Roselyn's fingers shook as she pivoted, spotting Kevin striding toward her, and her muscles locked up in a split second. With his shadow drawing closer, she blurted out, a little too fast, "I'm on the phone with Abby."

Abby Elliott—her closest friend—became an instant shield. Left with no other option, Roselyn leaned into the lie.

From the other end of the line came the sharp click of a lighter snapping open. Wesley took a slow drag and then let out a low laugh, his voice curling with deliberate provocation. "You don't usually sound like that with just anyone," he noted casually. "Maybe next time, you can talk to me that way. I'd really enjoy it."

Every word was laced with amusement and a trace of mischief.

Roselyn's nerves were stretched thin, every breath shallow and controlled. Only then did she grasp how rattled she truly was—Kevin stood just a few steps away, while Wesley's murmured words slipped closer to the line with every second. She couldn't afford even the smallest chance of Kevin overhearing Wesley.

With a tight grip, she pressed the phone to her ear, holding it as if it might betray her with a single sound. Lowering her voice, she said into the phone quickly, "It's too late for tonight. We'll see each other tomorrow."

"Fine," Wesley answered easily, his tone almost indulgent.

Relief washed through her as she ended the call without hesitation and turned back toward Kevin, forcing her expression into something calm. "Abby already knows I'm back," she said casually. "She asked me to grab a bite with her—but it's late. I'd rather head to your grandmother's place and spend some time with her instead."

Kevin noticed the subtle change in Roselyn's demeanor. His eyes stayed on her a beat longer than usual, searching her face, yet he chose not to press her with questions. "Then I'll drive you to her place myself," he offered in a low tone.

"That won't be necessary. I'll have the driver take me," Roselyn remarked, her smile smooth and carefully controlled.

She was keenly aware of how things looked and where the lines had to be drawn. Getting too close to Kevin was no longer an option she allowed herself to consider. What they once had was gone, and there was no path back to it.

In the end, under Roselyn's insistence, a driver working for the Warren family was arranged to take her to Beth's place.

As Roselyn settled into the back seat, neither Stefan nor Jordyn stepped outside to see her off. Their absence spoke volumes—any pretense of courtesy had been abandoned, and their displeasure over her decision to remain in Radena was no longer hidden.

Before the car rolled forward, Kevin spoke from the curb, his voice steady. "Make time to come by and have dinner with my parents again whenever you can."

With practiced composure, Roselyn dipped her chin and replied, "Alright."

Once the engine hummed to life and the vehicle rolled forward, the mansion slipped farther into the background, Kevin's tall silhouette shrinking until it blurred into the lights.

Roselyn turned her head away at last, a quiet heaviness pooling behind her eyes.

…

Tucked away on the southern outskirts of the city, Beth's place sat far from the clamor and glare of downtown.

When Roselyn finally arrived, the clock had just edged past eight in the evening.

For a visit, the timing was neither early nor intrusive—simply appropriate.

Crossing the threshold, Roselyn scanned the expansive living room—only to find it empty, with no sign of Beth anywhere in sight.

A servant promptly wheeled her suitcase upstairs to be unpacked, while the estate's housekeeper, Aubrey Sutton, rushed over, clasped Roselyn's hand, and spoke with unmistakable warmth. "Roselyn, you're finally home."

Emotion surged unexpectedly, leaving Roselyn's eyes rimmed with red as she struggled to steady her voice. "I'm planning to stay in Radena for a while this time."

Beth had taken Roselyn in from a children's home when she was only eight, and from that day on, this house had been where Roselyn grew up, watched over by Aubrey's steady presence.

More than anyone else, it had been Aubrey who quietly filled the role of parent in Roselyn's life.

Separated for three long years, the affection and longing between them resurfaced the moment they met again.

At Roselyn's mention of staying in Radena, Aubrey looked as though she wanted to ask more but then glanced around instinctively, concern flickering across her face before she swallowed the questions back.

Choosing silence instead, Aubrey squeezed Roselyn's hand gently and said with a soft smile, "It's good that you're home."

After exchanging a few more words, Roselyn glanced toward the stairs and asked, "Where's Beth?"

At once, Aubrey's smile stiffened, a flicker of unease crossing her face. "She's… already turned in for the night."

A brief stillness settled over Roselyn, and the faint curve of her smile slowly drained away.

For fifteen years, Roselyn had lived under Beth's roof, growing up by her side. Even during the three years Roselyn had spent in Zoinbury, they had stayed in touch—calls, FaceTime, long conversations that stretched late into the night. Beth's routine was etched into Roselyn's memory. Barely past eight o'clock, the house still wrapped in evening quiet—there was no way Beth would have gone to bed this early.

The truth settled silently but firmly in Roselyn's chest. Beth simply didn't want to see her. Even Beth didn't want her back—certainly not wanting her to stay in Radena.

