Great Story Starts Here

Chapter 1 Another Life

The sand burned under the brutal sun, hot enough to roast a person alive.

A woman in rags lay sprawled on the ground, dragging herself forward. Blood clung to her body. Her fingernails had been ripped out, and her legs were soaked red. Anyone could see she had been through hell.

Rosalie Winters crawled forward on pure survival instinct. Every inch sent bone-deep agony through her body. Her fingers had been crushed, her knees shattered, her face ruined, and the wounds across her body were so deep her ribs nearly showed.

After being tortured until death would have felt kinder, she had been abandoned on this isolated island. The outside world thought she was dead, never knowing she was still alive in such a wretched state.

Rosalie, how have you been these days? Megan Clarke stepped out of the car, dressed to perfection, and looked down at Rosalie's broken, filthy body.

Rosalie lifted her eyes, hatred burning in them. She knew Megan was behind all of this. Her so-called best friend had wanted her to suffer worse than death.

Megan smiled smugly. "Never thought you'd end up like this, did you? Being tortured doesn't feel good, does it? Honestly, seeing you like this almost breaks my heart." She was the one who had ordered Rosalie's knees shattered and her bones broken, forcing her to crawl at her feet like a dog.

Who would've thought the precious heiress of the Winters family would be trampled by me until she looked like... a homeless dog?

Megan's smile turned vicious. "You still don't know, do you? Your father had a stroke while searching for you. He's paralyzed and barely hanging on. Your mother and brother died in a car crash. Soon, the entire Winters family will be mine." She burst into cruel laughter.

You're lying. You're lying! Rosalie's heart felt as if it had been carved open. Hatred flooded her eyes. She had been blind and foolish, and she deserved the consequences, but why did her family have to pay for it too?

Her parents had been the best in the world, yet because of their stupid daughter, they had been dragged into this nightmare. The pain hit Rosalie so hard that she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Nathan Cole got out of the car and wrapped an arm around Megan's waist. "Megan, why waste your breath on this idiot? We only used her. The Winters family will belong to us soon anyway. We might as well kill her now."

Rosalie stared at Nathan, pain and regret twisting together in her eyes. "Why?" Her gaze was sharp enough to kill. She had given everything to help build his career. His fame, his status, everything he had came from her. In the end, it had all been a lie.

Nathan stepped on her like she was an ant. "Since we've come this far, I might as well tell you. The person who protected you back then was Damian Blackwood. I just stole the credit."

Rosalie's pupils widened in disbelief. All these years, she had obeyed Nathan because she thought he was the older boy who had risked his life to save her. It turned out the deception had started from the very beginning. The one who saved her had been Damian. The one who risked everything for her had also been Damian.

Nathan held Megan close, his eyes full of triumph and not a shred of pity. Rosalie had been stupid enough to trust him. She had brought this on herself. He laughed. "Rosalie Winters, don't be this stupid in your next life."

Just as Nathan pulled out a knife to kill her, more than a dozen helicopters appeared overhead, their rotors thundering through the sky. Nathan and Megan both went pale. "Nathan, how did anyone find this place? Did someone track us?"

They had dumped Rosalie on this deserted island to die. Everyone outside thought she was already dead. How could helicopters possibly have found her here?

Bang.

Nathan and Megan were shot dead on the spot, their bodies riddled with bullets.

A striking man stepped down from one of the helicopters, cold pressure radiating from him. Rosalie recognized him at once. Damian Blackwood. The man who had once kept her captive for three years.

During those three years, aside from freedom, Damian had given her everything she wanted. If she asked for it, he would have handed over his life. He had once told her, "If Rosie wants it, and I have it, it's hers."

And what had she done? Provoked by others, she had hurt him again and again, nearly costing him his life.

She had stolen company secrets, cost him his position as heir to the Blackwood family, and dragged him down from the top until everyone turned against him. Even then, he had never given up on her.

Rosie, I'm sorry. I'm late. Damian dropped to one knee and lifted her into his arms, his movements so careful it was as if he were holding the only treasure in the world.

You... you shouldn't have come, Rosalie whispered weakly, tears spilling from her eyes. If she had not threatened him with her life, Damian never would have let her go. She had thought he gave her a cage, never realizing he had been protecting her all along.

He was the boy from her childhood. She had once promised she would marry him when they grew up.

