Rose's POV
Time flies when you're dancing between two lives.
Weekdays, I'm Vivienne's nanny—calm, composed, sweet-natured Rose. But every weekend, I return home, grounding myself again in the version of me that's still learning how to survive without a safety net. The nanny job feels like routine now, but the training... the training's something else. It's no longer just a lesson; it's part of who I'm becoming.
Funny how Addie—of all people—has opened my eyes to a world I never knew I could belong in. I still don't fully see myself as a fighter, but I know this much: I don't want to be that soft, helpless girl anymore. Life outside the mansion doesn't come with silver spoons and silk cushions. Out here, you get ready for war, or the world will eat you alive.
Right now, I'm in the back seat of the car Laurence is driving. We're heading home. I spotted a small snack store by the corner and asked him to stop for a bit. My main mission? Get something for Daniel. I know he won't admit it, but dealing with a sister like me has to be exhausting sometimes.
Inside, I scanned the shelves like a hawk hunting down its prey—but his favorite snack was nowhere to be found. Weird. It's usually right there. I walked over to the cashier and asked, "Hey, do you still have M&M?"
He smiled and replied, "It hasn't been unpacked yet, but I can go get it from the back."
That made me pause. "Really? Okay"
He looked a little embarrassed. "But I'm the only one here today… Can't leave the counter. But if you don't mind, I could guide you to the storage room and you can grab it yourself."
Hold up. What?
I squinted at him. "You trust me to just stroll back there? What if I'm a thief?"
He shrugged casually. "Aren't you supposed to be trustworthy?"
Touche.
So I agreed. I mean, what could go wrong, right? Apparently, a lot.
He told me where it was, and I headed toward the back of the store. The hallway felt... off. The kind of stillness that crawls under your skin. As I opened the storage room door, I noticed something immediately wrong—the lights were off. Who does that? It's evening, and this place looks like a horror movie intro.
I held the door open with one hand while the other fumbled along the wall for a switch. I couldn't feel it. Ugh. So, like a fool, I stepped inside—and bam! The door slammed shut behind me.
My heart jumped into my throat. I couldn't see a thing. I reached for my phone, but it slipped from my fingers. Great. Panic started bubbling up. Something in the air wasn't right. I wasn't alone.
Then—click. The lights flicked on, and I nearly screamed.
And there she was. Sitting like some chaotic queen on the floor by the racks—Stella.
"Surprise," she said, all dry and smug.
I blinked. "Not funny, Stella!" I scolded, my pulse racing. "You scared the crap outta me!"
She threw her head back and laughed. "You're such a scaredy cat, Rose. You sure you've been training? You don't look like it."
My jaw dropped. "Wait. How do you know about the training?"
She grinned like she'd won a game. "Daniel told me. Something about getting stronger than me and yada yada."
"Of course he did," I muttered.
"But seriously," she chuckled, "this granny is training you two? That's wild."
"Don't judge her," I shot back. "She may be a granny, but she's got more guts than most people I know."
"Oh? Then I'd love to meet her," Stella teased.
I raised an eyebrow. "But how'd you even know I'd be here?"
Stella smirked, arms crossed. "Been back for a while. Wanted to see you, but you were locked away in the Carter mansion playing Miss Perfect. Daniel told me you come home every weekend, so I figured I'd wait around. When I saw your fancy ride pulling over, I followed on my bike and sweet-talked the cashier into letting me hide back here."
I sighed. "You're evil, you know that?"
She grinned. "Admit it—funny evil."
"Fine," I said with a reluctant chuckle. "So the snacks didn't actually run out?"
Stella blinked. "What snacks?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Never mind. I still need to get them."
"Let me help," she offered.
So we rummaged through the boxes until I found Daniel's favorite. Mission accomplished.
Back in the car, Laurence gave me a sideways glance in the rearview. "You alright, Miss Rose? You took a while."
"I'm fine," I muttered. Just traumatized by a prankster biker bestie.
As we drove off, Stella zoomed past on her power bike. She slowed beside us for a second, gave me a cheeky salute, and sped off like she owned the highway. I shook my head with a smile. She's so... cool.
When we finally reached home, I stepped out with my box of snacks. And there she was again—Stella—chatting with Daniel by the gate like it was the most casual thing in the world.
Before I could say a word, she walked over and snatched the box from my hands.
"Let me help," she said with a wink.
We walked up together, and Daniel looked between the two of us, squinting. "Why don't you look surprised to see her?"
I just smiled and shrugged. "Long story."
And with that, we all walked into the house like nothing ever happened... even though everything had changed—.