A short, self-mocking laugh slipped from Roselyn's throat, thin and hollow. Once she uncovered the answers she'd come for, she would leave Radena behind—no lingering, no burden, no reason for anyone to be troubled by her presence again.

Back in her bedroom, Roselyn freshened up before collapsing onto the bed, the mattress barely cushioning the weight of the day.

Everything that had happened on her first day back pressed down on her chest, leaving her wrung out and hollow.

With her eyes shut, her thoughts blurred and scattered, drifting in uneven waves as she shifted restlessly beneath the covers. Long minutes passed before exhaustion finally pulled her under, and sleep carried her straight into a dream.

In her dream, the scene rewound to when she was sixteen.

Sunlight blazed over the basketball court, where teenage boys ran and laughed, their movements loose, loud, and brimming with careless youth.

When halftime came, Roselyn hurried over with bottles of water for Kevin and the others.

Tilting her head slightly, she wiped the sweat from Kevin's forehead with a towel.

A voice rang out nearby, playful and teasing. "Kevin, take a look at Roselyn—sweet, obedient, and beautiful. Just make her your future wife."

Heat rushed to Roselyn's cheeks, the color blooming as she froze in place, her hands hanging awkwardly at her sides, unsure where to put them or how to respond.

Across from her, eighteen-year-old Kevin met her gaze with an open, luminous calm, the corners of his mouth lifting into a soft, unguarded smile. "Of course," he said lightly. "Then you'll have to wait for me, Roselyn. One day, I'll marry you."

Laughter erupted around them, his friends hooting and clapping without restraint.

Caught off guard, Roselyn felt her emotions swell all at once, crashing over her without warning.

Back then, at sixteen, the feelings she had carefully tucked away finally broke free—what had once been a vague, shapeless pull sharpened and spread, quietly but relentlessly taking over her thoughts.

The phrase "wait for me" had carved itself deep into Roselyn's memory since then, sharp and unforgettable. She had sworn to be good, to wait patiently, and to carry the weight of that moment with her for the rest of her life.

Out of nowhere, the dream lurched sideways. Every image fractured at once, collapsing into nothing, until only boundless darkness remained.

Fear surged through her chest, and before she could react, a powerful arm locked around her. She was dragged against a solid body and held fast in a crushing embrace.

Hot breath brushed her ear as a voice murmured with a dangerous, possessive edge, "Roselyn, don't even think about running away from me."

When she lifted her gaze, Wesley's devastatingly handsome face filled her vision.

Nothing about him had changed—he remained defiant and untamed, the kind of man who never released what he claimed. With relentless strength, he pinned her in place and thrust into her, leaving her breathless and powerless beneath him. "Sweetheart, moan for me."

Roselyn snapped awake, her heart slamming wildly against her ribs. She bolted upright, dragging a shaky hand across her forehead as if to clear the lingering heat.

Only then did it sink in—it wasn't real, just a dream. Yet inside that dream, every touch and shift had felt terrifyingly real, and Wesley had been just as reckless and unrestrained as always by the end.

Covering her face with both hands, Roselyn lay back, throat dry, restlessness humming through her like an aftershock. Dreaming something like that made her feel completely unhinged.

After her breathing finally evened out, she rose, washed up, and changed into fresh clothes.

When she went downstairs, the dining room came into view—and with it Beth, already seated at the table, calmly eating breakfast.

At seventy-eight, Beth's hair had gone half-white, yet her back remained straight and her bearing steady, refinement and authority settling around her like an old habit.

Roselyn approached and halted beside the table. She didn't dare sit; instead, she lowered her head and stood neatly, murmuring, "Good morning, Beth."

Without looking up, Beth kept eating, her attention firmly fixed on her plate.

A tight line formed at Roselyn's mouth as she remained quietly off to the side.

Not until the last bite was finished did Beth place her fork and knife down and finally lift her eyes. "You returned without saying a word," she remarked coolly. "It seems you've gotten bolder."

Keeping her gaze lowered, Roselyn said nothing, her silence heavy and deliberate.

A sharp, assessing stare pinned Roselyn in place before Beth demanded, her tone icy, "So when exactly do you plan to return to Zoinbury?"

After a brief hesitation, Roselyn answered quietly, "I… I'm staying in Radena."

Beth's temper flared at once, her words slicing through the air. "Don't be ridiculous. Kevin's about to get engaged. What reason do you have to stay here?"

Forcing herself to meet Beth's eyes, Roselyn replied hoarsely, "Why does his engagement mean I'm not allowed to come back?"

She swallowed and added, the question trembling out of her, "Isn't this my home too?"

She felt that in everyone's eyes, once Kevin became engaged, she was supposed to keep her distance and preferably not stay in the same nation.

