Page 133 of Downfall

“Let her go.” I snap.

“You want your precious dog then you come with me. Come back to the house. Face your father like an actual adult and stop rebelling.”

I shake my head. “Not a fucking chance. It’s over. All of it. You don’t get to play these games anymore, because I’m over them, over you.”

“So what,” She taunts. “You think you can just slink back to Roman Montague, that he’ll protect you?”

“He will.” I state.

“He used you Rose. I wasn’t lying about that. He used you just like everyone does. And you want to know why? Because you’re not worthy of love. You don’t deserve it.”

Her words sting, even though I know they shouldn’t, even though I tell myself they mean nothing.

I hear the footsteps of Mitch behind me, and as I glance I see both him and Turner in my peripherals. Mitch has his gun up, pointed right at my mother.

I take a step forward, crowding her almost. “Give me my dog back.”

“Not a fucking chance.” She hisses.

Bella yelps as she tightens her grip, and I see red then, launching myself at her, flooring her as my body collides with hers. Bella jumps out of the way, suddenly freed, and yapping manically at the pair of us. My mother grabs for her, grabs for me, and I land one punch and then another, hearing the satisfying crunch as her nose breaks.

“You’re the one who doesn’t deserve love.” I snarl. “You and my fucked up father.”

Blood is streaming from her face. She tries to fight back but I doubt she’s ever gotten her hands dirty before and in this moment all she seems to do is slap.

I get to my feet, scooping Bella up. “Go back to him. Go back to my father and tell him that I know everything. That I’m no longer his puppet. That I’m no longer a Capulet.” I spit.

She crawls onto her front, one eye already swelling with the bruising. “You can’t survive without us Rose. You have nothing without us, no money, no home, nothing.”

I let out a laugh at that. Is that really the best she can do?

“Oh but you forget mother, you forced me to marry Paris Blumenfeld. And now that he’s dead I get his entire estate. I should thank you for that, after all, you made me far richer than you are but I guess I more than earned it from all the beatings I took, all the abuse I suffered at his hands.”

With that, I turn around and storm out, leaving Turner and Mitch to grab the bag by the door.

If either of them decided to just finish her off I doubt right now I’d even care.

Roman

Iknow she came back hours ago. I watched from the window as Mitch helped carry her bags in, while she had that tiny dog in her arms, and then Turner told me what had happened.

Who’d been there, waiting for her.

I thought about going to see her straight away, to check she’s okay, but instead I stayed where I was, waiting.

The Rose I knew is gone. She’s been gone a long time. But the Rose I thought she was, the conniving, treacherous creature, she also never existed, at least, not in the way I imagined.

I realise that I don’t really know who she is. Who she’s become.

And more than that, I don’t think I know who I am anymore.

I came here, back to Verona with the intention of destroying everything, of burning it all to the ground, but especially burning her, making her pay.

Only now I feel the exact opposite. It feels like we have a chance, a future even.

And more than that, I have a daughter - I don’t want to destroy this world, I want to build a new one, a safer one for Lara.

As I stand here, in the drawing room, thinking, I know that it’s possible, that I can change course, that everything we’ve done so far will still give us what we want, revenge yes, but if I can take down Ignatio and Darius and all of the twisted shit they have going on, then my daughter really will be free.

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