The door clicked shut behind them.
Daniel turned, his hand still gripping the handle, and froze. Rose, right behind him, stopped as well, her heart thumping like a bass drum inside her chest. The air outside their apartment felt heavier, colder—even though it was a warm afternoon. There, right in front of their car, stood the last people they ever expected—or wanted—to see.
Dominic Moreau.
Flanked by his glittering, venomous wife Olivia, and the ever-silent Alexander, their brother. A suited bodyguard stood a few steps behind, his expression unreadable. The absence of Vincent was the only blessing in the moment. But the presence of these people—their ex-family—was enough to knot Daniel's stomach into a steel ball.
Daniel's shoulders squared. His instinct flared up like a flame licking dry wood. Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Rose protectively, spreading his arms slightly as if to shield her from ghosts that had walked out of their past.
"What are you doing here!?" he barked.
Dominic, always the charmer when it suited him, let out a chuckle—low and unbothered, as if they'd just bumped into each other at a brunch. He stepped forward, arms slightly open, as if he expected a warm welcome.
"Children," Dominic said, voice rich with fabricated nostalgia. "It really has been long, hasn't it?"
Daniel's jaw clenched. "What are you doing here? I won't ask again."
From beside Dominic, Olivia let out a sharp, theatrical laugh that sliced the air like a blade. That voice—it grated on Rose's nerves like nails on a chalkboard. She didn't even need to see the woman to feel the bile rise in her throat. Just hearing her laugh brought memories she'd buried deep.
Alexander, as always, said nothing. He stood like an old sculpture—still, blank, and far too comfortable being silent in moments when words were needed.
Dominic spread his arms, feigning a fatherly smile. "How have you two been?"
Daniel's voice was colder now. "Why do you care?"
"Don't be so harsh, Daniel," Dominic said, still keeping that practiced, patronizing tone. "I'm still your father by blood, you know."
"You disowned us, remember?" Daniel fired back, his voice rising with every syllable. "You said we were no longer yours. You chose her. You chose your pride."
Dominic let out a breath, as if shedding old sins. "I know. And it was foolish of me. I acted out of anger… selfishness. That was wrong. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry, children."
His eyes flicked toward the figure behind Daniel. "Why don't you move a little so I can see your sister?"
Manipulation. Sweetened lies wrapped in faux regret.
"I won't ask again," Daniel said, firmly. "What. Do. You. Want."
Dominic sighed, placing his hand over his chest like a martyr. "I've come to bring you both back home. I realized what a terrible mistake I made. It's time to fix this. Let's be a family again."
Rose stepped out from behind Daniel. Her eyes, sharp and piercing, met her father's with the poise of a woman who had rebuilt herself from ashes.
"How did you find us?" she asked.
Dominic shrugged. "Oh, darling, it wasn't hard."
"So… you knew where we were all along?" Her voice grew harder. "And now you just decided to come?"
"I was angry. I needed time," he replied. "But I've changed."
"You have long been forgiven," Rose said, calmly. Her words didn't match the suspicion in her eyes.
Dominic's face lit up. "Then let's go home. Let's be a family again."
"We're not leaving this place," Daniel snapped.
Olivia scoffed, arms crossed, her nose tilted high. "You want to keep living in this garbage? You're given the chance to return to wealth, class, everything you once had—and you want to stay in this trash heap?"
Rose stepped forward, her eyes ablaze. "This trash heap? This is my home. Here, I learned what life means. What it means to work, to earn. I learned how to survive—something you wouldn't understand because your survival skill is sleeping in someone else's mansion after stealing their husband."
Olivia's eyes flared. She stepped toward Rose, lips curled in fury. "Don't you dare speak to me like that—"
"Oh, I dare," Rose said, with a cold smile.
That was when Alexander finally spoke.
