Rosetta's face turned instantly pale at those words.

However, she did not want to waste her energy arguing with Jared. "Let go."

"Don't be so cold to me. The Sinclair brothers don't want you, but I do," Jared replied, refusing to release his grip. His tone and movements were laced with contempt as he raised a hand, aiming to brush her cheek.

Her complexion drained even further. She struggled with every ounce of strength, but Jared's hand drew closer and closer.

Just when he was about to land his hand on her cheek, a pair of long, slender and sharply defined hands stopped him.

Rosetta turned her head, only to meet a handsome face, almost flawless in its features, with deep-set eyes and a strikingly defined profile. A cold glint shone in the stranger's gaze.

"Who are you?"

"Someone you can't afford to offend." The man's voice was low and unyielding. "Get lost."

Jared wanted to retort, but the person standing next to him leaned in, whispering something into his ear. Within moments, Jared and his group hurriedly left.

Freed from the confrontation, Rosetta turned to offer her thanks, but the man was already walking away.

"Please, wait a moment."

The man's tall frame came to a slight halt, though he remained silent.

"Thank you so much for helping me."

"You're welcome." He left her with just those words before disappearing from view entirely.

Rosetta stood frozen, her mind still whirling, until the sharp ringing of her phone broke her trance.

She looked at the screen and found it was Elliot calling.

After staring at the screen for a long time, she finally decided to answer and Elliot's deep voice came from the other end. "Rosie, why did you call? Sierra has been crying and I'm comforting her."

A wave of exhaustion instantly swept over Rosetta.

"It's fine." She decided to keep silent about what had just happened.

But she had not expected Elliot to ask again, "Rosie, your voice sounds strange. Did something happen?"

Rosetta felt a twist of emotions at his question.

When she had needed him most, he had been busy prioritizing Sierra's needs, ignoring her calls. And now, when she no longer needed him, here he was, asking if anything was wrong. How ridiculous.

"Nothing."

On the other end, Elliot sensed something off. He wanted to ask Rosetta directly, but in the background, she could faintly hear Sierra's voice calling him anxiously.

"That's all. You go on. I'm hanging up now." Rosetta closed her eyes, spoke in a cold tone and then ended the call.

The following days passed without any sign of Elliot or Edric. She assumed he was at the hospital, keeping Sierra company.

In the meantime, Rosetta had almost finished packing her belongings, with only two days left until her final performance.

After the last rehearsal, Rosetta returned home and briefly called Riley. As soon as she hung up, she heard a car pulling up outside.

It was Elliot and Edric returning.

In the past, she would have waited to greet them, but today, she only felt an overwhelming weariness, too drained to face anyone.

So she stood and started to go upstairs.

But before she could make it far, Elliot stopped her.

"Rosie."

She turned and there, between Elliot and Edric, stood Sierra.

For a moment, Rosetta was caught off guard, forgetting to guard her emotions as she looked at the two brothers with questioning, puzzled eyes.

Edric stepped forward, gently taking her arm. "Rosie, Sierra's grandmother is in the hospital. We didn't feel right about leaving her alone, so we'll have her stay here at the villa for a while."

"She will stay here for a while?" Rosetta almost wondered if she had heard wrong.

"It's a large house. If we clean up a guest room for Sierra, it won't affect anything."

It won't affect anything, he said...

Rosetta could not hold back any longer. She looked at Elliot and Edric with an icy gaze. "This villa holds so many memories for the three of us. And now you want her to live here? Have you really thought it through?"

Elliot met her gaze, silent for a few moments before finally saying, "I told you, it's only for a while."

"Yes, Rosie," Edric added. "It's just for a while. Can you stop being so unreasonable?"

What? Unreasonable?

That word made Rosetta's heart sink. It made her realize the truth once again. To them, Sierra was the priority now. Those cherished memories they once shared did not mean anything anymore.

If that was how it was, why should she care if Sierra stayed here? She would be leaving soon and this villa would no longer be part of her life.

Without another word, Rosetta turned around and walked away.

Elliot watched her retreating figure, a trace of regret flickering across their faces. Perhaps they had not thought about her feelings enough.

At this moment, Sierra looked at them hesitantly, saying softly, "Rosetta seems upset, doesn't she? Maybe… maybe I shouldn't stay here after all."

"There's no need for that," Elliot replied. "You can stay here. It's fine."

"Yes," Edric added. "Rosie is just a bit spoiled by us."

Hearing their reassurances, the sadness in Sierra's expression faded, replaced by a grateful smile. "Thank you."

That night, Sierra settled comfortably into the villa. Meanwhile, Rosetta reminded herself over and over not to let it bother her, but she still could not sleep.

The next morning, she packed her things and headed downstairs.

