nning such a thing but I assure you that I got my information from a good source."

 Chapter 212 - Puppet Queen??

    " . . . Most people don''t believe that they are nning such a thing but I assure you that I got my information from a good source."

    Rose looked down and said nothing. She was not skeptical about his ims of what the north wanted.

    She was aware as much as every other citizen of the two kingdoms were about the emnity between the two kingdoms.

    She was not going to pretend to be ignorant of it. It was a well known rumors. The whole world was aware of it.

    The south seemed to be arge ocean overflowing with goodness that people think they could sessfully empty by using big buckets to fetch the water out of it.

    "Do you believe in time traveling?" Rose suddenly asked looking at the two men before her.

    The younger man found her question very disrespectful and inappropriate after his father spent minutes talking to her about the impending war.

    The older man felt she had a tangible reason for asking because he was very much aware as much as his petty son was that Rose was not someone who jokes around.

    "I don''t know. It might not be possible now but I guess in a few generations toe, she will be," Mr. Hart said seriously.

    "What about you?" she asked Jace did not reply after a few seconds.

    "I don''t believe at all. It is totally impossible," he replied seriously contradicting what his father said. He actually felt confused that his father thinks it could be possible.

    "That is what I told him but could you imagine that a boy told my mom that she was going to die. He told her not to travel to where she the tape was taken.

    "Liam said it was a time Traveller and he could help me meet the boy when the the timees.

    "Another time traveler told me about a research institute that southern scientists are getting kidnapped to.

    "He also told me about an impending riot he going to try to stop. He knew the time an unexpected rain was going to fall.

    "From what what I have said, do you think he is really a time Traveller?" she asked watching them closely.

    "You do not give us enough information to decide that. We can''t conclude that easily that he is a time Traveller," Mr. Hart replied patiently.

    "I am not sure if I should say this but he told me a lot of things but I think it will be right to let him tell you himself," she told them seriously.

    "Who is he? Is there a way we can meet him. We could carry out a background check on him to prevent any problem in the future.

    "I will find out if he is truly someone we can trust. If we can trust him then we will go with his idea of what the future looks like.

    "If not then, it''s best to find a way to get rid of him or at least take him far away from you," Mr. Hart''s suggested.

    "Oh . . . He is my husband so there is absolutely no way you could get him away from me," she said seriously.

    She froze like she had just let a huge secret slip out of her lips unintentionally. It was the other way round.

    If anyone should know well about if Liam was truly a time Traveller or not, it should be his family members.

    "Why are you telling us such a joke?" Jace asked in a low pissed off tone.

    "Oh . . . I guess it not much of a joke since you are notughing. I came to eat dinner and not stare at your faces. I am famished," she said with a smile.

    ". . ."

    Jace could not understand what she was talking about. How could his brother be a time traveller?

    "You should really take joking sses if you love saying jokes a lot," Jace advised her seriously.

    It seems like she has been making jokes from the moment she stepped into the room.

    "The life of millions of people are in your hands but you have a lot of time to joke," Jace said and let out a displeased scoff.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t forget that my life is included. I value my life more than anyone can imagine. Since you want to give me the leadership over that group, I will dly take over but I will employ you to help me manage most of their affairs.

    "I can''t force you to do it. If you don''t want to then simply tell me. I thought you were loyal to the throne. I am the only person fit to sit on the throne."

    "You seem to missing up something now. Right now, you are the heir to the throne but that doesn''t mean you are epted by the south as their ruler.

    "The moment you publicly agree with our suggestion to divide the kingdom as soon as you be Queen then we will dly agree to be your minion.

    "Just like the research institute where a lot of our scientists are dying in that we haven''t been able to locate, we will be able to stop everything.

    "What you need to do is be Queen. You must be Queen right away or when we discover what is been done in that research institute, it will be toote to safe anyone.

    "This is not a joke. You must tell the world what the south seeks and that is a division. We want our kingdom back and have full control over it.

    "Our people are getting hurt. We are not only loyal to the throne but to the people. If a Queen or King who is not willing to cater for the needs of people, we carry out an operation called inhtion.

    "We meet with that king and tell him what is going on. If he refuses, then we will step back. We will watch him get killed by his enemies and do nothing to stop it.

    "You are no different. You might not see the hardwork we are putting into making things better for you. We are protecting you although you might never have noticed it.

    "Why do you think your days in the university has been peaceful? We made that happen. Imagine what will happen the moment we take a step back.

    "Take this. We want your finger print. It is a document that agrees with the division," Jace exined before cing a file in front of her.

    She opened the file and stared at the simple agreement. She had already signed a contract with Liam. She was not sure she wanted to make such officially and legal agreement with anyone else.

    She scoffed and pushed the file back to them. "You really think you could threaten me right? That was a really good one but I am not falling for it.

    "I haven''t made up my mind to go with the division. I am also a rightful heir to the north. They might not be nice people but remember that I have their blood flowing through my veins.

    "I am a northerner as much as I am a southerner. Don''t you think I want to have both Kingdoms to myself as Queen?"

    "You seem blind. You . . .," Jace began angrily but he stopped when he felt his father''s intent gaze on him.

    "Blind? I hate the northerners, at least most of them. What do you think is the reason why I wanted to be Queen of both Kingdoms?

    "I thought you were a genius but I guess I am very much mistaken. You can''t see things for what they are. You choose to see what you want.

    "Remember that there is no one else you could put on the throne except if you want to be King yourself," she told him meeting his gaze confidently.

    "You are simply confused," Mr. Hart finally spoke after a while.

    "Whatever I am going through does not give you the right to threaten me. You might be a very powerful man but remember that you not the strongest in Star city.

    "Do you think I will be your puppet Queen? I guess I was mistaken to have thought you were trustworthy after Liam told me you won''t try to hurt me."

    She stood up and picked her things and walked to the door.

    "I guess I won''t get diner to eat. It was fun having made jokes with you but sad that you did not have the decency tough."

    She smiled tightly before opening the door. She was very pissed by the way things turned out to be.

    They wanted to force her into dividing the kingdoms. She was not against the division although she was not sure if she wanted to go against it since she valued her rtionship to the south more.

    However, the mistake Jace made was threatening her with their history as servants of the throne.

    If you refused to protect someone who you could protect, that makes you no different from a murderer.

 Chapter 213 - The History Of The Bad King

    If you refused to protect someone who you could protect, that makes you no different from a murderer.

    She could finally breathe easily when she got outside.

    She could not believe she just got threatened by the very people who imed to be faithful to the throne.

    She decided to stand on her feet on her own. She will prove to them that she could survive without their help.

    ***

    "What did you discuss with them that makes you pissed off?" Liam asked worriedly. He has never seen Rose this angry and unhappy.

    "They threatened to step back and watch me get killed by my enemies. That''s funny, right?"

    "How many enemies do I have that will lead to my death easily. I don''t care if the whole world is after my life but I will never sign another contract with anyone.

    "Signing one is enough. I guess your family is not be trusted after all. I really thought they were good people.

    "I made a mistake by making assumptions. There are no good people in this world. Even if he wanted a division, he should not have spoken to me that way," she narrated feeling wronged.

    Liam walked to her from the sofa he sat on opposite her and hugged her.

    "I don''t know what to say that will make you feel better but I will tell you the truth I am aware of by being a member of the Hart''s family for close to two decades.

    "My family is faithful to the throne and they will never let any harme to you.

    "My brother simply feels that you are the reason I left home and he is willing to do anything to torment you," Liam whispered softly as he rubbed her shoulder gently.

    "To torment me? I don''t think so. Your father said nothing. He watched his son threatened the Queen they were trying to rope in to be their person but he said nothing," Rose said trying to struggle out of his embrace.

    "He was testing waters. He is trying to see how strong you are when making decisions.

    "It was only a confirmation to see if you will be a person of the north and perhaps sign an agreement with the north to never divide the kingdoms," Liam replied unwilling to let her go knowing she was angry.

    "That doesn''t make sense for goodness sake. So what of I had signed the contract? Won''t that make him happy?"

    "It would. Making the agreement with him will confirm that you are desperately in need and willing to sell your will to get their protection.

    "That will at least be an assurance that the north will never get such an opportunity. If you refused, that means you were not in support of being controlled.

    "Not in support of being controlled simply means that you are strong enough to be Queen.

    "It showed him that you are fearless. As for what Jace said, it was only a test. Only one king in the history of the southern kingdom was wicked.

    "He had fallen in love with a northern woman and he listened to her advice like a puppet all the way.

    "My ancestor did not kill him but made sure the king was well protected because with the presence of an enemy on his side day and night, they needed to watch him more closely.

    "When the right time came, my ancestor killed the woman and took the me. He was excited especially because the woman was pregnant for a son for the king which will mean a northern was going to reign.

    "The rulership of a northern over the south under the control of that woman, anyone could imagine what will happen in the south.

    "They knew of the endless bloodshed. My ancestor also found out that the child was not for the king.

    "Thay was the only reason why he could kill the concubine then even when he knew that she was pregnant with child.

    "The king was very angry but he could not kill the whole members of the n because of a vow he made to histe father who was thete king.

    "He executed my ancestor in a very brutal way that made people fear. He did not appoint the descendant of my ancestor general like he should have and kicked my family then out of the capital.

    "They moved to B city and that was how B city became more or less the home of my people.

    "When the king died and his son died after reigning for forty years, the next king saw how my ancestor was helping the people in B city.

    "With my ancestor''s arrival in B city, the city began to grow and soon became the major supply of Agricultural produce to all the parts of the kingdom.

    "That was all because my ancestor then, protected the farmers. He made them feel valued and he rentednds to them at cheaper rates than otherndlords.

    "When the young king found out, he brought my family back to Star city. It was only right because then, he was receiving threats from the north and he was so scared.

    "The north had killed his brother who was supposed to inherit the throne and he was left on the throne after his father''s death with no idea on how to survive.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "My family can never be an enemy of the throne. They will be subject to the throne for the rest of their existence," he gave her a detailed narration very patiently.

    Rose listening to this, she had no idea what to believe. She heard Jace''s threat with her own ears so what was she going to believe?

    "He wille to apologise soon. They will apologize very sincerely and give you their reasons," Liam assured her.

    He rest his back against the backrest of the soft sofa and pulled her to rest against his chest causing warmth against his chest.

    Rose found herself rxingfortably against his warm chest and inhaled slowly and deeply.

    She found herself feeling sleepy. "I told them that you were a time traveller and Jace told me to take Joke sses if I liked to tell jokes."

    "They will not believe. Why did you tell them?" he asked confused.

    "I wanted to find out if you are lying. If anyone knows you well, it should be your family members.

    "They thought it was a joke meaning you were also joking with me and there was nothing like time traveling.

    "Why did you lie? There are many ways someone could predict the future apart from having toe up with such absurd joke."

    "Why did you lie to me about your rebirth?" he asked while stroking her soft long hair.

    "I did not lie," Rose replied hastily and looked up at his face displeased.

    "I believe you did. You should have asked them if they believed in rebirth and their answer will make you aware of your lies."

    "I am not lying. How then did I die but still survive it? I woke up in the orphanage home."

    "How old were you when it happened?"

    "I was fourteen. Why?"

    "What if it was caused by time traveling?"

    "Could we not go over this again? Fine, I won''t call you a liar over iming to be a time traveller and you won''t call me a liar either. Are we good?"

    Liam chuckled making his chest vibrate slight under her head. "You win," he agreed.

    Lying on his chest, she soon fell asleep. She had no idea that she was already letting her walls fall fast.

    ***

    "I know I went too far. I will apologize to her tomorrow," Jace promised his father.

    He was not sure about why his father gave him the task to find out how strong Rose was and why his father did not stop him when it was bing excessive.

    However, he was now given the task to appease her and beg for her forgiveness when all these could have been avoided.

    "The girl is confused. She does not know what she wants yet. We will apologize when we are sure that she knows what she wants by being Queen.

    "She seems to have so many ns for vengeance against someone she knows nothing about.

    "I hope she finds out what she truly wants. I hope she ends up realizing that the safety of the people matters more than vengeance.

    "The real person she should be wary of is not even in the pce yet.

    "She is lost and it very understandable but she still needs to wake up to a lot things," Mr Hart murmured tiredly as he stared out of his window into the night sky.

    "Who killed her mother?"

    "I don''t mean the person that killed her mother but a bigger force she should be careful of.

    "I think Liam knows who the person is and he has discovered how far that person''s strength is.

    "It might lead to a really bloody war. Our main aim to ensure Rose survives it.

    "The research institute was that person''s idea."

 Chapter 214 - Liams Heart Belongs To Her

    "NO matter what decision she makes at the end, we still need to protect her. She appeared nervous. She is trying to exercise her power but she is not aware of the right way to use her power to her own advantage," Jacemented truthfully as he stared ahead.

    "You don''t have the right to make such analysis of the princess. No matter what, she is still the princess. Our loyalty lies with her. We will still have to apologize to her sincerely until she forgives us enough to make jokes.

    "She is the only direct line heir to the throne. She is the only worthy member of the southern royal family. We have to protect her as though our life depends on it because it does."

    "Why then did you leave her in the dangerous environment of the orphanage home?" Jace asked the thought he has had no choice but to ponder on for a while now since he could note with a satisfactory answer or reason.

    "She is had to grow so she could shine brighter. But I actually wonder now a days if I made the right decision to leave her there because she still a scared little cat who still needs our protection," Mr. Hart said shaking his head with a doting smile.

    "Why then did you send her to the Whitfred family when she could have been anywhere else including in our family. She could have had the opportunity to grow stronger.

    "From what I took notice while being friends with her, it was not very easy for her in the Whitfred family and she could have gotten hurt thousands of time over.

    "Why did you not send her directly to the pce or somewhere else?"

    Mr. Hart shook his head slightly. He could not understand why he son seriously wanted answers to satisfy his curiosity now after a long time.

    "I am just curious," Jace said with an innocent smile that did not fit his cold appearance.

    His father could not resist his urge to reach forward out and tousled his son''s hair with a happy smile lifting the corners of his lips.

    Jace found his father''s action very confusing but he felt warmth spread. "I know who stabbed me," Jace said to distract his father from what he was doing to appear like that warmth he felt did not exist.

    "I know you miss your brother and you me Rose for it but you should not. It will only make you appear petty. You really should not look at her like she stole your brother.

    "You brother has been head over heels for her from the moment he saw her. You should know that more than I do. I guess fate brought them together. He loved her long before he knew he was born with a responsible to protect her with his life.

    "He had long being ying that part before I found you two. He fought really hard to remain with her at the orphanage. He was very unwilling until I told him he needed power to protect her and he could not get that power in the orphanage.

    "I had to swear over and over again that I was not her enemy and that her mother was a friend of mine and he will be able to help her revenge if he leaves the orphanage. He went to B city with us because of my persuasion and that was solely for Rose.

    "All he did after going to B city was for her. The first thing he did the moment he got an opportunity to leave the house was to threaten the life of a tattooist into drawing a rose tattoo on his chest.

    "He was under-aged and I was angry because his first tattoo was supposed to be over family''s crest but then I knew that he was almost out of control and he will not listen to what I had to say. I could not tell him to clean the tattoo.

    "I could only punish him with our family''sw. The moment I saw that tattoo on him, I knew my son no longer lived his life for himself but for a woman who as far as he was a member of our family, he will never have.

    "When it was time for him to leave, I knew it was pointless to try to stop him because he was going to find a way to her no matter what I do to try to stop him. His heart was with her," his father narrated with a smile as he remembered his uncontroble elder son.

