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Fatal

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Chapter 5: Fatal (Rose's POV)

God, she is going to kill me. 

"I'm almost there, Ana, I promise," I lied moments before muting myself on the call as I proceeded to incessantly beep at the car in front of me. 

"You've been saying that for the past ten minutes, Rose," she replied dryly. 

Shifting my attention to the screen, I continued our conversation. "I'm practically here. Just looking for a parking spot." 

"Yeah? Can you see me?" 

"Totally," I mumbled absentmindedly as I scanned the traffic in front of me. 

"What am I wearing then?" 

"I don't know, what are you wearing? It's pretty crowded in there... hard to tell." 

She scoffed lightly. "Still waiting." 

"Just... give me a minute," I huffed, hanging up bluntly before stepping hard on the gas as soon as the light turned green. "Shit, shit, shit," I repeated under my breath, cutting a sharp right and stopping right at the entrance, rushing out with my earrings and purse in hand. 

"Park for me, please, James." I tossed him keys before smoothing a hand over my dress as I made it up the steps and finally entered Nova. 

Catching my breath, I hovered by the doors for a moment, searching the room for Anastasia, then finally made my way to her once I spotted her— or, well... the back of her head. Struggling to hold everything in my hands as I frantically put my earrings on, I made my way over to her, settling into the seat across from her once I did. 

"Hi," I exhaled, pulling on a grin. 

"You're late," she deadpanned, leaning back in her seat. "So incredibly late." 

"I know, I know, I'm so sorry, Anastasia. I got held up at work, and then at my parents', I... Forget it." 

She paused for a beat, her brows furrowing for a split second. "Everything okay?" 

"Yeah," I cleared my throat, "everything's great. Should we order?" She nodded before turning in her seat and lifting a hand, calling for a waiter. "Thanks," I smiled at the waiter as he walked away with our orders scribbled on a small notepad. 

"So," Anastasia began, taking a sip from her wine glass, "is your father still bothering you? With the whole marriage thing?" 

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Don't ask. It's been several months now, I really thought he would have given it up. I've lost count of how many family meals I've skipped due to the fear of that conversation." 

"Any prospects in mind?" 

"I'm sure his list is long," I muttered, taking a mouthful of wine. 

Anastasia's eyes widened slightly as I set my empty glass down. "Easy," she laughed softly, "you need to drive yourself home, remember?" 

I sighed in exhaustion, running a hand through my hair. 

Several months ago, my father sat me down for a conversation. I should have known something was wrong the moment I walked through those doors, but nothing could have prepared me for the words he said to me on that damned day. 

"It's time you get married, Rose." 

Nothing he'd ever said to me had left me feeling so baffled. I couldn't figure out where those words came from; he'd never once mentioned it prior to that day. It was so sudden, it was like my entire body shut down after processing his words. All I could do in response was sputter out a pathetic excuse about work and run out those doors. 

That night, I ended up dragging Amara and Anastasia straight to the club because I was in desperate need of a distraction. It worked at the moment but this whole marriage thing had been looming over my head like a dark cloud this whole time. 

I'd been avoiding my father ever since... and it would only be so long until I couldn't anymore. He knew better than to bring up the subject of marriage in a public setting. Hence, he hadn't done it at any events or parties we'd attended, and outside of those, I had been avoiding our weekly family meals precisely because I was too afraid of that conversation. 

"It will catch up to you," Anastasia said, "all this running won't help." 

"That's really comforting, Ana, thanks," I said with a sarcastic smile. 

"Look, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news," she laughed, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. "I'm just being realistic. Your father is Peter Chen. You know what that means." 

"It means he's an asshole," I muttered. 

She sat still for a minute before shrugging. "I wasn't going to say it, but if you did..." 

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me as our food was served along with a fresh serving of wine. 

"Have you thought about what you're going to do if and when that conversation finally happens?" she asked. 

"No," I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "You know what a difficult man my father is, I... I need to be tactful. I'll figure something out. I have to. What about you? How's work with the great Dante Rossi treating you?" 