Unfortunately, she had realized it far too late.

Don't cry. I can't stand seeing you cry. Damian lowered his head and kissed away the tears on her face. Even Rosalie hated the scars that covered her ruined face, but Damian kissed her with the devotion of a worshipper before his god.

Rosie, if time could turn back, I would keep you by my side forever. Even if I had to break your wings myself, even if you hated me to the bone, I would never let you leave.

Damian's arms trembled around Rosalie. He could feel the breath of the woman in his arms growing weaker and weaker. He was about to lose his Rosie.

Holding her broken body, the man who had always been calm and controlled finally fell apart. Tears streaked with blood slipped from his eyes.

Rosie, Rosie... He called her name again and again, as if that alone could keep the woman he loved with him. "Please don't leave me. Please."

Pain spread from his heart to every limb, as if his bones were being torn out.

Rosalie looked into Damian's obsessive eyes. In the past, they would have terrified her. Only now did she finally understand the deep love hidden inside them.

She wanted so badly to tell him, "If there is another life, I'll stay by your side willingly and love you properly."

Chapter 2 Rosie Would Never Care

Rosalie felt her body grow lighter and lighter, floating like a wisp in the air. By some twist of fate, a mysterious force gathered her soul. After passing through countless worlds, she finally returned to her first life, the one where Damian existed.

She opened her eyes and saw a white ceiling above her and a soft, girlish bedroom around her.

She was finally back. She had been reborn before all the tragedy began, before her family was harmed and before the Winters family fell into someone else's hands.

Rosalie looked around the familiar yet distant room. Thinking of how she had been used and tortured in her first life, her gaze turned icy.

Nathan Cole. Megan Clarke. They had broken her fingers, shattered her legs, and caused the deaths of her parents and brother. In this life, she would make sure they died miserable deaths.

Rosalie checked the time on her phone. It was the first year Damian had kept her at the Blackwood estate.

The Winters and Blackwood families had arranged their engagement long ago, but Rosalie had been obsessed with Nathan. Against her family's wishes, she had insisted on breaking off the engagement with Damian, and Damian had refused no matter what.

To force the Blackwoods to agree, Rosalie had come up with every ridiculous stunt imaginable. She drank, fought, caused trouble, and acted like a spoiled disaster.

Every time, she stepped right on Damian's last nerve.

Later, she deliberately staged a scene to make Damian think she had slept with Nathan. Furious, Damian took her back to the Blackwood estate and kept her there.

That deeply possessive man had nearly killed Nathan on the spot.

Rosalie looked around, desperate to see Damian. If Nathan had not deceived her, she should have married the boy from her childhood long ago.

She had failed Damian. She had hurt him.

Damian, Damian... she called as she rushed out of the bedroom.

She wanted to see him so badly. She wanted to hug him.

In the center of the living room, Damian sat casually on the sofa, his long fingers pressed lightly to his forehead. His eyes were half closed, his brows faintly furrowed, and his presence was intimidating even in silence.

A doctor in a white coat stood beside him, having just finished bandaging his wound.

How is Rosie? Damian lowered his hand and opened his eyes.

Mr. Blackwood, Miss Rosalie only fainted from low blood sugar. It's nothing serious. The doctor looked at him worriedly. "Your injury, however, is severe. You need proper rest."

Hearing that Rosalie was fine, Damian finally relaxed. He did not seem to care about his own condition at all.

He sat on the sofa and looked toward the door of Rosalie's bedroom on the second floor, obsession darkening his eyes.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened. A girl in white pajamas ran out, wearing bunny slippers and looking far too thin.

Her wavy hair fell over her shoulders, making her face look especially small. Her skin was delicate, and her bright eyes searched anxiously until they found the man in the living room. Then she ran downstairs without hesitation.

Damian stared at that white figure, stunned for a moment. Once his eyes landed on her, he could not look away.

He looked like a pilgrim gazing at his saint.

This time, the light truly fell on him.

Rosalie ran straight to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Only when she saw Damian standing safely in front of her did she truly feel that she had been reborn.

Damian lowered his eyes to the woman in his arms. Though her behavior was strange, he only frowned for a second before immediately hugging her back.

Miss Rosalie, let go of Mr. Blackwood. His wound is going to reopen, the doctor hurriedly warned.