    Jace remained quiet as he listened. He could not help but feel that his father was getting old to be able to sit down with him and talk about his elder brother.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He shook his head with a frown to ward off the bad thoughts that beganing to his mind. He wanted none of what he had imagined to happen. He made up his mind to have his father go for checkup the following day no matter how his father tries to refuse.

    It might be a hard task because his father believed he was going to live long and he did not need doctors to tell him how good his body was when his body was his and not the doctors.

    "Don''t give me that look," Mr. Hart said when he noticed his son was looking at him like he was an ancient elder like those ones the kings goes to get a blessing of longevity from.

    "Oh," Jace could only say as he looked away.

    "Do you know I am good cook?" Mr. Hart asked out of the blue.

    "UH?" Jace asked with his mouth now saucer shaped.

    "We could invite your brother and his wife for dinner at our home. I really wanted to give my daughter inw food but things did not turn out right and she had to leave early.

    "Let us have a family meal. I really miss your brother''s presence around the house. He was very introverted and he was always locked up in his room. It is now I know that he was in that room making money for himself to protect her," Mr. Hart sighed tiredly.

    Seeing his father''s Jace made sure to send his father to his brother''s hospital for checkup as early as eight tomorrow morning.

    "You know what? I used to love a woman so much. In fact, I still love her so much but I feel so guilty because I could not protect her and she died when I was away only for a period. I had also failed her making her unable to trust me.

    "She turned to wrong people for help but your brother is the real man. He actually got married to her. When he was young and I asked him what his dreams were he simply told me his dream was to marry the princess and be king with her.

    "I tried to get rid of that dream from his list. I tried to set him up with different women but he did not even nce at them. Even during hising of age ceremony, it was by tradition that he could pick a woman but he sent the woman out of his room immediately.

    "They thought he was gay to refuse such a beautiful woman but he refused. I tried to be like that for the woman I loved but I needed sons to continue the line.

    "I needed sons to protect her children," Mr. Hart exined with a sadughter that sounded painful. "I even had sons for her. My son fell in love with her daughter and seeded in marrying her. He is the real man."

    His father met his gaze and smiled. He smiled and looked away. It was all for Rose even his existence. It was all for her. He could never beat the position she held in the hearts of the two men of his family.

    Fate was cruel to him. He was stabbed by the boyfriend of the only girl he has ever liked and his father was too engulfed about talking about Rose and his mighty brother did he did not show that he cared.

    "That young man, it will not be easy to handle him. Your brother knows about him and he is trying to find more information about him. The guy is not only a psychopath but he also has a secret worth uncovering.

    "Your brother will help you. We have more things to take care of you should leave that to him. Also, don''t try to be a hero like your brother.

    "You know the identity of that girl. She can never be a part of this family. You might have to order her death in the future she is the only weakness that psychopath has," Mr. Hart gave his son a heartless advise along with a gentle assuring squeeze of his shoulder.

    So his father heard him.. Now he wished his father did not hear what he said earlier or simply ignored.

 Chapter 215 - A Friend Application

    "It is a pleasure to meet you as a princess. You look prettier than when we first meet," Noah said with a broad smile as she walked to Rose.

    "Noah?" Rose asked with a simple smile to match the one she received from Noah.

    "Yes, it is me. Your highness. I am very happy to see you," Noah said sitting beside her.

    Rose stared around the cafeteria. Her guards were in their positions close to her but not too close to invade her privacy and make the other students ufortable.

    They let Noahe to her when they saw Rose nod in approval of her approach.

    "You look beautiful too," Roseplimented. She knew she was going to meet a few people she was close to in the university but she was yet to meet them yet.

    She has not seen her sister yet and she was yet to even see Eric in school yet.

    She was forced to follow a schedule because of the load of activities she had before her that she only had time to eat her lunch after lectures and no time from friendly talks with her year mates.

    She told her assistant to take care of everything and make her schedule less busy especially in the day time but she was not giving some free time rather more work activities got piled up.

    She had more responsibility. It seems her father was unhappy with the fact that she adjusted the schedule he sent that he decided to add more to her responsibilities.

    From one charity event to another. Her ankles hurt from the nights she had to dress in heels to look ssic and elegant like the wealthy princess she was.

    She watched Noah amazed and confused by the girl''s confidence. She was not close enough to sit beside her with her present status.

    "Your health, how is it?" Noah asked as she signalled for a staff toe take her order.

    "I am fine. Why do you ask?" Rose asked looking a little displeased with the question.

    She has gotten a lot better that except for the few things she was supposed to avoid, she was fine.

    The scar was still there. It was not dark colored but simply made an elevated stroke on her body.

    It was sort of reminded her asionally that she was saved by Liam and she did not need to even know how he saved her in Y city but she actually witnessed one.

    "I had to ask. Thest time I saw you, you did not look good at all. I felt it was only right that I ask. I want us to be friends," Noah made a direct offer.

    Rose''s eyshes fluttered slightly as her eyebrows also twitched very so slightly that it was easy to miss.

    Noah whose attention was fixed on the princess did not miss any of that. Her eyes took notice of the not very obvious distrust Rose''s eyes held.

    "I overheard your sister talking to her friend about how you left their family. I wish I was there for you.

    "Her friend was unhappy about it. When she began scolding your sister, your sister began shouting at her about how she was her friend and not yours.

    "I guess you know what the oue was. Her friend immediately supported her and said nothing more.

    "I know you won''t want to have a friend who can''t be of any benefit to you. I am very good at finding very important information about anyone in this school.

    "We have a group chat. It is very secured. We talk about anything and anyone on that group chat.

    "I will provide you with Intel and you will let me be your friend. If you also think I am not good enough to be your friend, you could say it so I don''t get my hopes high.

    "I really like you. I think you are a very interesting character. Could we be friends?" Noah asked with a sad smile.

    "You really don''t know how to make friends. First, you threaten me and now you think we could be friends.

    "I don''t hate you but I just don''t want people threatening me or trying to force me to make a bargain with them.

    "I will really have loved to make friends with you without all those things you said. However, saying them simply made me feel you are not trustworthy."

    Rose smiled at her in a manner that won''t make anyone watching suspicious of what was going on between them.

    "My sincere apologies your highness. I only want to help you with anything you want especially because you are princess now.

    "I have dreamt on different asions that I want my name written in history. Nothing more," she said waving her hands innocently.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Rose had no idea what to do. She did not expect Noah will ask her to for such a thing in such a manner.

    She really had no idea how to take such approach. She nodded and continued eating her meal.

    "I am sorry if I was rude. I am sincerely worried about you. Perhaps I did not let you know how I feel in the right way," Noah said sounding very sincere and sad.

    Rose nced at her but she remained silent. How many times will she have such encounters?

    This was perhaps a fate of someone from the Royal family. She could never have normal friends.

    She met Noah''s gaze after a while and smiled before taking a sip from the cup before her.

    Noah seeing that smile, concluded that she was epted. "You should really not eat here. I think a private room will be best."

    "Oh . . .," Rose said and continued eating. She did not care what they thought about her eating manners.

    She could easily have gone to a restaurant to eat but she decided to stay very close to her faculty.

    ***

    Anna watched Rose from a far as usual and immediately turned away when Rose looked towards her.

    She hated to admit the unwanted feeling she felt towards her ex-sister. She felt Rose looked tired everyday and it made her worried.

    She looked at Rose again while her friend beside her frowned. She could easily read her friend like a book.

    She could not tell this proud girl that she still loved her sister and she felt guilty every time of the day over what happened that she could not simply take her eyes off her.

    She wanted to tell her that she should go over to her and talk to her and ask her if she was sleeping and eating well.

    However, she knew that question will only make her proud friend angry and begin to ask her why she was supporting someone who hurt her.

    What her friend did not know was that she was actually worried about her. They fought a lot in highschool.

    She had also said hurtful words to Rose and she could not stop that painful and ufortable feeling of guilt that she feels every time she sees Rose.

    She wanted to go to her and ask for forgiveness over those things but she felt Rose might think she only came to apologise because of her present status.

    She will likely conclude she was doing to get something in return. She leaned forwards and took a bite of her lunch.

    Anna nced at her friend and she could not hold back a pout. She expected her friend to persuade her like always.

    She was actually looking for someone she could me and im made her talk to Rose. Since she did not get one like she expected, she decided to remain silent and watch from a far.

    ***

    ? Rose dressed in a ck dress and ck bo, stood before her mother''s grave with a bouquet of yellow tulips.

    It was almost unnecessary for her to take the flower because the ground was covered by well cultivated yellow tulips only leaving paths for people to pass through.

    She reached for the tombstone with a sad smile. This was not grand at all. Her mother''s name was engraved on therge stone along with her date of birth and death.

    Far behind her were her guards. She squatted down not caring about etiquette or her appearance as she pressed her palm against the cold stone.

    Today was her mother''s death aniversary. None of it was grand. Her grandfather was always remembered in a grand way on his death aniversaries.

    His burial ce was always visited by people who have read about him in history or those who knew him personally or benefited from any of his works.

    It was too different and in different in a sad painful way. She had carried out an analysis to estimate the day she had that ident with her mother.

    She might not be sure but from her analysis, her mother did not die the day they im she did. She died much earlier or does that mean her mother did not die in that ident?

 Chapter 216 - Close Combat Trainer

    She looked around after mopping the tears that stained her face and stood up.

    She knew for sure that her father could not be the nice person behind the well cultivated and obviously well taken care of bush of tulips.

    She thought back to the head of the Hart family and she frowned displeased remember their unpleasant meeting.

    She squatted down and ced the flowers and sighed. "I don''t know how much wrong you havemitted and I don''t care because you are my mother and I don''t care if you have done anything to deserve this.

    "I know you loved your people and that is what matters most. I will kill everyone of them. I will hurt them until they wish they were dead.

    "I want you to guard me. Help me find some clues as to what is really happening. I need evidence. I need a confirmation and a culprit or I won''t be able to do anything.

    "I wille back when I have fulfilled this promise." She turned and walked away to the road through the part.

    Walking through the part, she remembered there was someone who loved to nurture flowers to please someone.

    She could not stop the subconscious warm smile that lifted that lifted the corners of her lips since she was not even aware that her heart was making decisions without the permission of her head.

    She sat in the car with her assistant sitting in the driver''s seat. "I want to take shooting sses," she told her assistant.

    Her assistant froze surprised by the sudden request. "I will make arrangements for that and tell you when the times is right."

    "I am still waiting for the closebat teacher," Rose felt displeased to have to remind thedy of her earlier order.

    "I . . .I am sorry. I totally forgot. I will make it possible by next weekend," her assistant apologized before pressing the start button.

    "You should, I am getting impatient." Rose looked out of the window as they drove with a car behind them and another at their back.

    "I am sorry," the assistant apologized again.

    ***

    The man before her was not exactly bulky but her had obvious chest muscles and broad shoulders.

    "My name is Grey Jefferson," with a slight respectful bow of his head, the man introduced himself to Rose with a expressionless face.

    She found herself arguing mentally if he had facial paralysis or he was only expressionless.

    She stretched her hand to him for a handshake with a warm obligatory smile on her face. "It is nice to meet you, Mr. Jefferson," she said when he took her hand for a firm handshake.

    "Thank you, your highness. It is a honor to meet you," he said in a voice that made her feel he was actually familiar with her.

    "Have we met before?" she asked when she took her hands back to her side.

    "I don''t think so," the man replied.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She found his answer not direct in any way. He could have given her a direct positive or negative answer.

    "I hope we get along, Mr. Jefferson. I was told by my assistant that you help Mr. Hale manage his agency.

    "I also heard you once gave a lecture in the pce as an experienced coach. I guess I will leave my closebat skills to you."

    "Thank you," the man replied her still maintaining his expressionless countenance and toneless voice.

    She found herself concluding that he definitely suffered from face paralysis. It was obvious he felt respect towards her but she was not sure how it was obvious to her despite his appearance.

    She still continued smiling. She remembered that Liam told her he was going to send one of his most important subordinates to teach her and he wille over when he is free enough to do so to check how much she has learnt.

    After an hour of a test the man insisted on carrying out since he imed her assistant told him she had been trained before, the man stopped and looked at her.

    She wondered what he was thinking as she did not break eye contact while reaching for the bottle of water her assistant brought to her.

    She did not ask him but waited for hisment. She wasn''t confident that she had any skill after all she did not have a single energy to fight back that psychody.

    "You are way above average," after a few seconds, the manmented. "You can handle any unskilled offender very easily."

    Hearing him, she sighed. Now that she thought of it, she wondered why she did not try to attack that psychody and only thought of escaping.

    "I wille up with a n for you. We will follow it strictly and hopefully in three months, you will be ready for evaluation."

    "That fast?" Regretted asking that immediately because she felt none of them will understand why she said it since she actually thought about the fact Liam was going to do the evaluation himself.

    "Yes, I am very confident in teaching ability, your highness," the man told her. Those words showed a good amount of pride but he said it in such toneless manner that she could not find any fault in it.

    "Thank you, then," Rose replied as she took a towel from her assistant and mopped the sweat from her brow.

    "I will be back tomorrow with the n," the man told her readying himself to leave.

    "See you tomorrow then," bid him farewell as she walked to therge door of therge gym. Her grandfather used to practice fencing in this room.

    She fell on her bed as soon as she showered and changing into afortable pair of cks and sweat shirt.

    She sighed over and over tiredly. This was only the beginning. Her grandfather''s kingdom was totally against any type of ammunition held by the police or other citizens.

    Guns werepletely prohibited. This country was the dream country of her grandfather. He wanted to build it into something very peaceful.

    They had very good weapons of war but that was because he needed his people to be protected from any external harm.

 Chapter 217 - Liams Visitor

    This kingdom was always peaceful with little internal conflicts. It was the ideal country for people to run away to from their home countries just to seek haven it.

    It was like no other. Her great grandfather and grandfather both made it happen.

    Her great grandfather started it and her grandfatherpleted it but her mother ruined it by getting married to the wrong person.

    After her mother''s death, weapons and guns became so rampant. Organized crimes also took over on the street most which were started by the northerners.

    The southerners who were once gentle people had to protect themselves and their family members and they all began buying guns.

    She could not predict what could happen to her if anyone decides to shoot her death. Closebat will be very useless at that point.

    She could only hope that her enemies don''te to her with guns and snipers which was a ridiculous thing to hope for since enemies don''t care about the hopes of their victims.

    ****

    "How was your first meeting? Do you think you will be able to work well with him?" Liam asked after talking for her for a while when he called asking about her wellbeing and all.

    "I don''t think I will have any problem working with him. He just seems to be a very serious minded person," she told him sincerely.

    "Grey never smiles and besides he is there to teach you closebat and not how to smile. You are good enough but you need to work on your confidence.

    "As soon as he is done with the whole training stuff, I wille to take care of that myself, okay?"

    "Really? Openly?" she asked curiously. She felt he was only saying that because he was jealous.

    "Yes, I wille for an evaluation in order to give my most important customer the best service and ensure she got the best from my agency."

    She smiled as she stared ahead at nothing in particr. She bit her lower lips and her smile broadened mischievously.

    "Is this what you did for thest important customer?" she asked biting her lower lips afterwards as she wondered what made her ask that.

    "Yes, that is what I did," he replied smoothly. It was hard to notice theughter in his voice but it was there.

    "Bye then," she said suddenly as she reached her finger to the ear piece to double tap it.

    "That is because mypany, all that I have owned and used has always had only one important customer and that will remain that way.

    "You will always be my most important customer, okay?" he asked her softly.

    Realising what he just said, she found her finger pausing close to her airpod. She concluded that his statement was too cheesy and since she had been expecting none of that, she hung up instantly.

    Liam chuckled and nced at the door metres away which was being knocked on. He invited the person in as he turned hisrge ck leather swivel chair to face the ss window.