"Rose… Daniel…" His voice was softer than expected. Almost pleading. "Please. Come home. Dad means it. He's truly sorry. And… to prove how sorry he is—he arranged a marriage for you, Rose. With Ezekiel… from the House of Janad. I remember how much you adored him growing up."
The world stopped.
Even Dominic and Olivia turned, eyes wide at Alexander's admission. Clearly, he had spoken more than he was meant to.
Rose's expression didn't shift. But her mind spun.
"Who told you I still wanted to marry Ezekiel?" she asked slowly.
"Um…" Alexander stammered.
"This isn't just about marriage, is it?" she continued, her voice steady. "There's a string attached."
Dominic's silence was louder than any words. Olivia looked stunned, her lips parted.
"I knew it," Rose said, victorious.
Alexander suddenly dropped to his knees before her, hands clasped. "Rose, please… our company is collapsing. We're on the brink of bankruptcy. The Janads offered help—but only if you marry Ezekiel. Please… don't let us fall. We're still your family."
Rose tilted her head, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Now you need me. Funny how that works. When I needed you, you vanished. And now you come crawling back? So pathetic."
She paused. "Why not Alexander? Or Vincent? Don't the Janads have a daughter?"
"I'm already seeing someone. So is Vincent," Alexander replied quickly. "But you… you loved Ezekiel."
"Loved," Rose snapped. "Past tense. We were never anything. And who told you I don't have someone in mind?"
Olivia, ever the ice queen, rolled her eyes. "Well then, if you won't come willingly, you'll be forced."
She turned to Daniel. "Baby, talk some sense into your sister."
"I am not going anywhere," Daniel growled.
Rose grabbed his hand. "Neither of us are."
But it was too late.
Olivia gestured, and more men emerged from the shadows. Armed. Cold-faced. They grabbed the siblings roughly. Rose twisted, her body reacting faster than thought. She elbowed one in the ribs, kicked another in the shin, then flipped the third straight to the ground. Blood pooled beneath him. The rest of the family stared—frozen.
Since when did she learn that?
More bodyguards advanced.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the air.
The men froze.
The front door of the apartment swung open, and stepping out with deliberate calm was a tall figure in a sleek black coat. His gun was raised to the sky, smoke drifting lazily from its barrel.
Dominic's face turned pale.
Julian Carter.
Dominic recognized him instantly—and panicked. Julian was not a man you wanted to cross, let alone find in your enemy's home.
Rose ran to Julian's side, grabbing Daniel's hand along the way.
Olivia's voice cut through the silence. "Who do you think you are?!"
Before she could say more, Dominic turned sharply. "Olivia, shut up!"
Alexander's lips parted slightly in awe. "Who… is he?"
Rose spoke, her voice clear and firm. "This is my boyfriend. Julian Carter."
Daniel almost choked, but he said nothing. He understood immediately—it was a bluff, a well-played one.
Rose continued, "So whatever nonsense you have about me marrying someone else? Cancel it. I'm already with someone I love."
Dominic's pride crumbled. But his ambition didn't.
He stepped forward. "Sir Julian Carter Jr... I came to your office recently but wasn't granted a meeting. I hoped to discuss business. Perhaps now that we've met—"
Julian raised an eyebrow. His voice was slow, cold, and surgical.
"I can't believe I've just encountered the most categorically pathetic excuse for a patriarch I've ever seen. Your audacity is only rivaled by your stupidity."
The words landed like a slap. Even Rose blinked—this was the first time she'd heard him speak like that.
Then—
Sirens.
Police cars pulled up, doors flung open, and officers raced out. The neighborhood had been quiet too long—but a gunshot? That called the cavalry.
Julian stepped forward. "They trespassed. Threatened us. Attempted to abduct two residents. I'm filing for assault."
Dominic, Olivia, and their remaining men were arrested on the spot. Alexander tried to speak for them, tried to plead—but the officers weren't listening.
Rose and Daniel stood by Julian's side, watching as the family that once discarded them was driven away.