Rose point of view


    I paced my penthouse living room, plone clutched so tightly in my hand that my knuckles turned white. The news notification still glowed on the screen: "Kane Industries Acquires Moretti Global Logistics in Surp Uncle Fabio''spany. Myst financial lifeline. Gone,


    The vodka bottle on the bar called to me, promising temporary relief from the suffocating pressure


    crushing my chest. Three weeks of systematic destruction had left me raw, exposed, and increasingly desperate. First mypany. Then my reputation. Now my godfather''s business


    The doorbell rang, its shrill tone slicing through my spiraling thoughts. I ignored it, just as I''d been ignoring most intrusions from the outside world. Probably another reporter hoping to document my "fall from gra The bell rang again, followed by pounding that made the door shake.


    "Rose! I know you''re in there!"


    Stefan. I froze, ss halfway to my lips. I hadn''t seen him since the embezzlement news broke, since he''d looked at me with such disgust in my father''s office.


    The pounding continued. "Open this door, Rose! We need to talk!"


    His voice held something I''d never heard before, not just anger, but a dangerous edge that sent shivers down my spine. Against my better judgment, I moved to the door and pulled it open.


    Stefan looked terrible. His normally perfect appearance had deteriorated into something almost unrecognizable, wrinkled shirt, dark circles under bloodshot eyes, hair ubed. But it was his expression that tr "Why aren''t you answering my calls?" he demanded, pushing past me into the apartment.


    "Hello to you too," I said, trying for sarcasm but achieving only a thin, brittle tone. "Please,e in."


    "This isn''t a social visit." He spun to face me. "I just got off the phone with your father."


    My stomach dropped. "And?"


    "He wanted to warn me that you were being difficult about the joint statement. Said you were refusing to sign the paperwork canceling our wedding ns."


    I crossed my arms defensively. "Why should I? This will all blow over eventually. The media will find someone else to destroy. We can postpone the wedding, not cancel it Stefan stared at me like I''d grown another head. "Are you serious? After everything that''s happened? After the lies, the affairs, the stolen designs, you still think there''s a future for us?" "Of course there is," I insisted, moving toward him. "People have short memories, Stefan. In six months, no one will care about these ridiculous scandals."


    "Ridiculous scandals?" He backed away from my approach You stole other designers'' work. You slept with married men to advance your career. You embezzled from your ownpany!" "Those are just business realities!" Frustration made my voice rise. "Everyone does these things! They only look


    BONUS


    badd when someone packages them in the most negative light possible!"


    Stefan shook his head, disgust in on his face. "I don''t even know who you are anymore. The woman I thought I was going to marry wouldn''t recognize these things as ''bustness realities.“” "The woman you thought you were going to marry never existed!" I snapped, anger suddenly boiling over. "She was a character I yed because that''s what men like you want, some perfect, supportive ess


    "That''s not fair...


    "Fair?" Iughed, the sound verging on hysterical. "None of this is fair! Someone with unlimited resources has systematically destroyed everything I''ve built! Mypany, my reputation, my financial security, all "Maybe you do," Stefan said quietly.


    The simple statement stopped me cold. "What?"


    "Maybe you deserve exactly what''s happening," he repeated, voice hardening. "Maybe these ''ridiculous scandals" are just your past catching up with you. Maybe this is what justice looks like." "Justice?" The word tasted bitter on my tongue. "Is that


    what you think this is? Someone appointed themselves judge and jury of my life because they decided I needed punishment?"


    "I don''t


    know what else to call it," Stefan replied. "Every revtion seems perfectly calcted to expose exactly who you really are. Someone who takes what they want regardless of who gets hurt."


    "You''re one to talk about hurting people!" The words burst from me as my control finally shattered. "You were married when we started sleeping together again! You signed divorce papers on your anniversary! Y future!"


    Stefan stepped back as if I''d physically struck him. "That''s different. I never...


    "Never what? Never lied? Never manipted? Never caused pain?" I advanced on him, years of carefully hidden resentment suddenly pouring out. "You were so eager to believe the worst about your marriage. it and you epted it as truth!"


    "Stop it," Stefan warned, his expression darkening. "Don''t try to make this about our past. This is about who you are now. What you''ve done." "Who I am?" Iughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "I''m exactly who I''ve always been! The only difference is that now everyone knows it!"


    "That not true," Stefan said quietly. "The Rose I thought I knew wouldn''t have stolen designs. Wouldn''t have embezzled money. Wouldn''t have..."


    "Wouldn''t have what?" I challenged, stepping closer until we were inches apart. "Wouldn''t have done everything necessary to get what she wanted? Wouldn''t have removed obstacles in her path? Wouldn''t have The words hung in


    the air between us, impossible to retract Stefan''s face drained of color as he stared at me, horror gradually recing anger in his expression.


    "What did you just say?" he whispered.


    Too


    "I didn''t mean... that came out wrong...." I stammered, cold fear recing hot anger.


    "Her ident," Stefan repeated, backing away from me. "You said her ident cleared the way. Like


    you knew it would happen. Like you arranged it."


    "No! That''s not...."


    "Did you have something to do with Camille''s death?" His voice was barely audible, but each word struck like physical blows.


    "It wasn''t supposed to be death!" The truth burst from me before I could stop it, the pressure of weeks of destruction finally breaking my controlpletely. "He was


    just supposed to scare her! To make her understand she needed to leave! To give up the life that should have been mine!"


    Stefan looked at me as if seeing a stranger, or worse, as if seeing a monster wearing the face of someone he thought he knew.


    "You" he whispered, horror evident in every syble. "You arranged the ident that killed her?"


    "He went too far," I said desperately, reaching for him. "It wasn''t supposed to happen that way! She was just supposed to be frightened enough to leave New York, leave you, leave the fashion world I belonged Stefan recoiled from my touch, stumbling backward until he hit the wall. "You had your own sister run off the Toad?"


    "She was ordinary!" The words tore from somece dark and ugly inside me. "She didn''t deserve you! Didn''t fit into your world! She was holding you back, making you settle for less than you were meant for!"


    "Less than I was meant for," Stefan repeated, his voice hollow. "And who decided what I was meant for? You?" "We belonged together!" I insisted, desperation making me reckless. "We always did! Everything I his face. "There is no ''us'' There never will be again."


    He moved toward the door, each step putting more distance between us.


    “Stefan, wait!” Panic overwhelmed me. "You can''t just leave! We need to talk about this!"


    "There''s nothing to talk about," he replied, not looking back "Our engagement is over. Whatever connection we had died the moment you admitted what you did."


    "Please," I begged, all pride abandoned in the face of


    Stefan paused at the door, turning to look at me onest time. The expression


    on his face would haunt my nightmares for years toe, not anger, not hatred, but something worse. Something like pity mixed with profound disgust.


    "Love?" he said quietly. "You don''t know the meaning of the word."


    The door closed behind him with a soft click that somehow hurt more than any m would have. I stood frozen in the middle of my beautiful penthouse as the full impact of what had just happened crashed over I had admitted my role in Camille''s ident.


    Thad lost Stefan forever.


    And whoever was systematically destroying my life now had the final piece they needed toplete my ruin.