Chapter 5
Back when they were in love, Jason would've been heartbroken if Rosalie so much as cut her finger.
But now, with her face swollen and bruised, Jason just covered it up and used her body to satisfy his own desires.
"Lucia's not in good health. I'm afraid it might scare her," Jason said.
After he was done, Jason finally got off her, and for once, his voice was actually gentle.
"Rosalie, she's nothing like you. She's innocent, gentle, and only has eyes for me," Jason said.
Rosalie felt nausea rising in her chest. She couldn't believe that even after what just happened between them, Jason was still talking about Lucia.
"Jason, you make me sick," she spat.
Jason wasn't angry at all. He just sneered, gently ruffling her hair like he was petting a cat, treating her more like some plaything than a person.
Just then, a heart-wrenching scream split the air, startling everyone in the villa.
Lucia sat in the living room, clutching her dead dog and crying her heart out in despair.
"What happened?" Jason asked sharply, his face darkening.
He quickly reached out to help Lucia up.
But Lucia looked straight at Rosalie, standing behind Jason, and shouted, "Ms. Weller, I know you hate me. You hate me for stealing Jason from you, but my dog was innocent. Why did you have to kill her?"
And just like that, another load of blame got dumped onto Rosalie.
Rosalie calmly explained, "It wasn't me. I didn't even leave my room today."
But Lucia flung herself into Jason's arms, her body shaking with sobs. "Jason, Wade saw Ms. Weller come back with chocolate. My dog died after eating it.
"I know she hates me. Maybe I really shouldn't stay here and keep upsetting her. Maybe it's better if I just leave."
With each word Lucia sobbed out, Jason's glare toward Rosalie grew icier by the second.
"It wasn't me, Jason. You know I'm allergic to chocolate. Why would I ever buy it?" Rosalie protested.
She took a deep breath. "You can check the security cameras. They'll prove I never even left my room today."
Jason cut in coldly, "Wade wouldn't lie, and would Lucia really use her own beloved dog just to frame you?"
His face was icy as he spat out a cruel verdict. "Since you're the reason it's dead, you can keep vigil over its body and pay for what you did."
Rosalie's mind went totally blank.
She could hardly believe it.
He knew damn well that eight years ago, she'd followed him to a remote island abroad and lost all contact with the outside world. She never imagined both her parents would die in a car crash, and she missed their last moments. Since then, she'd sworn to herself never, ever would she keep vigil for anyone again.
And now, of all things, he was actually forcing her to keep vigil for Lucia's dog.
"Jason, you bastard," Rosalie shouted.
She strode right up to him and slapped him hard across the face.
Jason's eyes went cold, his voice icy as he ordered, "Get the hall ready. She's going to keep vigil for three days and three nights. Not a second less."
Outside the villa, the hall was set up in no time, a photo of the dead dog staring out from the center.
Rosalie was forced to bow, her head shoved down again and again in humiliation.
Tears quickly welled up in her eyes, smearing across her face until she was covered in them.
Jason pulled Lucia into his arms, his tone gentle as he said, "Feeling better now? Your dog's death wasn't meaningless. Don't cry, or my heart will ache for you."
Lucia let out a playful little laugh, then leaned in and kissed Jason without a second thought.
The sound of their kissing quickly filled the entire hall.
Rosalie listened numbly to the nauseating sound of their kissing; the only thought in her mind was how sick it made her.
Just seven more days, she told herself, and she could finally leave this place behind forever.
As night descended, the hall grew suddenly cold and creepy, its atmosphere turning oppressive.
Once it got dark, the bodyguards bolted the doors shut, locking them with a harsh click.
Rosalie went frantic, rushing to the door and trying the handle.
"Open up. Why are you locking me in?" she cried, her voice shaking.
"Let me out," she yelled again.
However, no matter how hard Rosalie pounded on the door, not a single person answered her cries.
When both her body and spirit finally gave out, Rosalie curled herself up into a ball in the corner, silent tears of hopelessness slipping down her cheeks.
No one ever returned. In that cold, empty hall, she was completely and utterly alone.
With no food and not a drop of water, Rosalie somehow managed to make it to the third day. But even then, no one came to let her out.
Rosalie rasped, her voice raw from desperation, "It's been three days. Let me out."
"Three days are up, Jason. Let me out," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
Exhausted and barely clinging to consciousness, she curled up in the corner as everything started to fade, reality slipping further and further away.
Suddenly, a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over her head, snapping Rosalie back to her senses.
Lucia towered over her, a cruel, gloating smile on her face. "Rosalie, you really are pathetic. Even after all this, you still refuse to crawl away?
"Why don't you try your luck? Let's see who Jason would want by his side—you, or me?"
Rosalie was so weak that she could barely move, just staring in horror as Lucia grabbed a candle from the table and lit the curtains ablaze.
Fire roared through the room in seconds, smoke choking the air. Rosalie struggled to get up, panic surging—her limbs felt like lead and she just couldn't make her body move.
'Lucia's totally lost it,' Rosalie thought.
"Help—" Rosalie pushed herself to scream, but her voice came out as nothing more than a feeble whisper.
The fire sent Jason into a panic, and Lucia's shrill voice rang out, "Help, Jason, save me. I'm scared, please."
Jason's expression twisted in horror. "Why is Lucia in there?" he yelled, voice tight with worry.
Not thinking twice, he barreled straight into the burning room, throwing caution to the wind.
Rosalie saw him dash in, and all those memories of the hospital fire years ago hit her hard. Back then, Jason had charged into the flames to rescue her—carrying her out on his back. But now, all she saw was him risking it all for Lucia instead.
"Jason, I almost thought I'd never see you again," Lucia whimpered, her tone all soft and clingy.
"Lucia, don't be afraid. I promise, I won't let you get hurt." Jason assured her firmly.
Jason scooped Lucia up in his arms, then turned around. When he saw Rosalie huddled in the corner, his eyes widened in shock.
Lucia clung to him, sobbing softly. "Jason, I feel so awful. Am I going to die?"
Without a second thought, Jason tightened his grip on Lucia and rushed out of the burning room.
The fire kept getting worse, and Rosalie could feel that this was the end—she was really about to die.
Rosalie had always known Jason would pick Lucia over her, but right then, it felt like someone had ripped her heart straight out of her chest.
Jason, who'd once braved fire just to save her, was gone. He was completely gone.
Just before she blacked out, relief and regret crashed into Rosalie all at once.
'At least now, I'll finally get to see my parents and Yvonne again,' she thought.
Still, regret struck her one last time—how had she ever loved Jason enough to lose everything for a man like that?
'If there's another life, Jason, I swear, I'll never fall in love with you again,' Rosalie promised herself.