His dangerous lover

Who is it…? The pupils of Rose’s eyes were out of focus, making the figure in front of her look shaky and blurry. The person’s cold voice sounded stiff and dull, and it was penetrating Rose’s ears as if there were several layers of heavy glass between them. "Rose, are you aware of your illness?" Something about the person’s words jolted her. Her dull gray eyes suddenly flashed a little with awareness, and then she mustered all her strength to shake her head the slightest bit.  But then again, that was all the movement it was possible for her to make—she was presently strapped tightly onto a hospital bed. After she gave that small response, she could tell that she was no longer the one being addressed when the person ordered, "Add another 20 volts." “…!” Before Rose could prepare herself for it, a ferocious electric current was suddenly coursing throughout her entire body, its source the electrode patches that were stuck on various parts of her skin.  The sharp pain that was generated from the depths of her soul made Rose's back arch, but she continued to be pressed down by the bed’s straps. She could do nothing else to try and stop the pain except let out a broken and hoarse scream, her piercing voice rising and falling over and over and over again. Her cries of despair and the tears in her bloodshot eyes should have signified to anyone that she couldn’t take the torture anymore.  But no matter how hoarse her voice became or how much tears she shed, the perpetrators still showed no pity.  Was there no one out there who could come and save her? A wet towel that had been dipped in ice was suddenly used to wipe Rose’s forehead in a harsh manner. Without damaging the patches connected to her body, it effectively brought the patient back to consciousness.  Feeling the biting cold dripping down her reddish-brown hair, Rose began to tremble slightly… and then she heard the approaching sound of high-heeled shoes click-clacking on the hard floor.  Still in a daze, Rose forced her eyelids to open again, but a dazzling halo blinded her. After several moments of dizziness as her vision adjusted, Rose was gradually able to make out where she was.  The dim hospital room had mottled walls. The doctors and nurses that surrounded her were wearing white coats and masks, each showing only a pair of eyes.  And also…  Rose’s eyes suddenly widened.  Upon seeing a familiar face in that mental hospital, where life was worse than death and there was no one she could turn to for help, Rose felt like she had fallen into an icehouse. Instead of feeling ecstatic to see a loved one, her small and lithe body trembled against the straps that were holding her down. "Rose, you poor girl…" The new arrival was an older woman whose blonde hair was cut stylishly short. She was dressed elegantly and appeared younger than her actual age. With a pained look on her made-up face, she let out a sigh of pity.  She was acting as if she were really Rose’s caring family member as she continued, "Auntie is very sad to see you like this." Rose's full lips turned blue, and she clenched her teeth without quite letting out a sound. But with her eyes growing full of hatred and anger, she then said, "Murderer... You murderer!" That’s right—she was a murderer. This woman was no “Auntie” of hers. She was the one who had brutally murdered Rose’s family—and then locked her up here as a mentally ill patient.  Amber. But despite Rose’s best efforts to out the woman for what she truly was, there was no response from the medical staff. All of them were just ignoring her.  Meanwhile, Amber continued to pose as a kind older woman, making Rose feel nauseated at the hypocrisy. "Rose, why do you keep making it difficult for yourself…?” Amber said. “I sent you here to be treated, but you only talk nonsense all the time instead of cooperating. How can you be the heir of the Sommers Group in this state? Your father's lifelong hard work… are you determined to flush it all down the toilet?" The Sommers Group! Not that it hadn’t already been obvious before, but now that Amber had finally made it clear what her true goal was, Rose's mouth twisted into a pale and mocking sneer. Amber went on, "I’m afraid I can’t let you destroy your father’s legacy, dear. As long as you sign the share transfer contract, I promise that the company will not suffer any further harm… and neither will you. You will not want for anything for the rest of your life, Rose, I promise. You can just continue to be the darling of our family—just as you’ve always been." Amber's tone was carefully measured, neither overly soft nor overly hard. Her dark eyes, however, were somewhat biting. They made it clear to Rose that rejection would come at a price. Rose's eyes moved down to Amber's hands. Even though she was the Rose Sommers, did Amber really think that the contract in those hands could decide her entire fate?  How ridiculous! But alas… it might also be inevitable. Nearly her entire life, Rose had been too naive. After losing her father's protection, her ignorant self had then been easily manipulated by the people around her.  Even now, despite already being reduced to this situation, she still considered herself to be that high-and-mighty girl who had been blessed by the heavens with everything.  In reality, the person responsible for her parents’ death was now coercing her into giving up the fruits of her father's lifelong efforts.  What a tragic irony this was. Rose started to laugh, but it was a laughter filled with a mix of loathing and anger, and it was mostly directed at herself.  However, as she looked at Amber's darkening face, her laughter abruptly stopped.  Word by word, using the most ruthless tone she could muster, Rose then gave the following answer: "Dream. f*****g. On!" Amber's eyes filled with fury. She coldly pointed at Rose and demanded, "Doctor! Please see if the treatment will work this time!" “…!!!” Unprecedented pain struck Rose once again. After she didn’t know how long—and probably due to lack of oxygen—Rose's eardrums began to buzz. Her face turned even more pale, and her body fell back heavily.  