Chapter 7

"Fuck... my waist hurts," Rose muttered under her breath as she shifted carefully on the bed, one hand instinctively moving to the small of her back.

Every muscle in her body ached. As she unconsciously pressed her legs together, a sharp soreness made her suck in a breath, forcing her eyes open almost immediately.

That hurts like hell.

She swallowed hard, her cheeks warming as fragments of the previous night drifted back into her mind.

"No... no, no. I shouldn't be thinking about this," Rose whispered hurriedly, burying her burning face into the pillow. Embarrassment flooded her as she squeezed her eyes shut, willing those memories to disappear.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down before lifting her head once more.

"Where's he, though?" she murmured, glancing around the room.

Her eyes swept across every corner, but there was no sign of Dylan. The room was quiet. Only the faint trace of his scent lingered in the air.

Is he in the bathroom?

Carefully, Rose pushed herself out of bed. Her legs protested with every step, making it obvious that walking normally wasn't going to be easy, but she refused to let that stop her. Slowly, she crossed the room and reached the bathroom door.

She pushed it open.

Empty.

No Dylan.

No sound of running water.

No sign that anyone had been there recently.

"He's... gone?" she whispered, staring blankly at the empty bathroom.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

So he really left...

She lowered her gaze, swallowing the lump forming in her throat.

Maybe he finally realized we shouldn't be together. Maybe he decided ending the match really is for the best.

She let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

I mean... isn't this exactly what I wanted?

Yet the thought failed to comfort her.

Still... shouldn't we have talked first?

Her brows knitted together.

Last night he kept talking about marriage and a future together. He sounded so certain... so sincere. But now he's gone without even saying goodbye.

She sighed heavily before shaking her head.

"Damn..." she muttered.

"Well... I guess that's how some guys are."

Her lips curled into a faint, self-deprecating smile.

"They'll make all kinds of promises in the heat of the moment, only to disappear once everything is over."

She paused before exhaling slowly.

"At least I wasn't forced into anything," she reminded herself quietly. "I made my own decision."

Even so, the silence he had left behind stung far more than she wanted to admit.

Rose closed her eyes briefly before taking another deep breath.

"Enough."

She straightened her shoulders.

"Time to move on."

With renewed determination, she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm water soon cascaded over her hair and shoulders, washing away the lingering scent that still reminded her of the previous night.

"It's over," she murmured softly to herself.

"Whatever happened between Dylan and me... stays in the past."

She tilted her face toward the falling water, letting it rinse away not only the exhaustion clinging to her body but also the confusion clouding her thoughts.

"It was just one night," she whispered firmly.

"And now... it's time to focus on what really matters."

With that resolve firmly planted in her heart, Rose continued bathing, hoping the water would wash away more than just the memories lingering on her skin.

Rose scrubbed at her skin with the sponge and soap, each stroke making her feel as though she was washing away every trace of what had happened the previous night. By the time she was done, she felt much cleaner, but as she stepped out of the bathroom and gently closed her legs together, a familiar ache flared between them.

"Fuck..." she muttered under her breath, wincing.

The soreness in her pink enclave was still there, refusing to disappear.

It'll fade with time, she told herself inwardly, swallowing the discomfort before reaching for her phone on the bedside table.

The moment the screen lit up, her brows knitted together.

One hundred messages...

Eighty missed calls...

Every single one of them was from the Hart family.

Mr. Hart.

Mrs. Hart.

Bryce.

Rose let out a scoff.

What the hell is wrong with all of them?

Her gaze paused on Bryce's messages.

So, my so-called elder brother is back...

Without wasting any more time, she typed a short reply to Bryce, letting him know that she was safe and fine. She didn't bother replying to anyone else before dropping the phone onto the bed.

After changing back into the clothes she had worn the previous day, she took one last look around the luxurious room before opening the door and stepping outside to face whatever awaited her.