Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Rose stood behind Silas, her heart initially unsettled. Her lips were pressed thinly together.

However, she nearly broke into a smile after hearing Silas' remark.

Silas possessed a formidable ability to dismantle a convict in court and ruthlessly exploit someone's vulnerabilities with his words.

"Nonsense! I've never had my face done!" Lydia retorted, hastily covering her stiffened face, a mix of shame, anger, and guilt consuming her.

Silas shook his head. "It's not your fault for aging, but it's not right to run around scaring people off with that face either."

Lydia seethed with outrage, feeling her blood boil at his audacity.

"Who are you to Rose?" Jamie interjected, clinging to her mother and demanding an answer.

"Who am I to Rose?" Silas mused, touching the inside of his cheek with his tongue before turning to Rose with a serious expression. "Ms. Emerson, she wants to know my role in your life."

Rose met his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest.

then I'll take the liberty of calling myself your boyfriend," Silas announced with a

Lydia's and

could this sophisticated man be Rose's

flushed instantly. She looked down shyly, afraid to look at

he reached for her cold hand, intertwining

of your cruelty and

truly eye-opening to see both of

Rosie?

eyes, feeling a warmth spreading in her

her teeth. "This concerns only the Emersons. I don't think this has anything to do

Silas rubbed his cheeks, his gaze sharp

mother has never spoken an untruth about

the illegitimate offspring of the Emersons. Her mother seduced my father and bore her

us for protection. We embraced her as family, but Rose, despite our kindness, turned her back on us after gaining some fame for herself. She wouldn't even