    "I heard you are sick," he heard a voice that sounded just like his say behind him as he heard the steady footsteps of the person approach him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am sick," Liam replied truthfully as he fixed his gaze on the reflection of the man who looked so much like him.

    "What is wrong with you?" the monotone voice of his visitor asked.

    "I don''t know. Perhaps the things are so much that I can''t begin to list them out one after the other," Liam replied.

    "I think you should rest. I will take care of everything like I have done asionally in the past," the visitor told him as he walked behind his chair and began massaging his shoulder skillfully.

    "I will leave everything to you when the timees for now, I need to do what is right so I can leave without regrets, okay?"

    "How long did that woman give you and how long did the doctor say you have?"

    "I have long exceeded my time limit. The doctor told me . . . He said . . . I don''t . . ."

    "It is okay if you don''t tell me, okay? However, I think you should tell her the truth. You should let her help you."

    Liam continued to watch the reflection of the man who looked like his reflection.

    "I can''t ept it yet. When I do, I will let her know. And what on Earth did you do to her that day at the orphanage that she thinks she was reborn?"

    The man removed his hand from his shoulder and stepped away with a guilty smile. "I guess I could note up with anything creative," the man replied.

    "You really did not. How could you make her believe all those lies?"

    "It is better than knowing the truth. You yourself, don''t know the truth. That is why you came back, right?"

    "Mmhh," Liam replied tiredly when he felt the man''s hand on his shoulder and he began massaging him again.

    "If you leave, I will take care of everything for you, okay? Including the princess. That''s an if because I know you are strong enough to survive it."

    "Yes, I am . . . I hope I am," Liam said looking down at his fingers with tired eyes.

    "Stop wallowing in self pity. You are the coolest hero the whole world will ever have. You are just so perfect. You handle things well and you have your all for the progress of this kingdom.

    "I will make that into my next book."

    "Don''t go writing funny things about us," Liam warned seriously but it was easy to sense the warmth in his voice.

    "Have you eaten?" the man who was diligently massaging his shoulder asked.

    "Yes, I have eaten. I will just take my pills for tonight and go to sleep. Are you staying up here, tonight?"

    "Yes. I want to. I am worried about you," the man replied sincerely.. "I will get you water."

 Chapter 218 - The Bosss Double

    "Yes. I want to. I am worried about you," the man replied sincerely. "I will get you water."

    Liam rxed on the swivel chair after turning it to face the door. He took a deep breath with a warm smile as he watched himself walk out of the room.

    He pulled open the drawer and picked his pills case and ced it on the table waiting for him to return.

    It was very easy for him to persuade his young self into doing a lot of things for him including warning the Queen of the impending danger she was going to face.

    He did not need to persuade his younger self to save the princess''s life because fate had nned it all.

    He smiled when the young man returned to his study and ced a ss of water in the table carefully and sat on the table watching him closely.

    All his recorded and unrecorded achievements were not achieved by him alone although most of them were his ideas but he got a lot of help from this young man.

    "Old man. You should really take care of yourself," the young man told him making him chuckle softly as he opened the pill case and took out the pills he was to take for that moment.

    "I will but it won''t make much difference. You are to protect her or you will be forced to return to save her once again and it will be a very stressful circle," Liam advices as he reached for the ss of water the man was handing over to him.

    "I will surelye back if I have to. I will but I will try not to," the young man told him with a sincere smile.

    "You look really good. I bet she won''t be able to tell us apart except that you look more bulky than I do."

    "Why not? I am younger."

    With the pills few inches away from his lips, Liam frowned when he felt an ufortable feeling crawl up his throat.

    He opened his mouth letting a metallic red substance escape his parted lips down to hisp and the table in arge Queen.

    The young man immediately went into panic mode as he got down from the table he sat on and reached for the shoulder of the older man.

    "This is bad," he said as soon as Liam passed out in his arms.

    ***

    No one was shocked by the appearance of the healthy man standing beside the bed of the almighty Mr. Hale whoid unconscious than Charlie.

    He and his best friends have worked for Liam for a while now and they had no idea that Liam had a twin brother or more like a clone.

    The only difference they could find was that the Liam lying on the bed looked older and more experienced in almost all areas of life than the man standing beside the bed looking very worried.

    He could not ask what was going on because he knew very well that the man on the bed was his boss but he could not decide how to address the other man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Despite all that, he knew that it waspulsory that he show respect to the man standing beside the bed.

    He wondered how the man had gotten into Liam''s home and study without him or anyone else noticing.

    "He needs more time, Leah," the young man who none of them knew how to address suddenly spoke after a long awkward silence after all the noise and busy activities of setting Liam on life support was over.

    Leah found words stuck in her throat. She was not the only doctor working to see that Liam was in good health, her superiors were in charge she was only asked to assist them asionally.

    When Rose was in the hospital, she oversaw Rose''s wellbeing because she was a lot easier to get along than the other doctors.

    She respected her overall boss and knew about his condition but she had no idea why the strange yet familiar young man was talking to her not to the older senior doctors in the room.

    The young man looked very pissed as his grey eyes looked frightening intense.

    "You must save his life or you will all follow him as soon he dies. I will kill every single one of you. I will bury you all along with him including all your family members none excluded."

    The coldness in his eyes was nothing like any coldness they have seen or felt.

    It looked like it was burning them over as well as sending chills down their spines and raising every single hairs on their skin.

    It was certain that he meant every single word he said and there was nothing they will be able to do to escape his clutches but the doctors knew there was nothing more they could do to save the unconscious man on the bed.

    "He can''t die. He must not," the young man said seriously. He nced at everybody in the room before he walked out of the room unhurriedly.

    The normal thing to do was to exhale since everyone of them in the room had held their breath but they could not do that until after they had concluded that he was not going to return.

    Even when they exhaled they tried not to do it loudly. Leah escaped the room to her a restroom floors below that floor.

    She exhaled loudly in the safety of the restroom and sshed cold water on her face.

    Who said Liam was scary? Whoever that young man was, he was definitely a lot more dangerous than Liam.

    She felt a psychopath vibe from him with the way he maintained a cold expressionless countenance.

    She shivered subconsciously and met the gaze of her reflection on the ss. Who that young man was, is something she could not guess the more she tried.

    Staring at her reflection on the mirror, a thought crawled into her mind.. That young man felt like Liam''s reflection but a dangerous one.

 Chapter 219 - The Slip Up

    Staring at her reflection on the mirror, a thought crawled into her mind. That young man felt like Liam''s reflection but a dangerous one.

    ***

    The training was intense, way more intense than Rose has ever thought it would be but she was pleased with it.

    She could feel herself get stronger every day with each training. The trainer was strict and almost did not care about her status when giving her assignments and other activities to do.

    She found something very weird and that was the fact that her husband has not snuck into her room as usual.

    She looked at her trainer who she hade to conclusion had facial paralysis.

    She was in the middle of punching the life out of a punch bag before her and dodged the bag when it swung towards her as she fixed her gaze on the young man.

    She walked to him despite the fact that he was only few feet away from her.

    Unstrapping the boxing gloves and throwing them on the floor she decided to interrogate him intimidatingly although she knew he will most likely not feel intimidated.

    She had her hand akimbo as she faced him meeting his eyes which held totally no emotion whatsoever.

    "Where is Liam?" she asked in a low whisper loud enough for him to hear but the others in the gym like her assistant and a few guards won''t be able to hear.

    The man who had met her gaze respectfully but not scared dropped his gaze with the question.

    She watched carefully since she expected him not to give her the answer she wanted and she nned to use every detail she could get from him.

    She had first noticed his gaze dropping from hers and she noticed him wincing ever so slightly.

    When his gaze finally met hers again, his eyes had a ssy look to them.

    Without waiting for his answer, she turned and walked out of the gym kicking the gloves she had dropped earlier in a not very elegant manner as she passed by them.

    Those around especially her assistant found that weird, this was the first time she was getting such a reaction from her boss.

    She did not hear what she Rose had asked the man but she knew from where she stood that the man did not say anything since she did not see his lips move but she noticed that he winced.

    She had marveled immediately that the man did not have facial paralysis after all and praised her boss for being able to proof that.

    However, what followed next was far from what she expected.

    Seeing her boss leave the gym in such a manner, she walked up to the man and tried to appear powerful and dominant as she met the man''s gaze.

    The moment the man looked into her eyes she felt shivers and looked down with her hands shaking on her side.

    "What . . . What . . . What did you say to the princess?" she asked the man with her voice shaky like a tall grass in the wind.

    "I said nothing," the man replied which was very true.

    She found herself feeling silly to have asked such an obvious question. She certainly could not ask him what the princess had told him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She turned with scoff and a shrug of her shoulder that clearly showed she was feigning arrogance and she walked out towards the door.

    At the door, she paused and looked back at him finally able to breathe better since she was far enough from him to run for her life.

    "You are done for today, leave!" With that said, she walked out of the door hurriedly. If she had a tail, it will most likely have been stuck between her legs.

    She headed to her boss to find out if she was alright.

    Rose had walked into her room and closed the door behind her.

    She picked her phone and began calling Liam. Her overall conclusion of the reaction she got from the trainer was sadness.

    Why will he be sad when she tried to find out about his boss?

    She had been holding back from calling him due to pride for days now since the man did not care to call her.

    She had no option now. She believed Liam was strong and it will be difficult for anything to happen to him that might make his subordinate sad.

    It had happened before and then, Liam was in the hospital unconscious.

    She knew if anyone would know about Liam, it will be one of his closest three subordinates and Gray was one of them.

    It was a good enough now that his phone was ringing and it was not out of reach.

    When he picked the call, she exhaled. She heard his deep musical voice from the other end, "Hello."

    She frowned and pulled the phone away from her ear. So, he was alive and well but he did not bother talking to her. That was cruel of him.

    She hung up and went to her bathroom to bath and wash off the sweat from working out.

    ***

    "What did you say to her?" Liam asked with a stick of cigarettes between his fingers as he watched the subordinate kneeling before him with his head bowed respectfully.

    "I said nothing to her," Gray replied feeling the hairs on his body rise as he noticed his boss''s movements.

    He really could not understand this man at all. This man was a lot more different.

    He had stayed with his boss for years and he could easily understand his mood after years.

    He could know what will happen next depending on his boss''s movements but he could not understand anything about this man and it scared him more.

    "I am sorry," he apologized as his head further bowed that he was almost kowtowing. "I must have let it slip through my reaction when she asked me about . . . about you."

    The man stood up and walked to the young man kneeling and ced his hand on Gray''s muscled shoulder.

 Chapter 220 - The Old Mans Obsession

    After a few seconds, he simply removed his hand from the young man''s shoulder and stepped back. "Get out," he said coldly before walking to his seat and sat down.

    Gray bowed before leaving the room thanking his stars that he did not get punished, at least not yet.

    He could only hope and pray that this man was just as kindhearted as his boss was to his subordinates or he did not know how he will live his life from now onward.

    Liam scratched his head tiredly and leaned against the backrest of the chair with his smart phone in his hand. He wondered why he will be so involved in a girl that after several refusal and rejection, he will still keep going back.

    That could only be done by the other Liam not him. That man was very much obsessed with the princess as well as addicted to her that he had her monitored closely and even did the monitoring himself when he had a loosed schedule.

    He knew it was his duty to look after the princess since the man from the future had set everything in ce. The man was him but he could not be the man and it pissed him off that he was given such a task of being the girl''s husband.

    He groaned lightly as he finally made up his mind to call her back. He tried once and twice but the girl left him without patience. He was not very good with human beings.

    He spent the few years while the other Liam was living as him locked up in his room underground withputers and other weapons.

    The only person hemunicated with was the man from the future who he weirdly liked and respected that he took the man as his best friend and family.

    So, trying to coax an unhappydy was not his specialtypared to handling a sniper or hacking whatever he was needed to hack and besides, he might have had a simple crush on the princess but that was more than a decade ago when he saved her life.

    He dropped his phone screen-down on the table and massaged his temple.

    If anything, he felt anger towards that princess who made someone like him use all his resources including his life to ensure that she survives and instead of trying her best to appreciate all his efforts, she simply pushed him away.

    Such a thing was annoying ¨C watching himself trying every day to win her heart without sess. Perhaps, doing it himself would have felt very normal and would have all been in the name of love but watching it as a third person, pissed him off.

    It was like watching oneself suffer in such manner without making progress. He was lucky the old man came to change the future or he would have lived miserably just like the man lived in the name of love after losing the woman he loved most.

    He knew it was him and he would most likely have ended up that way.

    Now, he has been assigned to still look after the princess and he knew he could not make a single mistake because he will be forced to live in guilt which might force him to still seek away to travel to the past to correct that mistake. And he dreaded the thought of living like that old man.

    He remembered asking him how he was able to make time travelling which was impossible achievable, the old man refused to tell him anything except that he was given a certain time by a woman who worked with him to make it happen.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ****

    Rose red at the phone on the vanity table and returned her gaze to the mirror which had her adjusting her gaze when she saw what she looked like in the mirror.

    She was angry with him and refused to pick his call, shouldn''t he keep trying to call her? But he did not. He only tried twice, only twice for goodness sake. Did he think calling twice was enough to cajole her?

    She applied a lip gloss on her lips before standing up. She picked her phone deciding to give up on waiting for his call as she was going to school. She waited almost all through the night for his call or his visit.

    Sitting in the car on her way to school, she pulled her phone out from her bag and blocked his number with the aim of not waiting for his call since his number was blocked.

    She was receiving lectures when she nced at her bag and tried to reach for it subconsciously. She felt that her phone was in silence and since he seeded once to unblock his number in her phone. He would have done it again and called her.

    She stopped that movement and ced her hand on her book but that did notst for long as she reached for her bag again and pulled out her phone. She found out that he had indeed called her.

    He left ten missed calls. She smiled and returned her phone into her bag making sure to wait until it gets to thirty before she picks his call.

    ****

    Liam looked at the screen of his phone as he sat in his office while facing the world outside the transparent ceiling to floor window of his office.

    He was forced to wonder how Liam coped with her for so long. He wondered what made her so arrogant when she should be grateful that she finally got recognized as a princess thanks to his help.

    He decided to find a way to meet her. However, he was not going to sneak into her room like the old man did.

    He called Gray over to his office. "Bring the princess to the private room of any restaurant by dinner time. Make it happen wisely," he ordered his subordinate.

    He was not sure how the guy was going to make that happen but he trusted his closest subordinates after all they grew up together and he knew that Gray was not all muscles but he had brains.

    All the things to be considered before choosing the restaurant and the way to bring the princess over without making it look like she got kidnapped had to be taking into note.

 Chapter 221 - He Sent Only A Message

    All the things to be considered before choosing the restaurant and the way to bring the princess over without making it look like she got kidnapped had to be taking into note.

    Gray went to her house which was weird since he did not have any training session with her that day and they did not have any close personal rtionship.

    Rose was in her study waiting for the assignment she just finished to all get printed out with her back resting on the backrest of the chair in a tired inelegant manner while ncing frequently at her phone.

    When she heard a soft knock on door of her study, she sat up with her back straight and she subconsciously reached towards the keyboard of herptop.

    "Your highness, your trainer, Mr Jefferson came to see you. Should we let him in?" her assistant asked.

    She turned and looked at thedy confused at first but remembering their rtionship was not only that of a trainer and trainee but he was also her husband''s closest subordinate, she smiled and nodded.

    Her assistant remained her spot while looking at her with a nk expression not giving away what she was thinking.

    "Yes, let him in. Bring him here to the study," she was forced to state it out word for word with the way thedy stared at her.

    The assistant looked unsure of what she heard perhaps because she has not received any visitor in her study.

    "You heard me," she had to say to cement her order on the mind of her assistant.

