Chapter 548
Horatio’s gaze fixed on his son’s right hand, which was still swathed in bandages as he spoke.
Those were injuries incurred for the sake of a woman, a situation that would appear ludicrous to all who witnessed it.
“I’d do anything to locate her. I’d break my other hand if I had to,” Calvin declared with determination.
“You…” Horatio was seething with anger.
Samantha, realizing the rising tension, wasted no time stepping in. She tried to calm her husband before shifting her attention to her son. “Don’t be upset with your father. It is clear that Jonathan harbors strong feelings for that woman. Why get caught up in this mess?”
While the Youngblood family wielded significant influence in Strico, the Gunner family was equally formidable. Samantha had no qualms about confronting them. To her, this was just a matter of dealing with a woman, a far cry from the girl her son had been infatuated with since childhood. In her view, there were plenty of replaceable people in the world.
The entertainment industry was never lacking in beautiful women.
Samantha believed that her son would inevitably find someone right for him, and thus, there was no need to obsess over one woman Jonathan was unwilling to let go of.
However, the words Calvin had uttered next left Samantha in shock.
“Mom, I can’t keep avoiding this situation because I’ve fallen in love with Rosalie!”
“You… What did you say?” Samantha exclaimed, taken aback. While her son had had his fair share of girlfriends, this was the first time she had heard him express his love for someone.
“I’m in love with Rosalie, and I’ve come to a point where I can’t envision my life without her,” Calvin asserted with perseverance. “Even if Jonathan refuses to let go, I won’t back down!”
After numerous compromises, he had finally grasped the true depths of his own feelings. He would not compromise them again.
Rosalie was the one woman he yearned to spend his life with, and no one else.
Horatio stared incredulously at his son. “What did you just say? Say it again if you dare!”
“I love Rosalie, and I won’t yield to Jonathan, even if it means going against him and his family,” Calvin said once more with unwavering resolve.
“Are you out of your mind?” Horatio retorted, his anger flaring. “Are you truly willing to turn the Youngblood family into our enemies over a woman?”
The true extent of Rosalie’s significance in Jonathan’s heart remained unclear to them. However, the fact that he was willing to harm a member of the Gunner family for her spoke volumes.
Naturally, Calvin’s injury could not go unanswered. If Jonathan dared to harm him, the Gunner family would expect the Youngblood family to face consequences for hurting their son.
However, this did not mean that Horatio was willing to witness a showdown between Calvin and Jonathan over a woman.
Such a spectacle would undoubtedly draw the attention of the entire Strico.
Calvin said faintly, “If I were to let her go in this lifetime, I think I would truly go insane.”
Regret would haunt him for the rest of his days, and he could not bear to live with that feeling.
Rosalie had no clue how long Jonathan intended to keep her confined. Her phone had been confiscated by him, cutting her off from the outside world.
Back at the law firm, Jonathan had informed them that Rosalie was on a leave of absence.
However, concerns loomed regarding Lillian and Amelia. The thought of Lillian worrying about her and the uncertainty surrounding Amelia deeply troubled Rosalie.
Three days had passed, and it felt as if Jonathan and she were being glued together.
Rosalie had even thought that maybe as long as she pretended to love him now, she could secure her escape.
Yet, she could not help but wonder how long she could keep up such a charade. If she could not maintain the act indefinitely, Jonathan might struggle to accept the truth when he eventually discovered that she had deceived him.
Above all else, Rosalie refused to deceive and manipulate others with lies.
The mansion sprawled extensively, with grand pavilions evoking images of the opulent residences often depicted in period
dramas.
Lotus-themed embellishments graced every corner, from delicate porcelain pieces to the intricate carvings adorning pillars
and beams. Even the antique furniture bore the same elegant lotus motifs. In the courtyard, an enchanting pond thrived with lotus blossoms.
It was well beyond the typical lotus season, making the sight of these blooms in full splendor all the more unusual.
Rosalie could not help but wonder about the significance of these lotus motifs. Perhaps the mansion’s previous owner held a deep fondness for lotus flowers, or maybe it was the woman who had once been confined within these very walls. As she wandered through the estate, these mysteries weighed on her mind.
In truth, Rosalie had a personal fondness for lotus flowers as well. Perhaps it was because of the symbolism of untainted purity that these blossoms carried.
As Rosalie searched for Jonathan through the mansion, she noticed that he had not restricted her movements within the compound. Within the mansion’s confines, it could be said that she was, to some extent, free.
As she roamed down a corridor, her gaze fixated on a particular room. Her footsteps came to a halt at its door.
She recalled seeing Jonathan emerge from this room before.
Rosalie wondered if he might be inside.
She approached the door and gave it two gentle knocks. Since there was no response, she pushed it open, revealing a dimly lit room to her surprise.
The room was small, shrouded in darkness as heavy curtains masked the windows.
The room bore minimal decorations, or rather, it was under-furnished. The room held only a single shelf, upon rested a glass case containing an ancient sword.
which
It was only natural for Rosalie to assume that the sword was of an ancient origin. It bore the marks of age, with its handle showing signs of oxidation and the blade weathered, marked with speckles of dark spots that, upon closer inspection, did not
resemble rust.
The wall in front of the shelf draped a floor-length curtain, concealing the wall.
Undeniably, the room held an enigmatic air.
However, it could be seen at a glance that Jonathan was not present in the room.
Just as Rosalie considered leaving, the sound of approaching footsteps behind her startled her, and she was met with Jonathan’s icy voice.
Rosalie spun around abruptly, and Jonathan’s striking appearance immediately came into view. “I came looking for you, so I entered this room to see if you were here.”
“Looking for me?” he asked calmly, moving toward the center of the room, near the shelf bearing the ancient sword. “I… I needed to reach out to Lillian and Amelia. If Lillian couldn’t find me, she would be worried, As for Amelia… I’m in charge of her custody case. Remaining here would only complicate things further.”
Jonathan pursed his thin lip, his dark eyes scrutinizing her as though gauging the truth behind her words.
“All I want is to get in touch with them, clarify a few things, and nothing more. Even if I manage to reach out, they won’t be able to take me away if they discover this location,” Rosalie explained.
