Chapter 6

Rose was brought home by Nathan.

On that night of pouring rain, he found her soaked and shivering, huddled in a corner of the cemetery.

Seeing her hugging her knees, lost and vulnerable, Nathan felt his heart clench.

He opened his mouth, but when he met Rose's empty eyes, the words died on his lips.

With uncompromising force, Nathan picked her up, ignoring her attempts to resist, and carried her home.

He kept her confined, not allowing her to step outside the villa at all.

She huddled in the corner, refusing to speak. Her silence showed her protest.

Nathan allowed her to do as she wished, staying by her side, his eyes always reflecting his concern for her.

Days slipped by like that until Violet's birthday, when Rose was finally allowed to step outside the villa.

As dawn crept in, Rose numbly climbed into the car waiting outside. Out of nowhere, memories of last night flooded her mind.

Nathan, drunk, forcefully pulled her into his arms, his voice thick with anxiety and desperate pleading. "This isn't you, Rose."

His gaze lingered on her face, moving from her brows to her nose, and then her lips.

He leaned in, but Rose's icy glare stopped him. "Nathan, I'm tired."

Those words seemed to anger him. He jerked her chin up, trying to catch a flicker of anything in her eyes besides that chilling indifference. But he found nothing.

That realization struck Nathan like lightning, and he felt utterly drained. His voice sounded tired and defeated. "Tomorrow is Violet's birthday. I'll send someone to pick you up.

"She went out of her way to invite you. She wants to surprise you. Rose, don't make things difficult for me."

The car slammed to a sudden stop. Rose stumbled back to her senses, only to realize they'd pulled up in front of a remote, abandoned factory.

She frowned, narrowing her eyes. 'This can't be good.' But before she could move, a hand clamped over her mouth and nose from behind. Darkness swallowed her.

Rose was jolted awake as someone splashed a basin of ice-cold water right in her face.

Winter hadn't let up yet, and the bone-chilling cold instantly seeped into every inch of her body.

She struggled to open her eyes, still groggy, when a shrill female voice cut through the air. "After everything, Rose, you still landed right in my hands."

Rose turned her head and saw Violet tied up on the other side of the room, a crazed smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

When Rose looked over, Violet motioned toward the center of the room, where a bomb sat. The countdown had started the moment Rose woke up.

"See for yourself. If Nathan can only save one of us, he'll pick me," Violet said.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, Nathan's face was stormy as he floored the gas pedal.

He gripped the anonymous kidnapping note so tight his knuckles were white, and furious, he punched the steering wheel hard.

He pushed the car so hard that what should've taken an hour only took him twenty minutes.

His black Maybach screeched to a halt at the factory gates. He kicked the iron door open and immediately spotted the two women tied up inside.

Without thinking, he took a couple of steps toward Rose, but then he heard Violet's weak cry for help. "Nathan, save me, please. It hurts so much."

That single, frail plea was enough to freeze him in his tracks.

He turned back to Violet, and in that instant, his gaze landed on the bomb. Its timer was almost at zero.

He stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed as he stared at the two women tied up before him.

Rose was cold and distant, refusing to acknowledge him.

Violet was streaked with tears, pleading desperately for him to take her away.

In that moment, every second was torture for Nathan. Each passing instant felt like an unbearable struggle.

At last, with Rose's almost mocking eyes fixed on him, Nathan forced his feet to move, turning away and rushing toward Violet. "Violet, don't be afraid."

Rose couldn't hold back a cold, mocking scoff. The last spark of light in her eyes vanished, swallowed by darkness.

She watched as Nathan freed Violet from her restraints.

She saw him clutch Violet tightly and rush out. As he glanced back, hesitation flickered in his eyes, only for Violet's whimpering cries to call his attention right back to her.

With only a second left on the countdown, Nathan got Violet to safety outside.

Panic and anxiety written all over his face, he spun around and dashed toward Rose, frantic to reach her in time.

But the next second, the explosion erupted right beside him, blazing flames and billowing smoke shooting up into the sky.

The wall of fire blocked Nathan's path, and something in his heart broke apart.

"Rose?" Nathan choked out, stunned, as everything around him dissolved into roaring chaos.