Chapter 94. Am I Safe?

Chapter 94: Chapter 94. Am I Safe?

Chapter 94. Am I Safe?

"Take care, Rosa! Ensure you take good care of her, Mr. Don. I understand she can be so stubborn, especially when it comes to you, but I assure you, she is respectful when she needs to be!"

Mia’s voice boomed across the street. Rosa stared straight ahead with wide eyes, her hands clenched tightly together in her lap as an acute flush of embarrassment burned across her face. Mia had taken her sweet time escorting Rosa and her luggage back to the car. Rosa was seated inside now, but Mia still stood by the entrance of the complex, waving enthusiastically.

Don, sitting in the driver’s seat, turned his head to catch Mia’s parting words, then slowly tilted his gaze toward Rosa. He took in her rigid posture, the crimson glow on her skin, and her trembling, clenched hands. A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

Rosa blinked, frowning as she turned to glare at him.

He quickly looked away and cleared his throat. "We need to move," he said, turning the key.

She kept glaring. "Are you seriously laughing right now?"

Don ignored the question. He simply waved back at Mia through the window, then glanced over at Rosa. "Aren’t you going to wave to your friend?"

Rosa squinted, her glare narrowing even further. Don stared at her with an entirely blank expression, shook his head, and pulled away from the curb.

Rosa avoided looking in his direction for the rest of the journey. When they finally arrived at his estate, driving through the grand archways and down the long courtyard driveway. Everything was quiet and empty, save for the soft splashing of the central water fountain and the rustle of flowers in the garden filling the peaceful space. He parked the vehicle directly in front of the massive mansion and killed the ignition.

Rosa still didn’t look at him, nor did she make a move to open her door.

Don frowned, observing her silence. He slowly reached over and patted her shoulder.

She jerked awake, spinning around to face him. That was when he caught the hazy, unfocused look in her eyes. Had she been dozing off?

He raised an eyebrow at her. Rosa cleared her throat, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to pull herself together. "Are we... here?" she asked, her voice raspy.

Don kept watching her, a single eyebrow raised. Then his eyes caught the tiny trickle of drool glistening at the corner of her lips. He bit down hard against his bottom lip, turning his head away to hide his face.

Oh, goodness me, he thought, a sudden warmth hitting him. Isn’t she so fucking cute?

He raised both eyebrows, composing himself before turning back to her. "You’ve got a little something on your mouth," he said, tapping his cheek.

Rosa blinked at him, her eyes round and wide. "What?"

He chuckled softly and tapped the corner of his own lips to demonstrate.

Rosa blinked once. Blinked twice.

Heat instantly flooded her face. She spun away from him, frantically wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and closed her eyes tight in sheer mortification.

OH MY GOD!!! she thought, screaming internally. DID I SERIOUSLY JUST DROOL IN FRONT OF HIM?!!!

She cleared her throat loudly, shoved the car door open, and quickly stepped out onto the driveway. Don shook his head, a fond smirk tugging at his lips. Such a goofy one, he thought.

He stepped out of the car, shutting his door behind him, and walked around to the back. Rosa was standing by the trunk with her arms folded behind her back, her eyes darting nervously around the sprawling estate—taking in the grand architecture, staring up at the roof, inspecting every corner.

Don opened the boot, hauled her luggage out, set it down on the pavement, and shut the trunk. He turned to look at her. "Is there something specific you’re worried about?" he asked, his expression returning to its usual blank state.

Rosa blinked, watching him for a moment with her lips slightly parted. Then she let out a heavy exhale. "Actually, there is something I would love to ask you, Mr. Don."

Don looked at her with a raised eyebrow, straightening his posture. "Okay. I’m listening."

Her eyelids fluttered nervously. Her gaze darted left and right across the courtyard, and she bit down on her bottom lip. "Actually..." she began, "it’s about last night."

Don frowned, tilting his head. His mind immediately began to race: Last night.

The incident at midnight. The frantic rush back to the hidden room.

He closed his eyes briefly, panic surging beneath his calm exterior. Goodness me, he thought fast. I didn’t even prepare a cover story or containment plan for that before bringing her back here. What do I do?

Rosa stepped closer, moving deliberately toward him. "I’m just a little curious," she said. "What was that last night?"

Don frowned, giving her a feigned look of utter confusion, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

She scoffed in frustration. "We are way past this act, Mr. Don. You can’t keep pretending. I know what I experienced, and I am not crazy. Can you just be a mature adult and tell me what the fuck is going on?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes darting away for a split second before he ran a hand through his hair. "Well... what? Describe to me exactly what you think you experienced."

She stepped back, standing tall as she exhaled. "Okay. For starters, the clock struck midnight. An alarm went off, and then all of a sudden you were running away. I tried to catch up to you, and you ran into that weird room—the one where the door wasn’t even properly finished. Everything about that room looked completely bizarre. I couldn’t get the door open, and then I started hearing animal sounds coming from inside."