"Not so bad anymore," she shrugged. 

"Oh?" I asked, pleasantly surprised. "Are you fucking him?" 

"Rose," she hissed. 

I shrugged, holding my hands up in defense. "Tell me more," I teased. My gaze drifted across the restaurant as she cautiously divulged her secrets. 

Anastasia was always more private, so when she kept the story on a surface level, I didn't push for more answers. But the ghost of a smile haunting her lips said otherwise. 

As she continued talking about Dante while miserably failing at downplaying the whole thing, someone in the restaurant caught my eye... in a way he never should have.

Is he... Is Kai Warner on... a date? 

I glanced at the woman sitting across from him and the way she spoke to him, her hands moving animatedly while she nodded her head before throwing it back as she let out a laugh. I couldn't imagine what he possibly said to make her laugh that way. Kai Warner didn't have a single humorous bone in his body. 

I watched as he held her gaze, engaging, genuinely engaging in conversation with her. He was never one to entertain someone, anyone, unless he truly wanted to. 

He wants to... 

Almost as if he felt my gaze on him, his eyes cut straight to mine, catching me off-guard. I inhaled a startled breath and stared back at him for a moment as he tipped his head slightly in acknowledgment, that devilish smirk dancing on his lips as always. 

Blinking, I broke his gaze and shifted my attention to Anastasia just as she called my name. "Rose?" 

"Yes, I'm listening," I smiled. 

With how sharp her senses were, she knew something had caught my attention enough to distract me. Her gaze followed where my eyes had previously met mine until she spotted Kai. "That explains it," she chuckled, turning to me. "Is he on a date?" 

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "I just feel bad for the poor girl if he is." 

She stole another glance over her shoulder. "I wouldn't feel too sorry for her. It looks like she's having fun... although I can't say the same about him." 

"Oh, he's enjoying it." I stole another look at him. "There's nothing Kai Warner loves more than attention." 

Anastasia pursed her lips in thought as she stared at me. 

"What?" I asked in confusion. 

"I think it's your attention he relishes, Rose." 

"What?" I nearly snorted. 

"You know, I never did understand this whole family rivalry you two have going." 

"There's nothing to understand, Ana. We hate each other; our families hate each other, and our entire bloodlines have hated each other. He's a menace. I've never met someone as difficult as him, even working with him was a nightmare. It got me fired." I took another gulp of my drink. 

"Okay, I highly doubt that was intentional. Why would he go so far as to orchestrate an evil plan when, in the grand scheme of things, it got him fired too?" 

I shook my head slightly, swirling the wine in my glass. "Trust me, you weren't there. We were standing right there, Ana. Facing our culprit, we had him at gunpoint. And it was Kai who chose to turn his weapon on me instead." 

"You turned your gun on him too, Rose." 

"Yeah," I scoffed, "after he did. That man cost me my entire career." 

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And when you were younger? Wasn't there anything there?" 

I set the glass down firmly as my fingers slipped from the stem slightly. "No," I breathed out, "there wasn't." 

Almosts don't count. 

Every interaction I'd ever had with him, every time I let my resolve and control slip around him, it ended up being nearly fatal to both of us. It was always interpreted as weakness by everyone around us if they ever saw me lose anything to him. In a world where I was constantly underestimated, I couldn't let him win. I refused. 

While he was my nemesis, he wasn't my only enemy. Everyone had it out for somebody in our world, and I had a long list of people who painted targets on my back. Losing to Kai not only made me his target, but it gave everyone else an opportunity to strike. Yet somehow, nobody was ever as fatal to me as Kai had the power to be. 

He could... ruin me. But that was our game. Because I could ruin him right back, and he knew it. 

It truly was fatal to us both, and one day, it would kill us. That is, if we didn't kill each other first.

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Chapter 5

I planned for more to happen in this chapter, but I thought it would be a little too soon for such... heated moments if ykwim 👀

I might update again tomorrow if I have time BUT NO PROMISES.

💋