Chapter 5 Nobody Wants Her Back

Roselyn's fingers shook as she pivoted, spotting Kevin striding toward her, and her muscles locked up in a split second. With his shadow drawing closer, she blurted out, a little too fast, "I'm on the phone with Abby."

Abby Elliott-her closest friend-became an instant shield. Left with no other option, Roselyn leaned into the lie.

From the other end of the line came the sharp click of a lighter snapping open. Wesley took a slow drag and then let out a low laugh, his voice curling with deliberate provocation. "You don't usually sound like that with just anyone," he noted casually. "Maybe next time, you can talk to me that way. I'd really enjoy it."

Every word was laced with amusement and a trace of mischief.

Roselyn's nerves were stretched thin, every breath shallow and controlled. Only then did she grasp how rattled she truly was-Kevin stood just a few steps away, while Wesley's murmured words slipped closer to the line with every second. She couldn't afford even the smallest chance of Kevin overhearing Wesley.

With a tight grip, she pressed the phone to her ear, holding it as if it might betray her with a single sound. Lowering her voice, she said into the phone quickly, "It's too late for tonight. We'll see each other tomorrow."

"Fine," Wesley answered easily, his tone almost indulgent.

Relief washed through her as she ended the call without hesitation and turned back toward Kevin, forcing her expression into something calm. "Abby already knows I'm back," she said casually. "She asked me to grab a bite with her-but it's late. I'd rather head to your grandmother's place and spend some time with her instead."

Kevin noticed the subtle change in Roselyn's demeanor. His eyes stayed on her a beat longer than usual, searching her face, yet he chose not to press her with questions. "Then I'll drive you back myself," he offered in a low tone.

"That won't be necessary. I'll have the driver take me," Roselyn remarked, her smile smooth and carefully controlled.

She was keenly aware of how things looked and where the lines had to be drawn. Getting too close to Kevin was no longer an option she allowed herself to consider. What they once had was gone, and there was no path back to it.

In the end, under Roselyn's insistence, a driver from the Warren family was arranged to take her to Beth's place.

As Roselyn settled into the back seat, neither Stefan nor Jordyn stepped outside to see her off. Their absence spoke volumes-any pretense of courtesy had been abandoned, and their displeasure over her decision to remain in Radena was no longer hidden.

Before the car rolled forward, Kevin spoke from the curb, his voice steady. "Make time to come by and have dinner with my parents again whenever you can."

With practiced composure, Roselyn dipped her chin and replied, "Alright."

Once the engine hummed to life and the vehicle rolled forward, the mansion slipped farther into the background, Kevin's tall silhouette shrinking until it blurred into the lights.

Roselyn turned her head away at last, a quiet heaviness pooling behind her eyes.

...

Tucked away on the southern outskirts of the city, Beth's place sat far from the clamor and glare of downtown.

When Roselyn finally arrived, the clock had just edged past eight in the evening.

For a visit, the timing was neither early nor intrusive-simply appropriate.

Crossing the threshold, Roselyn scanned the expansive living room-only to find it empty, with no sign of Beth anywhere in sight.

A servant promptly wheeled her suitcase upstairs to be unpacked, while the estate's housekeeper, Aubrey Sutton, rushed over, clasped Roselyn's hand, and spoke with unmistakable warmth. "Roselyn, you're finally home."

Emotion surged unexpectedly, leaving Roselyn's eyes rimmed with red as she struggled to steady her voice. "I'm planning to stay in Radena for a while this time."

Beth had taken Roselyn in from a children's home when she was only eight, and from that day on, this house had been where Roselyn grew up, watched over by Aubrey's steady presence.

More than anyone else, it had been Aubrey who quietly filled the role of parent in Roselyn's life.

Separated for three long years, the affection and longing between Aubrey and Roselyn resurfaced the moment they met again.

At Roselyn's mention of staying in Radena, Aubrey looked as though she wanted to ask more but then glanced around instinctively, concern flickering across her face before she swallowed the questions back.

Choosing silence instead, Aubrey squeezed Roselyn's hand gently and said with a soft smile, "It's good that you're home."

After exchanging a few more words, Roselyn glanced toward the stairs and asked, "Where's Beth?"

At once, Aubrey's smile stiffened, a flicker of unease crossing her face. "She's... already turned in for the night."

A brief stillness settled over Roselyn, and the faint curve of her smile slowly drained away.

For fifteen years, Roselyn had lived under Beth's roof, growing up by her side. Even during the three years Roselyn had spent in Zoinbury, they had stayed in touch-calls, FaceTime, long conversations that stretched late into the night. Beth's routine was etched into Roselyn's memory. Barely past eight o'clock, the house still wrapped in evening quiet-there was no way Beth would have gone to bed this early.

The truth settled silently but firmly in Roselyn's chest. Beth simply didn't want to see her. Even Beth didn't want her back-certainly not wanting her to stay in Radena.

A short, self-mocking laugh slipped from Roselyn's throat, thin and hollow. Once she uncovered the answers she'd come for, she would leave Radena behind-no lingering, no burden, no reason for anyone to be troubled by her presence again.