Chapter 82. Seething Rage

Chapter 82: Chapter 82. Seething Rage

Chapter 82. Seething Rage

"Mr. Don, you do know that this is inappropriate, right?" she murmured. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Rosa could not understand why her brain felt so fractured right now. She was supposed to be focused on the exact task Mrs. Lee had flashed in her mind, but with Don leaning in this close, all she could replay were Tim’s words: the casual way he kept referring to her, those lingering remarks hinting that she was somehow developing feelings for Don. Her heart hammered tremulously against her ribs, aching with every heavy beat.

Her eyelids fluttered uncontrollably as Don leaned in closer. She caught the dark stubble outlining his jaw, the hard edge of his nose, and the invasive intensity in his squinted eyes as he stared straight into her soul. A strange, paralyzing weight held her in place, locking her in a trance. She couldn’t move even if she tried.

What is with his sudden invasiveness right now? she wondered, gazing up at him. He’s right back to that stern, harsh mode of his. Why is he suddenly angry? Is my heart really beating this fast because I’m scared of him, or what?

"Rosa," Don murmured, his voice dropped to a low, soft, raspy pitch.

The sound sent a sudden shiver tracing from her ears straight down her spine. She flinched, but her body remained frozen, pressed firmly back against the couch. He boxed her in with his frame, holding her captive under an intense glare, as if trying his absolute best to manipulate her through sight alone.

"I asked a question," he murmured, "and I am going to ask it again. This does not have to be difficult for you, Rosa. I am your guardian here—the one watching over you to ensure you aren’t being threatened."

She let out a breathy, nervous chuckle. "I’m not being threatened by anything," she stammered, stumbling over her words. "I’m fine, okay? It was nobody... I mean, it was just nobody."

"Rosa," Don interrupted, forcing her to quiet down. "I saw you make that call. You were clearly terrified. You know you don’t have to keep these things from me, right? If you are in trouble, you can simply tell me. It is my duty as your guardian to watch over you."

She scoffed, a tight edge in her voice. "Right. Because guardians usually corner their kids and peek at at their naked body parts," she murmured.

Don heard that and frowned. A moment later, he chuckled, tilting his head to the side. "Well, aren’t you being fucking childish?" he murmured.

She glared back at him.

"You’re still hung up over that mistake," he said.

Rosa ground her teeth together, unable to stop the deep flush creeping up her cheeks, coloring her hairline, and burning down her neck. Oh, good Lord, I need to escape this situation, she thought desperately. Congratulations, Rosa. You have single-handedly landed yourself in what is probably the third most embarrassing moment of your entire life.

She needed air. She needed to leave immediately. Unconsciously, she bit hard down on her bottom lip.

Don’s eyes traced the movement across her face, catching the sight of her bottom lip trapped firmly between her teeth. Something sharp struck him deep in his chest. He swallowed hard, staring at the full shape of her lip stuck against her teeth. His breath hitched. He wasn’t entirely sure what was coming over him, but a wave of powerful, overwhelming familiarity washed over him.

Slowly, his hand reached out. His fingers gripped her jaw, gently applying pressure until her lip slipped free from between her teeth.

"Don’t do that again," he murmured.

Rosa blinked at him in utter disbelief. Why is he suddenly so concerned about my lip? she wondered, her head spinning.

"It wouldn’t be nice for you to damage such a beautiful lip," he added softly.

Her face burned even hotter than before. Oh my god, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Is he seriously flirting with me right now?

She scoffed. Placing her palms flat against his chest, she shoved him away with all the strength her weak hands could muster. Don allowed himself to be pushed back, though he didn’t retreat very far.

When she scrambled up from the sofa, he was still standing dangerously close. It took every ounce of her remaining strength to keep herself upright and not collapse back onto the cushions.

Looking up at him, she murmured, "Please, I need to go."

He raised an eyebrow. "You need to go? I cannot allow that."

