♡ I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each of you for taking the time to read my story ♡

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༼ つ ◕◡◕ ༽つ 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

..."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.

Chapter 1: The Jaw Drop

"I still can't believe he's using her to warm his bed. Look at me, Alicia—am I not pretty enough?" Avelyn's voice trembled with frustration.

Alicia, her best friend, barely looked up from the newspaper. "If you really want to crawl into his bed, do it. He's your childhood sweetheart, after all." She flipped a page and sipped her tea. "Anyway, look—Jonathan Grey, your sweetheart's brother, is all over the news again. That bastard had the nerve to reject my date request." She slammed her cup down dramatically, her face half comical, half furious.

Avelyn and Alicia were close, but their conversations always danced between serious and ridiculous. That night, however, things shifted. Jonathan Grey had been invited to Ethan's birthday party—and his eyes locked on Rose.

The entire hall fell into uneasy silence. Avelyn's face twisted in rage, while Alicia, surprisingly, froze in awe.

Rose was breathtaking. Wearing a half-white, figure-hugging gown, her hair pinned in a loose bun, she looked like she had stepped out of a fairytale. With her elegance, she could have been a model—or even a leading actress.

Then the unthinkable happened. Rose and Jonathan moved to the center of the ballroom, dancing under the golden chandelier as if they were the only two people in the world. The red-and-gold buffet glittered around them, but all eyes were on Rose. She was Cinderella brought to life.

Alicia couldn't hold back. She stormed up to Ethan and smacked his arm.

"You dog! You hid such a beauty all this time? Damn you, bastard—I want her in my film set tomorrow!"

The crowd gasped. Ethan stiffened. Alicia was his best friend, the one person he couldn't refuse. His jaw tightened.

"Fine," he growled.

Whispers spread instantly through the guests.

"Too bad Ethan kept her hidden."

"Another woman? Not rich… but still, why hide her?"

Beside them, Dr. Cedric, Ethan's longtime friend, listened with disbelief. Rumors say she only lives to warm his bed? Ethan… could you really be that cruel?

Before Cedric could think further, Alicia smacked him too. "Hey, you moron, stop spacing out!"

Cedric coughed, grabbing her wrist. His eyes sharpened. "Tell me the truth—are the rumors real?"

"What?" Alicia blinked, confused, then shoved him away. "Get off me, you bastard!"

The crowd turned to stare. Cedric's face flushed. "N-No, I didn't mean—"

"Then what did you mean?" Alicia snapped, cheeks pink.

Cedric chuckled. "I didn't know you get shy so easily."

Alicia smacked him again, yanked his tie, and dragged him out to the balcony. "Shut up before I kill you!"

"Ugh—my neck—Alicia—I'm gonna die!" Cedric choked, laughing and struggling.

The night air was cool, the stars glowing above them. Alicia finally released him, exhaling hard. "Of course I knew… I just didn't know she was Rose. Damn—she's hot."

Cedric's ears turned red. "Wow… so you really love women?"

"You—!" Alicia jabbed a finger at him. "Don't push your luck. But if Ethan doesn't let her act, I'll take her myself. Maybe even marry her."

"What?!" Cedric's jaw dropped.

The silence in the grand hall was shattered only by the throbbing music. But in the master suite, a different kind of noise reigned.

​"You… how dare you!" Ethan's voice was a low snarl, laced with proprietary fury. "How dare you dance with my brother?" He tore at her clothes with vicious speed, his hands rough.

He continued his attack, punishing her body with reckless malice. Rose, crying, begged for mercy. "No, I… ahh… stop it! It hurts!"

​"It should, shouldn't it?" he hissed. He bit her neck savagely, sending a fresh wave of blinding pain through her already battered body.

All night, he continued his cruel assault, determined to carve a mark on her that would ensure she never dared to speak to another man, let alone dance.

​Meanwhile, in the grand ballroom, Alicia watched the receding crowd, her frustration mounting. "Cedric, what is that bastard doing?" she demanded, gesturing sharply.

​"Who?" Cedric asked, genuinely confused, trying to follow her gaze. ​"I mean, look at Johnathan!" Alicia jabbed a finger toward the handsome brother. "He’s giving meaningful glances to every single damn woman here, but he's completely ignoring me!"

​Cedric couldn’t control his laughter. He threw his head back, chuckling loudly. "Maybe he thinks you’ll eat him alive!"

​"What?! You jerk!" Alicia smacked his arm hard. Unbeknownst to them, Jonathan, standing near the punch bowl, paused. He watched Alicia silently from across the crowded room, a faint, intrigued smirk on his face.

​Hours later, the sun was just beginning to rise over Ethan’s sprawling estate. A trembling maid approached the door of Ethan's study. "Sir… Ms. Rose… she needs a doctor," the maid whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

​Ethan frowned, annoyed at the interruption. "Then call the doctor! Don't interrupt me while I’m busy in my study." He waved her away, then his face smoothed instantly into a calm, practiced smile. He picked up his phone and called Avelyn. "Oh, Avelyn," he cooed.

​The maid was struck by the sickening contrast—his mafia-like cruelty toward Rose, his calm demeanor for Avelyn. She noted how Avelyn only ever sought pride in Ethan's aristocratic figure, while Rose was pure-hearted and kind.

Hating Ethan deeply for his coldness, the maid rushed away from the study. She knew a mere doctor’s visit wouldn't help Rose; she needed to be saved. The maid grabbed the nearest phone and called Alicia instead.

​Alicia was finally home, collapsing from an exhausting day of modeling and photo shoots. "Ugh! What a day," she groaned, kicking off her heels.

​Her personal maid came rushing in, looking like she was about to pass out. "Ma’am, you have a call. It's a maid from Mr. Ethan's estate."

​"What's wrong? Sit first." Alicia forced the girl into a chair and called for water, then she picked up the phone.

​The maid on the other end, Mak, was crying, trying desperately to keep her voice down. She recounted everything: the beating, the pleas, Ethan's indifference.

​Alicia's eyes went wide. A dangerous rage began to burn beneath her skin. She slammed her hand down on the table, the noise echoing through the silent house.

​"What!" she roared.