    "I will bring him over immediately," the assistant epted the order and left closing the door gently behind her.

    Rose looked at the screen of herptop as her mind began running wild. She thought of different absurd possibilities that could bring him to visit her without prior information or invitation.

    Waiting for the man took only some minutes considering howrge her pce was but she felt like it was eternity and it took her a lot of self restraint to stand up and go to him herself.

    When gentle knock that came before she ordered him toe in had her heart beating fast. What did Liam have in store for her that made him send his subordinate?

    Perhaps he had a big surprise for her or he wanted to tell her something great?

    When the man entered the study and bowed slightly to him, she waved off the guards that followed him in.

    "Your highness . . ." her assistant began but she simply waved her off.

    "Sit down," she offered him a seat while trying hard not to act based on the amount of adrenaline surging through her veins.

    "Thank you, Your highness," he appreciated with a slight bow before sitting as she ordered him to.

    "What must have brought you here must be of great importance, right?" she asked him while ncing at the screen of herptop and asionally tapping on the keyboard.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, your highness," he replied her easily.

    She could not hold back the smile that lifted the corner of her lips but she still nced at the screen of herptop as though not giving his words great importance.

    "So, what is it? I am very busy, right now," she told him as she licked on an irrelevant icon on the screen of herptop.

    "My boss wants to have dinner with you," he replied.

    Her hand on the mouse froze. She raised her head to look at him as anger slowly brewed from within and she tried hard not to lift the book close to her and fling it without caring about where itnds.

    He ignores her call for all these while and instead of sneaking under her covers and embracing her while sweet talking her into forgiving him, he sent his subordinate to invite her over.

    She could not hold back an inelegant puff before standing up. "Tell him, I have no intention of talking to him anytime soon and that is because . . . If he wants the reason then he might as well find me himself," she ordered him to ry the message to his boss.

    She closed herptop in a hard manner that will have you pitying her innocentptop before she stood up and pushed her chair back.

    "We are done talking you can go," she told him without pausing or ncing back as she stormed to the door.

    She paused in front of the door and inhaled deeply while counting one to ten. Afterwards, she opened the door with a gentle expression and nodded to the guard at the door who bowed at her.

    She entered her room and went to the bathroom closing the door of the bathroom with the intention of making it give a satisfyingly loud bang but the door slowed and closed.

    She nced at the door and scoffed before walking to the sink. After sshing water on her face, she took deep breaths while leaning on the sink.

    ***

    Liam frowned when he heard Grey''s report but he said nothing as he continued reading the article on the screen of his phone.

    Charles on the side with his tablet, bowed his head thoughtfully. The article was a serious issue and he wondered how this man was going to take care of it.

    His boss will simply ignore it but he was anxious to know how this man will react.

    "Get the reporter brought to my basement," Liam replied as he pressed the power button of his phone and ced it screen down on the table.

    Charles inhaled deeply. He felt the hairs all over his body rise at the thought of what will before the person who was unlucky enough to release the article with the pictures that apanied it.

    Reporters were not bold enough to upload such a thing about his boss already a few ignorant ones were lucky enough due to his boss'' busy schedule but whoever this reporter was, he chose the wrong time to mess with his boss.

 Chapter 222 - Reading The News

    Reporters were not bold enough to upload such a thing about his boss already a few ignorant ones were lucky enough due to his boss'' busy schedule but whoever this reporter was, he chose the wrong time to mess with his boss.

    ***

    Furrowed her brow with her gaze fixed on her phone.

    "Are you alright?" Noah asked as she tried to peep at the phone.

    Rose moved the phone away and smiled tightly. "I am alright," she replied with a slight nod.

    Turning slightly away from Noah, she looked at the short video and her grip on her phone tightened.

    What if the person she spoke to was not her husband and rather her husband was the man rushed into the hospital?

    She texted carl, ''I want you to help me find my husband''s location''.

    ''It was on the news that he went to work today because of the article that was written about him that he was unconscious,'' he replied her text.

    ''Where does he stay presently?''

    ''I will find that out immediately.''

    She waited impatiently tapping her fingers on the desk but she got no reply. She waspletely out of it as she finished her lunch and went for her lectures.

    She was having an introductory ss with Mrs. Smith who was the Queen''s designer and her lecturer.

    When the text did note, she got up pushing back her chair with a loud noise that had the whole ss turning towards her.

    She picked her things haphazardly and dumped them in her bag. What if the person in the news is a fake?

    She had strong doubts that it was possible for anyone to y the role of her husband in hispany without getting caught but she wanted to see it for herself.

    "Are you alright?" the lecturer asked as she had to stop her lecture with all her students'' attention on the princess.

    "I am sorry," Rose apologized hurriedly with a slight bow before running out of the lecture hall.

    Her guards followed closely behind her but as soon as she got to the road, she hailed a taxi and drove off before her assistant was able to open the door to go with her.

    She had everyone thinking about what was wrong to have made her act of out her character and status as princess.

    Rose paid the taxi driver and did not bother to collect her change before closing the door hard and stormed into the head quarters of Hale''spany.

    "Good day, how can I help you?" the pretty nice receptionist asked as soon as she got to the counter.

    "Tell your boss that I want to see him," she said seriously as she mopped her forehead with her handkerchief.

    "If you have any information for him, we could get it to the customer care. Not just anyone can meet with our boss to makeins," The receptionist replied trying hard to be nice to the pretty girl before her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Call him now. Call Liam toe down here immediately," she told the receptionist as she waspletely running out of patience.

    The girl calling her boss by his name had her finally understanding that the girl wanted to see her overall boss which had her furrowing her brow.

    "Sit down, I will look into it," the receptionist told her as she decided to be very careful.

    This girl could be of very high status and could also be one of those many people who are trying their best to get to the overall boss but she has never seen anyone this bold.

    The girl was dressed in a simple manner but as someone who has seen a lot people while doing her job, she knew that everything she wore could be as much as her annual sry including all her bonuses.

    She gulped and called the security team. The girl had spoken quietly that the other receptionists beside her did not hear her.

    She nced at the girl who moved away but did not sit down as she told her to. As she kept her gaze on the delicate features of the girl, she noticed the resemnce.

    She immediately called one of the boss''s secretary. "I think the princess Rosaline is here to see our boss," she whispered loud enough for the woman on the other side to hear her.

    "Why will . . . The boss is in the conference room. He has been in there for a while and we have absolutely no idea when the meeting will be over. It is taking longer than expected," the secretary replied.

    "It is really the princess with her hair just like thete Queen''s hair," the receptionist tried to persuade her.

    "Don''t you know that the hair color is trending among teenage fans of the princess?"

    "I . . ." the receptionist became very unsure of what she was sure of only a few minutes ago. "I guess I was wrong."

    "I am busy. I will get back to my work now," the secretary told the receptionist before she hung up.

    Looking at the girl now, the receptionist concluded that she was just one of the princess'' fans.

    She continued with her work and ignored the girl who was standing and waiting for her.

    The security team had their gazes on her since she was not causing any trouble.

    Rose nced at her wristwatch. The more time that passed got her more anxious to confirm who it was.

    She went back to the receptionist, "Have you called them?"

    "The boss is very busy, you should go ande back some other time," the receptionist replied nicely.

    Rose scoffed pulled out her phone. She dialed his number but he was unavable to pick her call.

    Gray stood afar watching Rose as he also tried to call his boss and Charles but none of them were avable.

    He came over as soon as his men watching Rose told him she ran to thepany''s head quarter.. He sent a text to them but none of them were free enough to read his text.

 Chapter 223 - The Noticeable Aura

    He came over as soon as his men watching Rose told him she ran to thepany''s head quarter. He sent a text to them but none of them was free enough to read his text.

    The receptionist soon noticed that the girl was getting the attention of a lot from people passing by including employees.

    She also stared at the girl and moved her gaze around to discover Mr. Jefferson was also staring at the girl.

    Rose tapped her foot on the tiles and inhaled deeply. She nced at the door to see Jace walk in with some of his guards.

    At least she was not the only person who believed the article had truth in it.

    Liam on a normal day will never take such an article seriously but for him toe to work the following Monday concludes that he does.

    She hurried over to Jace and a guard blocked her path with his huge muscled frame.

    She frowned feeling a strong urge to kick the guy but stopped when she noticed people were looking at her.

    "Jace," she called hoping the guy does not take his anger and beef with her and his brother to a whole other level by snobbing her.

    "Let her," Jace''s voice came from behind the bulky guard.

    The guard stepped aside and she walked to him and began walking with him when he continued towards the elevator.

    "Did you believe the article?" she asked him when a guard from Liam''spany led them into the VIP elevator.

    The receptionist took a deep breath and exhaled with her hand on her chest as she thanked her stars that she did not offend the princess because for her to walk with the Hart family''s heir, she had to be of a high position in the society.

    "What article?"

    "Don''t act like you don''t know because worry is written all over your face. I tried not to take it seriously but when I heard the news carried the fact that he came to work today, I felt like something was wrong."

    ". . ." Jace maintained his obtained cold countenance.

    "We will be able to figure it all out because after all, no one could pretend to his wife and brother," Rose encouraged herself with a serious and sigh.

    "I only came here for a business meeting," Jace coldly replied after a short while and stepped out of the elevator.

    She red at his departing back and scoffed. She knew very well that the twopanies were said to not do any business at all with each other.

    A secretary weed them on the top floor where the boss''s office was and when she recognized the person beside her boss'' brother, she froze and bowed stiffly.

    Their minds were too upied with Jace wondering why his brother suddenly wanted to do business with them and Rose looked around looking for Liam''s office.

    "The boss is in the conference room on the floor below, he will be back soon. You don''t mind waiting, right?" the secretary asked smiling sweetly at Jace.

    Jace inhaled deeply and nodded.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Pleasee with me," the secretary invited them.

    Rose was not having any of that. She had already been seening into thepany and that was enough for people to talk and imagine things.

    Getting seen by his employees did not make any difference. She left the secretary, Jace and his guards to try to find her way to the floor they said he was.

    When she got to the floor through the stairs, she found the conference which was easy considering the sign above.

    She opened the door quietly and peeped in. The room was dimly lit by the light that came from arge screen and a young man was making a presentation in front of some of people.

    That young man was not her husband and she tried to fish him out among the dozens of formally dressed men and women.

    She soon found him where he sat down in the middle row just next to the passage. She swallowed as heart began to race.

    He looked like the real boss among the many executives and high positioned people in the hall.

    It was not bright enough for her to see his face well but the aura that sorrounded him was not hard to be noticed.

    She was anxious for the meeting toe to an end. She closed the door quietly and waited beside the door not caring about the people that passed by.

    When she wanted to use the restroom, she left. When she saw her reflection on therge mirror, she was taken aback.

    She looked tired and her hair was out of the style they spent a good time of the morning trying to style it.

    She rubbed it down and pushed back a few strands that had gotten out of the style and applied a lip gloss on her lips.

    She adjusted her blouse before she left the washroom. Getting to the conference room, the door was opened and Liam stepped out of the door followed directly behind by two bulky men in ck suit and then by the other executives.

    "Liam," she called him quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

    As soon as his grey eyes met hers, she felt her body freeze like a block of eyes and her heart raced fast.

    This was her husband. She smiled and continued towards him. "I called you multiple times but you were too busy to pick my call," she told him seriously.

    "I am sorry," he apologized.

    Hearing their boss apologize, those who had stepped out of the conference room, tried all they could to see who must have earned an apology from the boss and when they saw who it was, they turned away and pretended not to see.

    Liam led her to the top floor and waved off the secretary who came to tell him his brother was around.

    Inside his office, the warmth in his eyes disappeared and she felt the hairs on her body rise.. She swallowed as she felt a strong temptation to run away.

 Chapter 224 - The Counterfeit?

    Inside his office, the warmth in his eyes disappeared and she felt the hairs on her body rise. She swallowed as she felt a strong temptation to run away.

    "Why did youe here?" He asked very seriously.

    "To see you," she replied as she made herself asfortable as anyone can be in a situation where you don''t know what could befall you especially alone with a hot and dangerous man like Liam.

    He walked to the sofa she sat on and sat down beside her. "Did you reallye here for that alone?" He inquired sounding like he was interrogating a criminal.

    "Yes, does a woman have to give a reason foring to visit her husband," she asked as she felt anger brewing underneath the fear that crawled on her skin like bugs.

    "A woman might not have a reason to do so but a woman like ispletely different. You need an important reason toe to my office without a disguise," he replied her sternly.

    "Are you angry I came to check on you?" she asked with a slight scoff. "Fine, I saw the article and I wanted to confirm if you were really my husband and right now, I am a hundred percent convinced that you are not Liam, you are really a counterfeit," she told him before standing up and grabbed her bag.

    He took a few seconds to make a decision as he watched her storm off to the door of his office.

    He caught her wrist as soon as she tried to open the door. She struggled to release he wrist from his grip and he released her wrist but wrapped hi hand around her waist.

    "Calm down your majesty," he whispered in a deep musical voice that had her shivering involuntarily.

    "Let go," she warned him although she knew no one had such effect on her body like her husband.

    "I made you angry, why should I let go then?" he asked with his hot breath blowing against the sensitive skin of her ear.

    "You are not Liam," she told him directly.

    He chuckled in the low deep musical way she was used to with his chest vibrating slightly against her back. "Then I might change my name to Rosaline''s husband if you don''t like the name Liam."

    She could not fight back the smile that lifted the corners of her lips. "What about the article? Were you really sick?" she asked worriedly.

    Liam sighed thinking about how he was lucky enough to get this over with but he was sure that a clone will never be able to do this well.

    "Yes, I was sick but I am fine now, I almost died and when I left the hospital, I had to face my work and take care of all the things I missed in my absence," he told her.

    He ced a gentle kiss on her neck and opened his lips and sucked on that part of her neck.

    "Stop," she moaned before pulling away from his embrace thanks to a lot of mental effort exerted. She looked into the heated gaze of his grey eyes as she took note of all the familiar things about him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I have a room here, do you want us to go in there?" he asked as he took her hand in his grip.

    She was forced to look down as she could not stand the fact that he was looking at her like he literally undressing her with his eyes.

    "I will wait for you there while you go on with your work. I will go home with you today," she told him seriously.

    Liam gulped as he wondered why she was still obviously being skeptical about him being himself or perhaps she really just wanted to spend time with him.

    "Come here, my Queen," he said taking her hand in his and took her to the hidden room.

    The room was filled with only three colors which were, ck, white, and grey. The walls, bedsheets, curtains, rug, and the other furniture and stuff all had one orbinations of those colors.

    It gave her a calming feeling with its elegant and luxurious vibe like a 5 star hotel room. "Make yourselffortable," he told her when they walked into the room and he closed the door behind him.

    She smiled and nodded. "I am very tired, I will take a nap while you take care of your things. You can also help me handle the Royal guards and my father," she told him tiredly.

    "Are you rebelling against your father?" he asked seriously.

    "Yes, if that is what you choose to call it. You promised to clean my mess, so please fulfill your promise. I know I will think back at this and wonder why I did what I did but for now, let me rest my aching body," she informed him sincerely.

    She dragged her body to the bed and she slept almost immediately her head touched the pillow.

    Liam walked to the bed and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear before covering her well in the nket and ced a kissed her lips.

    He looked at his wrist watch when he sat down on her be before pulling out his phone.

    The girl sleeping had no idea of the amount of trouble and mess she has created for him to clean. He sighed softly.

    When his phone began ringing with a a call from Jace, he was forced to stand up. At the door, he paused and nced back at her sleeping figure before walking out and closing the door behind him.

    When the door closed, she opened her eyes and sat up. She frowned thoughtfully.