By the time the electric shock finally came to an end, her head had already hit the hospital bed. She had passed out cold from the intense pain. But the torture didn't end even after she had lost consciousness.  Countless confusing faces surged through her mind while numerous voices screamed loudly in her ears. In her restless dream, she saw a blood-stained white cloth draped over her father's head, along with her mother's limp hand hanging over a gurney.  She dreamed of the moment when she had been told about what had happened to them. Now, all over again, she felt suffocated with disbelief and terror.  Those constantly fast-forwarding noises and voices, all the distorted and absurd images—they squeezed and tore at her mind, leaving her in even more unbearable pain.  She tried to call out to someone—to anyone—but her vocal cords seemed to have been cut brutally. She couldn't make a single sound.  When her entire consciousness finally fell into darkness and she knew nothing more, it was nothing short of a blessing. … Rose later woke up to the salty smell of a sea breeze. Her fine eyelashes fluttered until, slowly, she opened her eyes. From beneath her, she heard wheels crushing gravel. The creaking sound seemed endless, but she couldn’t get her head to look down at the source.  Still dazed, all she could see was the sea and the sky. Sunlight was sparkling over the blue and green water, but Rose couldn't appreciate the beautiful sight.  She was gradually becoming aware that she was in a wheelchair—one that kept being pushed forward… straight in the direction of a cliff. By the time she realized what was happening, the edge of the cliff was only five meters away. Though her body was too weak and resisted her commands, Rose stubbornly moved her numb and trembling hands to grip the wheels. Using what little strength she still had, she tried to turn the wheelchair around—away from the cliff that would surely end her life. However, a hand pressed her down and stopped all her movements. "It's too late to be afraid now," Amber's voice sounded from behind. Though Rose couldn’t see her face, she was certain that the woman was wearing a dark and vicious smile. "Rose, Rose…” Amber continued in a coldly playful tone. “Did you really think that as long as you don't sign, I won't be able to take what belongs to you?” She scoffed and laughed. “I gave you the chance, stupid girl, but you wouldn’t take it. Now, you’ve left me with no choice but to do this. As long as you're dead, the shares you leave behind will eventually fall into your uncle’s hands."  While Amber was speaking, she continued to push the wheelchair to the edge of the cliff, which rose at a height of a hundred meters. As the fierce and cold wind roared, Rose broke out in a cold sweat. She didn’t dare look at the dizzying scene before her, and she hated how weak and powerless she felt.  She really couldn’t understand why her aunt had turned against her for the sake of something so meaningless. "How will you ever face my uncle again if you do this to me?"  Rose thought the other woman would at least remain silent at the mention of her father’s brother, but unexpectedly, Amber laughed with great pride. "You silly child, I thought you already had it all figured out?” she replied. “Who did you think ordered the car accident that killed your parents in the first place? You thought it was all me? No… Your uncle was also in on it.” Amber paused and stroked Rose’s head condescendingly. “I have to say, though, it was really convenient for us that Sean only had a silly daughter like you for a child. Now, sweet Rose… go and meet your parents!" Rose's face went bloodless. Not even the brutal truth could bring any more tears to her eyes. After all, as soon as Amber finished speaking, she pushed the wheelchair off the cliff—with Rose still in it. As the sense of weightlessness overtook her, Rose fell faster and faster. But midair, she tried her best to turn her head, wanting to catch one final glimpse of the figure waving at her from the cliff in her final moments. She wanted to brand that face into her memory. When they meet again in the underworld, she would make sure to pay her back tenfold for everything she had done to her and her family! … On a yacht that was a fair distance away from the cliff, a man with a fishing rod sat upright. He hadn’t even bothered putting a bait on the hook. He had no intention of catching anything at all.  This boring and pointless pastime was simply an excellent way for him to relax amid his otherwise busy schedule. Surrounded by calm waters, with nothing else occupying his mind, he found that he could make important decisions much better. But today, the waters weren’t as calm as usual. The man's sharp and eagle-like eyes narrowed as he kept a close watch on a black spot in the distance. "Go that way," he said. At his command, the yacht sailed out quickly, creating white waves as it drew closer to where the man indicated. Several crew members then lowered a lifeboat, rowed the rest of the way to what the man had spotted, and soon brought back an unconscious woman onto the yacht’s deck. The man, Joseph, lifted her long wet hair from her face.  He felt a sense of deja vu the moment he laid eyes on her. "We’ll take her back with us," Joseph said to his attendants. … That night, in the villa that belonged to the CEO of the Morgan Group, a private doctor was busy administering fluids to the unconscious woman on the bed.  As the instrument dripped softly, Joseph flipped through the data in his hand. His eyes momentarily caught on the bright and spotless smile captured in the one-inch photo attached to the documents.  Then, he lifted his gaze until it landed softly on the face of the woman who looked pained even in her unconscious state. Rose Sommers. She was the heir to the Sommers Group who had supposedly died in an accidental fall to the sea. The daughter of Sean Sommers, she was known by all as her family’s little princess.  Just a while ago, word of her death had been heavily featured in the news. So that’s who she was… No wonder she felt a little familiar to him. Drawing his gaze away, Joseph rubbed his fingertip over the words "accidentally fell to the sea" written on the report. It brought a meaningful glint of interest to his eyes.