Only then did Rosalie notice Damian's wound. It was only an inch or two from his heart.

Damian was always protected by bodyguards. How could he have been hurt? The only person who could hurt him seemed to be Rosalie herself.

Then she remembered. Damian's wound had been caused by her.

She had hated him for keeping her here and stealing her freedom, so she had slashed him with a knife. Then she had fainted from low blood sugar.

Rosalie looked at the blood soaking through the gauze and frowned in distress.

Does it hurt? she asked, looking up at him.

Damian stared into her star-bright eyes and froze, as if he had even forgotten how to breathe.

Was he imagining things? He thought he saw concern in Rosie's eyes.

How could Rosie ever care about him?

Chapter 3 Let Me Soothe It

Mr. Blackwood, your wound has reopened. It needs to be bandaged again, the doctor reminded him anxiously, afraid the injury would worsen.

Damian acted as if he had not heard. He kept staring at the woman in his arms, one arm locked around her waist, refusing to let go. The doctor had no choice but to look to Rosalie for help.

Rosalie stared at the wound on his body. "I'll bandage it for you."

Absolutely not. Ma'am, you haven't studied nursing. Please let me bandage Mr. Blackwood instead. The doctor nearly turned green with fright.

Everyone in the Blackwood household knew the person Rosalie hated most was Damian. She had wanted him dead.

Damian had been hurt this time because of her tantrum. If Rosalie bandaged him, the doctor feared his wound would never heal.

Damian looked just as confused. Only an hour ago, Rosalie had wanted him dead and had looked at him with pure disgust. How could she suddenly offer to bandage him?

She had to be lying to him.

Damian frowned faintly, his gaze calm. Then the girl's soft voice reached his ear. "But I want to help you bandage it."

Rosalie looked at him with watery eyes, almost coaxing him. "Trust me one more time, okay?"

She had done too many wrong things and hurt him too deeply. It was only natural that Damian did not trust her.

Okay, Damian said.

He agreed far too quickly, completely ignoring the fact that Rosalie was the one who had caused the wound in the first place.

The doctor stood there with a worried face, wanting to stop them but not daring to speak.

Rosalie hated Damian too much to help him. Maybe this was only a new way to torment him.

How could Mr. Blackwood fall for such a little trick?

Rosalie led Damian upstairs and asked a maid to bring the first-aid kit.

She crouched by the bed, unbuttoned his shirt, and removed the gauze wrapped around his wound. Her movements were careful, as if she were afraid of hurting him.

Damian's eyes stayed on Rosalie the entire time. He watched her gentle hands and the nervous worry on her face.

He enjoyed this moment. It almost felt as if Rosie liked him.

It hurts a lot, doesn't it? Let me blow on it for you, Rosalie said.

She looked at the wound only an inch or two from his heart. If only she had been reborn a few hours earlier, she never would have let Damian get hurt.

Her warm breath brushed over him, and the sweet scent of the girl surrounded him. Damian drew in a deep breath and forced down the desire rising inside him.

Rosalie picked up the gauze, applied the medicine quickly, and wrapped the wound again.

All done. Don't let the wound get wet for a while, and make sure you rest more.

Rosalie stood, and the moment she lifted her head, she met a pair of dark, bottomless eyes. Damian's gaze was as deep as the night sky, and it had been fixed on her from beginning to end.

She stood too quickly. With her low blood sugar, she lost her balance and fell toward Damian.

Luckily, he caught her, his broad arm circling her waist.

Her waist was so slim. So soft.

Damian lifted Rosalie onto his lap with one arm and looked down at her. His black eyes were deep enough to pull a person in.

Rosalie stared at the handsome face in front of her. Every inch of him was flawless.

With a man this gorgeous beside her, how had she ever fallen for someone else?

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Rosalie looked away first. Her cheeks flushed, and her fingers curled nervously together.

Damian was not wearing a shirt. From her position, she could see his defined abs, powerful and dangerously attractive.

She was afraid she might get too bold and lose control.

Damian noticed her shy expression and let out a low laugh. "Rosie, are you blushing?"

Didn't you already get a look while you were bandaging me? His gaze softened as he looked at her.

Rosalie quickly climbed off his lap, grabbed a shirt from the closet, and handed it to him. "You... you should put this on first."

Seeing how soft and shy she looked, Damian smiled. Afraid of scaring her away, he took the shirt and put it on.

