Page 52 of Vintage

He followed as we made our way to the dinner table.

I served our meal and settled down beside him.

"What's troubling you, Ro? You seem a bit lost in thought." My worry was evident; he had pulled away from everyone, especially from me.

He took my hand in his, gently stroking the back of it with his thumb, then brought my fingertips to his lips, kissing them softly.

"Mrs. Rowan, I’ve never asked this before, but how did you even find me?" His eyes sparkled like crystals in water, fixed on me as he awaited my response.

"It's Abella from the town development department, the architect. Polly provided me with her address and phone number, asking me to contact her for assistance. When we asked about the manor during our call, she sent over an old map of the town and noted something peculiar: there were two maps, one new and one old, each indicating the manor's location slightly different. She requested that I investigate further. We realized what needed to be looked into, and Darius assigned Reginald, his VP, and Ace to the task. The findings were indeed surprising. Later, I paid her a visit to gather more details."

I scooted closer to him, intertwining our arms and resting my head on his shoulder, letting out a deep sigh.

"What matters to me is that it's all going to be over, Ro. I never want to return to that place; it was terrifying. More than anything, the thought of losing you frightens me the most." Even the memories, just by mentioning them, send chills down my spine.

He hummed softly, not prolonging the conversation, and we quietly finished our dinner.

Ro helped me with the dishes, and we turned in for the night early.

In the middle of the night, I was jolted awake by voices.

"Ro," I mumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes as a yawn escaped me.

Out of habit, my hands moved to Ro's side of the bed, but I froze, quickly scanning the room for him. The bed felt cold, indicating he had been gone for a while.

"Ro... Ro..." I called out, hurrying to check the bathroom, the closet, and then downstairs, but he was nowhere to be found in the house.

Panic began to creep in, my breath becoming uneven.

A clink.

I turned my gaze toward the backdoor at the end of the hallway.

Another clink followed by another. The metallic sounds echoed with my hurried footsteps as I made my way to the gate, drawn by the noise, and pushed it open.

I froze in place when I saw Ro beside a man in a black death mask, along with Willow.

My heart raced in my chest, my gaze fixed on their faces, then shifted to Ro, who was gripping a shovel. He was digging in the flower bed where he had planted the Salvias, she had given him.

Fuck!!

I should have taken care of that earlier, but it slipped my mind.

"AMIR." His name echoed with my cries, breaking through whatever spell had him entranced. He halted his movements and turned to face me.

His body glistened with sweat, still clad in the trousers he had worn to bed.

I inhaled deeply, but a wave of fear washed over me as Willow signaled her guard, forcing my husband down onto his knees.

Willow yanked his hair, causing him to groan in pain. His gaze remained locked on me as she leaned in and pressed her lips against his.

Each breath felt like fire in my lungs. It was pure torment.

I noticed Ro; he appeared aware, yet his body seemed unresponsive.

When she finally released him, her pink lipstick smeared across his lips, I could see the revulsion etched on his face.

"Why are you doing this?" I yelled, stepping closer, only to halt when she pressed a knife against his throat.

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