Curse of Rose de Winter

Chapter 44

"You can never be happy, not with those lies you're living with...who even are you?"

I woke up, the words still in my ear. Ruby was in her own room. Dylan's orders.

It was true, I've been living in so many lies my life was confusing me itself, like an illusion. No, more like a drawing of circles made up of circles, or a hand drawing a drawing of a hand drawing a drawing that was the first hand.

Why are people so confusing?

Dylan wanted to continue or "secret" talk about engagement. To most of them they thought it was a private thing because I had a rich family and Dylan was technically still broke. It wasn't that. I knew I'd knew Leroy and Rosalind there, as well as Sarah and Andrew Blackwoods, who were all aware of who I was impersonating.

I ate breakfast and wished I was at ease as Calvin and Ruby, who talked of seeing their cousins again. Together, they said, they would all see Blanche and Vaughn would decide if she was of sound mind.

Spoiler—he'll say no. Money will flow to Dylan. The will could be eradicated with the possibility that this "crazy" women was affecting Austen, who wasn't of sound mind either.

Why had I even bothered? I simply took a step back from Rose to Blanche back to Rose again.

After dinner we moved to the tea room, Dylan barely smiling in everyone's presence and stone cold when it was us.

He sat down and out of nowhere, opened a cigarette case I've never seen before to offer me a smoke.

His eyes were dark, so dark it felt like sinking in an abyss as I looked in.

"Rose, there's no choice for you left."

"Are you really working with the goddamn mafia for this? Bothering the Blackwoods, deciding on how Blanche would be treated?" I was finally letting loose my bottled emotions. "I have been so hurt by you, I always thought we would be allies!"

"And we are!" Dylan argued, and when I backed away he tossed down the cigarette and held me against the wall. "You're the one who wanted to marry. I had been regretting choosing you as a replacement, but then I realized it was meant to be, Rose. You were just as lost as me."

"I—I wasn't," I whispered.

Lies.

Sal and the Blackwoods scared me so much. I was living by adapting fake aliases. I had no true identity. I had no one to rely on to the point I went to find Auguste of all people, that rainy day that sealed our fate.

"You will be protected by the de Winters. You'll have no need to work ever again, you would be showered with respect from other influential families and never bow to Scarlett or Olivia," Dylan said, turning his neck down to face me more intently. "I had no power until this point, and I will protect you. The day I bought those shoes for you there was such a beautiful smile on your face—"

"Stop talking about that!" I looked up and his face was so sorrowful I began to cry, wondering who exactly the villain was.

I had convinced myself I hated Dylan, but reality was my feelings were too strong. His each and every expression stabbed at my heart and I understood heartbreak.

Heartbreak wasn't being away from Dylan, but knowing his true side.

"I always cared about you, Rose."

"You're—you're too cruel." I was sobbing, and Dylan wiped at my eyes with his fingers.

"It can be an engagement. I'll wait for marriage, Rose. You can even see Rosalind and tell her of the good news. I'd never hurt you, I even sacrificed Hughes for us."