After a long silence, Sophia finally spoke softly, "I do care for him deeply."
She loves him too? Her first words sent a chill through Rocky's heart. Just as he realized his own feelings for her, he now heard her confessing affection for Henry. It felt like...
"I've always seen him as an older brother," she continued, "but I never expected him to tell me he loves me—that he wants to marry me, even if it means we never have children, as long as we can be together. I do care for him, but it's familial love, the bond between siblings." No matter how much time passed or how devoted he remained, she could never reciprocate his romantic feelings.
Her sense of ethics was deeply ingrained. He was her cousin, and that would never change.
He couldn't make her heart flutter; she couldn't return his love.
Rocky's half-frozen heart gradually warmed again, all because of her clarification. Though still reeling from the emotional whiplash, one thing became crystal clear: he didn't want to see her fall for any other man.
So, the best solution was to make her fall for him.
Besides, protecting her had become second nature. Whenever she was in danger, his body reacted instinctively. He wouldn't mind shielding her for a lifetime.
"Do you want to make him give up?" Rocky asked lightly, voicing the very dilemma troubling Sophia. His long lashes lifted briefly, then lowered just in time to veil the intense green glow in his eyes.
"You have a plan?" she asked, brightening instantly. The shadow on her lovely face vanished, replaced by hopeful sunlight.
"If you had a boyfriend, he'd naturally back off," he suggested. Perfect timing!
A boyfriend? Her delicate brows furrowed. "It's not like I can just find one overnight."
"A fake boyfriend," he clarified. "Just enough to make your cousin believe it."
That wasn't a bad idea. "But who? I'm literally fighting for my life right now. Who would risk playing along?" Sophia pointed out the gap between imagination and reality.
"How about me?" he volunteered. "I'm already used to solving your problems, anyway."
"You?" She was taken aback.
Even if it was just pretend, her heartbeat quickened at his smile.
He raised an amused eyebrow. "Not qualified enough?"
"N-no, you're great. I'm just surprised," she answered honestly.
"Why surprised?" He wanted to know.
"I thought you were someone who avoids trouble. Unless forced, you never willingly take on burdens." Aside from initially saving her life, everything else—accompanying her home, handling gallery affairs, protecting her—had been pushed onto him by Susan.
Rocky smiled inwardly. True, but things are different now. His feelings for her had changed; she was no longer just an unimportant guest.
She was a woman he cared about.
He gazed at her. "You haven't given me your answer yet."
A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "Okay."
"Then it's settled." A triumphant smile spread across Rocky's handsome face.
---
Nighttime.
The entire mansion was plunged into pitch-black darkness, as if everyone had drifted into dreams.
Under the moonlight, three figures in black struggled on a balcony, trying to break into a room.
Suddenly, they slid the glass door open and slipped inside. Using the faint moonlight, they confirmed someone was asleep in bed. Immediately, they drew gleaming daggers and crept toward the bed, ready to strike—
Lights flashed on abruptly.
The three men froze, blinded by the sudden glare.
"Welcome," Rocky said with a cheerful grin.
He'd anticipated their move and had already moved Sophia to another room.
Besides Rocky, Kent, Carlson, and Susan (who'd tagged along for the excitement) were also in the room.
John Smith closed the glass door behind them.
Rocky recognized the man who'd stabbed him before. "You still owe me for that knife, remember?"
John brandished a surgical scalpel, his voice silkily menacing. "No need to chat. Just kill them and feed them to the dogs—much simpler." The sharp scalpel was far deadlier than any ordinary dagger.
Carlson added coldly, "Or toss them off the balcony. Either works."
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh! Before Susan even spoke, three throwing knives shot out, each leaving a bleeding cut on the three men's faces.
"Truly impressive," Rocky marveled, clicking his tongue. "I'll remember not to piss off Susan from now on. No need to ask for trouble."
"Glad you know," Susan snorted.
Knock knock. A sudden rap at the door.
"That must be Sophia," Susan said immediately.
The door opened, and Sophia peeked in. "It's them? The three who tried to kill me that night?"
Rocky smiled back. "Exactly. Come in—the mystery is about to be solved."
Sophia's emotions were mixed. Part of her desperately wanted to know who was behind the attempts on her life; another part feared hearing a familiar name.
"Talk," Rocky said calmly, his gentle tone leaving no room for refusal. "Who hired you to kill her?"
Sophia held her breath.
For a long moment, the three remained silent.
"Not talking?" Rocky's voice grew eerily gentle. "John, if you would—noses or ears, whichever. We'll remove pieces one by one until they speak."
John approached with a smile, twirling his scalpel. "Who wants to go first?" The cold glint in his green eyes made it clear he wouldn't hold back.
"I'll talk..." one man stammered, eyes fixed on the blade inches away. He swallowed, hardly daring to breathe, terrified a wrong move would leave him cut.
"Hmm?" John waited.
"Mary Brown," the man blurted out.
Sophia gasped in disbelief. "Impossible! How could it be her?"
The man continued, "It's her. She paid us to kill you—any method, as long as you're dead."
"Why... how..." Sophia murmured, her expression clouded with undeniable grief.
She'd always considered Mary a close friend. Never could she have imagined Mary hiring assassins to kill her. What was happening?
Why did she hate her enough to want her dead?
"Who is Mary Brown?" Rocky asked gently.
"We were good friends!" His calm voice gave her strength to face the truth. "The kind of friends who shared everything, like sisters..."
And yet she'd hired killers? She needed to know why.
"I don't know what to believe anymore," Sophia said, her eyes dim, voice heavy with exhaustion.
If she'd known the answer would be this painful, perhaps never knowing would have been easier.
Susan signaled Kent, Leonard, and Carlson to escort the three men out, leaving only Rocky and Sophia in the room.
Rocky gripped her shoulders, turning her to face him. "You can trust me."
His solemn words sank into her heart, took root, and began to grow. "Can I really?" she whispered uncertainly.
"Absolutely," he stated firmly.
His hands shifted from gripping to embracing, pulling her into his arms—as if hoping to shield her from all harm within his embrace.