Chapter 19. An Endless Torture

ROSETTE

I had woken up panicked, thinking I was late for work again, but then I remembered I quit and immediately went back to sleep. Kross didn’t give me time to start with the greenhouse. I could start whenever I wanted.

So I slept, but then a noise woke me. A shout, actually. It was Axel. I immediately threw the blanket off, racing out of my room barefoot.

When I got to the stairs, nothing could have prepared me for the sight I saw.

I hadn’t known the Varkas brothers were close. They were always distant from each other and barely had conversations, so I thought they weren’t close. I was wrong.

They were close—closer than I thought.

Axel raised his head from Kross’ shoulder, his eyes meeting mine and all thoughts fled my head. He… he looked miserable. His eyes were red and swollen, the circles around them like bruises.

I was already moving before I knew what I was doing, but Kross’s voice stopped me.

“Rosette.” I stopped walking, my