Chapter 101
Marsha had sometimes imagined what Rosanna would look like after taking over the Emelide estate.
She had pictured a woman as dazzling as a flower steeped in poison—beautiful, dangerous, and living freely in luxury.
But the real Rosanna standing before her now was nothing like that vision.
Though she wore a tight dress that clung to her figure and glittering jewels that followed every fashion trend, she looked worn out—like a porcelain doll left to gather dust for years.
Lucas released Marsha’s hand and asked, startled,
“Rosanna… how did you—”
“Ha! Hahaha!”
Her laughter was unsteady, and her swaying steps looked dangerously unstable.
But it was her eyes that were truly unhinged.
“You bought this house under my father’s name, didn’t you? I doubt it was some gift to him—so I came here to see what you were hiding.”
Rosanna’s gaze turned razor-sharp as it fell on Marsha.
“So this is what you were hiding here?”
Marsha flinched. It was clear Rosanna had completely misunderstood the situation.
Meanwhile, Lucas’s expression darkened in frustration. Her sudden appearance wasn’t just shocking—it was infuriating.
Why now, of all times?
The rain had stopped, and he had planned to leave for the harbor soon. If they could just reach the ship and set sail, everything would have gone smoothly. Marsha wouldn’t have to be exposed to anyone before leaving this cursed Stravine behind.
But now Rosanna had appeared—ruining everything.
She staggered toward him.
“You know, even on my way here, I didn’t want to believe it. Even though my instincts told me you were hiding Marsha, I tried to think—no, he wouldn’t really do that.”
“Maybe you bought this place to avoid taxes, or maybe you felt guilty for how you treated my father and wanted to make amends. But…” Her voice trembled as her eyes burned with accusation.
“When did you start keeping her here? This mansion was bought recently. So you met her recently, right? That’s why you haven’t shown your face to me in weeks!”
“Calm down,” Lucas said sharply, his brows furrowing.
Rosanna twisted her lips into a bitter smile.
“Or was she with you from the start? Oh, I see now! She wasn’t missing at all—she pretended to disappear, didn’t she? To trick me!”
Her wide eyes gleamed with madness.
“So you kept her hidden in the west all this time? No wonder you refused to take me with you when I begged! It was because of her, wasn’t it?!”
“You’re being ridiculous—”
“For four years!” she screamed. “You must’ve been completely obsessed—wasn’t she enough for you? You still can’t let her go?”
Her face flushed deep red, trembling with rage and heartbreak.
Tears glimmered in her eyes, and her lips quivered with barely contained grief.
Marsha hated being misunderstood like this—but an even stronger thought seized her mind.
Rosanna doesn’t know I was kidnapped.
Was she pretending not to know? Trying to hide the fact that she’d ordered it herself? But no—the shock in her voice, the fury toward Lucas—it all seemed real.
Then… she really wasn’t behind it?
When she’d once spoken to Claudio about her time in the Tora forest, she’d wondered the same thing. But she had dismissed it—after all, who else hated her enough to do such a thing but Rosanna?
But now…
Then who kidnapped me?
A chilling thought crossed her mind.
What if they never meant to kill me at all?
What if she had only misunderstood their conversation? What if their real goal had been to take her somewhere else entirely?
Her trembling gaze shifted to Lucas.
It was you.
The answer was obvious. Who else but the man who had murdered her father—and who now sought to abduct her again?
“You bitch!” Rosanna suddenly screamed. “You used me as a servant when we were kids—wasn’t that enough? Did you have to ruin me too?”
She lunged at Marsha, but Lucas quickly stepped between them.
“For God’s sake!” he shouted. “How many times have I told you to calm down? When are you ever going to fix that damned temper of yours?!”
“And who do you think made me this way?” she shot back. “It’s all your fault!”
Their voices clashed, rising in fury.
Watching them, Marsha couldn’t help recalling the past—how they’d once laughed together, back before that terrible night four years ago. But now…
Get a grip, Marsha Emelide. This is no time for pity or nostalgia.