"Why not?"

"Because you are keeping something from me, Rosa," he insisted. "You are in trouble, yet you’re still trying to act like an adult, like you can handle everything on your own when you clearly need help."

She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "I understand that you care about me, Mr. Don, okay—"

"Can you stop with the formality?" Don cut her off sharply.

She snapped her eyes open, staring at him wide-eyed. "What?"

He scoffed, tilting his head to the side. "I’m your uncle, for heaven’s sake. You should address me by my name. Why must you insist on keeping up with the formality every single damn time?"

She blinked, caught off guard. "You are also a professor at my school," she murmured softly.

"And so what?" he demanded, both eyebrows raised.

Rosa stood speechless, not knowing how to answer. Don scoffed again and finally took a step backward, giving her the space she desperately needed.

She exhaled a soft breath of relief as his suffocating proximity receded. Rubbing her neck nervously, she murmured, "I really think I need to go."

He frowned at her.

"Can we please talk about this later?" she asked.

"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her closely.

She blinked. "I’m going back to Mia’s apartment."

Don closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, peering at her through narrowed eyelids. "So you’re really not going to tell me about the phone call you just made?"

She scoffed. "Look, there’s this thing called privacy, and the need for space to let someone manage their own life. I’m not a child—I’m an adult, okay? If there’s a problem in my life, I don’t need to depend on anyone else to handle it for me. I can handle it myself."

He stared at her, an eyebrow raised high. "Even if it’s completely beyond your power to handle?"

She blinked back at him. The sheer intensity in his expression made something tingle deep inside her, almost as if he already knew what her problem was. Her brow furrowed. No, she told herself firmly. There is no way he knows.

She caught herself biting her lip again, then caught his eye and stopped. "If it’s beyond my power, then I’ll just find another solution," she murmured defensively.

Don scoffed, tilting his head back in pure disbelief. Goodness me, I cannot believe this girl, he thought, examining her guarded posture.

"It’s all good," she added quickly, waving her hands in the air. "I can assure you I’m fine." She forced a stiff, sarcastic gesture with her fingers, dragging out the corners of her mouth. "See? Totally fine."

He watched her, completely unfooled by the sarcasm.

"Please... my notebooks," she murmured softly.

Don studied her for a long moment, a subtle frown lingering on his face, before smacking his lips together. Well, I guess there’s no need to push things any further right now, he reasoned internally. After all, I’ve already done what was necessary in secret. If it really was Mrs. Lee threatening her on that call, Rosa might not realize it yet, but Mrs. Lee doesn’t have the power to control her anymore. Changes are being made as we speak.

He drew in a quiet breath. I’ll let her go for now, let she think she’s in real trouble. When the time is right, I will step in.

A faint, tight smile touched his lips. He gestured toward the far corner of the living room. "Your books are over on that bookshelf—top middle shelf. I placed a note right by the edge."

She looked in the direction he pointed, her face brightening with relief. She bowed slightly. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

Hurrying across the room, she grabbed her notebooks and immediately darted toward the front exit.

Don’s frown deepened. It was only in that moment, as she rushed past, that he noticed her clothes were still damp from spending the night out in the cold. He opened his mouth to say something, but before the words could leave his throat, she was already through the doorway, slamming the door shut behind her.

His hand hovered uselessly in the air for a few seconds before slowly dropping to his side.

He exhaled heavily, turning his gaze toward the living room center table where he had set down his cup of coffee. Stepping over, he picked up the ceramic mug, his fingers coiling tightly around the handle.

Bless me, he thought, an overwhelming tide of emotion suddenly crashing over him.

He gripped the cup tighter and tighter until the ceramic cracked under his strength, shattering into sharp pieces in his palm. Hot, scalding coffee spilled over his skin, but he barely registered the pain. The burn on his hand was nothing compared to the seething rage burning through his chest.

Now what the hell are you up to, Mrs. Lee? he wondered.