Chapter 3 Three
Two days remained until the anniversary.
That afternoon, her phone buzzed with a text message from Jasmin, her old friend. It was the first time Jasmin had reached out since Rose’s marriage.
The screen lit up: “Hey gurl, you still at the office or home?”
Rose tapped out a reply immediately. “I'm at the office, what’s up?”
A cold weight settled in her stomach as she thought about her life. Liam had systematically cut off all her friends, forbidding them from visiting and preventing her from going out to see them. Even her trips to the office were shadowed by Sophia, the driver, who was more of a guard. Rose knew it was the crushing fear of her revealing his hidden plans to her father-in-law, a fear that kept him constantly on edge. She felt like a trapped loner—no family, no friends, just a deep, isolating silence.
A spark of desperate hope had recently led her to consider fulfilling Liam’s wish for Alpha status, thinking perhaps that concession might soften him. Instead, it was Jessica’s unexpected information about Liam's older brother that had gripped her attention. Now, Rose needed to know everything about him and the curse she carried. She needed the slightest possibility that the man she was meant to marry could somehow break her fate.
She learned that the deceased brother was the former Alpha of the Storm Ridge Clan. People spoke of him as fearless, incredibly handsome, and powerfully built. More than just an Alpha, he had wanted to use his strength for the greater good and had joined the CIA. After much initial resistance, even Mr. Dohuk, their father, had finally accepted it, and the Alpha had excelled, making Mr. Dohuk proud.
Then, one day, the man’s teammates returned only with his Alpha neckpiece, a letter, and his uniform. They announced his death. When Mr. Dohuk demanded the body, they made him sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. “He was burnt beyond recognition, I’m so sorry, sir,” was all they offered before leaving.
The pack and everyone in the council believed the Alpha was dead. Yet, Mr. Dohuk’s heart refused to accept it entirely. He believed it was nearly impossible for a true werewolf to die so completely, whispering, “He is still somewhere, my pup.” But with no return and no evidence, he had no choice but to accept the loss officially. This created the opportunity for Rose to be married to Liam, the Beta. However, Liam’s father still refused to appoint a new Alpha for the Storm Ridge Clan, clinging to the small possibility that his firstborn son might return. The pack had been without a true Alpha for a very long time.
Rose also learned that Liam himself possessed the ability to break her curse, but he deliberately held back, intending to use it as leverage until he had gained everything he wanted from her.
Rose was pulled back to the present moment by the ping of her phone. Jasmin had responded.
“Do you know where Liam goes every day??”
Rose’s fingers hesitated over the keyboard. She tried to dismiss the question with feigned ignorance. “No, why????”
But the doubt was already a bitter taste in her mouth. Liam's constant rejection made her heart ache with suspicion. She re-read the message, letting the possibility settle. Maybe Lina had been right. Maybe something else was going on.
Jasmin's next message erased any pretense. “Go to River Bridge Hotel. Now, or whenever he leaves next. Follow him, and you will know the truth. I had a client there, and I saw him—not once, but many times. I didn’t want to say anything at first, but you just have to see for yourself.”
“Okay, I will,” Rose replied, her jaw tight.
She tried to leave, but the pile of paperwork on her desk was relentless, and Sophia's presence was a suffocating leash. She knew she needed an opportunity where Liam would be gone, and Sophia would be asleep.
She decided on a simple, direct tactic. Tomorrow morning, she planned, I will make a move on him. That will make him run. Then I will finally see where he always runs to when he rejects me. She knew from experience that an advance was the one thing that guaranteed his immediate departure. By that hour, Sophia would still be sleeping.
The following morning, Rose walked into the guest room. She wore only a pair of panties. Her breasts were fully exposed, round and prominent. She found Liam sitting in a chair, holding a glass of wine.
“Hey, Liam,” she said, her voice soft but direct.
Liam looked up, his expression instantly becoming a cold mask. “Where is your shirt?”