After buttoning it, his expression turned cold again. He looked at Rosalie calmly. "Why did you bandage me? Didn't you wish I would die?"

Damian had not forgotten how much Rosalie hated him and how badly she wanted to leave.

To escape his confinement and be with that bastard Nathan, she had even gone on a hunger strike.

Rosie would never like him. She had always hated him.

Chapter 4 Because I Care

Damian looked at Rosalie. The moment he thought of her wanting to leave him, his eyes darkened with a dangerous chill.

His handsome face turned cold, and the warmth from moments ago vanished completely.

He would not let Rosalie go. Even if they died, they would die together.

Rosalie noticed the change in his expression and knew he was overthinking again. She walked over, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck, soothing him as if coaxing a lion.

Because I care.

She deliberately leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing into it, her gesture intimate.

It worked. The man who had been cold and dangerous a moment ago pulled back his anger like a lion being petted into calm.

He lowered his head to look at Rosalie. The girl smiled sweetly up at him, half her body draped over him.

She said she cared about him.

Those words sounded so gentle.

Even though he knew Rosalie was lying to him, Damian still put away all his anger.

Looking at the soft girl before him, so completely different from the person she had been an hour ago, Damian frowned faintly. Still, he did not ask why she had changed so much.

The butler knocked on the door. "Mr. Blackwood, ma'am, dinner is ready."

Damian answered flatly, then turned back to Rosalie. His tone softened, as if he were giving in.

Rosie, I promise I won't eat with you, but you can't go on another hunger strike.

His voice was low. Proud and untamed as he was, Damian rarely let anyone threaten him.

Only before Rosalie did he lower his head again and again.

When Rosalie heard he would not eat with her, hurt immediately filled her eyes. "Why won't you eat with me?"

Countless possibilities flashed through her mind. She had forgotten many things from her previous life, but she remembered betraying Damian over and over.

Had she hurt him so deeply that there was no way back?

Damian's face remained cold. "Last time, you said you didn't want to sit at the same table with me."

Ever since he brought Rosalie back to the Blackwood estate, she had looked at him with nothing but disgust. She would not speak to him or even spare him a glance.

Damian indulged her without limits. If Rosalie did not want to see him, he stayed at the office for days.

If she did not want to eat with him, he had the servants bring food to her bedroom.

Hearing that answer, Rosalie froze, so embarrassed she wanted to bang her head against the wall. How stupid had she been?

She hugged Damian's arm and dragged him downstairs like an unreasonable little girl. "You're eating with me. Otherwise, I won't eat either."

In the dining room, Rosalie looked at the dishes on the table. They were all her favorites.

During the time Damian had kept her here, everything she ate and used had been the best. The chefs cooked entirely according to her preferences.

Yet she had listened to that bitch Megan and gone on a hunger strike, making herself faint from low blood sugar.

Do you not like it? Damian asked when he saw her pause, thinking she disliked the food.

Rosalie quickly shook her head. "It's delicious."

She was afraid that if she hesitated even a little, Damian would replace every chef in the Blackwood household. She did not want innocent people dragged into this.

For most of the meal, Damian watched her eat. He sat with elegant ease, occasionally placing food on her plate with gentle movements.

When they were nearly done, Rosalie looked up. Her star-bright eyes blinked as she asked:

Damian, can you have dinner with me every day?

Her voice was soft and a little aggrieved, like any girl complaining that her boyfriend spent too little time with her.

Surprise flashed through Damian's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.

He said calmly, "There is too much work at the company. I may not be able to have dinner with you every day."

He was afraid Rosalie was lying. If he believed her, it would only become another round of torture.

I can wait for you, no matter how late. Rosalie looked at him nervously, her eyes full of hope.

It was not that she felt insecure. She was truly scared. In her previous life, Damian had thought she hated him, so he often stayed at the office and sometimes did not come home for half a month.

Rosalie had barely seen him. She was afraid the same thing would happen again in this life, leaving it difficult even to meet him once.

Since she had decided to stay by Damian's side, she wanted them to build their relationship properly instead of remaining distant like before.

She did not want to live like her past self, a helpless woman with no dignity who only knew how to depend on others.

Please? she asked again pitifully.

Damian's heart trembled. Pretending not to care, he said lightly, "If work isn't too busy, I'll try."

