Rafael was called down for dinner, and as he headed there, his eyes met his so-called family. His mother gave him a small smile, but he ignored it. Leonard glared at him, and he smirked, noticing the small bandage on his cheek.
Tristan wasn’t present, probably off on some mission.
As Rafael walked to his chair, he felt his father’s gaze following his every movement.
With an unreadable expression, he stabbed one of his steaks and began eating.
“I got a message from school that you hurt your brother with a cutter,” Maximus said, his voice low and thick.
“Yes,” Rafael replied as he continued eating. He noticed his brother shift uncomfortably beside him.
“He was wounded because of you,” his father said again, and Rafael paused to look at him.
“Yes, he was wounded because of me, and I do not regret my actions,” he stated firmly, his cold gaze locking with Maximus’s.
“Rafael,” Odessa called his name in a scolding manner.
Rafael gave her a disgusted look.
“See, Mother? This is what I’ve been telling you. He’s been acting so weird lately. He’s been leaving school early and following a strange male teacher…” Leonard started.
“I never asked you to speak, Leonard,” Maximus snapped, and Leonard immediately fell silent.
“Who is this man?” Maximus asked Rafael.
“His name is Mr. Falcon. He offered to give me private lessons…”
“Without my consent?”
“You don’t own my life, Father. Instead of focusing on mine, you should focus on yours. You might get to see the darkness swarming around you.” Rafael stood and dropped his fork.
“Thanks for the dinner,” he said coldly before heading up to his room.
Odessa was beyond shocked at Rafael’s actions. Her breath came unevenly as she watched her son leave. What in the world had gotten into him?
—
“Rosa isn’t back yet?” Rowan asked Jolene, who was busy doing the dishes. It was already so late, and Rosa still hadn’t shown up.
“I’ll go check on her,” Jolene said as she finished up and grabbed her jacket.
“Be careful, Jo. Should I come with you?” Rowan stood up.
“No, don’t. I’ll be back soon.”
She knew where Rosa had headed-it was a nearby shop. Since things had been tough with Wallington, Jolene made sure her dad and Rosa didn’t wander far.
“Hi,” Jolene greeted the man at the counter, showing him Rosa’s picture. “Have you seen her?”
The man’s eyes widened. “You know her?”
“Yeah, she’s my friend. Did something happen?”
The man sighed, concern etched on his face. “This woman came to the store, and as soon as she stepped out, she had an accident.”
“What?!” Jolene’s eyes widened, panic setting in. “Did they take her to the hospital? Where? What hospital?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll help you ask around, but… she was dead before the ambulance even came. She was hit too hard by a car, and the driver left her bleeding. She didn’t have a phone to call any of her relatives…”
Each word felt like a heavy blow to Jolene’s heart. Rosa was dead?
Jolene spun around in tears and hurried back to her apartment, her breath uneven.
“Jo? Where’s Rosa?” her father asked, but she didn’t answer. She went straight to her room and slammed the door shut.
Her hand went to her hair as she slowly slid down to the floor, tears slipping from her eyes, her heart racing.
“Cutie?” A familiar voice echoed in the room, and Jolene’s head snapped up to see Jaxon, dressed all in black, standing there.
“Mr. Jaxon,” she stood and wiped her tears.
Jaxon stepped forward, concern evident on his face. “Are you alright?”
Jolene shook her head. No, she wasn’t.
“Rosa is dead. I think they killed her.”
Jaxon’s eyes widened in surprise.
She continued sobbing. “I shouldn’t have let her leave. It’s all my fault… it’s all my fault.”
Jaxon held her face, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears. His voice was soft. “It’s not your fault.”
Jolene sighed, her heart slowly beginning to calm. “Tatiana will hate me for this. What should I tell her?”
“She’ll understand. And those who did this will pay. All of them. I promise,” he assured her, and she nodded slowly.
“I’ve missed you, Jax,” she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.
Jaxon’s gaze dropped to her lips, and he kissed her. Soft and gentle, her nerves seemed to settle, and her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
As they pulled away, Jolene gazed at Jaxon with affection. He had really calmed her down, even as her heart continued racing.
“It’s not your fault,” he repeated, and she nodded.
“Was Tatiana able to save the girl Rosa talked about?” Jolene asked, curiosity in her eyes.
“You’ll have to ask her that yourself,” he replied.
“Hm… She was so tired yesterday that I decided not to bother her with too many questions. Even though I’m dying to know… I can’t believe that monster poisoned her. I just hope this is all over soon,” she whispered.
Still holding her face, gazing into her eyes, Jaxon asked in a broken voice, “Why does it have to be you?”
Jolene blinked. “Huh?”
“All my life, I’ve always fallen in love with the wrong women. Women who broke my heart, tore it apart, and betrayed me. So, I learned to lock my heart away and surround myself with beautiful women, using them however I wanted.”
He reached for her hair, running his fingers through it. The disappointment was clear in his eyes.
“But then you came along, cutie… and you broke that lock on my heart without even trying.”
“You have my heart too,” she whispered, tears falling down her face.
“I love you, cutie,” he whispered, and a smile crept onto her face.
Jolene bit her lip, her eyes swirling with emotion. “I love you, Jax.”
She held his hand against her face. The moment felt like a fairytale to her. She had finally found the man of her dreams, the man her heart beat for.
“I wish I could believe that,” he said, and her smile slowly faded, his expression unreadable.
“What are you talking about?” Jolene frowned, confusion flooding her gaze.
“I can’t believe I fell in love with the wrong woman again,” Jaxon whispered, and her confusion deepened.
He continued, “I know what you did, little bird.”