CHAPTER 41 THE DISCOVERY

Fred walked down the street, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Rose. She had been absent from the restaurant for days, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong or she was avoiding him after his confession a few days ago. He had tried to focus on his work, but his concerns for her safety and well-being lingered. As he approached her house, he noticed that the curtains were drawn, and the windows were closed. Fred's anxiety grew. He knocked on the door, and after a few moments of silence, it creaked open. A woman he guessed to be her aunt stood before him, her expression stern. "Hello, what brings you here?" "Rose hasn't been coming to work, and I...I was worried about her," Fred explained, his voice laced with genuine concern. "Rose?" she asked in bewilderment. "I have no one in this household that goes by that name." Fred's eyes widened in confusion as he stood in the doorway. This was surely the house he had seen Rose, twice. "Rose? I mean Rose, she volu