Ignoring the question, Beth scrutinized Roselyn for a long, heavy moment before warning flatly, "You'd better know your place, Roselyn. If you dare cause another shameful mess like the one three years ago, don't blame me for cutting you off and throwing you out!"

Color drained from Roselyn's face, a sharp flicker of humiliation crossing her features. That incident three years earlier had left her wounded from beginning to end, yet in Beth's version of events, she had somehow become the instigator—the source of the scandal.

Casting one last indifferent glance at Roselyn, Beth rose from her chair and walked off without looking back.

Left standing alone, Roselyn felt an icy weight settle deep in her chest. She shut her eyes briefly, steadying herself. When she opened them again and slowly took in the house she had lived in for fifteen years, every corner felt strangely foreign. So this place had never truly been her home.

With her luggage already beside her, Roselyn was stopped short when Aubrey hurried forward and seized her arm.

"Roselyn, Mrs. Warren is only upset right now," Aubrey said quickly, her grip gentle but urgent. "If you give in a little, things will settle down. There's no need for you to move out. Take a deep breath and don't let your temper push you into this."

A tight smile flickered across Roselyn's face, barely lifting her lips. "That's not what this is, Aubrey," she replied softly. "I already planned to live on my own when I came back to Radena. I only stayed here last night because I wanted to see Beth."

Roselyn wasn't making excuses, nor was this a spur-of-the-moment decision. Long before setting foot in Radena again, she had asked Abby to quietly help her secure a place to stay.

"Roselyn…" Aubrey hesitated, clearly ready to keep talking her out of it.

From the staircase behind them, Beth's sharp voice cut in, "Since she insists on leaving, don't stand in her way!"

Roselyn's fingers curled tighter around the handle of her suitcase. Turning back, she met Beth's gaze and found nothing there but sharp displeasure and open contempt.

Forcing herself to stay composed, Roselyn pressed her lips together. "Whenever I have a free moment, I'll come back and visit."

"I don't need your visits," Beth stated indifferently. "I'm doing just fine on my own." Her gaze cut downward, sharp and merciless. "Take one more step out that door, and don't you dare come back!"

"Mrs. Warren, please—this doesn't have to go this far…" Aubrey's voice shook with panic as she turned back to Roselyn. "Roselyn, just apologize. Hurry—say you're sorry to Mrs. Warren…"

With a quiet steadiness, Roselyn eased her arm free from Aubrey's grasp. "Please look after Beth for me," she said softly. "If anything happens, call me right away."

No apology crossed Roselyn's lips, and not a trace of retreat showed on her face. Ignoring Aubrey's frantic attempts to stop her, she tugged her suitcase behind her and walked out, never once glancing back.

Fury exploded behind Roselyn. Beth swept a cup off the table, porcelain shattering against the floor. "What a goddamn joke! Since she has the guts to leave, let her stay gone forever. I'd like to see what she can possibly become without this family's backing!"

...

By the time Roselyn dragged her suitcase into Vista Residences, Abby was already waiting for her.

Dressed in a sleek pencil skirt, Abby wore her hair in loose, deliberate waves, arms folded as she lounged against the doorframe with easy confidence.

"I've already set you up," Abby said with a satisfied tilt of her chin. "Furniture, daily necessities—the boring stuff's done. Well? Not a bad spot, right? You'll be living right across from me, so trust me, your nightlife is officially taken care of."

While sorting through her belongings, Roselyn flicked Abby a measured glance. "With everything we're about to deal with, do you honestly think you'll still have the energy for that so-called nightlife?"

Lifting one shoulder, Abby smiled. "You squeeze in fun wherever you can. Besides, shifting Apex Stream's assets back to Radena was never going to be a one-night job. There's no point rushing it."

After pushing her hair behind her ear, Abby dropped beside Roselyn. "But seriously—are you really not going to tell Kevin that you founded Apex Stream in Zoinbury? You're opening a Radena branch, and he could be genuinely useful."

Before Roselyn could answer, her phone began to ring.

Curious, Abby leaned in to peek at the screen. Kevin's name glowed against the display. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips as she remarked, "Well, would you look at that—speak of the devil. Kevin's calling. The timing couldn't be better. You might as well mention the Apex Stream branch while you're at it."

Roselyn shot Abby a warning look, a subtle shake of her head telling Abby to rein it in, before lifting the phone to answer.

"Roselyn." Kevin's mild, familiar voice drifted through the line, softened with concern. "My grandmother told me you've already moved out of the house?"

Roselyn lowered her gaze. So Beth had wasted no time dragging Kevin into it—proof enough that her anger hadn't cooled in the slightest.

Keeping her tone even, Roselyn responded, "That's right. The place is way too far out, and the commute back and forth is a hassle, so I decided to move out."

Kevin heard straight through the explanation and knew it for what it was—nothing more than a convenient excuse.