Chapter 12 - AFTER THE FIRE
Rosa woke to smoke.
Her ears rang.
Her body hurt.
She couldn't see Adrian.
"Adrian!"
No answer.
She crawled through the wreckage.
Then found his hand.
He was unconscious.
"Please."
She pulled him free.
Outside, sirens approached.
Rosa held his head against her lap.
"Don't you dare die."
His eyes opened.
"You're bossy."
She laughed through tears.
"You're impossible."
"Probably."
She touched his face.
"I love you."
He stared at her.
"I know."
"That's all?"
"I love you too."
She kissed him.
Behind them, the workshop burned.
Everything Samuel had built disappeared.
But Rosa understood something.
Her father's legacy had never been the building.
It was the truth.
Three hours later, police arrived.
Matthew was gone.
But one of his men had been captured.
He gave them the location.
A warehouse near the river.
Inside they found photographs.
Dozens.
Of Rosa.
Of Adrian.
Of Violet.
Of Samuel.
And one photograph that changed everything.
Rosa's mother stood beside Matthew.
Alive.
Not twenty-three years ago.
Three months ago.
Rosa stared.
"She's alive."
Adrian said nothing.
Then the warehouse phone rang.
Rosa answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
"Rosa?"
She froze.
"Mom?"
The voice trembled.
"Don't trust Adrian."
The line went dead.
Adrian stared at her.
Rosa stared back.
May you like
For the first time since they married, she wondered whether the man she loved had been protecting her—
or controlling the truth.
