Chapter 108: A Friend Or A Foe?
**Rosalieâs POV There were a million things on my mind. The last thing that I needed was for my child to be trapped bet ween two warring brothers.
When I finally lied down, I found myself restless. I saw myself being pulled and tugged in two different d irections until I was ripped apart.
Who was the winner in this instance?
I donât knowâbut it certainly wasnât me.
I was so exhausted and eventually was able to sink into darkness.
Not sure how long it had been, finally, I woke up.
At first, I was confused about where I was.
I wasnât in the cottage that I had been in for the last several months. Sunshine streamed in through unf amiliar curtains, and I remembered.
I remembered the new house. I remembered the new betrayal.
However, after getting some rest, my head was clearâregardless of the situation, I could not continue to stay with Soren long term.
Ethan knew I was here, and he may come back for me, so I couldnât bring more trouble for Soren.
Moreso, as much as I wanted to trust Soren and still treat him as a friend, as much as I hoped it wasnât the case, but what if he was a foe?
I needed to do what was best for my child.
I took a deep breath and pulled myself out from the bed.
First thing first, I had to get some energy into my body.
âOh, good morning, Miss Ro,â Lola greeted from the kitchen. âCan I get you something to eat?â
*Thank you,â I told her. I didnât have a huge appetite, but I still picked up some fruit and bread.
âHowâs Soren doing?â
âMr. Soren has been awake and Iâve brought him food. He had asked us not to wake you up, so that you could get as much rest as possible after a long night,â Lola stated. âHowever,
Iâm sure heâd be very happy to see you now that youâre awake.â
âThank you Lola,â I said to my friend, âIâll be there as soon as Iâm done.â
On the short walk to Sorenâs room, I thought about how I should act around him going forward.
I would like to believe that Soren was a wonderful person and a very kind man, and I would need to tre at him the same way as I used to.
He had just finished eating and was putting his empty bowl of oatmeal aside.
âSoren,â I said, gently smiling at him. âYou look so much better.â
âBetter than what, a corpse?â
His sense of humor didnât seem to change a bit. I smiled, âWell, yes. But I meant better than you did last night.â
He patted the side of the bed where Iâd been sitting the night before. I went over and placed a comfortable distance between us, focusing my face towards him.
âHow are you?â he asked.
âIâm okay,â I stated plainly, rubbing my belly like I did most of the time. âTired. But thatâs the usual.â
He nodded. âYou know, I was just thinking, you canât come back to the cottage because of the pollen, but Iâm worried you wonât be safe h ere. Iâll have to leave some guards here to protect you. I have to make sure that Ethan canât ever hurt you again.â
He rubbed my arm reassuringly and asked, âAlso, may I stay here until I recover?â
âOf course!â I nodded, and I understood why he made this request, âItâs better that you donât have to split the guards into two groups.â
He smiled, âHow could someone be as beautiful and smart as you? Itâs just not fair.â
I shook my head. âSoren, thank you for protecting me, I appreciate it.â
He seemed to be relaxed and happy with my gratitude. I looked at him and couldnât help but ask, âI know that youâd never ever let anything bad happen to me or the baby, right?â
âOf course, Ro!â He smiled at me cheerfully.
I felt guilty. Soren seemed to be his usual self, and yet, I was suspecting him. Was I too sensitive?
Later that day, Soren was feeling strong enough to get out of bed. His men helped him walk to the living room. As soon as he sat down in a chair, he sort of sank into it, like it had taken all of the energy heâd gathered in the last several hours to take those few steps from one room to the next.
Perhaps he was more severely wounded than I realized.
But then, the night before, heâd stood up and hugged me.
Was he putting on an act?
Soren looked older than Iâd ever seen him, more tired and weary.
âCan I get you anything?â I asked him.
I moved to a chair closer to him and sat on the edge so that I could reach his hand, and the apprehension Iâd been feeling all day about having to pretend that I wasnât suspicious of him faded away.