That was what he said, but in truth, he wanted to move all his work home immediately.

He could not let Rosie get her way so easily, or she would not cherish it.

Little liar. She had always loved to toy with him.

Chapter 5 I'm Right Here

That night, Rosalie returned to her own bedroom.

She and Damian were still sleeping in separate rooms. Damian was afraid of making her hate him even more, so he had never forced himself on her.

The huge bedroom had been decorated entirely according to Rosalie's tastes. Unfortunately, every time she got upset, she wrecked it like a badly behaved husky.

Damian had always indulged her. As long as she was happy, she could do whatever she wanted.

At the same time, Damian returned to his own bedroom. Lying in bed, he thought about Rosalie's strange behavior that day and frowned.

Ever since he had brought Rosalie back to the Blackwood estate, she had shown him only hatred.

The girl never kept her promises. She had clearly said she would marry him when they grew up, but now she refused to admit it.

No matter what, he would never let her leave.

Damian closed his eyes slightly, his mind filled with everything Rosalie had said to him that day. Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside.

His hearing was sharp. He sat up with a dark expression.

Thinking it was an assassin, Damian had already imagined a hundred ways to make them suffer.

But the girl stood there instead, her small hands curling together nervously, her starry eyes fixed on him.

The darkness in Damian's eyes vanished. He looked at her calmly. "Why did you come to my room?"

I can't sleep, Rosalie said.

Damian thought for one second, then said, "I'll call Mrs. Harris to come keep you company tonight." Mrs. Harris was the Blackwood housekeeper.

Rosalie was speechless. So this was what it felt like to have a hopelessly clueless boyfriend.

Damian picked up his phone to call Mrs. Harris, but Rosalie pressed down on his hand. "I don't want Mrs. Harris keeping me company."

She looked at him with damp eyes, her dark lashes trembling like butterfly wings. "I want to sleep with you."

That one sentence nearly snapped Damian's composure. His lower abdomen tightened, and after years of denying himself, his body was nowhere near as calm as his face.

Go back to your room and sleep by yourself. I don't like sharing a room, and I don't like being disturbed. Damian turned away and spoke coldly.

He would not surrender just because this woman said a few sweet words.

Rosalie tugged at his sleeve. "I don't snore, and I don't sleepwalk. I promise I won't bother you."

Her voice was soft, and she looked unbelievably obedient.

Damian paused and looked out the window. "In that case, I can reluctantly allow you to sleep in my room for one night."

He pretended not to care. "I'm only worried you won't be able to sleep."

Rosalie looked at his cold expression and secretly laughed. He clearly wanted to sleep in the same room as her, yet he still pretended he did not.

In her previous life, she had been fooled by his appearance. She thought Damian had kept her captive to punish her for humiliating the Blackwood family by breaking off the engagement.

Not in this life.

Damian took another pillow and placed it on the sofa.

He did not dare lie in the same bed as Rosie, or even move one step closer to her.

He was no saint. Beneath the polished surface, he was a beast in a suit. If his possessiveness broke loose, he might lose control and do something that would hurt Rosalie.

Then Rosie would only hate him more.

Damian lifted the girl, placed her gently on the bed, and tucked her in. "Sleep. I'm right here with you."

He lay down on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the girl in the bed. His dark gaze was filled with obsession.

Selfishly, he wanted to trap her here forever. Even if he had to use the sickest methods, he would keep her by his side.

Damian watched her for a while before gently closing his eyes.

Not long after, a warm, soft body squeezed in beside him, carrying Rosalie's sweet scent.

Rosalie wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. "I want to sleep on the sofa too."

With her warm, soft body pressed beside him, Damian's breath caught and his entire body went rigid.

The sofa isn't comfortable. Go back to the bed. His face remained calm, but he did not dare look at her.

Rosalie tightened her arms around him and shifted against him, pressing them even closer together.

No...

Hubby, I want to sleep with you, Rosalie said.

At that word, Damian went taut as if frozen in place. "Rosie, you... what did you call me?"

As if he could not believe what he had heard, his heart pounded wildly.

Hubby, Rosalie called again.

She knew he liked hearing it. In her previous life, she had never once said it. In this life, she wanted to love him properly.

Chapter 6 He Would Gladly Suffer

Rosie, don't call me that. I'll take it seriously. Damian's voice was low, deep, and magnetic.

