"Rose… I love you."
It was a dream. It couldn't be real.
"Ethan… what are you doing? Who am I to you? While I'm here—your partner in bed—your heart belongs to Avelyn. You treat her so well…"
Alicia's eyes widened in shock as the truth hit her. Rose? Ethan had been… using her?
"Don't think I'm a bad person," Ethan jabbed, trying to defend himself. "I'm giving her a life of luxury. She has to do something in return. Be glad I'm not asking her to scrub dishes… I only ask her to warm my bed."
Alicia's jaw dropped. "What? That's… disgusting!"
Ethan frowned. "What's the difference? She's happy. That's all that matters."
Alicia's shock turned to rage. She slammed her fist across his face. Ethan's scream echoed, sharp and furious. Maids and butlers came running as he collapsed to the balcony floor, tea spilled across his expensive shirt.
Alicia leaned close, voice icy. "I swear, Ethan… if you don't treat her right, I'll take her away from you. She's my queen. And if she doesn't come to the set tomorrow, I'll ruin you in public. Everything you've done… over."
Avelyn, standing nearby, glared at Alicia. "You… how dare you—"
"Shut up," Alicia snapped, eyes deadly. "Keep your mouth clean, or you'll crumble under your own rage." Avelyn trembled, caught off guard.
As Alicia turned to leave, she saw Cedric watching silently. He opened his mouth to speak, but she raised a finger.
"Don't even get me started," she warned.
Across the hall, amidst all the chaos, Johnathan gently stroked Rose's hair as she slept. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and whispered,
"You can choose me… I might not be as handsome as my brother, but I really like you. Please don't misunderstand me—it's not because of your looks. It's genuinely because… of who you are."
With that, he quietly left the room.
Rose, still with her eyes closed, heard every word, though she remained in her deep slumber.