“You know it’s hot in here, and it’s late so…” she trailed off, letting him fill in the rest.
“So what?” Liam’s voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. “Aren't there air conditioners?”
Rose walked closer, stopping a few feet away. “Relax. Aren't we married? Why do you still feel uncomfortable after one year, eleven months, and twenty-seven days of being together? Feel free to look at them.”
He forced himself to look at her chest for a fleeting second, then immediately fixed his eyes away, struggling to keep his attention elsewhere. Rose watched his control, the tension tightening his shoulders. It confirmed her suspicions—he was restraining himself, trying to stay devoted to someone else. She knew there was a woman, but despite digging through his phone, she had never found a single suspicious thing.
As she took another step, Liam shot up from the chair. “Stay where you are and say whatever you want to say,” he commanded.
Rose felt the frustration bubble up. “I’m bored, Liam. And I brought sex toys. Since you can't help me with sex, just help ease my urge. Is this how we are going to stay forever?”
“And who told you that we are going to be together forever?” he countered, his eyes dark with irritation. “Didn't you understand what I meant by 'wake up and face reality?'”
The words stung, causing her to flinch inwardly, but Rose ignored the pain and kept moving. “Okay, I won’t disturb you again,” she whispered, now standing directly behind the chair he had been sitting in. She leaned in, her voice low against his ear. “I know you want me. I can’t prove it yet, but I won’t stop until I get what I want.”
She kissed his cheek, a gentle, deliberate touch. Liam exploded away from her, his anger visible in the taut line of his jaw. “Do not follow me! Since you can't let me have peace, I will let you be!”
He grabbed his car keys and stormed out of the guest room. Rose heard the front door slam seconds later.
The time was 6:35 AM.
Rose immediately slipped on a pair of shorts and a long jacket, her heart beginning to pound with anticipation. She crept out the back door to tail him.
She started her Mercedes-Benz and pulled onto the road, following the trail of Liam’s sedan. She kept a focused eye on his taillights until a deafening THUD shook her own car. She realized, with a rush of adrenaline and panic, that she was on the highway and had completely missed a slight jam in traffic. Her attention had been so fixed on Liam’s car disappearing ahead that she had rear-ended another vehicle.
Even as a huge man stepped out of the Range Rover she had hit, Rose’s eyes were still glued to the road where Liam vanished.
The man walked up to her window and pounded on the glass. “Are you blind? Why did you hit my car?”
Rose sat frozen for a second, then forced herself to lower the window. The man’s voice was full of accusation. “You bumped into my car and you couldn’t say sorry?”
As the noise intensified, Rose finally got out. “I’m so sorry, but please, can I just go? My life depends on following him right now,” she pleaded.
The driver’s face remained hard. “That’s none of my business.”
The argument was escalating when the owner of the Range Rover stepped out. He was tall, masculine, and intensely handsome, appearing to be in his early thirties. He had rosy lips, a pointed nose, and striking grey eyes beneath dark hair streaked with silver. His ears were pierced, and a distinct tattoo of a rose marked his neck.
“What’s the issue, Miguel?” he asked, his voice thick and commanding. “Can’t you see people are shouting at us for not moving?”
Miguel, the driver, looked around at the mounting congestion, instantly apologized, and quickly gestured toward the damaged car bumper.
The man turned his attention to Rose. She didn’t let him speak. She quickly pulled a card from her jacket pocket and stretched it toward him.
“Look, I am incredibly sorry, but I have to go,” she rushed out. “Call or text me, and I will cover up your expenses immediately.”
She turned abruptly and started back toward her car.
Miguel was visibly outraged. “How dare you do that? Do you know who he is...?”
His boss cut him off with a raised hand. The owner couldn’t take his eyes off Rose, captivated by her beauty and the intensity of her focus. Rose, meanwhile, was completely bent on finding her husband. After thrusting the card into the man's hand, she jumped back into her Mercedes-Benz and sped away.
