Guarding the Rose: The CEO's Secret Duty

I was stunned, not because of Sabrina's sudden appearance here, but her looks. She'd lost a terrifying amount of weight. Her face was gaunt, and she wore her pallor like a second skin.

Gone was the young woman and little girl who'd been bubbly and warm.

"Oh, don't look at me like I'm some creature to be pitied on," Sabrina chided, quirking her mouth. "Don't worry, I'm recovering well. I should be back to normal after New Year's."

I said nothing, but Sabrina continued anyway, "What happened to Lorcan? Don't tell me he's actually sleeping when the person he's missed the most is right in front of him! Has his intelligence gone down?"

"He got into a car accident," was all I said.

"Oh." Sabrina grabbed a stool and planted herself beside me. "So he lost some of his intelligence due to the accident."

I gaped at her speechlessly.

"Say, Tess, you look different."

I met Sabrina's gaze. "What, you got a problem with that?"

"No…" Sabrina couldn't help snickering at my inexplicable hostility. Her eyes glittered with amusement as she said, "I was just going to say, you look better now."

I was taken aback by her frankness. "There's something wrong with you."

"There is," Sabrina readily admitted, grinning. "But seriously, though, I came to talk business."

"What?" The word had only just left my mouth when she smacked my head.

"I'd like to hunt down the bastard who told you Lorcan and I were an item. If that were true, my mom would have crawled out of her grave and beaten me into a pulp!"

I… Damn. I shot her a dirty look. "My sources are none of your business. I'm not telling."

Sabrina eyed me wordlessly, then grabbed me on both sides of my head and enunciated, "Let me make this clear—you are the only person Lorcan has ever loved."

Sabrina's gaunt face was magnified before me. She clutched my jaw so hard that my mouth was forced into an "O", and my eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Tessa." Sabrina waved a hand in front of my face and asked with a frown. "Did you hear me?"

I still said nothing, but in my daze, I thought I saw Lorcan's hand twitch on the bed.

Sabrina grew exasperated. She seemed to be in a hurry to leave. She stood up and swung her Chanel purse down, hitting Lorcan as she chided, "Better wake up soon, Lorcan, or Tessa's gonna leave you!"

This time, it was my turn to be rendered speechless. I sputtered. "How childish."

However, the next second, Lorcan's fingers twitched, and his voice was hoarse and full of pleading. "Tessa, please don't go…"

Everyone else called me "Tess", but only Lorcan had a thing for calling me by my full name. My name sounded nicer when he said it—more pleasant, somehow.

Sabrina flashed me a triumphant smile, then turned and gave me a haughty look. But she panicked when she saw me crying. "Don't cry, Tessa. For the record, I didn't pick on you. If Lorcan sees you crying when he wakes up, he'd kill me!"

A soundless laugh escaped me as I took in her panic. The tears in the corners of my eyes began to flow like rivulets.

Sabrina left us that night.

Lorcan woke up the next day. My throat tightened at the sight of him. I wondered if he still remembered what happened last night.

After some hesitation, I could only thank him. I ignored the emotions and guilt building up in me as I got up to leave with my suitcase.

"Tessa," Lorcan called out to me in bed, his tone grave. "A life for a life. Is this how you intend to repay me? By brushing me off and leaving?"

I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him. "What more do you want?"

"What more do I want?" Lorcan snorted, then stood up and slowly approached me. "What if I wanted you to give yourself to me? Would you agree?"

He backed me up against the wall, and I couldn't help but keep my eyes down.

"If you refuse, I can always give myself to you. How about it?" He pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes bright and dark as they flickered with something like joy, hope, and fear.

This reminded me of who I'd been ten years ago. I was just like Lorcan now, waiting for the person I loved to notice me.

"Lorcan." I willed myself to meet his glittering, near-obsidian eyes. There was no warmth in my voice, and my words were like a dagger ready to slice his heart open. "That's cheap of you, don't you think?"