Rose stood in Sophia Moreau's office, her emotions still raw from the confrontation with her father.
Sophia sighed, crossing her arms. "I can't keep you here, Rose."
Rose's stomach dropped. "What?"
"I never imagined I'd be hiring my own niece," Sophia said, shaking her head. "If I had known who you were, I wouldn't have let you work here in the first place."
Rose clenched her fists. "But why does it matter? You didn't care before."
Sophia sighed again, this time softer. "It's different now. You're family, Rose. And no matter how much I respect hard work, I can't have my brother's daughter working in a club like this. It's not right."
Rose felt anger bubble in her chest, but she swallowed it. First, her father disowned her. And now, the one person who had unknowingly given her a place was taking it away.
"So, that's it?" she asked, her voice hollow. "I just leave?"
Sophia nodded, but then slid an envelope across the table. "Your pay. I made sure it's enough to cover you for at least four months."
Rose stared at the envelope.
She wanted to refuse it out of pride, but she knew better. Money was money, and she needed it.
With a deep breath, she picked it up. "Thanks," she muttered before turning to leave.
Sophia's voice stopped her at the door.
"Rose," she called.
Rose turned slightly, but she didn't look at her.
"Whatever happens, you're still family," Sophia said softly. "Even if Dominic won't admit it."
Rose didn't reply.
She simply walked out.
---
The cold air outside bit at her skin as she stepped onto the streets, aimlessly walking with no destination in mind.
Her thoughts spun in circles, replaying her father's words over and over again.
"From this moment forward, you are no longer a Moreau."
"You will not bear our name."
"You will not claim any connection to me or my family."
Rose had thought… hoped, even, that seeing her after so long would soften him. That maybe, just maybe, he would tell her to come home—that he would acknowledge that he had been wrong, that he missed her and Daniel.
But he didn't.
Instead, he made things even worse.
The rain had started at some point, but she hadn't even noticed.
She was too deep in her thoughts, too lost in her own emotions to care about the droplets soaking through her clothes.
The city lights blurred in the distance, the sound of honking cars barely registering in her ears.
She walked, and walked, not giving a damn about anything around her.
Then suddenly—
A sharp honk.
A sleek black car pulled up beside her.
She barely turned her head, ignoring it.
Then, the car door opened, and a man stepped out.
Before she could react, a warm fabric covered her head, shielding her from the rain.
Rose blinked, finally snapping out of her thoughts.
It was only then that she realized—
It was raining.
She slowly looked up, only to be met with the sight of Julian.
He wasn't looking at her with pity, nor did he ask unnecessary questions. He simply held his blazer over her head, his sharp eyes unreadable.
"Get in," he said, his voice steady.
Rose stared at him for a moment before giving him a cold look.
She wasn't surprised to see him. She didn't even question why he was here.
Julian, unfazed by her reaction, sighed. "I'm not forcing you, but standing in the rain like this won't change anything."
She hated that he was right.
Without a word, she got into the car.
Julian followed after, sliding into the seat beside her before speaking again. "Your address?"
Rose mumbled it under her breath.
Julian caught it anyway. "Drive," he told the driver.
The car moved through the city streets, the silence between them thick.
Julian didn't ask what happened. He didn't pry.
Instead, he simply sat there, arms folded, occasionally glancing at her as if studying her expressions.
Rose didn't acknowledge him. She just stared out the window, watching the raindrops race against the glass.
---
When they finally arrived, Daniel was just coming back from work.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his sister stepping out of a car with an unfamiliar man.
His protective instincts immediately kicked in.
"Rose!" he called out, running up to her.
Julian, still standing by the car, turned his sharp gaze to Daniel.
For a brief moment, he wondered if this was Rose's boyfriend.
But then Daniel quickly closed the distance between them and turned to him with narrowed eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked, his tone cautious.
Julian raised an eyebrow, then looked at Rose. "You know him?"
Daniel cut in before she could answer. "She's my sister."
Julian's expression shifted slightly. So, this was Daniel.
Without another word, he stepped back and nodded. "I'll leave her to you, then."
With that, he turned and got into the car.
Daniel watched as the vehicle drove away before turning to his sister.
His concern grew tenfold when he noticed how exhausted and drained she looked.
"What happened?" he asked immediately.
Rose walked past him, heading straight inside the apartment.
Daniel followed, closing the door behind them.
Once inside, Rose finally dropped the envelope onto the table, her body sagging as if the weight of the night had finally caught up to her.
Daniel sat across from her, frowning.
"Rose," he said gently. "Tell me."
She clenched her fists.
Then, just like that—
The dam broke.
Tears welled up in her eyes before spilling over, and she couldn't hold them back anymore.
She told Daniel everything.
The encounter with their father.
The way he had disowned her completely.
The way Sophia had fired her, even if it was out of some twisted sense of family duty.
She told him how she had left the club, numb and lost, hoping deep down that their father would call her back—but he never did.
Daniel's hands curled into fists as he listened.
His heart ached for his sister.
He had always known their father wasn't the best man, but hearing what happened tonight only solidified the truth.
Dominic Moreau didn't care.
Not about Rose.
Not about him.
Only about himself and his new life.
Rose sobbed quietly, burying her face in her hands.
Daniel reached out, gently pulling her into a hug.
She clung to him, her body shaking.
"It's his loss," Daniel whispered. "Not yours."
Rose didn't respond.