Chapter 29
ROSALIE
By the time Wednesday rolled around, Max was ready to have the contract back, and he wanted it signed by tonight.
The phone he gave me buzzed in my pocket, demanding my attention. I took it out, seeing I had a message from him. He’d already tried to call me three times today. I hadn’t answered a single one.
His name on the screen was a reminder of the reality I was tethered to. Quickly, I renamed his contact “Lucifer.”
Much better.
Lucifer
Have you made any progress?
Me
Hello to you too. My day is good, how is yours?
Lucifer
Spare me the conversation, Rosalie. If you wanted to tell me about your day, you would’ve answered my calls. Have you read the contract any further?
Me
Oh, I’ve read it. And I’ve got a few adjustments in mind.
Lucifer
Adjustments?
Me
Don’t worry. Nothing outrageous. Just a few … clarifications on your “terms.”
The phone vibrated a few seconds later.
Lucifer
I’m on the edge of my seat.
Me
Rule number seven: “Separate beds until marriage.” Gotta keep things professional here, wouldn’t you agree?
This time, it took him a few minutes to finally respond.
Lucifer
Absolutely not.
Another text came through a moment later.
Lucifer
We can discuss “adjustments” all you want, sweetheart, but that one is coming straight out.
I chuckled at his predictability. How very Max of him.
Me
Absolutely not. Moving on … rule number eight: “No entering my room uninvited.”
Lucifer
I’m not here to entertain your list of demands. This is a contract, not a wish list.
Me
Then it’s a good thing this is a negotiation. Take it or leave it.
Lucifer
Fine. But I won’t be responsible if your door stays unlocked.
Me
Then I’ll make sure it is locked. Moving on. Rule number nine: “No sitting outside my room at night.” I actually enjoy my sleep, and I can’t do that when you hover.
The three dots popped up immediately
Lucifer
Since we’re negotiating, rule ten: No dodging my calls. I know you hit “ignore” today.
Me
Maybe it was just poor cell service?
Lucifer
Sure. Then let’s make it clear—ignoring me is off the table.
Me
How very possessive of you.
Lucifer
Practical. And a reminder: the deadline to sign is tonight.
Me
I’m aware. Believe it or not, I do know how to manage myself.
Lucifer
Manage yourself? Clearly, because here we are, three days into this, and I’m still waiting for your cooperation. Are you stalling for some particular reason?
Me
Stalling? No. Just making sure I don’t sign my life away.
Lucifer
Let me assure you, Rosalie, nothing in that contract requires your soul. Only your commitment.
Me
My commitment, huh? Sounds awfully like a life sentence.
Lucifer
7 p.m. If I don’t have that contract back by then, you won’t get five weeks, you’ll get five hours.
I raised an eyebrow at the screen. He wouldn’t dare.
Me
You do realize that an empty threat won’t get me to rush, right?
Lucifer
Who says it’s empty?
I didn’t bother responding.
At exactly 7 p.m. I heard the front door open. Then Dimitri’s voice echoed through the foyer. I followed the sound, Duke not far behind me.
Max stood at the door, shutting it behind Dimitri before turning his gaze to me. “There you are,” he said. He moved past the door, shrugging off his damp jacket. Even in the dim light, I couldn’t miss the way his shirt stretched across his broad shoulders as he moved.
I met him at the bottom of the stairs. “Did you think I’d run off and leave you?” I asked.
He tossed his jacket carelessly onto the back of a nearby couch. “Ah,” he drawled, a hint of amusement dancing in his voice. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“You’d find me,” I said with a fake smile. “Remember?” I let out a nervous laugh. I wouldn’t run—not with my family at risk.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to tell you twice,” he said as he set his keys down with a clatter that echoed through the foyer.
“Do you always come home this late?” I forced myself to ask.
His gaze darted straight to mine. He knew. He knew I didn’t trust him.
I didn’t know how to—not after everything that had happened.
My heart—that foolish, impulsive thing—ached for the simple yet utterly false trust we’d once had. But my brain clung stubbornly to the facts.
It was like a war inside me. My heart and my brain were in battle with one another, and all that was left behind was a bloody mess of confusion.
“Sometimes,” he said, his tone indifferent, “things would be a lot easier if your father didn’t complicate them.”
“Funny. I’m sure my father would say the same thing about you and your family.”
He shot me another glare. My father wasn’t the bad guy—the Romanos were. Max had taken almost everything from us in pursuit of the marina. What the hell made that place so special?
“You need to adjust where your loyalty lies,” he demanded “You will be my wife, which means you’ll have the Romano last name. The sooner you realize that, the easier of a transition this will be for you.”
I looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer.
How was I supposed to switch my loyalty just like that? How could he expect me to abandon my family, the people who had raised me, for his sake? The man who had betrayed me.
It wasn’t fair. None of it was.
How did we get here? How had this become so complicated, so entangled with duty and betrayal? I wanted to scream, to cry, to turn away from it all. But I was trapped.
“Rosalie,” he said gently, his tone shifting to something that sounded a lot softer. “I don’t want this to be hard for you. I don’t want us to be at odds all the time.”
I could hear the sincerity in his voice, the desperation. But it wasn’t that simple.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t expect everything to change overnight,” I replied.
He sighed, the frustration evident in the tight lines around his mouth. “You have to understand, this is bigger than just us. This is about our families, our future. We have to find a way to make this work.”
“I know. The only reason I’m still here is because of my family and their future. That’s also the only reason I signed the contract.”
“You did? You signed it?” he wondered.
“Surprised? I thought you were expecting this.”
“Well, I was beginning to think you’d keep me in suspense a little longer. A whole extra day at least.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” I shrugged, handing him the signed contract. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”
He took the papers, his fingers brushing mine, and for a split second, his expression softened. “You always have a choice, Rosalie,” he murmured, “I just happen to be the most logical one.”
Just as he was about to turn and head to his office, he said, “Oh, and Rosalie?”
“Yes?”
“You might want to lock your door tonight.”