    There was something definitely different about this man. She was not sure of what it was but that suspicion was left in her mind.

    After thinking fruitlessly for a few minutes, she shook her head and gave up with the conclusion that perhaps it was because he changed his scent because everything else felt familiar.

 Chapter 225 - A Whole New Feeling And Beginning

    After thinking fruitlessly for a few minutes, she shook her head and gave up with the conclusion that perhaps it was because he changed his scent because everything else felt familiar.

    ****

    She woke up in his warm embrace when her phone rang from her bag wherever she dropped it. She did not leave his arms but rather snuggled into his embrace and pressed her face against his body.

    His embrace was like drug she was deprived of for a few days despite her addiction to that drug. The moment she got it, she did not hesitate to enjoy as much as she could.

    "You should wake up," his hot deep voice advised her.

    She shook her head against his chest and pressed her face against his chest with a sigh.

    "It iste and you should not be out of the pce for too long. I had people watch what they say about your visit here," he told her seriously.

    "Mhhmnhh," she murmured. "Let them talk. I am not keeping our rtionship secret anymore. You promised to help me clean my mess, you should do that while I unt the fact that I am dating you."

    "Why not married?" he asked without taking most part of the statement seriously.

    "Married, is a bit too extreme considering my age. We could make it knownter," she replied him. "But from now onwards, that fake fianc¨¦e of yours is not needed."

    "Don''t you think it will be a smear on your reputation? You are supposed to behave ideally," he reminded her.

    "Where is the person who told me to behave like myself and he will be there to take care of it for me?"

    He chuckled softly and pat her head gently. He closed her inhaled, she really smelt nice and beautiful just like a garden.

    "Your fake fianc¨¦e might not take the break up easily so you should get ready for some objection," she advised him.

    "My men are well trained to handle any matter, you can trust them to do a good job handling this for us," he told her tiredly as he blinked his eyes sleepily.

    Rose closed her eyes and sighed, life was short and she saw no reason not to enjoy the moment she had with Liam which she prayed willst for as long as she would.

    At this point, she has chosen to let the world know about her rtionship with Liam and she was not sure how things will unfold.

    She was still cautious since that little voice in her head did not stop to warn her that her father loved her mother and they got together despite the objections of the majority and she could easily end that way.

    Unlike before, she pushed that voice to the back of head and suppressed it as much as she could deciding to give this man a chance.

    When she got scared that he might have been dead as the article said and reced by someone else, she felt a strong desire to stay with him for as much as she could and let him into her life.

    "The article," she began in a low murmur. "I believed it at first. I thought you were really dead and med myself for seeing that you were ill. Next time, if you feel ill or ufortable, don''t hesitate to call me. That is what married people do."<novelnext></novelnext>

    She got no reply from him and moved away to see his face. His eyes were closed and he was sleeping.

    She shook her head with a doting smile. "He wanted me to wake and he fell asleep."

    It was dark when the sleeping duo woke up. Rose sat on the bed and ran her hand through her hair.

    "We slept a lot," she said before standing up.

    He wore his suit jacket and adjusted his hair. "I must have been very tired."

    "It is good to rest sometimes in the daytime. Your bed is also veryfortable, I fell asleep before I realized," she told him with a smile.

    "I will wait for you out there. I had them bring some clothes for you, they are on that chair. The restroom is also there," he informed her and left after pointing at a chair then a door.

    It took her half an hour to freshen up her appearance. He was sitting on one of the sofa in his office when she went into his office.

    "Do you stay here a lot?" she asked him trying not to make her question sound serious and too inquisitive.

    ". . ." He remained silent for a while fixing his gaze on her.

    She decided to pretend she did not ask him. "We should leave now, I am sure my assistant is worried about me," she told him as she began walking towards the door.

    "I stay here a lot," he suddenly answered her earlier asked question.

    "Oh . . ." was all she could say since she could note up with what to say since she did not expect him to answer her question.

    He stood up and walked to her with a very handsome smile that had people calling him the hottest bachelor and also the most sort after.

    She wondered how a lot of singledies having a crush on him will react when the find out that he is no longer a bachelor but her husband.

    If it was when she had a crush on him, she would definitely have cried herself to sleep or spend hours reminding herself that he was not the only man in the world.

    If felt good that she was not under the category of the heart broken single women.

    When he got to her, he stretched his hand to her and she took it returning his smile.

    Rose did not stress over everything anymore as she walked out of his office with a whole new yet familiar feeling in her heart.

    The feeling of belongingness could not be feigned.. It gave her a strange yet beautiful feeling that she was able to do anything and this man will shield her as promised.

 Chapter 226 - Regrets

    The feeling of belongingness could not be feigned. It gave her a strange yet beautiful feeling that she was able to do anything and this man will shield her as promised.

    She nced at him with a sweet smile. "How about we go out through the front door not the underground parking lot?" She asked him just before his finger pressed the button that will take them to the parking lot with the elevator.

    He turned to her with his brow slightly furrowed. "You are . . ." He began but stopped and pressed the button to take them to the ground floor.

    He has barely started cleaning the first mess she made but she was proudly and fearlessly making more mess for him.

    Seeing the bright smile lifting the corners of her lips and the brightening of her hazel eyes, he was forced to ept her decision despite how much he lied to himself that he would not.

    She held his hand before stepping out of the elevator. He nced at the ce he felt warmth where their hands joined together and his thoughts went to how much their destiny had been tied together.

    He was not one to believe in destiny but today told him otherwise. He thought of how his heart stopped when he heard her call him a fake, a counterfeit. Was he really a counterfeit?

    She nced back at him as she walked to his car in front of thepany and smiled. "I don''t know why but this feels really good."

    "Hmm," was all she heard him say.

    The night was cold that she felt a the hairs on her body rise but that did not in anyway quench her excitement.

    She could see a few paparazzi but instead of feeling the need to hide, she felt the need to show off and she nced down at their joined hands.

    ***

    When she stepped within the walls of her room, she inhaled and ran into the bathroom like a dashing squirrel.

    She huffed and puffed while fixing her gaze on her reflection on the mirror. She sshed cold water on her face and red at her reflection in the mirror again.

    "Why did you do it?" she asked between clinched teeth.

    Feeling a strong urge to scream, she did not hesitate as she screamed as loud as her lungs could enable her.

    She saw a figure appear in the mirror and gasped with her hand on her chest and her lips parted.

    She closed her eyes and rubbed her hand over her eyes gently to perhaps get rid of the image she saw as she tried to conclude that it was only an illusion.

    She opened her eyes again and the figure became the reflection of an individual. She turned to see one of the cleaners with her brush in the bathroom.

    "What the . . . Oh goodness," she said and exhaled. "What are you doing here?" she asked the youngdy as she felt heat rise to her face.

    "I came in to clean," thedy replied with an obvious answer. "I will leave now, your highness," thedy told her with a bow and walked out of the room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She huffed closing her eyes with her fist clenched. She felt a stronger urge to scream but this time, she suppressed it and walked out the bathroom.

    This was terrible how many unruly behaviors has she exhibited in just twenty four hours.

    She walked out of ss like she was pursed by a snake and could not control herself like a drug addict when she met him.

    She fearlessly announced her rtionship to the whole world in only a few actions.

    Then she felt like her thoughts were working for her benefit but at the end of the show, she concluded that it was all her thoughtless actions or judgements made by her thoughts clouded by her hormones.

    She picked her phone and looked at it to call Liam and take back what she said about not needing it to be covered up for her.

    Her phone began ringing with the caller''s ID indicating that it was her father, the king.

    She took a deep breath after clearing her throat before she picked the call.

    "What did you do? I told you to keep it quiet but then you go and announce to the whole world that you married him?" her father asked angrily.

    "No, it had nothing to do with the marriage, it was all about me being a teenager in a rtionship like every other teenager," she replied him firmly but respectfully enough since she was talking to the king.

    "You are a princess and not like every other teenager. You are expected and required to live the life of an idol only showing the good side of you to the public. You are to remain without a tarnished image," he scolded her seriously.

    Hearing the obvious anger in his voice, she bit her lower lips and winced. What have she gotten herself into?

    "My image is not tarnished, I only made a mistake and we can take care of it," she replied him calmly.

    "You can not make a sessful attempt to change the public opinion of what you did. It is all over the news. There are dozens of articles on it."

    "I had to talk to him about the article I saw. I have not being allowed to see my husband for days now and then I hear that he was reced by someone else.

    "Do you think I could sit still without going to find out the truth? I am sorry that I did not do it wisely," she apologized sincerely.

    He cleared his throat on the other end. "I think it has gone out of our control and we can tell the council that you made it that way so it could solidify your eptance of the southerner," he told her seriously.

    "What about the other man?"

    "You have to keep seeing him persuade the council that you are on their side," he ordered her seriously.

 Chapter 227 - Do I Have Your Support?

    "You have to keep seeing to him persuade the council that you are on their side," he ordered her seriously.

    "When do I get the opportunity to meet them, I guess it is high time I pay a visit to the council as the princess," she told him seriously.

    "I will ask them. They have to pick a day suitable for that. You should also be patient about meeting them. It will get harder to meet them now that you have done against their will."

    She smiled softly and sighed helplessly. "I am the princess and I don''t need their approval to rule. They are not the only people who benefits directly from the Royal family.

    "Do you know the support I will get from the Southerners with the rtionship I have with Mr. Hale and the Hart family?

    "Without the support from the Royal council and with the support of the many rich and powerful families in both the south and the north, nothing can obstruct my path to my reign as Queen.

    "Don''t you think so, father?"

    The king sighed on the other end.

    Her smile brightened. "I know the members of the council are all among the richest zero point one percent of the poption but that does not mean I don''t have dozens more I could persuade and channel down to the richest one percent before I get to the hearts of the poorest of them.

    "My mother might have been tagged a traitor but I am not her daughter alone but the grand daughter of the greatest king of all times and the daughter of the great king on the throne.

    "I have your support and the support of my grandfather watching me from above, what do I fear?"

    "You should really not be an egotist, it is not a good image for a Queen," her father advised her firmly from the other end that she could almost see that he was frowning with his eyes narrowed and his lips now pressed together as he waited for her response.

    She shook her head. "I am definitely not egotistical. I was only trying to encourage myself since I know fully well that the road will be hard."

    "I am d you know that."

    "But father, do you really support me? Do I really have your support?" she asked softly with uncertainty resonating in her voice.

    She heard him clear his throat on the other end and exhaled softly. "You should believe that I have given you my full support and I will help you get the throne as long as I am alive," he promised her.

    The sincerity she heard in his voice had her smiling again as she looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you father," she appreciated.

    "You should sleep. It iste," he advised and hung up before she could reply him.

    She sighed before lying down on her bed with her eyes fixed on the painting on the ceiling that showcased the very unique almost out of this world''s ability and talent of the painter.

    It narrated a simply story in a beautiful, elegant and magnificent manner. She had to be Queen but so many obstacles on the way.

    Her phone beeped when she lost herself to the thoughts of what her position was at the moment.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She picked her phone to see a notification. Tapping on it, she opened the message Liam sent to her and it was simply wishing her a good night.

    The simple message worked like magic on her. She fell asleep with a small smile slightly lifting the corners of her lips without caring to carry out her nighttime rituals.

    She might have slept half of the day but the mental stress she went through after realizing how big the mess she created was, took her away to a rxing Dreand.

    ***

    She woke up to bigger headache as she read the articles written on what happened in less than twenty-four hours.

    She pinched the bridge of her nose and ced the phone down to take a sip from her cup of tea.

    "Your highness, you should really not sleep without your night routine. It will affect your skin," her assistant gave her mini-scolding trying her best to sound as serious as she could as well as respectful.

    She nced at her assistant with a nk expression and picked her phone up again. "I want to do an interview with the right reporter," she told her assistant seriously.

    "If it is about the articles, I was informed by the king''s secretary that you should leave it be as they will help with the trimming to prevent rude and inappropriate contents. Apart from that, he wants me to leave them be."

    "I know, I spoke to the king yesterday but I also want to rify something," she replied seriously.

    From the articles she has read this morning, she knew they were not trimming anything as the issue had overgrown.

    How dare they call her a third wheel in the rtionship between Mr. Hale and the beautiful northern heiress?

    She was foaming right now. She was definitely not a third wheel. She was not just watching on the side but she was Mrs. Hale, right in the center of it all.

    "Your highness, we should listen to the pce''s order," her assistant warned her subtly.

    "Are you trying to give me orders now?" she asked calmly as she reached towards the table to ce her phone down and take another sip from her hot cup of tea.

    "Your highness, I will never do that. I am sorry to have made you feel that way," her assistant immediately apologized with a deep bow.

    She smiled and ced her cup on the saucer calmly. "I will love to do the interviewtest by tomorrow," she told her assistant before standing up.

    "I will do that right away, your highness," her assistant replied although not sure of what she was doing.

    "It will not be difficult to find one after all a lot of people want to talk to me and ask questions.. You can easily find the suitable one."

 Chapter 228 - Mrs Smith!!!

    "It will not be difficult to find one after all a lot of people want to talk to me and ask questions. You can easily find a suitable reporter."

    She went to school two hours before her scheduled ss. She went along with her assistant and her guards to Mrs. Smith''s office.

    She entered alone the woman''s secretary invited them into her office. Mrs. Smith was dressed in a simple but elegant zer and skirt that held more fashion sense in it than someone will notice at first nce.

    The woman removed her reading sses and stood up from the seat she sat down on behind a ck table. She bowed her head slightly and smiled.

    "Please do make yourselffortable," the woman told her in a very weing tone.

    She returned her smile and say down on the leather chair in front of the desk. "I . . ." she began to apologize to the woman for her disrespectful act of storming out of the ss.

    A lot of students found it disrespectful since their schools has always been known as a school that portrayed royalty and elegance.

    She read it on the group chat and she was disturbed by it but she felt the need to apologize after all what she did was wrong.

    "You are very talented," the woman interrupted her before sitting down on the chair she stood up from behind the desk.

    "Thank you," she appreciated with as much humility as won''t be excessive or pretentious.

    "You are the only student that made me remain here. I have longed for retirement for while now so I could own a fashion brand and invest my time and energy into it but I heard you wereing here and I knew that you might be the reason I will feel proud of my years as lecturer here in this university."

    "I don''t think so Mrs. Smith. I have heard of some important fashion superstars that were your students. I dare not put myself in the same category with them," she replied.

    Mrs. Smith smiled fondly and leaned her back on the back rest of the chair. "Do you want coffee?"

    "No, thank you. I came here to . . ."

    "Do you want to be my apprentice and not just a student in this department?"

    "Thank you for such an unmerited offer but I am not interested. We are not interested in designing the same type of clothes."

    "That is right, I am old fashioned but I am still one of the most important fashion designers in the world. I am the Queen''s designer and learning as my apprentice will definitely not be to your disadvantages."

    She smiled respectfully and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer. I can not reject my foster mother''s offer and ept the offer of a stranger. That is not loyalty," she informed the woman trying to be as nice she could.

    Then, this woman was a part of her n but she has been sent back to the pce and she closer to finding the truth about her mother than ever before.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She stood up and gave the woman a very slight bow of her head that was almost equal to a nod. "I am sorry about what I did. I should never have left your ss the way I did."

    Being able to aplish her mission, she turned to leave the woman''s office after giving her a smile.

    She did not care if the woman was willing to listen to her apology or epting.

    When she was done apologizing, all she wanted to do was leave the ce as fast as she could.

    "You are royalty you must not bow to anyone for any reason. I don''t deserve your apology either.

    "The fact that you lived away from the pce most of your life, does not mean you should bow to anyone.