She forced herself to breathe evenly, pushing down every flicker of emotion. She couldn’t afford weakness. Not now.
While the two shouted at each other, Marsha glanced toward the silent hallway beyond the door.
No one’s coming… even with all this noise.
So, Lucas really was alone here. And Rosanna must have come with only a coachman at most.
If I can just get Rosanna on my side—if she can distract Lucas long enough—I might be able to escape.
Her heart pounded violently.
“…Rosanna.”
Marsha called her name. The sound brought back a faint ache of memory—when that name once made her smile, expecting a cheerful wave from a friend.
Now, only a face twisted by jealousy and rage stared back.
Taking a slow breath, Marsha said, “You’re misunderstanding everything.”
“Oh? You think I’m stupid?” Rosanna bit her lip hard, eyes red and swollen with tears.
“It’s the truth. It’s not what you think!”
“You expect me to believe that? After years of lies? You snake. I should’ve finished you off back then!”
“Please, listen to me. Lucas has me captive right now!”
“You’re still—!”
Rosanna swung her hand toward her again, but Lucas grabbed her wrist before she could strike.
“Enough already!” he snapped.
Her scream rang through the air like a blade. The tension in the room thickened until it was suffocating.
Marsha knew Rosanna would never easily believe her—but she hadn’t expected such fury.
What should I do? How do I make her believe me…?
Leaning weakly against the window for support, she tried to think.
Then an idea came to her—but it was dangerous. Lucas was right there. Saying it out loud might make everything worse.
Before she could decide, Lucas began dragging Rosanna toward the door.
“Let me go!” Rosanna shrieked.
“Stop yelling!”
Marsha’s breath hitched. If Rosanna was dragged out now, she’d lose her only chance to escape. Everything would fall into Lucas’s hands.
Her body moved before she could stop herself.
“Lucas killed my father!” she shouted.
Her voice cracked and trembled—it wasn’t loud, but it was enough.
Lucas froze. Rosanna went silent.
“…What did you just say?”
Rosanna’s face went pale as she turned to stare at him. Lucas averted his eyes, unable to meet either of theirs.
“Marsha,” he said weakly, “don’t say nonsense like that. You know I would never—”
Marsha’s glare was ice-cold. Beads of sweat gathered on Lucas’s brow.
That’s the one thing I couldn’t let her say.
He could justify the kidnapping—twist it into some story about protection or love. Given enough time, he could have convinced her. She would have believed he’d done it all for her sake.
But her father’s murder?
No amount of time or excuses could ever wash that away.
“No, Marsha. Think about it,” he pleaded. “I might have had disagreements with the Count, but he was your father—and he saved my life. How could I ever hurt him?”
Marsha clenched her trembling fists.
“Do you want me to say it for you? Why did you kill him?”
Lucas said nothing. His silence was the same as confession.
“You murdered him—for me,” Marsha spat, her voice shaking with rage. “Because of me. What kind of monster does that?”
Rosanna’s expression twisted.
Because of her?
So it hadn’t been for power or inheritance—but because of Marsha.
Four years ago… they had already been engaged. She had always known Lucas harbored feelings for Marsha, but she’d believed they were harmless. That even if his heart wandered, his body—and his future—belonged to her.
But now—
He killed her? And planned to abandon me all along?
Her teeth sank into her lip.
Lucas’s voice broke through the silence, desperate now.
“Where did you hear that? Was it Petrix? That bastard—of course it was him. He’s always envied me! He must’ve lied to you!”
He shook his head frantically.
“You’re trusting a criminal’s word over mine? He just wanted to ruin me!”
He took a step toward Marsha.
“I trust him more than you,” she said coldly. “Because he knew too much to be lying. He told me exactly how you lured my father in—how you—”
“Marsha, please!” Lucas cried, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. His face was drenched in sweat, eyes wild with desperation.
“Please, just believe me. I would never—”
Click.
The metallic sound cut through the air.
“…Lucas.”
Rosanna’s voice was steady, deadly.
She was pointing a revolver straight at them.
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