CHAPTER 235: ARE YOU STILL GOING TO DENY

[Last night — Before the Attack]

Inside the grand hall of the Golden Plaza Hotel, the evening shimmered with luxury—crystal chandeliers, soft music, and guests draped in wealth.

Roseline glided through it all effortlessly. Attention clung to her like an old friend, warm and familiar. Ever since marrying Hugo Bennett, admiration had become second nature, but it was her skill, her charm, and her flawless social presence that kept her at the top even after all these years.

She lifted her glass, taking a slow sip of wine, the ruby liquid catching the golden light. As she lowered it, her eyes locked with a pair of burning ones across the hall.

Ester.

The jealousy in the woman’s gaze was almost comical—sharp, unrestrained, and so open that Roseline nearly smiled. It wasn’t the first time someone glared at her like that, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Maintaining the Bennett name came with its share of admirers and enemies. She had learned long ago which ones mattered.

Tonight, none of them did. Tonight, she simply wanted to bask in the celebration and reinforce the connections that kept her family’s influence untouchable.

She continued her conversation with a few business delegates, gracefully entertaining their praises before offering polite excuses to step away.

She loved attention, yes—but sometimes even Roseline needed a breath of quiet. Old habits die hard, and solitude had always been her secret way of recharging.

Just as she slipped away from the crowd and into a quieter corner of the hall, her phone buzzed sharply in her purse. The vibration cut through her thoughts, drawing her attention.

Curious, she fished out her slim designer wallet and checked the screen.

Her brows knit together.

That caller.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Roseline answered the call—and what she heard next made her feet instantly falter, retreating from the bustle of the crowded hall.

Her breath caught.

She kept walking, pushing past guests and slipping through the nearest side exit. The words echoing in her ear drained the color from her face, sending a cold sweat down her spine. Her eyes darted around restlessly, scanning for danger, her hand pressing over her heart as it hammered violently against her ribs.

She didn’t know where she was going. Her mind was too shocked, too scattered to think. Her feet simply moved on instinct, pulling her farther and farther away until she stumbled into the quiet garden behind the hotel.

And there—she froze.

A figure stood ahead of her, cloaked head to toe in black, motionless like a shadow carved out of the night.

Roseline frowned, confusion tightening her brows.

"What—?"

Before she could finish the question, the figure lunged.

Pain exploded through her stomach as a blade plunged deep into her flesh.

"A-ah!" Her scream tore through the quiet garden, her hand instantly flying to the wound. Her vision blurred, but as she looked at the attacker—really looked—something flickered in her chest.

Fear.

The person was scared.

Why... why was he scared?

And then it hit her like ice. She’d been tricked.

The warning on the phone wasn’t a warning at all.It was bait.A trap.

The blade withdrew violently, tearing another strangled cry from her as the attacker shoved her backward. Roseline stumbled, her heels slipping over the grass before her body collapsed onto the cold ground.

Her vision dimmed, the world spinning. She watched the cloaked figure sprint away, the silhouette swallowed by darkness.

Her eyelashes fluttered once. Twice.

Then everything went black.

***

Roseline drifted in and out of the void, weightless, numb—until a faint tug of consciousness pulled her upward. Her lashes flickered, vision hazy and unfocused, colors bleeding into one another like wet paint.

At first, she thought she was dreaming again.

But then she saw him.

’Collin

The same face she had seen... the one she believed she would never see again, now hovering over her—calm, controlled, and dressed in hospital scrubs as if he belonged there.

A disguise. A perfect one.

Her breath stuttered, but her body wouldn’t move. The anesthesia still clung to her like a heavy fog, trapping her mind inside an unresponsive shell.

Even through the blur, her eyes captured his silhouette clearly enough— the shape of his jaw, the glint of fear and resolve in his gaze, the way his gloved hand tightened at his side.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. But he was

"Remember my words, Rose," he whispered, his voice low but unmistakably familiar—hauntingly so.

Her heartbeat thudded weakly in her ears.

But before she could react, before she could cling to the moment, her eyes slid shut again, swallowed by the drug-induced sleep.

The darkness claimed her once more.

[Present]

Roseline’s fingers curled tightly around her palm, hiding the small folded note the man had slipped to her before leaving.

She couldn’t let anyone find it. Not yet. Not until she understood what it meant.

"Mrs. Bennett, can you describe the attacker?" the officer asked, pulling her abruptly from her spiraling thoughts.

Roseline blinked, forcing herself to focus, smoothing the tremor from her voice.

"I couldn’t see his face," she said weakly. She was reclined slightly on the hospital bed, her voice still faint. "He wore all black... and his face was covered. There was nothing to recognize."

It wasn’t entirely a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

She was fully awake now both in body and mind yet her memories tangled painfully, refusing to settle. She had been attacked. And the man who stabbed her...

She had seen him before.

Collin.

But then why had he hired someone else to do it? Why send a stranger if he was already there?

Her breath hitched before she could stop it, but when she noticed Kathrine standing rigidly by her side, watching her every reaction, Roseline instantly composed herself.

The officer continued his questioning, explaining, "Mrs. Stewart was the one who witnessed you collapse. She alerted hotel staff and they called emergency services immediately. You’re fortunate she acted fast."

Roseline nodded mechanically.

"Take care, Mrs. Bennett. With the details you provided, we’ll do our best to identify the culprit soon." With that, the officer offered a polite nod and exited the ward, leaving mother and daughter alone.

Kathrine wasted no time.

"You seriously don’t know who the person is, Mom?" she demanded, arms folded, eyes sharp with frustration and worry.

Roseline met her gaze calmly and shook her head. "No. As I said, he masked his face. It was dark. I couldn’t see through it." Her voice remained steady, anchored in practiced control.

But Kathrine wasn’t convinced.

"Then how come that person is in contact with you, Mom?" she pressed, pulling out Roseline’s phone—the one a nurse had handed over when Roseline was brought in.

She tapped the screen, turning the display toward Roseline.

"Are you still going to deny you don’t know who it is?"