His gaze was obsessive, his eyes bottomless.

I'm not lying to you. I won't lie to you ever again. Rosalie's arms slid upward and wrapped around his neck.

I know I made a lot of mistakes before and hurt you many times. It was all my fault. From now on, I want to stay by your side and only like you.

She smiled sweetly at him, each word more beautiful than the last, like a heartless woman spinning lies to steal his feelings.

Hubby, will you trust me one more time?

Damian pressed his lips into a thin line. His eyes were dark and unreadable, impossible to see through.

After a few seconds, he gave a soft hum of agreement.

He would gamble one more time that Rosie was not lying and that she would like him.

Even if it truly was a lie, even if this was only her scheme to escape him, he would accept it.

He would gladly suffer for it.

Rosalie wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her head to kiss his chin.

The girl was a little disappointed. She had meant to kiss his lips but missed.

Damian's pulse kicked hard under her teasing. His body went taut, heat and restraint pulling every muscle tight.

Who would have thought the untouchable Mr. Blackwood could be defeated by a single kiss?

His expression darkened. "Don't kiss me again."

Rosalie smiled sweetly, took advantage of his distraction, and kissed him again. "Okay."

This time, she got his lips.

Damian's face turned grim.

Her hands grew bold, roaming over him and teasing through the thin fabric of his robe.

Damian's mind went blank, and his expression froze for a second.

Rosie, do you know what you're doing?

Damian forced down every dirty thought surging through him and held himself still, afraid that if he moved, he would not be able to stop.

I know. Rosalie reached for the belt of his robe, intent on untying it. Instead, her clumsy fingers only pulled the knot tighter.

Her fingers kept working at the knot. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "Hubby, why won't your robe come undone?"

Hubby, don't you want to kiss me?

Boom.

The last thread of Damian's self-control snapped.

He caught her waist in one hand, pinned her beneath him, and kissed her again and again.

*****

The next morning.

Rosalie woke in bed and looked down at herself. Hickeys and bite marks were scattered all over her skin.

All she remembered was Damian carrying her into the bath afterward. After that, she had been too dazed and spent to stay awake.

Damian came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a white towel low around his waist. Water still clung to the hard lines of his abs.

Rosalie stared at him and froze.

She must have been blind in her previous life to ignore such a gorgeous man and love a scumbag instead.

Seeing the dazed admiration on the girl's face, Damian's lips curved faintly.

I'll change your bandage. Rosalie grabbed one of his shirts at random, pulled it on, and sat at the edge of the bed to dress his wound.

The wound can't get wet. Be careful these next few days, or it might scar. She disinfected the wound with a cotton swab first, moving gently for fear of hurting him.

Thankfully, she had been too weak from low blood sugar at the time. If she had truly injured his heart, then coming back to life would have meant nothing.

Damian felt as if she were dragging soft claws over his heart. With the smallest move, she could turn him inside out.

She was wearing only his shirt. It hung loose on her and barely covered her thighs, the hem lifting and falling with every movement.

Damian watched Rosalie wearing nothing but his shirt, her skin still covered with the marks he had left on her, every one of them proof of how wild last night had been.

His body went still. His sharp eyes narrowed, and the memory of last night made the corner of his mouth lift.

At that moment, he could no longer feel the pain from his wound. He even thought the injury had been worth it if it made Rosie care about him a little more.

Rosalie finished bandaging him and tied a neat little bow at the end of the gauze. "Done. You're all set."

When she looked up, she found his eyes locked on her, like a hunter watching prey step into his trap. Rosalie suddenly felt as if he might devour her at any moment.

She shrank back in fear.

Damian's possessiveness should not have been this intense yet. He had always indulged her and rarely looked at her with such naked desire.

Only then did Rosalie realize his shirt had slipped off one shoulder. The white silk made her exposed skin look even softer and paler, fragile as porcelain. She hurriedly tugged it back up and crossed her arms over her chest, her cheeks flushing pink.

Her lashes trembled, and she lowered her head.

Damian chuckled and tipped her chin up with two fingers. "Didn't I see every inch of you last night?" His gaze slid downward, dark and undisguised.

Rosalie met his eyes. Fragments of the night before flashed through her mind, and she squirmed weakly. "You'll forget soon enough."

