"I'm sorry. I just wanted to surprise you because you allowed me to come here, to be with you. I'm grateful that you let me." Vincencio apologized sincerely while kneeling before her, caressing her hands gently before kissing them.
"It's okay, but please don't do that." She offered a faint smile from his loving gesture before continuing, "I don't want to harm my husband just because he's trying to surprise me."
"I know it's only been three days, but I miss you so much it feels like years." He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her lap, inhaling the calming scent of her rose-petal aftershave.
"Did he just purr?" she thought when she heard it, before commenting gently. "I know the feeling and am grateful you felt the same. But take that cold wall as a warning."
"So, I'll take that as a sign that I'm forgiven." Vincencio smiled without lifting his head from her lap. He missed her greatly.
"Remember, it's a warning, so get up. I need to put on some clothes." Skylar pushed him away and tried to rise, but Vincencio remained unmoved.
"Leave it. Let's sleep." He snuggled closer, causing Skylar to frown.
"Vince," she warned, but he shook his head.
"I didn't sleep. I couldn't when you're not beside me. So, let me sleep," he admitted as he shifted on the bed but didn't release his hold around his wife's waist, causing Skylar to soften a bit.
"At least, let me wear my shirt," she sighed, allowing him to hold her as if she might vanish at any moment.
"Wear mine," he said sleepily as he removed his polo shirt, revealing his muscle shirt, and held her again.
"Clingy," she sighed in defeat.
"Like you're not," he mumbled and quickly fell asleep. Skylar lovingly caressed his hair before removing her robe and putting on her husband's polo shirt, which was infused with a refreshing aftershave scent.
"You're making me soft around you," she mumbled, kissing his head. However, just as she was about to lie beside him, she noticed a red notification on her work tablet. She groaned in annoyance. "Dammit, why tonight?"
With careful movements, Skylar slipped away from her husband's grasp and checked her work tablet, where she received a red notification regarding a specific individual. She quickly scanned the information that Medina had sent her before sighing and closing the tablet. Glancing over at her sleeping husband, she released another sigh.
"It seems to me that I must leave tonight," she whispered, kissing her husband's head once more before slipping into the darkness to become the annoyed Rose Slayer again. "I need to get this done before he wakes up."
***
With great annoyance at having ruined her night with her husband, Rose Slayer had even more reason to make her hunt swift yet precise. She followed her routine of shadowing her target, blending into the partying crowd without raising suspicion until it was time to make her move.
"Wake up, Johnathan McKenley." Rose Slayer's impatient voice echoed through the dark, isolated utility room.
"Argh, where am I?" he groaned weakly, hiccupping from the effects of alcohol.
"Some place you won't see the dawn," she replied sarcastically while preparing her weapon.
"You're kidding. Just tell me where we are," he demanded, attempting to sober himself up. However, he was too intoxicated to even stand or crawl from his wasted spot.
"Utility room. Someone locked us in here." She fabricated an excuse while concentrating on mixing various liquid cleaners with rat poison.
"What are you doing then? Trying to save us?" he asked groggily.
"Nope, but I'm preparing a deathbed at the request of the general's ghost." She replied with a taunt after finishing the toxic mixture she had concocted.
"General? Ghost? That's ridiculous." He scoffed as he attempted to see in the darkness, but the only light available to him was from his immediate surroundings.
"Well, you'll see," Rose Slayer whispered beside him, and the next thing he felt was a stab in his leg.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" He shouted while groaning in pain.
"As I mentioned, deathbed." With a devilish giggle, she began stabbing his other leg before pouring a potent cleaning solution, forcing him to scream in agony. Yet, only laughter echoed around her. "Oh boy, because of you, I have to work overtime, and now you will pay for every crime you committed since you became involved with the general's death."
"I don't know what you're talking about… Please, stop." He tried to plead, but it was too late; his committed crime was betraying the general's trust. He was one of the reasons the general fell apart, and now he was also paying the price.
"I'm sorry, Mr. McKenley. Your debt to the general has come due. Goodbye." Rose Slayer whispered as he slit his throat, then scribbled down all the crimes he had committed before leaving the corpse with a tainted white rose.
***
As the Rose Slayer slipped into the shadows, Skylar rushed back to the penthouse and cleaned herself up as if she hadn't committed any crime behind her husband's back. However, as soon as she stepped out of the shared bathroom, Vincencio frantically searched for her, while Medina and Joey watched in alarm.
"SKYLAR!"
"What's going on, Vince?"
"It's in the middle of the night,"
"I'm sorry, Joey, Med, but Skylar… she's gone. She's not here with me, and…"
Joey and Medina exchanged glances as they observed Vincencio trembling, which caused Skylar to feel concerned. She decided to approach him to ease his worry.
"Hubby?" Skylar asked with concern as she noticed Vincencio's panicked state. "You look distraught. What happened?"
"Where have you been?" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "You scared me! I thought I had lost you."
"Oh, sorry. I received a security notification making me check the penthouse before returning to bed when you unexpectedly appeared," she reasoned.
"Please wake me if you're going out somewhere in the middle of the night. I don't want to lose you. Please." He pleaded weakly, tears streaming down his face as he fell to his knees—something Skylar had never witnessed before.
