Chapter 60
ROSALIE
M
ས . 42%–
+5
The clinking of plates and the hum of voices in the kitchen echoed faintly through the halls. I sat in my room, staring at the untouched book in my lap. I couldn’t focus on the words, not when my thoughts were such a chaotic mess. The scandal, the pictures, the videos–everything was spiraling out of control.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my haze. I glanced up as one of the maids peeked in. She looked hesitant, clutching her hands together.
“Ma’am, Mr. Damien is back.”
I shuddered. He was back?
“When did he come back?” I asked.
“Some minutes ago. He freshened up in the guest room and he asked if you’d join him for dinner tonight. Together.” she said the last part gently.
I frowned, my chest tightening. “Tell him I’m not hungry.”
Maria nodded but lingered in the doorway. “He was very insistent, ma’am. He said he’d like to have dinner with you.”
I pressed my lips together, torn between refusing outright and giving in to avoid a confrontation. Damien and I hadn’t shared a meal–or much of anything–in days. The thought of sitting across from him now, with so much unresolved between us, made my stomach twist.
But a small part of me whispered that maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something different. “Fine,” I said finally, closing the book and placing it on the bedside table. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Maria nodded and slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.
When I walked into the dining room, Damien was already seated at the head of the table, his posture stiff and his expression unreadable. The table was set for two, a small, intimate arrangement that felt out of place given the tension between us.
He looked up when I entered, his dark eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
“You came,” he said, his voice low but steady.
I sat down at the other end of the table, keeping as much distance between us as possible. “I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?”
He exhaled quietly, his gaze dropping to the plate in front of him. “I suppose not.”
The silence stretched between us as the maid brought in the first course. I stared at the soup, my appetite nonexistent. Damien picked up his spoon but didn’t eat, his focus shifting back to me.
“How are you?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
I looked up at him, surprised by the question. “How do you think I am, Damien?”
He winced, and for the first time in a while, he looked…guilty. “I know things have been difficult-”
1/4
Dreame–Read Romance…
Open
14:34 Tue, 18 Feb
Chapter 60
M
སཾ ཛཱ, 42%–
+5
“Difficult?” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “That’s an understatement, don’t you think? My face is plastered all over the internet, Damien. Our humiliating moments–our dirty laundry–are entertainment for the world now. How do you think I’m doing?”
He set his spoon down, leaning forward slightly. “Rosalie, I didn’t come here to argue with you. I want to talk about this— about us.”
“Us?” I let out a bitter laugh. “Do you even know what that means anymore? Because I don’t.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t snap back like I expected. Instead, he looked down at the table, his hands clasped together. “I know I’ve failed you,” he said quietly. “In more ways than I can count. And I know that whatever little trust you had in me is gone. But I want to fix this, Rosalie. I want to fix us.”
I shook my head, disbelief coursing through me. “And how do you plan to do that? By making more promises you can’t keep? By letting more women into your life to tear us apart?”
“I’m going to find out who’s behind this,” he said firmly, his gaze lifting to meet mine. “I swear to you, I’ll have those pictures and videos taken down. I won’t stop until the person responsible pays for what they’ve done.”
His conviction was clear, but I’d heard promises like this before. Words were easy; actions were what mattered.
“And what about us, Damien?” I asked, my voice softer now. “How do you plan to fix us?”
He hesitated, the weight of the question hanging between us. “I don’t have all the answers,” he admitted. “But I know that I don’t want to lose you. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust. Just…give me a chance to prove it.”
I looked down at my hands, my emotions swirling. Part of me wanted to believe him, to hold onto the hope that things could get
better. But another part of me, the part that had been hurt too many times, was afraid to let him back in.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“You can,” he said, his tone steady. “We can. I know I’ve made mistakes–too many to count–but I’m not giving up on us, Rosalie. Not now, not ever.”
I looked up at him, searching his face for any sign of insincerity. But all I saw was determination.
“Do you mean that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I mean every
word.”
The sincerity in his eyes made my chest ache. For the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of something I thought I’d lost- hope.
THIRD PERSON
Rosalie had just turned the faucet for the shower when her phone buzzed on the counter. Wrapped in her robe, she glanced at the screen and saw Charlotte’s name flashing. She hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the phone.