Even if I wasnât sure what his motives were at the moment, this man had always shown me kindness. N ow he was hurting, so how could I not show him the same attention he had always shown to me when I was in a similar state?
His hand was warm as he squeezed mine back. He shook his head and adjusted the blanket he had dr aped over his lap. âNo, thank you,â he spoke gratefully. âI feel so pathetic.â
âDonât feel that way.â I told him. âI know you are used to being the strong one who takes care of everyo ne around you, and thatâs who you still are inside. Youâll be back on your feet again in no time at all. But if you donât take it easy now, youâll end up making your condition worse, and then youâll have to start all over, and you donât want that, do you?â
âNo, I definitely donât want that,â he shook his head and smiled at me, âRo, you are really good at persu ading people.â
I returned the smile. âIâll go get you some water and some crackers in case you get hungry. That should settle your stomach.â I gave his hand another gentle squeeze and then we nt into the kitchen.
Lola was in the middle of cleaning and she smirked at me in a way that made me think she was trying t o imply something It wasnât the first time she had given me that look over the last few months. She and Seraphine were alw ays teasing me about having romantic feelings for Soren.
Ordinarily, I would brush it off and tell them they were just being silly and there was nothing going on between us. However, today, I was too tired to explain. Lola giggled at my silence.
When I brought the water and crackers back to Soren, he was so thankful, it was as if no one had ever brought him anything before. âYouâre so kind, Ro, I appreciate it so much.â
âReally, itâs no trouble,â I told him, âIâll be around, so just let me know if you need anything.â
As much as I wanted to act the same as in the past, I realized that it wasnât as easy as Iâthought it would be. After offering my service, I almost fe âActually, I would love it if you could play me a song,â he coaxed before I could leave, his eyes trailing to the piano across The piano. It had come with us. The day before, I had been imagining myself playing the songs I used to Now, I would be playing for Soren, and Ethan wasâ¦only the Moon Goddess knew where.
âOf course, Iâll play you a song,â I told Soren, pulling my thoughts out of the past again. It didnât matter w I had dreamed. This was my reality.
I crossed the room and sat down at the piano, noticing just how many of Sorenâs soldiers were standing
right that moment, and the entire army was stationed here. But then, this house wasnât as easy to protec My fingers sat over the keys for a few moments as I decided what to play. I settled on a nice slow, quiet
keys for a few moments before I decided to start singing along.
Drawing my eyes back inside, I looked at Soren. He had a satisfied expression on his face, his head tipped back, his eyelids closed, and a smile on his face. He seemed like he was at peace and had everything he wanted in life.
I wondered if that was the case. Was this all he wantedâ
his island, all of these properties, enough money to enjoy a good life, and that was it?
However, if that was the case, why would he become Ethanâs target? What role did he play in the war?
Thadnât been singing long when Thomas came in the front door. He took one look at Soren and stopped in his tracks. I continued to sing and play, but my eyes didnât leave Sorenâs assistant.
Thomas didnât wake Soren. Instead, he turned around to walk back outside, thinking better of disturbing his boss when he was sleeping,, One of the guards came in the door as Thomas was going out. They were about twenty paces away from However, as they continued to speak to each other about whether or not what was going on was importa over, I caught enough words to ascertain what the situation was.
They hadnât been able to find Ethan.
âChecked the tunnels?â Thomas was asking.
âYes,â the other man said, slightly irritated. âSeveral times.â I heard him say, âBlood, but no sight of him.â
My heart skipped a beat as I thought about Ethan being injured, but then I remembered that I shouldnât c blood.
That should make me happyâto know he was getting a taste of his own medicine.
âKeep searching,â Thomas ordered. âWhen the boss wakes up, weâll see what else he wants us to do.â
For the next hour or so, I played the piano and sang for Soren, trying to change the vision Iâd had in my mind of what my life would be like. It was a drastic change from what Iâd been imagining the day before with Ethan in the scene.
Iâd also decided, at the moment, it was in my best interest for Soren to still treat me as his friend like in the old days.
It was the best way for me to protect my baby.
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