CHAPTER 441: ROSE WITH THORNS (2)

"Done?" Mia peeked.

Rose nodded shyly.

Mia spun around and gasped. "You look like a dream."

"Mia..."

"I’m serious. Hold on — heels." Mia handed her a pair of gold strappy heels with tiny pearls on the straps. Rose took them carefully, sat at the edge of the bed, and slipped them on one foot at a time.

She adjusted the straps, then stood up, wobbling once.

"Oh god. I’m going to fall on my face."

"You won’t," Mia laughed. "You just walked out of a fairytale. Come on, show me a twirl."

Rose gave her a half-hearted spin, the slit fluttering open slightly with the motion. She blushed. Mia squealed.

Her long black hair was left down, brushing softly over her shoulders.

**

Rose already regretted her decision the moment she stepped into the bar.

The heavy scent of alcohol, the flickering colored lights, the booming music that felt like it shook her chest—everything felt too loud. Too much. Too unfamiliar.

Her heels clicked awkwardly against the polished floor as she followed Mia through the crowd. Around her, people were laughing, shouting, clinking glasses. In the corner, a couple was making out like no one else existed. A girl near the wall was crying. A guy was vomiting into a napkin while his friend patted his back.

What am I doing here...? Rose thought. Her dress clung perfectly to her body, just as Mia said it would, but under the strobe lights and lingering stares—she felt bare.

Very bare.

Several men turned their heads as she walked by. Some nodded at her. One even winked. Her stomach twisted.

Mia, on the other hand, was already in her element.

The bartender, a tall guy with bright tattoos and a cheeky grin, leaned across the bar. "For you, darling? First drink’s on the house. You’ve got that ’I-don’t-belong-here’ look. It’s charming."

Mia laughed and took the drink with a dramatic "thank you," nudging Rose with her elbow. "Come on, it’s just for fun."

Rose smiled weakly. "Right. Fun."

They both took a sip, and Mia downed hers in two gulps. "Let’s dance!"

Before Rose could protest, Mia dragged her toward the crowded dance floor. The music was fast, the crowd pulsing with every beat.

Mia moved easily, swaying her hips, laughing, tossing her hair back like she was made for this.

But Rose... she stood awkwardly in place, unsure what to do with her arms. Or her legs. Or her face.

Then, a man—tall, broad, and reeking of cologne—slid behind Mia and started dancing with her, moving far too close. Mia didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she giggled and leaned into him, shouting something Rose couldn’t hear over the music.

Mia turned and shouted at her over the beat, "I’ll be right back! Five minutes!"

"Wait—what?"

But Mia was already lost in the crowd, vanishing into the sea of moving bodies with the guy, leaving Rose standing alone.

Of course, she thought, trying to calm her breathing.

She took a small step toward the edge of the dance floor, but before she could leave, someone stepped in front of her.

A man. Probably in his late twenties. Clean shirt, but the way he looked at her made her skin crawl.

"Hey there, gorgeous," he said, leaning in close. "Where’ve you been hiding?"

"I—uh—I’m waiting for someone," Rose said quickly, taking a step back.

But he followed. "You looked lonely. Thought I’d help."

She shook her head, trying to keep polite. "I’m fine, really—"

He reached for her hand, trying to pull her in rhythm with him, his fingers a little too tight, his grin too confident.

Rose tried to tug her hand away. "Please, I said I’m waiting for someone."

"C’mon, don’t be like that—"

"I’m not interested," she said firmly this time, stepping back.

But the man just laughed, as if it were a game. His hand reached out again.

And Rose’s heart started to race from panic.

She didn’t belong here.

She should’ve never worn this dress. Never said yes.

Never come here at all.

The man grabbed Rose’s wrist and pulled her with him. Her eyes widened in shock.

"H-Hey! Let go!" she shouted, but the music drowned her voice, and no one turned to look. People were too busy dancing, laughing, lost in their own world to notice a girl being dragged away.

Her heels scraped against the floor as she struggled, her heart pounding in her chest. He was stronger than he looked, and he was pulling her toward a side door near the back of the bar. A door she hadn’t noticed before. A door that led to—

The alley.

Panic surged through her body like ice water.

"No! Let go of me!" she yelled again, trying to push him off, but his grip only tightened.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her throat tightened. No one was coming.

The last time something like this happened—her sister, Lilith, had been there. Lilith was strong. Fearless. She saved her.

But now...

Now Rose was alone.

Who was going to save her this time?

And the alley door was getting closer.

Closer.

The music behind her faded into a dull thump.

And fear, real and raw, clawed its way up her spine.

She didn’t want to go through that door.

She didn’t want to disappear.

Her voice cracked as she screamed—

"Let me GO!"

The alley was dark and narrow, lit only by a flickering streetlamp in the distance. Cold air brushed against Rose’s skin, and she stumbled on the uneven pavement as the man dragged her farther into the shadows.

"Stop—please, stop!" she cried, her voice shaking, trying to dig her heels into the ground, but he was too strong. Her heart pounded so loudly it echoed in her ears. She reached out to grab anything... something to stop him but before she could, he spun around.

And slapped her.

Hard.

The sound cracked through the night like a whip. Her head jerked to the side, and she stumbled, falling to her knees as her cheek burned with stinging pain. Tears spilled down her face, but her body was frozen, shocked by the violence.

"You think you’re better than me?" the man spat, towering over her with wild eyes. "Coming here dressed like that, acting all pure—you’re just like the rest."