    "You should mold your heart into one that is strong enough to protect us. You think bing queen is all about wearing the heavy crown upon your head and sitting on that throne with the words ''queen'' written before your name but you are wrong because it is much more than that.

    "You are holding the lives of thousands even millions of people in your palm which means a slight unnecessary or unnned movement could cost you the lives of your innocent citizens."

    She felt a strong urge to scoff at what the woman just said. As much as it sounded like a good motivation, it also sounded like the woman really wanted to get involved in her business and life.

    That was aplete red light. "I am fine, Mrs. Smith. You have no right to speak to me in the way you just did."

    "Your mother made that mistake and it cost her life I wonder what this will take from you if you make the same mistake she made."

    She was losing her self control as she met the woman''s gaze. No one had the right to talk to her about her mother''s reign especially a northerners.

    "You should not say those words to me," she warned calmly but made sure it sounded as much of threat as it could.

    "As a citizen of this great country and kingdom, I have every right to do so.

    "You might be wondering why I am speaking this way to you especially when I am a northerners but what you don''t know or have forgotten is that I am the Queen''s designer and I have been in around the pce long enough to know a lot of things.

    "You should watch your back well. That man you''re with, he is the most the dangerous man in this kingdom and it will be a miracle not to get killed by him sooner thanter," the woman warned her.

    Rose exhaled with a warning re before walking out of the office.

    "Your highness, how did it go?" her assistant asked as soon as she stepped out with a gentle smile.

 Chapter 229 - You Are Worse Than A ...

    "Your highness, how did it go?" her assistant asked as soon as she stepped out with a gentle smile.

    "If you have included an interview to my schedule, I want it cancelled immediately," she replied her assistant before continuing down the corridor.

    Her assistant immediately took the order without asking any question since she was fully aware that the princess was in a foul mood.

    She wondered what happened in the office with the lecturer and she felt a strong urge to go to the woman and ask her what she said to the princess as well as warn her not to offend the princess again.

    She could only die within due to curiosity without enough courage to ask her unhappy boss.

    She went to the beautiful garden library to read before time for her lectures for a time of peace without her guards and her assistant.

    She closed her eyes and inhaled the beautiful scent of the flowers around.

    This was definitely not a fun ce or a ce of rxation for anyone who is allergic to pollen or hates flowers but for someone like her, it was the perfect ce to inhale some beautiful scents and forget the troubles causing chaos on her mind.

    She wore her ear pods and closed her eyes forgetting about the book on the table.

    She chose the rose section which used to be upied half of the time except now that most of the students are yet to arrive or busy with morning school works like lectures and others and she was the only person around.

    Her time of peacested until she felt a foreign presence and she opened her eyes and looked around.

    She did not see anyone and she closed her eyes again concluding that she was only being paranoid.

    The ce had very good natural lighting from the transparent roof and she frowned when she felt a shadow cast on her face.

    She opened her eyes and met the ck eyes of her sister, Anna. She sat up and smiled at her as she wondered what her guards were doing that they allowed this girl in without informing her.

    "Good morning. We have not seen each other for a while now," Rose told the girl who was ring at her like she stole herst piece of meat although that could not even be a reason for such a re while they lived together.

    "Yeah, right and I guess within such a short period of time, you have learnt a lot of tricks that makes me baffled and unable to recognize you," Anna said calmly but with a voice that carried enough spite to tell a listener that she was definitely not there for anything good.

    "Why don''t you sit down?" Rose asked in a calm weing tone hoping that makes Anna leave.

    "Hmmph," Annained but she still sat down on the seat across the table.

    "How have you been doing?" Rose asked warmly as she learned slightly forward.

    "Hmmmph," Anna said while shrugging her shoulder.

    She smiled softly. "Should I ask my assistant to get us both a cup of coffee each?" she asked waiting for Anna to leave because she could see no warmth in the girl''s ck eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No, I am okay," she replied sharply.

    "I asked you about your well being but you obviously don''t want to give me an answer," she told her seriously.

    "You should not have time to worry about my well being when you are not doing well yourself."

    Roseughed at that. "What makes you think I am not doing good?" she asked although the question she had was why does she suddenly care.

    "I need to tell you something. You might not be my sister anymore but a distant cousin but that does not mean we aren''t connected.

    "We did a lot of things together and uploaded a few on the inte after yourpetition so people will never stop to connect us together."

    "Do you want me to have them remove every single trace from the inte?"

    "No," Anna replied shaking her head. "That is not possible after all you told them in that interview that I was your muse. How do you want to clean that up?"

    "I am sorry that I did that," Rose apologized since she had no idea what the girl wanted from her by telling her that.

    "Now my point is that the fact that you were once my sister might affect the rtionship between me and the first older friend I have gotten.

    "She is fun to hang out with. She is nice but I don''t think I can keep hanging around her because you stole her fianc??," Anna narrated.

    "I did what?!" Meeting her sister''s gaze, she asked coldly.

    "You knew he did not like you because he was in a rtionship with someone else but you did it nheless. You seduced him!"

    "No, I did not!" Rose replied firmly. "I did not steal anyone''s fianc??, okay? And even if I did, you alone must know that I have liked him right from the beginning and he was not in a rtionship that time so stop making things up."

    "I am not making things up. You liked him, I knew that for all these while but he did not like you too."

    "That does not mean he was in a rtionship with this friend of yours and I see no reason why I should have an obligation to give you an exnation and listen to your orders," Rose told her as she began to arrange her things to leave.

    "The fact that you''re a princess does not give you the right to take someone''s man. That simply makes you worse than a whore," Anna spat in obvious disdain and disgust.

    Rose was unwilling to listen anymore as she carries her bag and the book she was read when she stood up.

    "You don''t have the right to call me a whore, you don''t," Rose warned her with a deadly re.

    "I am not afraid of you or what you think you could do with your identity as the princess."

 Chapter 230 - Her Warning

    "I am not afraid of you or what you think you could do with your identity as the princess."

    Rose did not dwell any longer in that scene as she walked out of the room but Anna followed her closely behind and reached to grab her wrist.

    Instinctively, Rose wanted to attack the person who was bold enough enough to hold her wrist but knowing her sister was behind her, she froze and winced due to the heartless strength Anna put in the grip.

    She wriggled her wrist off her hold without looking back. "You should leave me alone to console that new friend of yours," Rose warned her calmly.

    Anna flung her wrist in anger before reaching her hand towards her hair which Rose was quick to dodge by moving to the side.

    "I really don''t want to fight with you, Anna. You are my sister and even if you don''t believe it, I am still your cousin, distant or not, we are still family so please stop embarrassing yourself and trying to embarrass me along," Rose told her before continuing forward towards the door of the garden library.

    "That is the reason why you should not be ruining my life!!" Anna screamed hysterically.

    Rose frowned. More than anyone, her sister is the person she loves most although she has faced so much that should make her hate her and avoid her but no matter what, Anna was still her sister and she will never forget the happy moments they spent together.

    The time she spent with Anna ¨C aside from those times she could remember that she spent with her real family while she was young ¨C were mostly the happiest moments of her life.

    The two of them had so much pain and they were willing to lean on each other''s shoulders and getfort from it even though she could not share her heart aches with Anna, she still got a lot of support from this sister of hers.

    It all started when she met that man, the teacher. Her sister literally lost the calm weing appearance she had when she began hanging around that man.

    She turned and walked close to her sister. She noticed Anna getting flustered and nervous as she shifted from one side to the other.

    Anna took a step back but when she continued approaching Anna, the girl tried hard to remain calm and not move away.

    Rose did not stop until she was so close to her sister that a little tilt of her head forward will have her resting her head on her sister''s shoulder.

    "Anna, I really miss the old you. The you who did not know the bad influence of the man who ims to love you. You should take a good look at him.

    "That man is a psychopath. He is affecting your mental health so badly that you have forgotten what it means to think normally. I beg you to sit down one day and try to think normally and you will know that you have no reason to hate me.

    "I did not send that video. What good will a princess benefit from destroying the reputation of her sister don''t you know that will equally affect her reputation?"

    When she was done talking, she stepped back away from Anna happy that Anna was nice enough to listen to her till the very end.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had many other things to say to this sister of hers but she feared that this girl''s patience will run out that she won''t be able toplete her statement and end the speech in an awkward cliffhanger or a fight.

    Anna red at her with her beautiful ck eyes and bit her lower lips.

    "Can I hug you?" Rose asked calmly and hugged her sister without waiting for her to reply. "I love you Anna."

    Anna''s foot remained fixed on that spot as she stared ahead. She hated the fact that Rose''s words left her heart feeling an ache that she has always tried to hide that intensifies when she meets, sees or remembers Rose.

    Her chest swelled and rxed again and again. "Hey, are you okay?" she heard a voice as her after a few seconds.

    "Yes, I am okay," Anna replied with a dramatic nod as though she was trying to persuade herself that she was okay.

    "It is about time for us to get the to ss. Let us hang out as much as we can now before we get separated at the end of this semester."

    Debby nced at Rose before passing by with her hand on Anna''s shoulder. Rose looked down at the polished marble floor.

    "Princess Rosaline," she heard Noah''s voice call her from behind her. She turned to look at the beautiful girl.

    "Hello," she told her with a tight smile before walking towards her block.

    "You don''t look too good. I guess this not the way someone should look after scoring such a hot rich bachelor for her own," Noah said jovially. "So, do you have anything to say to me?"

    Rose shook her head slowly as she continued walking down the part. He was not even a bachelor anymore. "Isn''t your faculty far from here? Why do you keep showing up here?"

    "Yes, it is but not too far for me toe over to hear some interesting gossip of the most beautiful princess in history," Noah told her sincerely.

    "Don''t tter me it does not sound sincereing from you. I also don''t have any gossip for you Noah," Rose told her as she hoped the heat she felt on her face was not strong enough to make her almond skin blush due to thepliment.

    "Don''t bother then, princess. Seeing your face is enough for me. I will go now but we will eat lunch together as usual. There is a party tomorrow do you want to attend it?"

    "One thing at a time.. I can''t eat lunch with you today, there is something I need to do and I am not allowed to attend parties and trust me, parties are not meant for me," Rose replied calmly.

 Chapter 231 - The POV Of The Abandoned

    "One thing at a time. I can''t eat lunch with you today, there is something I need to do and I am not allowed to attend parties and trust me, parties are not meant for me," Rose replied calmly.

    "I will not bother you anymore then," Noah said with a sad pout. "See youter then," she told her with a sad smile before walking away.

    Rose looked at her departing back and wondered if she was blunt with her rejection but when her assistant came to her looking worried, she moved her gaze and continued heading towards her ss.

    "Are you okay? I would have intervened but I felt you would not me to since it is a sisters'' quarrel. I am sorry," her assistant apologized was the a deep bow.

    "Next time, attack unless I say you shouldn''t although you should also know how to react or attack depending on the person involved," she corrected her assistant seriously.

    She would not want them to attack her aggressively but she trust that her assistant was wise enough to know how to pull her sister away although this little quarrel was nothing she really did not want her assistant to intervene or she would not have been able to tell her sister what she told her.

    However, she did not know what will happen next. It won''t be funny at all if her sister decides to p her just like she almost pulled her hair. She will prefer that they pull her away from her than for her to hurt her herself.

    ***

    A beautiful woman sat in her office while looking out of the ss ceiling to floor window with her hands folded on her chest.

    She had so much going on her mind but the most prominent thought was about the news that made headlines of gossip online magazines.

    She hated being the beautiful woman whose man was stolen from her although she prefers that title to that of a husband snatcher.

    The man she was taking her time to understand has been taken away from her. She hardly got time to spend with him because he was always busy.

    She knew it was difficult to get to someone like him. He was cold and detached but he was a goal she has sworn to achieve.

    It was important that he falls for her whivh is the only way she could get into hispany as his wife or fiancee but a young girl who was still wet behind her ears walked in between them and spent more time with him in one day than she has ever spent in the past few months of their rtionship.

    That was a p to her ego as a woman and one of the richest women below twenty-five in the kingdom.

    She unfolded her hands and picked her phone from the table and tried to call him again and just like before, hoping and praying that he picks up the phone so she could hear his voice which was the deepest yet sexiest male voice that she has ever heard.

    And like always, he did not bother to pick the call even to tell her that he was busy and would call her backter.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She groaned gripping the phone that her hands could hardly wrap around. She could still remember what that girl''s sister said about the feelings the girl had towards him right from the beginning.

    Now, she was wishing it was in her power to obey her father who warned her over and over not to get too deep in the feelings she had for since she was with a purpose which could not be ignored due to unreasonable feelings.

    She heard a ding sound indicating a message with the screen of her phone brightened up.

    She opened the message with her hands shaking.

    ''Our agreement is over.''

    She closed her and sighed. It was a very short and soulless message. She had long forgotten that it was all an agreement between them and nothing that had to do with feelings.

    He had no feeling for her and refused to agree with her until she persuaded him that she had no feelings for him too.

    He had told her then that he was single only to cancel the agreement half way into their n but she had already gotten her own benefit and had been made the CEO of her father''spany but he was yet to get what he bargained for.

    Now, what got her wondering is if he was really in a rtionship with the princess while in the agreement with her.

    She was confused and could not understand but now that it had gotten to this point, she did not know what to do about that.

    She had read some of thements on the inte and most of them were not favouring her except the articles she had people to write in her favour.

    He had so many girls in love with him and instead of getting affected, they imed that their match was perfect since people have always called him a king of the business and mafia world and it was only fit for him to be with a princess.

    She had people write articles to counter that by digging up the fact that the princess had lived in the skin most of her life and she was not fit to hold his hand but people simple called her a Cindere who found her rightful ce in the pce.

    With all she did, she tried not offend him in anyway because that will definitely not end well it was enough that he had not said anything about what she had them write about that girl.

    He might have not publicly announced his rtionship with the girl but she knew more than anyone that he was really in a special rtionship with her considering the fact that he allowed that girl to hold him hand even publicly.

    That could also be signed off as public announcement, right?

 Chapter 232 - The Warning From The Young Man

    He might have not publicly announced his rtionship with the girl but she knew more than anyone that he was really in a special rtionship with her considering the fact that he allowed that girl to hold his hand even publicly.

    She sighed wondering how easy he thinks she is to end the rtionship through a text. He was not even proper enough to take responsibility for hurting her.

    She chewed down on her lower lips as she remembered the warning that her father gave her about getting her emotions involved in the business.

    The door of her office opened without a knock from the handsome young man who walked into the room like he owned the ce. He made himselffortable on a sofa while ncing at her.

    "I heard you got my girlfriend involved in your fight against the girl your boyfriend left you for," he said while crossing his legs.

    "I . . . I," she began as she stood up slowly. "As you know, I don''t have much friends but your girlfriend was there for me when I was going through heartbreak," she replied him with her voice a little shaky as she approached a sofa and sat on it.

    He bit his lips not liking what he heard about her talking to his girlfriend. "I warned you about getting involved with that girl," the young man replied with a displeased frown.

    "I don''t have friends," sheined with her head bowed as she sat down. "I got publicly humiliated."

    "Don''t think I don''t know what really happened. You told her more than just your heartbreak story," he told her sharply.

    "I did not. All I did was tell her my man got stolen from me and . . ."

    "You gave her the name of the person who stole your man from you, right?" he interrupted her.

    "I . . .," she began but pressed her lips together in defeat and closed her eyes with a sigh before opening it and bowing her head slightly to the man. "I am sorry," she apologized with little sincerity but so much fear towards the man before her.

    "I tried to prevent you two from getting close but I guess I did not do well enough. I don''t want you to meet with her again. However you intend to make it happen, you must not make it connected to the princess," the man warned her before standing up from the sofa and walked out of the door without waiting for her response.

