Chapter 66

Third-Person POV

Stefan Rodriguez stared into his whiskey glass, watching the amber liquid catch the dim bar light. This was his fourth drink of the night, or maybe his fifth. He’d lost count somewhere between the endless news alerts about Rose’s scandal and the memories that wouldn’t stop haunting him.

The bar was nearly empty on this rainy Tuesday night. Just him, the tired-looking bartender who had stopped trying to make conversation hours ago, and a couple in the far corner who seemed too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else. Perfect. The last thing Stefan wanted right now was recognition, questions, or worse, pity.

He took another long swallow, letting the burn travel down his throat. The television above the bar played footage of Rose leaving her apartment building, surrounded by reporters shouting questions about her affairs, her stolen designs, her connections to questionable money. The sound was muted, but Stefan could almost hear her pr