Chapter 7

Rosie's POV

I felt like I was taken back to the past as I watched him stand in front of me to protect me. The domineering aura surrounding him was the same as before when debt collectors harassed me.

My heart recognized the protective gesture and it immediately skipped a beat. My hands gripped the hem of my pencil skirt as my breathing became uneven.

The painful memory I had buried deep in my heart overlapped whatever shock I had earlier.

Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes, realizing his back looked the same even after six years.

"Thorn..." The man said his name with enough sarcasm. "I never thought you'd save a woman. Care to enlighten me about who she is in your life?"

"Why would I give a damn?" Thorn's voice was painfully cold as he turned to me.

The memory in my mind shattered as soon as I met his eyes.

There was no warmth, no protection, no concern offered for me. There was nothing but coldness. A sharp reprimanding stare that cut deeply through my soul.

"Watch yourself," he said coldly, not to the man who disrespected me, but to me. "This is not a place for little games."

Game? Did I even ask to be here? He called me here.

My throat tightened as I stared at him. My chest felt heavy.

"Is this your bed warmer?" The man directly asked, disrespecting me again.

Thorn turned to him and let out a humorless laugh. "Bed warmer? Are you kidding me? This woman is my assistant and she hasn't had her proper training yet."

The crowd laughed at what Thorn said. I felt so small while they were looking at me like I didn't belong in their world.

"Training?" The man laughed and looked at me, his eyes flickered with desire. "You should send her to me. I've got a special way to train someone like her. I'm very...hands on about such training."

My breathing hitched as I stared back at the disrespectful man.

I couldn't believe I'd be put in such an embarrassing situation when all I came here for was my job.

My fingers curled against my skirt as I opened my lips to speak, but Thorn spoke first, cutting whatever defense I prepared to protect myself.

"I told you she hadn't had her training." Thorn's eyes were dark and his tone was flat. "You wouldn't want an incompetent assistant to stain your reputation."

Thorn looked at me, and I felt weaker under his merciless stare.

"Let's go." A cold, flat tone that tormented my heart to the core. I wanted to run away and hide.

How could someone in my past ruin me again?

"Uh-oh!" The man blocked our way and smirked at me before he turned to Thorn. "Not so fast, man. I hosted this party, and I haven't given you permission to leave yet."

Thorn's jaw tightened. "You're not the boss of me, Sebastian."

"Of course not," the man smirked again. "But I won't let you two go without playing my signature game. Truth or dare."

I looked at Thorn, silently praying for him to reject the game because I felt like I would be the center of this game. The center of their laughter.

I didn't wanna be trapped in a situation like this, but my shoulders dropped when Thorn's lips curled into a devilish smirk.

"Why not?" There was no mercy in his tone. "One round."

One round was enough to humiliate me, and I knew there was no one to protect me anymore. The person that used to protect me had become one of the threats.

My stomach churned as someone pulled me away from Thorn and pushed me to sit on the long couch.

The loud music died down. Everyone's eyes were on us.

"Let us join," one of the two women on Thorn's side earlier said.

I looked at Thorn, but he was so relaxed while sitting on the long couch across from me.

His back was rested, his legs were crossed, so were his arms against his chest. His eyes were empty and cold, his lips were pressed into a grim line.

I swallowed hard when I noticed the guy Sebastian checking me out. I realized what he was looking at. My legs.

I immediately covered my legs with my coat and looked at him blankly.

If this game was meant to humiliate me, I won't let them win.

I wanted to sit on the corner, but I think making myself invisible was impossible because this guy Sebastian had been staring at me like he was thinking something enjoyable for him.

The game started, and I was desperately praying not to be chosen. It seemed like the Heavens is on my side because the bottle didn't choose me during the entire first half.

Thorn hadn't been picked either, but he was always the center of attention because he was always involved in either the question for the truth or consequence for the dare.

However, my luck ended when I saw the bottle pointed at me.

The crowd fell into a deafening silence as Sebastian picked up the bottle while staring at me with a flicker of evil plan in his eyes.

"Looks like it's your turn, beautiful."

My teeth gritted as I forced myself to meet his devilish eyes.

No one in this room could make me tremble.

"Truth," I said courageously, not wanting to experience such dares he gave to the two women earlier.

His lips curled into a playful grin. "What a brave girl. So, here's my question..."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at me intently. "Who was the subject of your most recent wet dreams?"

My whole body tensed as the crowd broke into laughter.

"Did she even have sex life? She looks like a virgin."

"Look at those clothes and glasses."

The comments from the two women beside Thorn didn't help.

Every nerve in my body screamed as I stared back at Sebastian. Then my eyes searched for Thorn. He was sitting there comfortably, eyes dark, jaw tight. He didn't look bothered. He looked...bored.

"And describe one detail that made you blush," Sebastian added.

My fists balled as the recent intimate encounter I had with a client crossed my mind.

I don't wanna reminisce, but my thoughts betrayed me.

The warmth of that man's hands. His soft lips, burning kisses, and the way he dominated my senses.

He claimed me like I didn't belong to anyone else but him.

"Count Dracula." Those words slipped off my lips before I could even stop myself.

There was a beat of stunned silence, but was immediately overlapped by laughter.

My cheeks burned as I stared at Sebastian who looked even more impressed by my answer.

"Interesting," he said and chuckled. "What about the details?"

I cleared my throat as my heart skipped a beat.

I felt someone's eyes on me, intense, cold, like he wanted to dig a hole in my face.

"Perhaps," I paused as my nails almost dug in my palms. "...perhaps the feeling of being slowly savored...like a prey. Like he wanted me to remember every single kiss, every burning touch."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Thorn move. I looked at him.

He was now looking at me with furrowed brows, but his jaw remained clenched.

"But I hate being left with...marks," I added while still looking at Thorn. Though I didn't know why I finished those words before turning to Sebastian again.

Sebastian stared at me as a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. There was also amusement.

And then a sharp crack interrupted us.

My heart almost stopped beating when I looked at Thorn, surrounded by a dark aura, looking straight into my eyes.

My breathing hitched before I slowly looked down at his hand where the glass was crushed.