    She looked at the closed door but she could not sigh because she knew had gotten into some real trouble she might not be able to escape with the warning he gave her.

    She rushed to her table and grabbed her phone. She searched for her father''s phone number and wanted to call him an tell him about her encounter with that man but she froze just before her fingers touched her father''s number on the screen of her.

    It was her mess, she decided to take care of it herself rather involve her father while getting scolded by him for being childish and acting out of the character he spent decades training her to have.

    She inhaled as she ced the phone on the table. She sat down on her chair to think of how she will end the sort friendship between her and that man''s girlfriend.

    ****<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Are you still crying?" a voice came from behind the door after a knock.

    Anna did not answer as she nced at the door before turning the tap on to drown his voice in the sound it produced.

    "Anna," the male voice shouted that the tap was not loud enough to prevent her from hearing him. "Please open the door and talk to me. What happened?"

    She opened the door after a while and she walked past him without saying a word with her eyes red and swollen and her white face now red. He caught her hand and pulled her to face him.

    He lifted his hand and touched her face. She flinched when he touched the now abnormally sensitive skin of her face.

    "Does it hurt?" he asked worriedly gently rubbing his finger over it despite how much she tried to avoid his touch. "What happened to you? You have been crying in there for the past couple of hours and we promised each other that we willmunicate a lot with each other."

    She moved her face and wriggled her hand from his grip before walking back to her room and closed the door with a weak bang behind her.

    The young man frowned and walked into his room with a loud bang. Sitting before hisputer, he tried to calm his nerves. He was so angry that he could not have half the effect the princess has on his girlfriend.

    He groaned with his legs shaking hard under the table. After a while of being unable to endure anymore, he stood and picked up his smart phone and sent a text to his secretary, ''I need a stress reliever.''

    After a few seconds of getting dressed in a ck hoody and ck pants, he walked out to the living room where Anna was seated watching TV with a ss bowl of popcorn on herp.

    He walked to her with a smile and leaned towards her. "I am going out," he told her. "I will be back soon."

    She did not answer him but she did not avoid the kiss he ced on her forehead.

    He touched her cheeks before leaving after grabbing the key to his car.

    Anna nced at the door he just walked out of with a bored look before moving her gaze back to therge TV screen.

    She could not believe she spent so much tie crying over her sister who did not care about her.

    She tried to stop crying but when her head gets filled with the memories she had of her sister the tears will begin to pour down and she will be crying hard again.

 Chapter 233 - The Grey Sneakers

    She tried to stop crying but when her head gets filled with the memories she had of her sister the tears will begin to pour down and she will be crying hard again.

    ****

    "Anna," a deep voice called out to Anna.

    She opened her eyes slightly to see the blurry figure of her boyfriend. She closed her eyes again and continued sleeping in the bathtub filled with water.

    "Did you drink?" the voice of her boyfriend asked her.

    She groaned irritated and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand before she continued to sleeping quietly when it became quiet again.

    "You must not do this again. Don''t you know it dangerous? You are drunk, for goodness sake," heined worriedly before pulling her out of the bathtub in his arms and carried her wet naked body into the room.

    He ced her gently on the bed before covering her body up with the duvet.

    "I will scold you tomorrow. I will forget that you are angry right now," he told her as he sat beside her on the bed with a towel to dry her wet hair.

    She reached and grabbed his hand after a while of him drying her hair carefully to thorough enough to dry it up with the towel.

    "Rose," the girl sleeping called out. "I want to sleep on your bed."

    This was not the first time she has said something like this in her sleep it always got worse when she drinks.

    It was not the first time but it has never seized to make him so infuriated that he could spit out blood in anger.

    He exhaled and tried to stand up because he could not grant her request when she was not even asking him.

    ? When he realized that his thoughts were baseless because she was already sleeping on his bed, he ran his free hand through his hair.

    The smell of blood was still so thick which was the reason he could remain calm when he remembered the scream of the men whose blood he spilled on the nylon covered floor.

    He wanted to stand up to remove his shoe that got stained by the blood as he slowly tried to unsp her hand that held unto his.

    He changed his cloth after doing what he did but he missed the blood stain on his shoe or he would have disposed it immediately.

    "I said I want to sleep on your bed. Don''t you care that I am scared of sleeping on my own?" she asked with a slight pout of her lower lips.

    He closed his eyes unable to keep looking at her because he was sure that with the appeasing flustered look she now wore and the pink color of her lips, he will do something he did not want to do when she was drunk.

    "You are sleeping on my bed now, so keep quiet."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I want to sleep on your bed with you," she murmured like a child that wanted something badly and was at the verge of crying for that thing.

    "Okay," he agreed with his voice thick with desire and he swallowed hard. He opened his eyes and looked at that tempting appearance before unzipping his jalcket with his free hands. "You made me do it."

    ****

    Anna opened her eyes to slightly dark room but from the light trying to prate into the room, she knew it was morning.

    From the pain she felt, she knew something had happened while she was drunk but this was not the first time since he was her boyfriend.

    She turned to see him sleeping peacefully like a baby. She has always found a huge difference between the how he looked when he was awake and when he was sleeping.

    When he was asleep, he looked like a baby but when he was awake, he had this camouged dangerous countenance.

    The head ache she felt made her groan and desired to remain in bed but when she looked at the digital clock on the bedside table, she was forced to stand up because she had lectures in two hours.

    She pulled the duvet from her body to expose her bare body with a lot of bite marks. She stood up and went into the spacious bathroom and turned on the tap for a bath.

    She returned to the room now wrapped in a white dressing coat. She saw the clothes on the floor but hers were not there.

    She picked up his shirt and trousers. She frowned when she saw his shoes. She has always told him to keep the shoes away from the bedroom even if he wears it into the house.

    She picked the grey sneakers and took it into his closet. She ced it beside the other pairs of sneakers on the shelf.

    She went to the living room and began clearing the bottles of wine she left one the table despite the headache she felt that made her head feel so heavy that if she was not aware that it would not fall off her neck, she would have freaked out.

    She took steady steps as she did all she had to do before going to school while feeling angry that he refused to employ a housekeeper.

    He used to do everything for her but because he was busy with herst night, he was too tired at this moment to do it for her.

    She ate scrambled eggs and toast just like she liked it to be.

    She could not eat breakfast in school today because she over slept and with the rate at which she was doing everything, she was almost certain that she will make it time only to ss but not a minute earlier than the time.

    When she returned to the bathroom, the water had filled the bath and she spent twenty minutes in the warm water before stepping out.

    The first time the man before her with his rumpled hair asked her was where his shoes were.

    She frowned and pointed at the door of the closet before entering her own closet to dress up.

 Chapter 234 - The Wood In Her Finger

    She frowned and pointed at the door of the closet before entering her own closet to dress up.

    When he entered his closet, she peeped out of her closet as she wondered why he was bothered about the sneakers.

    When he walked out of his closet with the sneakers, she was about to walk out of her closet to ask him what was wrong but what she saw on the sneakers froze her and she retracted her head and walked to a drawer in side her closet while wondering if she was hallucinating when she sat blood on his sneakers.

    She remembered picking them herself and cing them in the shelf but she could not remember seeing blood on any of them.

    She brushed the thought off after a while as being ridiculous after she concluded that she was only seeing things and letting her imagination go wild like her friend Debby who was a writer.

    She continued her preparation for school while going through her ns for that day. She has always wanted to get an assistant but her boyfriend told her he was not going to let anyone freely into their nest.

    She hired a virtual assistant but she was notfortable with so she gave up and took care of her schedules herself.

    She had a photoshoot after lectures. On her way to school, she went through some of the clothes her mother''s brand had released recently as she nned to go shopping with her friend.

    She came across a dress she remembered that Rose designed but tore up. she was surprised that her mother still took the design now that Rose was gone.

    She wondered how many other dresses were designed and torn by Rose because they were not up to her standard that her mother loved and still brought out to the world now that Rose was no longer working with her.

    She was sure that among the new releases, it won''t be surprising to find two more and they will definitely be among those with the fastest and highest sale.

    It was only when Rose began working with her mother that teenagers became captivated by her mother''s clothes.

    The very rich and celebrities wore her mother''s dresses but most of the time, they were either in their twenties or thirties and a few others in their forties and fifties but when Rose arrived, things changed.

    Her mother''s designs which had began getting tagged as clothes for thedies began gaining attention of wealthy second-generation kids that were ready to spend their money on their appearance and other teenage celebrities.

    Her thoughts had her remembering the unfortunate event that had her separated from her sister and how much her sister told her about boyfriend.

    She knew almost nothing about the young man. He told her he was adopted by a wealthy man who recently went bankrupt but she did not see him as soon whocked anything.

    He was wealthy so she wondered how his father got bankrupt and he had the amount of money he had in his ount and the ck credit card her gave which allowed her to spend without control.

    She frowned and massaged her brow as she thought of his sneakers. As much as she could not understand why her sister will hurt her when she was not going benefit at all, she also could not understand why he will want to hurt her.

    "Stop at a medicine store," she ordered the driver when her head began hurting. She closed her eyes not feeling the urge to go to school again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The driver stopped and he was nice enough to buy it pain relievers for her but the call she received from her boyfriend almost immediately, had her feeling displeased with the man in his mid-thirties.

    "I am fine," she tried to persuade him.

    "If your head hurts, you should stay at home and rest," her boy friend tried to persuade her.

    "I have to go to school today. I also have workter today."

    "Either go to school and get back early to rest or rest now and go to workter. You don''t feel good and you need rest," he continued to persuade her but this time, he was firm unwilling to let her do what she wanted to do.

    "You can not make me do what I don''t want to do," she snapped and winced afterwards with her fingers massaging her brow. "I have school and work today. I will do both," she replied him firmly before hanging up.

    She looked at the driver in displeasure.

    "Did you have to tell him?" she asked him chagrined.

    "I am sorry," the driver replied but she knew it was just for the courtesy sake.

    She pressed her lips together because she knew he was not sincere about his apology. She was not his employer and he did not have to care about her as far as his boss was satisfied.

    Perhaps it was the anger she felt towards his driver or the blood she saw on his grey sneakers or the words Rose spoke to her thest time they met or theption of all that has happened between all the three of them, she was feeling a weird ufortable feeling like a wood stuck in her finger that she has to pull out.

    *****

    He did not call her again since the day they met in his office and she could not understand why.

    Her patience ran out and she went to hispany again since she was done getting bothered by what people thought about her rtionship with him and as soon as she arrived, Grey was informed and he came to bring her to his office immediately.

    She got the attention of the employees who definitely had a lot on their minds but maintained their distance from her respectfully bowing as she passed by.

    He was busy but she waited in his office while she called Eric and Carl on a conference call to discuss her n for her brand.

    Carl was young but he seemed to have a lot of ns and he said he employed the man he wanted them to work with due to his experience and he was asking her to get the capital ready.

 Chapter 235 - The Missing Scientists

    Carl was young but he seemed to have a lot of ns and he said he employed the man he wanted them to work with due to his experience and he was asking her to get the capital ready.

    She smiled pleased with it. She has been hungry to begin her work again as a fashion designer and she had a few designs ready. She wanted those designs out in the market to be worn.

    "What makes you so pleased that you are smiling to yourself," she heard a deep low voice ask from behind her which made her turn and meet the gaze of the owner of the voice and smile.

    "I am about to own my brand. Thanks for the help you offered me," she replied to him as she raised her hands naturally and hugged him.

    "What help he asked as his hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer against his chest.

    She pulled away from his embrace with a worried frown. "You are backing out of helping me with my brand, right? I told you about thepany and you promised to help me," she murmured with a pout.

    "No, I did not forget, next time be specific. There are a lot of things I am to help you with both those you asked and those I am willing to do without you asking," he whispered and pulled her into his embrace again.

    "I missed you," she murmured.

    "It is not fun anymore now that you are getting clingy," he whispered yfully.

    She pulled away from himpletely and stepped away from him when she heard that. "I came to discuss work."

    He nodded fully aware that she was unhappy but he did not apologize because he knew she wasted a lot of that old man''s time ying hard to get and even if he could not tell her the truth, she still needs to get scolded.

    "What work?" he asked as he walked to his seat and sat down.

    "The work I have as my main agenda as a princess. It is seriously making me anxious that two other scientists disappeared. One of them just got his Ph.D. and the other is a professor that began serious research in a research institute here in Star City," she replied to him as she also sat down.

    "How did you know about it?" he asked as though he was not interested in what she was saying at all or he did not believe her.

    "It is all over the news for goodness'' sake," she replied him displeased. "Before anything else, I want this to stop. If the kidnapping does not stop, then it will only add more to our task because we will then have more people to rescue since more of them will keep dying and fresh scientists will be needed."

    "I know what is happening more than you do and I am not cking on my n to infiltrate the research institute and for you to be informed, I sent the Ph.D. students in there. I would have gone in myself but I am going to get caught.

    "I am working to see how I can go into the research institute with my identity. I had a few robots made recently and it will a piece of cake to get them in as soon as I get to the above-ground building of the institute.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The man I sent in went in to find someone for me and I hope the person is alive. We cannot bomb the whole institute because we have people who are living every day with the hope that the south wille to their rescue."

    "Thank you for helping me out," she appreciated as she guiltily bit inside her cheeks.

    She spoke to him the way she did because of what he said but she did not expect the serious answer he gave her.

    "I am not doing it for you alone but it is a vow I was made to make as a son of Hart''s family. It is part of my destiny to see that the people of the south live in good health and freedom," he replied her emotionlessly.

    She pressed her lips together as she did not like that the atmosphere got very serious. "About the capital, I asked for . . .," she began.

    "I helped you get all the shares the person that tried to kill you had in his ownpany and gave them all to you. it might be secret to other people but you own everything the man owns. You certainly don''t need me to give you the capital, you are rich enough," he interrupted her.

    She bit her lower lips as her eyes got slightly misty when she could not see any trace of the warmth she saw in his eyes when she hugged him.

    It was all lost and she began feeling like this man was someone else. He opened a file on his desk and began working on it and hisputer and he did not even nce at her again.

    She swallowed as she reached for her bag. "I will leave to get ess to the money you made mine. Thanks for it by the way," she told him as she stood up.

    She was unhappy but she did not forget the fact that he has been of help to her and he was the reason why will not need a loan or financial assistance from him to start what she wanted to.

    "You are wee," he replied her with his eyes fixed on theputer without sparing her a nce.

    She met Grey when she went out and she could not help but ask the young man, "Is the man inside that office your boss or an imposter?"

    Gray bowed to her respectfully. "He is my boss, your highness," he replied when he raised his head.

    "You don''t need to bow next time you want to reply to a question," she told him as she continued forward. "That was suspicious," she murmured to herself when she sat down inside her school.

    She looked up from the window as the car began to move but she could not see the floor his office was located.

 Chapter 236 - The Cooperation Offer

    She looked up from the window as the car began to move but she could not see the floor his office was located.

    ****

    She made sure they met frequently for the purpose of finding a way to sort out the issue of the disappearing scientist.

    That was what was trending on the inte and no one had any idea about where those people were taken to and what they were used for.

    Their families were crying out, even those that had lost them and the police told them they either ran away from home or they were kidnapped came out after a few years and it caused a protest in the A city.

    Aurora saw it on TV, on social media and on other articles and she could not rx knowing more people will probably die because they were stalling.

    She knew thepany where they suspected the people were but she could not say anything for fear that those being held in thepany will die.

    They could not invade the ce for a rescue without proper n. It could lead to the death of those scientist who are still alive and what she wanted was maximum survival.

    She left the n to build herpany with her friends who despite their disagreeing personalities, still worked well together for amon goal.

    She decided to reach out to other people she could trust and there was only one person she could go to.