I won't. I'll never forget. His voice was low and magnetic. After having her in his arms and tasting her so thoroughly last night, how could he ever forget? Her body still wore his marks.

Last night, she had belonged to him completely.

Rosalie pressed her lips together, too flustered to speak, her eyes wide and helpless. After being taken apart by him last night, she did not dare provoke him again.

Chapter 7 Give Me Time

Damian's expression soon returned to calm. He was afraid the heat in his eyes would scare her. Rosie had only just begun to accept him, and he could not push too fast.

He picked a dress from the closet and placed it beside the bed. "Get changed first." Then he went into the bathroom, leaving her enough space.

By the time Rosalie finished changing, a towel had been set out by the sink, and toothpaste had already been squeezed onto her toothbrush.

She looked at those tiny details and paused. How had she never noticed before how thoughtful this man was?

After washing up, Rosalie stood in the bathroom and looked through the crack in the door at Damian outside.

He sat on the sofa with an international magazine in his hand, one arm resting casually against the cushions.

He wore a black shirt, the light outlining his tall frame and clean lines. His handsome face was sharp and refined, his dark eyes clear yet bottomless, making him look almost unreal.

When Damian saw Rosalie come out of the bathroom, he set the magazine aside. "Let's go downstairs for breakfast."

Ever since he had brought her to the Blackwood estate, she had barely eaten breakfast properly. In just over a month, she had lost a lot of weight and looked undernourished.

Damian was afraid she would ruin her stomach if this went on.

He had just reached out to take her hand when Rosalie dodged sideways and stepped back.

She lifted her damp eyes to him. "I can't walk."

Her legs were still weak from last night, and every step came with a faint, embarrassing ache. Moving around the bedroom was manageable, but walking all the way to the dining room was difficult.

Damian understood at once. After finally having her last night, a man who had denied himself for years had inevitably lost control.

His voice was low and even. "I'll have breakfast brought up."

No. I can't stay in the bedroom all day. Rosalie pressed her lips together, walked toward him, and lightly hugged his arm.

Hubby, can you carry me downstairs? Her misty eyes were soft, needy, and impossible to refuse.

Damian turned and met his little fiancée's gaze. Her lashes fluttered like little fans. She really knew how to act cute.

Over the years, countless people had tried to send women to Damian's bed. Even if those women stripped down and lay in front of him, he felt nothing. But with Rosalie, his self-control dropped to zero.

Damian bent down, slipped an arm beneath her knees, and lifted her easily into his arms.

When Mrs. Harris saw Damian carrying Rosalie out, she asked anxiously, "What happened to Miss Rosalie? Is she hurt?"

Rosie is tired, Damian said, his tone calm enough to make the explanation sound perfectly natural.

He carried Rosalie to a chair and served her a bowl of lean pork porridge. She held a small spoon and lowered her head to eat.

She carefully looked up. "Hubby, I want to go out today."

At that, Damian set down his utensils. His expression darkened, and his voice sank. "No."

But didn't you say last night that you would trust me?

Damian said, "Trusting you doesn't mean letting you go out, and it definitely doesn't mean agreeing to let you leave me."

Rosalie propped her chin on her hand. "I won't leave you."

Her husband was handsome and rich. Since she had been given another life, she was going to love him properly.

Oh? Damian's lips curved slightly. "Then who was the one threatening me with a hunger strike a few days ago so she could leave?"

He reached out and caught Rosalie's chin between two fingers. "Rosie, your credibility is very low."

Rosalie was not angry. She knew she had been too difficult before, doing everything she could to run away until she had burned through all his trust.

With such a drastic change happening overnight, it was only normal that Damian did not believe her.

Stay home and be good. If you need anything, tell Mrs. Harris. Damian rubbed her soft hair. "Rosie, give me a little more time."

Damian did not dare gamble. Rosalie did not like him. If he let go, she would run.

He thought she would look at him with disgust as usual and curse him with the ugliest words.

Instead, she only nodded lightly. "Okay."

Then come back early. You promised yesterday you'd come home for dinner.

Rosalie walked to him and rested her head against his chest. Her clear, watery eyes looked up at him, bright as if filled with countless stars.

Damian stared into those eyes, and his heart tightened.

He knew exactly how much Rosalie used to hate him. She had kept him at a distance and refused to let him near her.

What on earth had happened to her? Why had she changed so much?