Rose was walking to the bathroom when a pair of strong arms gripped her. One arm was wrapped around the waist while the other was covering her mouth. The force broke open the door to the men's bathroom. He pinned her to the wall and closed the space between them.
As soon as they were inside, there was a sound from behind them.
My goodness, get a room, man! Young people these days! There was a man inside, and he quickly zipped up his pants, shot them a disgusted stare and left, not wanting to get involved with the couple any longer.
When it was just the two of them, he finally looked at her straight in the eyes with confidence. However, deep down inside, Ricardo was just as nervous and shocked as she was by what he was doing. It was too late to back away.
Yes, when he held her close like this, her resemblance to Rose was visible.
He calmed himself down and slowly removed his hand from her mouth, allowing her to speak freely. She smiled, but her eyes weren't smiling at her. Her gaze was cold, only her lips were turning upward.
Ah, Mr. Croft. What are you trying to do right now? He placed his finger on her chin.
You, who exactly are you? He couldn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point and found out about her real identity.
He still remembered when he closed the distance between him and Rose in the past. That woman would not dare to look him in the eyes. She would look down shyly like a fawn. However, the woman before him looked at him in the eyes with a challenging gaze.
Rose had refined herself in the past five years into a confident woman who moved with her brain, not heart. She wouldn't let herself tremble before this man ever again.
What are you talking about, Mr. Croft? As you can see, I am Sapphire. She replied calmly. Her voice was rather charming and sultry.
Bullshit! Ricardo thought.
No, you're not! Just tell me who you really are!
So, tell me who I am? The smile disappeared from her face, replaced with a disinterested look. Ricardo couldn't let him see how nervous she was at the moment. She wouldn't be able to hide her identity from him forever, but it was not the time yet.
She needed to deny his claim no matter what.
Sapphire, I don't do well with lies. You should just tell me the truth, or I might do something that both of us would regret. He threatened while leaning in closer, narrowing the gap between them even further.
Ricardo had always had a rather domineering aura and this time, it had increased twofold. Rose did her best to maintain her composure. She couldn't lose herself to him.
I told you before, I am Sapphire. Why are you so curious, Mr Croft? Is this your way of compensating for what happened today? She raised her brow, switching the conversation in a different direction.
I wanted to apologize to you before. I planned to invite you for dinner here, but you blocked my number. He spoke with a little guilt and anger but then switched the focus back to her.
You can't fool me, Sapphire. You and my fiancée are so similar to each other. Your amber eyes, allergies and favorite food are all the same as hers! Are you telling me you are not her? He leaned in closer.
Rose could smell his perfume better this time. It was the same woody scent from before, but this time, there was another whiff of scent in him.
It had a sweet, vanilla and amber scent with patchouli and sandalwood. Definitely feminine. Rose could recognize this smell. It was Diana Morgan signature scent.
He must have hugged her and the scent stuck to his suit.
This snapped Rose back to reality. No matter how charming he might be, he was still a bastard inside.
Are you talking about Miss Diana Morgan? She and I are completely different people. We are nothing alike. She replied gently, but there was a little trace of disgust in it.
Ricardo still didn't believe her. Though her voice was different, she still reminded him of Rose. Just what was she hiding?
Suddenly, he remembered something. His fingers moved to her cheek, the other was tracing down on her neckline. Rose was taken aback by this sudden gesture. She realized immediately what he was trying to do.
Rose Davis had a birthmark on her chest. It was a crescent-shaped birthmark. Besides her aunt, Ricardo was the only one who knew about it. He was trying to pull down her dress to find out about it.
No, she couldn't let him do it no matter what! He shouldn't find out about it.
Mr. Croft, what are you trying to do!? Don't you know this is sexual harassment!? She screamed a little bit. He brought his face closer to her and caressed her lips with his thumb.
Sapphire, why is your heartbeat so fast? He asked.
Rose knew she needed to get herself out of that situation. She faked a smile, pretending to go along with his play, which lowered his guard a little. Once she got the chance, Rose quickly stomped on his feet, causing him to yell in pain and let go of his grip on her.
You should never do that again, Mr. Croft. Control your third leg! Otherwise, one day you will die in a woman's hand! She swore.
Ricardo thought this woman was so ruthless. Her behavior was understandable, but he didn't want to give up just yet.
You, just what kind of secret are you hiding!? What is your relationship with Rose Davis? He asked while touching his feet. It was throbbing and hurt like hell.
I have no idea what you're talking about!? Who's Rose Davis? You must be mistaking me for someone else! If you don't stop right now, I swear to God I'm going to report this to the police, and file a restraining order against you! Her tone was cold and full of anger.
This woman's vibe was completely different from the Rose in his memory. She was domineering and straight forward. She was not afraid to assert her boundaries. However, her angry gaze also reminded him of Rose.
He was certain she was Rose Davis. If she was not going to admit it to him, he would find a different way to dig it out from her.
Sapphire, I think you should.
Before he could finish his sentence, she clenched her fist and cut his words.
No, I think you should control your libido before I take this matter to court. Without waiting for his response, she stormed out of the room. Her heart was beating so quickly. She almost couldn't believe what just happened.
She needed to be more careful around him in the future. Even though she had toughened up in the past five years, she still lost to him in terms of strength.
Rose, what's wrong with you? As soon as she arrived back at the dining table, a man's voice was heard from behind her.