    She contacted him and told him about her desire to meet him face to face. He offered toe to her in Star City but she chose to visit him in B City herself.

    She sent a text to Liam about it and he immediately told her not go.

    She did not bother arguing with him since she was at a moment when she knew she could not waste time and every second meant a lot.

    The protest was getting serious and her exams was just at the corner. Some students joined the protest and the school was always deserted but the school administration was determined to continue.

    At the airport, she called Liam. "I don''t care about your reasons for wanting me to stay in Star City and I don''t know what you are thinking about by telling me to be patient when I cannot do a lot of things.

    "I might be powerless but I can not hug one thigh and wait for your response for eternity.

    "You don''t seem as passionate as you used to be about the people so I am going to someone else for help," she told him in one breath.

    "You can go if you wish to but remember that in B City, you are not under my protection."

    Hearing the cold reply he gave her, she froze and her hand holding the phone tightened around the phone until it began to hurt.

    She pulled the phone away from her ear stiffly and sighed before hanging up.

    She encouraged herself as fear began gripping her heart that she was going to be alright and she had her guards with her and the Hart family with be there for her.

    She could not imagine anyone making a bold move against her in B City.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She was confident through the ride and when they finally arrived where they were going to meet, she walked into the tall building fearlessly getting the attention of people who knew who the building belonged to.

    When she stepped into the building, Mr. Hart was waiting for her with other guards. She smiled and walked to him before stretching her hand to him for handshake.

    The whole kingdom began wondering what the public meeting between the princess and the head of the Hart family was about.

    Aurora could have done it secretly but she did not bother because she wanted the world to know that she had powerful supporters and even if the north was unwilling to protect her, then the south will do a good job with that.

    "I think you should leave that to us. We have been investigating it. If that is what you came all the way here in B City to discuss, then I must say that it was not necessary," Mr. Hart told her seriously.

    "Mying here is a symbol. I can imagine what will happen next in this kingdom especially the southern part.

    "They are angry and since we can not let them know who has the scientists, we must find a way to calm their hearts and prevent this protest from getting out of hand," Rose exined.

    "You are the only person who can do that."

    That statement, Rose froze. She did not believe that he was going to put it so bluntly but she was willing to help.

    "How? How can I do that?"

    "Appease them. I can not let them know that I am involved. I am after all a simple business man but letting them know that you are with them and you know what they are going through and that you are willing to help them, they will calm down."

    "Could you make an opportunity for me to assure them?"

    "What do you want? A press conference?"

    "I never thought of a press conference and if I will do one, it will be best for me to do it in Star City," she replied him in agreement.

    "Yes, you are right. For that, I will step out of it and move that responsibility to the person who can do it in B City."

    "I will try my best here and have people investigate it in A City. I believe they are in A City and whatever they are doing, they n to use it to destroy people in B City.

    "They must be plotting something really dangerous against the south and it is only right to make it stop. I long smelt a war but I am yet to see it although I know that the war is not too far from this moment.

    "If we can make a move before them, it could either lead to a termination of the war or the eleration of the war."

    "Can you work with Liam to make it happen? There is always strength in unity."

    "I am open for it although he has to get punished for deserting his family but I am sure if he will be willing.. You are his wife, if you are not able to persuade him to cooperate, then I won''t bother about the thought of a cooperation."

 Chapter 237 - THE PROTEST

    On the way to the hotel, she chose to stay in, she went through the videos on the inte about the protest.

    Live, just as she was watching it, she saw a group of soldiers attacking and apprehending some of the protesters in very brutal manners that had her gripping her heart.

    She saw the brutality her people were treated in and she knew she had to speak up. She nned to call Anna who was a content creator or she could do a Livestream.

    Anna was popr and she has made a name for herself like many celebrities.

    She was a social media celebrity and she knew that although it might not be the fastest and most effective means for her to tell the world that she was with her people and she was not in support of what was happening to them, she knew she had to try with the hope that Anna lets her.

    She was about to call her when Liam''s call came through. "You must not do anything stupid while you are in B City or I will not be able to clean after you," he warned her without even bothering to say hello to her.

    "I never told you clean after me," she argued back angrily as she pulled the phone away from her ear and hung up while ring at the ceiling-to-floor window in front of her.

    She huffed and puffed unable to believe what she just heard. She was very angry because he promised to take care of her and he told her to do whatever she saw fit to do without caring for the oues because he was going to be her shield.

    She closed her eyes and rested her back against the backrest of the chair after a few minutes of huffing and puffing.

    She was finally rxed and she could face what happened to her. Feeling rxed was not perfect for such a moment because it made her feel pathetic and weak.

    She was not sure if she could continue that way. Tears streamed down the side of her face as she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling with her vision blurred by tears.

    She could not believe that she was mistreated by the very man who made her believe in him and trust him and his ability to protect her.

    Her phone rang after an hour and she found out he was the one. She was angry that she did not bother to pick up the call. She wondered how he expected her to take the throne and be Queen if her people were mistreated.

    She was aware that there was no way he was not witnessing what was happening. Some angry southern youths went into a research institute and kidnapped two scientists.

    It caused a ripple and her father gave an order that the scientists must be saved by any means possible. She did not know what happened but the youths were shot dead and the scientists were saved.

    Afterward, one of the scientists confessed that they were well taken care of the youths wanted to scare the government and the northerners into returning their parents and family members because now everyone including the north, south and other countries believed that the north and the royal family were responsible for what happened to the scientists.

    She did not pick up his call while she did not call Anna scared by his sudden call as though he knew what she was about to do. She was well protected by the Hart family guards but she was still scared being alone in this family yet a lonely city.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her assistant came to her when her dinner was served in the room because she refused to eat outside or leave her room.

    "I want you topile information about all the missing scientists both from the north and the south. I want all the details about when they disappeared and what has happened since then. I want to know what the police told their families about when they reported them missing and about their family," she ordered her assistant as she fixed her gaze on the notepad, she was writing something on.

    "I have some but not all. The scientists are many and it will be hard to gather all the information from more than two decades ago," her assistant told her seriously.

    "I don''t care how long it will take you on a normal day but I need it immediately. Get them ready for me before the end of this week," she told her seriously. "You could also submit it in batches."

    "Yes, your highness."

    Rose looked at the meal on the table and looked away with a sour expression. She did not have an appetite at all but she knew that it was only right for her to eat all she could because she needed the maximum physical strength for what was ahead of her.

    She picked up her knife and fork and began to cut into the meat. She remembered Liam and nced at the vibrating phone on the table beside her hand.

    The caller''s ID indicated that it was him calling her again after dozens of trials. She refused to pick up his call because she was still angry with him.

    In a while, the call ended and another message entered.

    ***

    Liam rushed out of his car with his men behind him before the car stoppedpletely. He raised his head to the floor he heard Rose was on and he ran into the building.

    He had barely stepped into the room when there was an explosion. He did not stop as he continue running. The elevators were not responding and he was forced to take stairs to the dozens of floors above the ground that she was in.

    "Please, tell me you read my message," he begged as he took the steps painfully yet hurriedly to get to her hoping she was not too close to the bomb.

    He regrated not getting involved with her security since she was in B City and away from his protection. He wished he sent more of his men to go after her when she left.

    He trusted that his father''s men went enough but he could not trust that they would not drift to the enemy''s side.

    His father was going to ensure that she was well secured but if one of his well-trusted men decides to betray them then there was nothing they would be able to do early enough to prevent a catastrophe.

 Chapter 238 Her Anger

    Liam rushed to the woman on the floor among the debris left after the explosion. He recognized her immediately because of her uniquely colored hair.

    She opened his eyes when he seeded in turning her over. Her eyes blinked and, in a few seconds, she went unconscious," he frowned and touched her neck to feel her pulse.

    She was alive and he was filled with so much rage directed at himself and the people he was yet to eliminate for her peace and healthy life.

    He wished he went with her and stayed by her side. He was well protected that no one could harm him and that was the only way he could ensure her safety.

    He swore to kill the person behind it in the most brutal way possible.

    He made sure the news was hidden from the public although it was a difficult task to hide the victim of an explosion that happened in broad daylight with enough sound to make the public aware.

    The sight was not hard to miss as an ambnce arrived and the other guests in the hotel were panicking. The hotel belonged to his father although that was not known to the public.

    The princess got hurt in a bomb explosion. It was notrge enough to bring the building down but enough to make sure that every living being on the floor she was on would not leave without a major injury.

    It was well nned that he was amazed by it as well as aware that whoever they were dealing with was not one of those multiple enemies they had but one who could kill and destroy without getting noticed.

    "I do not think it is right for us to let this go public," he argued with his father who wanted the news to be known.

    "I want to let the world know of the danger she is forced to face as the princess," his father told him firmly. "I am not asking for your permission. I know you hate me for letting this happen to her but I have chosen how to react to it."

    Liam sighed. He trusted that his father could not be an enemy, or at least that was what he chose to believe. However, he was not going to put her in more danger by letting the world know about what happened to her.

    "This is the time we could use to earn her enough support from the south. If we could earn their support, it will be easier for her to take over the throne," Mr. Hart did not have any desire to give up on the issue as he tried to persuade her.

    "I will think about it," he replied as he looked at the door of the room where Rose was receiving treatment.

    "We don''t have time for that. She came here to help her people if telling the world what happened to her would be of help, it could reduce the effect of the protest she was trying to bring to an end.

    "More people are dying, aren''t you bothered?" his father tried to persuade them because no matter how stubborn his father was about the publication, he still had the final say as her husband. "We could use this misfortune for her benefit."

    "What will happen if she does not wake up? It has already been two days now. If we let them know and she does not wake up it would only lead to a lot of unnecessary problems."

    "Don''t you trust me?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He raised his head and red at his father. "She got hurt under your watch and I want the person who leaked her whereabout to those that caused it. Don''t you think your people are behind this?" he asked coldly with no sign of the familial rtionship between them.

    "I am to be med and I am sorry about it. I will also find who did it and hand them over to you. Until then, let us solve this problem first. I am sure she would have loved to use any opportunity she gets to help her journey to the throne."

    Liam was forced to nod as he believed that she would have done the same and she would definitely wake up or he would have to use the rest of his life to building the time travel machine.

    He sighed and walked into her room.

    ****

    Rosaline''s gaze was fixed on the door when he opened it the door and entered. She closed her eyes immediately ming him for what happened to her.

    She was scared that she would have died and her secretary was the reason she survived it because she never read his message.

    The young woman had pulled her out of the room without a word. She was not offended because she believed the woman would never have behaved that way without a reason.

    She did not struggle or ask questions and that was what saved her life or she would have been ripped apart by the force of the explosion.

    She listened to his footstep as he approached her bed and ced his hand on her forehead. She wondered what he was doing in B city or perhaps she had returned to A city.

    "I warned you abouting to B city because I knew it would not be safe. You could have spoken to my father withouting to B city," he scolded her despite how she had almost died.

    She was so angry that she was unwilling to open her eyes as far as he remains by her side.

    "You scared me. I thought you were going to die and I was going to live the rest of my life as a widower."

    Her fist clenched and she wanted toin and get angry with him without reservation but she was forced to stay still as she wanted to understand his feelings toward her.

    "I love you and I have taken it as my life''s mission to ensure your safety. If you had died, I would have lost my mind like he said I would. When he said it, I did not believe it. I thought it was going to be immune to it all but . . .

    "I guess we are one after all. I guess I can not lose you and live a normal life. I thought I was going to live like the old man seeking vengeance. That scared me."

 Chapter 239 Drowning In A White Ocean

    Rose could not continue pretending after hearing all the crazy things he said to her about an old man she knew nothing about.

    "What do you mean?" she asked him shrugging off his hand that rested on her forehead.

    He was taken aback and looked at her coldly. "You were awake," he asked her.

    "Yes, I am."

    "We are going to leave for Star city as soon as you are strong enough. It is not safe here. We let the world know about the incident," he told her.

    She sighed and nodded. "I guess that was for the best."

    *******

    As he wanted to leave, they left in the private jet the king sent them to pick her up to show he was a worried father and king.

    She was pleased with his effort but that only made her suspect he had a hand in what happened to her or what somewhat connected to him.

    Liam tried to hint in but she told him off about ming her father with the im that a tiger would not harm its child. Perhaps his words were what sowed doubts on her mind but she was suspecting her father now.

    "I thought about it," she began to say to Liam on their way to her pce. She saw a video on the inte of how he ran into the building as soon despite the explosion.

    He looked very anxious and determined to save her even if he would have to put his life on the line. She was pleased by it all.

    She pleased her hand on his hand. She was falling fast into the white ocean that was his eyes from a cliff and she could not see a floating nk she will settle on and float to the shore from but she still fell nheless.

    The walls she built around her heart from what happened to her mother were offering her helping hands to prevent her from falling but she was still falling into them.

    She knew he did not love her, he has never told her those three words many women expect to hear from their man but she was already repeating those words over and over in her mind intending to let them out of her lips.

    He looked at her coldly yet she could swear she saw warmth in those grey eyes that reminded her of ice on the ground after a snowstorm.

    He moved his gaze to where her hand rested on his. He pulled his hand and took her hand in hisrger hand. They were warm perhaps that was the warmth she saw in his eyes?

    She wanted to ask him why his eyes felt more unfeeling even after she said those words to her in the hospital. Was he really after the throne alone? Did her see her as his chance to the throne and not a woman?

    All those questions remained at the tip of her tongue but she never let them out. She smiled at him and leaned closer to him.

    "I almost died," she told him softly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

    "You survived and you will not get hurt again. That is what I am here to ensure," he assured her as he rubbed the back of her hand with his finger.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is funny and crazy how the first person toe to my mind when I heard the explosion was my husband. I thought about you and how my father would most likely not let you step out as my husband when I die.

    "He will not let that happen no matter how much he loves. It will be bad for the reputation of the royal family and my inheritance would not be given to you because if he does that, then you will be too powerful," she exined thoughtfully.

    "I do not care. You are alive and that is all that matters," he told her firmly.

    She almost believed him and that made her shiver. The sincerity in his words and yet the coldness she saw in his eyes when she raised her head to look at him were so different like two sides of a coin.

    She rested her head on his shoulders. "I will listen to your words alone," she murmured so low that he did not hear her.

    "What did you say?" he asked her.

    "I will let them know we are married when we get to A city. I will tell the world that I am married to you and I will support the south as well as the north if they let me.

    "You will be a member of the royal family officially and they will know I am under your protection."

    "That will only increase the number of your enemies. I have enemies too and when they know you are connected to me, they wille after you too," he tried to persuade her against it.

    "You wanted them to know at first, why did you change?"

    Change? He felt a strong urge to scoff but he held back and tightened his grip on her hand. "I was desperate then but not anymore," he alleged.

    She swallowed as she felt her chest tighten squeezing her heart yet it beat faster. Was this why he had be colder to her? "You don''t want me to tell them?" she vacited and heaved a sigh.

    "That is for you to decide," he replied holding back another scoff. Wasn''t it toote? He was gone.

    She bit her lower lips trying not to act desperate by pressing forward with the issue. He reached his other hand towards her hair and rubbed her hair. She sniffled and tightly closed her eyes to hold back her tears from flowing.

    "You will be fine. I will be with you when you tell the world," he told her before pulling his hand after a few seconds of silence.

    She nodded against his shoulder and sighed in relief this time. "I love you," she muttered loud enough for him to hear.

    She only felt his hand tighten around hers.

    *********

    The princess returned from the death door. As people were anticipating what she would say in the press conferenceing up, Rose was trying to understand why she had be so close to Liam.

    She had faced death before and if anything, she should not feel so sentimental about death anymore although she was not sure if there would be a third chance.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!