Don blinked rapidly, his eyes darting back and forth. He let out a dry chuckle. "Oh," he said. "About that..."

A nervous smile spread across his lips as he tried to maintain his composure, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. His face hardened into a cold, stern expression. "Can you do me a favor and not even attempt to step anywhere near that room for the rest of your life?"

Rosa’s breath hitched, her heart racing at his sudden shift in tone. She blinked. "Why?" she asked, her voice tight. "Is there something in there?"

Don could hear the subtle tremor of fear in her voice. In response, his smile returned—growing unnaturally wide, wide enough that she could see every single one of his white teeth. He looked downright eerie.

He stepped closer to her, closing the distance until he was towering just a few feet away. Rosa had to tilt her head all the way up to meet his height. He stared down at her with an unreadable, sinister look in his eyes, paired with a wicked smile that practically promised devastation.

"Yes. There is something in there," he said softly, his voice smooth and silky, deliberately trying to scare her.

Rosa’s lips trembled. She cautiously took a step backward.

"Your doom awaits you if you ever think of getting that door open," he murmured, leaning down slightly. "If you let your curiosity get the better of you, you will meet your end."

Rosa scoffed awkwardly, breaking the intense eye contact as she looked off to the side. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What happened to ’Donny’?" he asked. "Why the sudden return to formal titles?"

She flinched, looking back at him with a frown. "If you cared about that, then why didn’t you stop being angry with me?"

Don shook his head, brushing off her counter-question. "Anyway, we’re diverting from the topic. Avoid that room at all costs. With your life."

He turned to walk away, but Rosa instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand. "Wait!"

He froze, turning back to look at her.

"At least explain to me what’s going on," she pleaded. "Tell me what’s in that room so I know what I’m dealing with. I’m going to be staying in your house from now on. I don’t want to be terrified every time I hear that midnight alarm ring. Does it ring every night?"

Don looked off to the side, then gave a slow nod. "Yeah, I guess you’re right." He turned back to her, that unsettling smile returning to his face. "It’s my pets. I keep them locked up in that room."

She frowned deeper. "Your... pets?"

"Yes. Brutal, heartless, bloody, carnivorous pets," he said smoothly. "The kind that take no liking to anyone except me."

His smile wasn’t convincing in the slightest—it was meant to look casual, but the sinister edge made it terrifying. Rosa stared at him, completely dazed and unsettled. Don chuckled under his breath, turned around, and resumed walking toward the grand entrance of the mansion.

She remained rooted to the spot, a crease cut deep into her forehead as she watched his back. Am I supposed to believe him or not? she wondered. She squeezed her eyes shut, ground her teeth, and stomped her foot against the cobblestone in sheer exasperation.

Oh Lord, this man is driving me fucking mad.

She looked up at the towering structure of the mansion, tracing its massive frame with her eyes. Am I about to step straight into my own doom?

Don stopped directly in front of the massive front doors. He unlocked the entrance, pushed the door open, and looked back over his shoulder at her. "Are you coming in or what?"

She stared back at him. He offered another faint smile and stepped inside.

I really hate that smile on his face right now, she thought.

Gathering whatever courage she had left, Rosa stepped into the grand living room. The vivid memory of last night was still fresh in her mind—the endless roaring echoing through the structure, the violent vibrations rattling her bedroom walls that had forced her out into the pouring rain. Her heart pounded against her ribs. I have so many damn questions about whatever the fuck is happening in my life right now.

She watched as Don casually dragged her luggage over to a section of the living room, setting it down neatly before giving it a light pat.

"I have something important to take care of now," he said, turning to her. "You can take this up to your room later. The room you’ve always stayed in remains yours."

He watched her as she cautiously stepped deeper into the space, her eyes darting nervously left and right. Folding his arms, he leaned against a nearby wall, cataloging every single one of her skittish reactions.

The moment the wind blew against the large windows, creating a low whooshing sound that reverberated through the open space, Rosa flinched violently and snapped her head toward the noise. Don let out a quiet laugh and instantly clamped a hand over his mouth, turning away to keep himself from cracking up.

Rosa shot him a sharp glare. "Seriously? You actually find this funny?"

He cleared his throat, forcing a heavy frown back onto his face as he looked at her. "Do I look like I’m laughing with you?"

Squaring his shoulders, he turned and walked toward a separate door on the far side of the living room, vanishing through the archway. "You know where your room is!" his voice echoed back from down the hall.

Rosa blinked, staring at the empty doorway before looking back down at her suitcase. She slowly walked over and took hold of the handle, grinding her teeth in frustration.

I understand literally nothing, she thought to herself. I don’t even know if I’m safe in this place, and he’s just acting so nonchalant and stubborn. God, I hate my life right now. Am I really safe here?