Olivia’s POV
The rose stayed in my mind long after Lucas ordered it burned.
It wasn’t just the crimson petals, or the way its thorns gleamed under the kitchen lights. It was the message beneath it—the promise that Emily wouldn’t stop until I broke. I could almost imagine her fingers arranging it in that black box, her lips curving as she scrawled those words.
I pressed my palms against the vanity that evening, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes looked tired, shadowed by fear I didn’t want to admit out loud. Behind me, the velvet jewelry box Lucas had bought at the boutique sat untouched, as though mocking me.
I’d bought him gifts. He’d given me promises. And Emily had given me thorns.
A knock at the door made me jump.
“It’s just me,” Lucas’s voice came from the other sid