Sighing, she picked it up and answered. “Charlotte.”
“Rosalie,” Charlotte’s voice came sharp and direct, cutting through the line. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day. What’s going on over there?”
Rosalie tightened the tie of her robe, walking back toward the vanity. “Everything’s fine. I guess so. Atleast it seems fine.”
2/4
Drame–Read Romance…
Open
14:34 Tue, 18 Feb O
Chapter 60
M
42%
“Really?” Charlotte asked, her tone laced with skepticism.
“Yeah. Damien came back home and we had a deep conversation. He promised to clear the scandalous mess we were facing.”
“All those promises he’s been feeding you. What’s he up to now?” Charlote scowled.
Rosalie bristled but tried to keep her voice calm. “He’s trying, Charlotte. He’s promised to fix things. Tonight, he asked to have dinner with me in such a long time and apologized for everything.”
“Apologized?” Charlotte let out a sharp laugh. “Rosalie, are you really falling for that? Again?”
Rosalie frowned, gripping the phone tighter. “He seemed genuine.”
“Oh, he seemed genuine,” Charlotte said mockingly. “Rosalie, how many times does he have to hurt you before you realize this is just his way of keeping you quiet? It’s damage control, nothing more.”
“It’s not like that,” Rosalie replied firmly. “He said he’s going to take down the pictures and find out who’s behind all of this.”
“And you believe him?” Charlotte snapped. “Damien’s good at making promises, but what has he actually done, Rosalie? All I see is a man who drags your name through the mud and expects you to wait for him to fix it.”
Rosalie took a deep breath, steadying herself. She knew Charlotte meant well but the conversation was quickly veering into territory she wasn’t in the mood to navigate. “Look, I get that you’re upset, but this is my marriage, Charlotte. Not yours.”
“Exactly,” Charlotte shot back. “It’s your marriage, and you’re the one who has to live with the consequences. I’m just trying to help you see the truth before it’s too late.”
Rosalie felt a flare of irritation. “The truth? Or your version of it?”
“My version?” Charlotte repeated, her voice rising. “Rosalie, I’ve seen the way he treats you. And now you’re telling me you’re just going to forgive him because he said a few nice words over dinner?”
“I’m not just forgiving him,” Rosalie said, her tone firm. “I’m giving him a chance. He’s my husband, Charlotte. I owe him that much.”
Charlotte’s scoff was loud enough to make Rosalie pull the phone slightly away from her ear. “You owe him nothing. He’s the one who owes you. Don’t let him manipulate you into thinking otherwise.”
Rosalie stood her ground. “I’m not being manipulated. I’m making a choice–for myself and for my marriage.”
“A choice?” Charlotte said bitterly. “The only choice you should be making is to leave him. Walk away, Rosalie, before he drags you down with him. You deserve better than this.”
Rosalie closed her eyes, her patience fraying. “I appreciate your concern, Charlotte, but I don’t need you telling me how to handle my life. I’ve made my decision, and I’m sticking to it.”
Charlotte’s tone shifted, taking on a sharper edge. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe,” Rosalie admitted. “But it’s mine to make. And besides you and father forced me into this marriage so how I handle my relationship with my husband is nobody’s business.”
The silence that followed was heavy, charged with unspoken tension. Charlotte was the first to break it. “You’re blind, Rosalie. Completely blind. But fine. Do what you want. Just don’t come crying to me when it all falls apart.”
Rosalie’s grip on the phone tightened, her jaw clenching. “I appreciate your concern Charlotte. I really do. But I have to make things work out.”
3/4
Dreame–Read Romance…
Open
14:34 Tue, 18 Feb
Chapter 60
42%
+5
Before Charlotte could respond, Rosalie ended the call. She set the phone down on the counter and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her chest rose and fell with deep, steadying breaths, but her mind was a storm of emotions.
Charlotte’s words lingered, but Rosalie pushed them aside. Damien had made his promises, and for now, she was choosing to believe him.
Unbeknownst to her, on the other side of the call, Charlotte sat fuming. She tossed her phone onto the couch, her face a mask of frustration. “She’ll see,” Charlotte muttered under her breath, her voice low and seething. “I won’t let them make this work. Not if I can help it.”