No man reveals his vulnerabilities to the woman he loves, but Vincencio is different. He was shaken deeply and distressed, visibly fearing the loss of her, which was evident in his pale features and tear-filled eyes. At that moment, Skylar finally understood the pain of loss that Joey had previously mentioned, leading her to embrace Vincencio protectively as tears flowed down her face.
"Sorry, hubby. I didn't mean to shake you so much." She sincerely apologized, pecking his lips and then his temple, a slight smile gracing her lips. "Damn, I'll do everything to keep this. I'll protect him at all costs, even if it means drowning in blood."
For the first time, Skylar felt scared of breaking and losing Vincencio's loving trust. Although both carry secrets, she has embraced his vulnerability, happiness, and love—qualities that no money, wealth, or fame can buy. Skylar is determined not to lose it.
"Sorry, I'll do my best to prevent it from happening again, but I can't make any promises. I don't want to disturb your sleep." With a light giggle, she marked her point, prompting Vincencio to nod in agreement.
"Just leave me a note to keep me at ease, even if only for a while," he replied, causing her to sigh and smile.
"If that's what calms you, then I will. Come on, let's get you to bed." Skylar gently helped Vincencio and walked toward their bedroom, firmly reminding her friends of something. "Medina, Joey, please ensure that nothing disturbs us unless it's urgent. Good night, and I apologize for the disturbance."
"Noted," Medina said, nodding.
"Have a nice sleep," Joey smirked as they watched the couple enter their bedroom. "Let's hope their marriage lasts. Skylar deserves happiness after all that she has been through."
"I hope for that as well," Medina agreed before they headed to their respective bedrooms.
***
After the shaken night with Vincencio, Skylar insisted Medina teach her how to cook. However, even guided carefully, it was no good, and Joey's stomach gave up.
"Skylar, I think you have to give it up. You're not for the kitchen. You're more on the builders' side." Medina felt sorry for her since Skylar had been determined to learn about cooking, but even with simple frying, she still ended up burning them or not cooking them well, particularly the eggs.
"But what if we already had a family? I want to cook for him and our children." She reasoned adorably, but seeing the chaos around the kitchen, she knew what Medina and Vincencio were preventing her from doing around the kitchen.
"I know, but for now, I think your motherhood side hasn't kicked in; that's why you can't cook pretty well." Medina teased and took over to cook their breakfast. "And besides, Vincencio's cooking has been filling your stomach, so don't steal his job."
"But I want to take care of him," she whined.
"Then give him what he needs." She winked at her.
"What?" She curiously wondered, making Medina chuckle.
"You. Just be there beside him, loving him, and that'll be enough." She honestly replied based on what happened last night.
"Err, fine. So, what's my schedule today?" She gave up as she changed the subject.
"You have free time to check the other projects, but after lunch, you have a supervising meeting with the SaiRus Corps design team and later, last preparations for the gala," Medina answered as she finished flipping pancakes over the pan and then the plates.
Later that day, everything in her schedule was managed, but when it was time to clock out, there was a knock on her office door, and Vincencio entered. Skylar didn't dare to check who it was, but her husband's presence was familiar, especially when his hands landed on her shoulders, massaging them.
"Hm, came to pick me up?" Skylar asked, guessing the obvious.
"Yes, I've been dying to do that," Vincencio replied, kissing her forehead before sitting across from her desk.
"Let me finish this report, and we'll head to my favorite tailor shop." She smiled and focused on her work.
"For what?" He wondered.
"The gala is tomorrow evening. We need to be paired," she replied while finishing her report.
"If you say so, let's have a dinner date," he suggested, as they headed out tonight to pick up their suits.
"As long as they have my steak and salad, I'm good with it." She winked as she began clearing her table and shutting down her computer.
"Alright, then it's a date," he said, grinning like a child. "Finally, I'm going to have a date with my wife."
"Silly." She shakes her head, amused by her husband's childish behavior.
***
Skylar meticulously organized a grand celebration for the evening at the Sky Lux Hotel & Gallery Restaurant. All the guests invited by the Park-Kim family came, displaying their lavish lives shining through their clothes. The event announced the hosts' new business venture and a connection-building opportunity. However, as Skylar engaged with potential partners, she detected a strange feeling from her husband.
"What's wrong with him?" Skylar thought while she talked business with a man in front of her. "You can check more at the company's shop."
"Great! I hope to see more of your jewelry designs; they are unique, and my wife has been eager to purchase some. See you around—I must find my wife at the buffet table." The married man chuckled before excusing himself to search for his wife.
"Are you okay, Hubby?" Skylar whispered as soon as she stood alone with her husband.
"Nothing, but I want to pluck their eyes from staring at you like a piece of meat." Vincencio spat with venom as he didn't hide his possessiveness.
"Who?" Skylar asked curiously who he was referring to.
"Those guys at our eight." He growled possessively as he pulled Skylar's waist and inhaled her scent. "Stay with me, or I'll lose myself."
"Not that I'm complaining, but…that throaty growl and sniffing my scent again…" Skylar thought but understood his possessiveness, and she was digging it. "Then secure me. Let them know I'm off limits."
"Ohho, I will take that as a challenge." He smirked, capturing her lips, and Skylar was pleased before they walked to another pair of businesses.