As soon as she reached the stairs, Rosetta saw Sierra seated in the living room, giving countless orders to the butler.

"These decorations here are kind of outdated. Hey, replace them all."

"But these are Miss Rosetta's favorites."

"Oh, really? Well, she does, but I don't like them. Or should I get Elliot or the others to handle it?"

The butler hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. Unable to bear it any longer, Rosetta stepped forward and intervened. "It's fine. Just do as she says."

The butler gave her a reluctant glance, but Rosetta nodded and he complied. Sierra immediately noticed her presence, so she quickly changed her demeanor, standing up with a soft smile, far from the arrogant tone she had just used.

"Morning, Rosetta."

Rosetta skillfully avoided her extended hand without any expression on her face. "There's no need to act familiar. We're not close enough to hold hands when we talk."

The merciless words made Sierra froze briefly, but she recovered quickly. "Rosetta, are you upset with me? I only thought the decor didn't suit the living room's style. I didn't mean anything by it."

Watching her feigned innocence, Rosetta found herself growing weary of the pretense. "It's just us here now. No need to act like this. You're happy enough being allowed to stay here, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm so happy to live here with you, Rosetta."

"Let's not kid ourselves, okay? You would prefer if I moved out and made room for you in this house."

"Will you, then?" Sierra's tone was almost innocent as she tilted her head and widened her eyes.

Rosetta looked at her for a moment, unable to suppress a wry smile. "Maybe I have underestimated you."

"Rosetta, Elliot and Edric have taken such good care of me. You've had your time with them. Honestly, it might be best if you left. Otherwise, staying here might only make it harder for you to accept things as they are."

"Whether I can accept things or not has nothing to do with you." Rosetta did not want to waste a second to listen to her nonsense, so she turned to leave.

But before she could take a step, Sierra reached forward, grabbing her hand. "Still not giving up, are you?"

Before Rosetta could process her words, Sierra suddenly twisted away, releasing Rosetta's hand and deliberately crashing her own forehead against the corner of the table.

Her cry of pain startled Rosetta, leaving her momentarily frozen.

Hurried footsteps sounded behind them. It was Elliot and Edric approaching in panic.

Elliot shoved Rosetta aside and rushed to Sierra's side. Rosetta stumbled back, her right hand slamming painfully against the decorative shelf, the sharp pain making it hard to stand upright.

"Rosetta, I know you don't like me, but I was only staying here for a night. If it bothers you that much, I could have just left. Why did you have to push me?"

There was blood on Sierra's forehead. Her voice was soft, yet her words twisted the truth, casting Rosetta as the villain.

Suppressing the ache in her wrist, Rosetta tried to speak, but Edric seized her hand angrily. "Since when have you changed to be this narrow-minded?"

Elliot was holding Sierra in his arms as he looked at Rosetta with a harsh, icy glare. "I'm deeply disappointed in you, Rosie."

The pain in her wrist left Rosetta's face ghostly pale. She met their condemning stares before a bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Is it really me who has changed? Or is it the two of you?"

Elliot rose with Sierra still cradled in his arms. "You don't even feel a bit guilty after injuring Sierra like this. It seems we've spoiled you far too much until now."

Edric agreed. "Yeah, Elliot is right. You went too far this time, Rosie. Reflect on your behavior for the next few days.

After saying those words, Elliot and Edric turned and left with Sierra.

Rosetta just stood there alone, numb and hollow with heartbreak, watching the three of them walk away.

But right now, she did not have time to dwell on the ache in her heart. The sharp, stabbing pain in her right wrist filled her with dread and even her voice trembled.

"Dante, tell the driver to get me to the hospital quickly."

As a violinist, her right hand was everything to her. The relentless pain clouded her mind with fear. If something happened to her hand... the loss would be more than she could bear.

She reached the hospital in a haze, bracing herself as the doctor examined her wrist. Moments later, he delivered the diagnosis: a comminuted fracture.

Rosetta froze, staring at him in disbelief. Her voice shook as she asked, "Doctor, sorry, what... did you say?"

The doctor noticed her shock, so he tried to reassure her. "You came here quickly, so it isn't too serious. With proper treatment, you should recover in time."

"So… I can't play the violin for now?"

"You're a violinist?"

"Yes, and I have an important show tomorrow night."

"Then, I'm afraid you can't perform tomorrow. You'll need to rest your hand for at least three months."

"But what about my performance tomorrow night?"

"If you force yourself to play tomorrow, you risk permanent damage. Even three months is a conservative estimate. Your full recovery depends on how well your hand heals."

The doctor walked away and Rosetta sat in the emergency room, stunned and numb.

The butler stood quietly beside her with reddening eyes, holding back his tears as he shared in her pain.

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