The week Rose was attacked, a storm had also erupted miles away within the walls of the Dominic Moreau mansion. The grand estate, basking in wealth and authority, stood silent under the afternoon sun—until Alexander Moreau stormed through its doors, his face set with fury.
His expensive shoes slammed against the marble floor as he made his way up the luxurious staircase, barely taking notice of the maids who greeted him timidly. Without knocking, he shoved open the door to his brother Vincent's room.
The scent of expensive perfume and laughter of flirtatious women filled the space like thick fog. Vincent, relaxed on a large velvet couch, had one girl draped over his lap, another massaging his shoulders while the others giggled in clusters.
Alexander's eyes flared.
"What the hell is this?" he barked.
The girls flinched, startled. Before they could process the intrusion, Alexander was already ordering them out.
"Out. Now. Every one of you."
The girls exchanged nervous glances, Vincent groaned, irritated. "Alex, damn it—what's your problem?"
One girl tried to plead sweetly, but Alexander was having none of it. He pointed firmly to the door and the girls scurried away, high heels clacking against the tile.
Vincent stood lazily, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Seriously, man? Those girls cost me a fortune."
"This isn't the time for your bloody chicks, Vincent," Alexander growled. "I saw Rose."
Vincent arched a brow, still unconcerned. "Okay… and?"
Alexander clenched his fists, pacing. "Did you know that Father disowned her? And Daniel too?"
That caught Vincent's attention. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait. What?"
Alexander stopped pacing and looked his brother dead in the eye. "He declared them disowned. Just like that."
Vincent muttered a curse under his breath. "That old man's losing it."
Without another word, the brothers left Vincent's room and made their way down to the massive living room. There, Dominic Moreau himself had just arrived from work, removing his suit jacket while Olivia, his new wife, trailed behind him like the lady of the manor.
"Father!" Alexander's voice boomed.
Dominic turned with a raised brow. "What is it?"
Vincent stepped beside his brother. "Why did you disown Rose and Daniel?"
Dominic's face hardened instantly. "I said what I said. Don't bring those names up in my house again."
He moved to walk past them, but Alexander stepped forward. "She's your daughter!"
Dominic's eyes flashed. "She made her choice. She could've come back. She didn't. That means she doesn't care, so why should I?"
Vincent scoffed quietly, already stepping back. "Tch. I'm out of here. Not in the mood for family drama."
As he left the room, Dominic disappeared into the hallway, heading for his private quarters.
Olivia stayed behind, sighing dramatically. "Alexander, don't stress your father. He's tired. Rose was given chances to come back, to apologize. But she didn't. That stubbornness is what hurt him the most."
Alexander turned sharply. "You expect me to believe this was Rose's fault?"
"I'm saying she chose to stay away," Olivia replied calmly, though her eyes held cold fire. "She's the one who didn't try to fix things. He was willing to listen—"
"No, he wasn't!" Alexander snapped. "You didn't see her. You didn't hear what she said. You weren't there!"
Olivia stepped forward gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know you love your sister, Alexander. But your father made a decision. And right now, we all have to live with it."
Alexander stepped back, his chest heaving with anger. He knew Olivia hated Rose. She always had. Her fake sympathy didn't fool him. And somewhere deep inside, Alexander feared this rift would only grow wider.
The silence that followed was tense. Heavy. The kind that hinted nothing would ever be the same again.