Chapter 4

Rosalea quickly looked over her shoulder. A tall, handsome guy had just gotten out of his car and was heading toward her, his face practically glowing with excitement. She hadn't expected to run into her junior, Conrad Malloy. Smiling, she asked, "What are you doing here?" She did her best to appear normal, not wanting to look like someone barely clinging to life. Noticing how pale she was, Conrad quickly took off his coat and draped it over her. "Let's talk in the car," he said. The warmth of the car was soothing, and just as Rosalea started to unwind, she blacked out. … Rosalea was unconscious for two days and nights. Conrad kept bringing in doctors to examine her, but they all left shaking their heads. When she finally woke up, it was evening. The gentle glow of dusk filled the room, giving it a peaceful warmth. She looked up and saw Conrad sitting nearby, his face serious. As soon as he noticed that she was awake, he went to her bedside and quietly asked if she felt any pain. Although her whole body hurt, she said, "No. Thanks for asking." Conrad frowned. When he saw her trying to sit up, he quickly stopped her. "Where do you think you're going? You're not in any condition to be getting up," he said. Just then, a loud noise came from downstairs, followed by the sound of something crashing to the floor. A few moments later, a housekeeper rushed upstairs, looking flustered. "Mr. Malloy, the head of the Greenstein family just barged in with his men. The bodyguards couldn't stop them, so—" Conrad cut her off. Not wanting to make things harder for him, Rosalea insisted on leaving. But her body wouldn't cooperate. She tried twice to stand, only to collapse both times. She probably would've fallen off the bed if Conrad hadn't been there to catch her. When Vance walked in, he saw Conrad holding Rosalea in his arms. A faint blush spread across her face, giving her a shy look. The tension in the room thickened. Conrad glanced at Vance before looking away, completely unfazed. He tightened his hold on Rosalea as if making some unspoken point. Rosalea tried to push him away, but she was too weak and ended up sinking back into his arms. "Stay still, Rosy. I'll get you back to bed," Conrad said. He always called her "Rosy" when he was being playful. Rosalea stiffened. She could practically feel the seething anger in Vance's glare as if he were some kind of vengeful spirit. "You crawled out of the gutter just to end up with a mutt?" Vance jeered, his words meant to cut her to the bone. Before Rosalea could even get angry, Conrad lost his temper. "Watch your mouth, Vance! People might cave to you, but I'm not one of them. Don't try to play tough with me," he shot back. Conrad was the Malloys' illegitimate son. He didn't carry much weight in the family, but money was never a problem. His late father, Matthias Malloy, had left him enough to last three generations. The Malloys weren't a family Vance could easily push around. The current head of the family was a maniac and one of Vance's closest friends. Without saying a single word, Vance pulled out his phone and dialed Conrad's half-brother, Sylvester Malloy. "Do you still want Conrad alive?" Vance asked. Word on the street was that Sylvester couldn't stand Conrad, but Vance knew better. The two got along just fine. After Matthias died, the Malloy family fell into chaos as the heirs scrambled for control. Conrad didn't hesitate to throw his support behind Sylvester. In return, he secured a life of wealth and a tighter bond with Sylvester. There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. Then, Sylvester's detached voice came through. "Why? You thinking about taking it?" Rosalea's blood ran cold. She shot Vance a fiery glare and warned, "Don't push your luck. I passed out on the road, and Conrad happened to find me. That's all. Lay a finger on him, and I'll hunt you down from beyond the grave!"