Page 159 of Rose
“Selene!” Aunt Marley snapped.
“Ma?!” Sarai’s voice followed, appalled.
Even Saint stared at his wife like she had finally lost her mind.
Selene ignored them all, fixated on Ahzii.
“Savior never had a heart. Saint raised him that way. So when I heard he wasin love,I had to know why. But now it’s clear, he doesn’t love you. He’ssavingyou. He always had a thing for doing that. Saving the helpless.”
She smiled like she’d said something profound, like she had won.
Ahzii didn’t blink.
She sat still, her posture straight, her face unreadable. But her eyes—they cut deep.
And Savior?
He was shaking. But not with fear. With fury.
“Saint, get your wife,” Aunt Marley snapped, her tone sharp and unflinching.
“No!” Selene barked, eyes wild, voice rising. “Savior, tell this woman you don’t know what loveis.Even if it slapped you in the damn face. You’re notin love,you’re justsavingher. Just like you saved Olivia from her past. I love Olivia like a daughter, but this? It’s giving déjà vu.”
“Selene,” Saint said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’ve had too much wine. You need to lay down.”
But Savior was already standing, heat radiating off him, his voice cutting through the room like a blade.
“Nah. Let her talk,” he growled. “Because shewantsme to say that shit—to makeherfeel better. You want to believe I don’t know what love is? Truth is... I didn’tknowwhat it was.Not until I met Allure.”
Selene flinched, but Savior wasn’t done. Hecouldn’tbe.
“You never once showed me love. Never gave me the shit I deserved. You were too scared of your fuckinghusbandto love yourson.”
His voice cracked with fury, and something deeper. Something old.
“You feel so fucking guilty for what you didn’t do, you’d rather tear down theonlywoman who’s ever truly had my heart just to make yourself feel justified. For what? For standing there whilehebeat my ass under the excuse of training?”
He stepped closer, eyes locked on Selene.
“And what didyoudo?” he demanded, louder now. “When Ibeggedyou with my eyes to save me? To love me? To give me just one ounce of fuckingmotherhood?Youlooked away.Because you loved being a wife more than you ever wanted to be amother.Well at least to me.”
Ahzii stood, her hand finding his, grounding him as his chest rose and fell with unspoken pain.
“I might have a savior complex,” he said, voice hoarse now, “but that’s because ofyou.I save people... because I was never fuckingsaved.Not a day in my life.”
He turned to Ahzii, his gaze softening as tears rimmed his eyes.
“Butthiswoman… she saved me more than I ever saved her.”
His voice cracked.
“I love the ground she walks on. And I won’t sit here and let you try to belittle her—or make her think I don’t love her—just to satisfy your own broken conscience.”
He exhaled hard, chest rising, every word drenched in conviction.
“I don’t need you as a mother. I never did. ButI need her.Every fucking day I wake up, I need her.”
Selene’s lip trembled, tears finally falling—silent, but too late.
