Page 168 of Rose
Ahzii chuckled, relieved he let it go. “Calm down, Mr. Unhinged.”
He rolled his eyes, setting the food and flowers down.
“Well,myflowers are better. And I brought food because Gold told me your stubborn ass hasn’t eaten all day.”
“Snitch,” Ahzii mumbled under her breath.
But then her eyes narrowed in on him. “What are you hiding behind your back?”
Savior grinned. “Not saying until I get a kiss. How you gon’ see your man and not bless him first?”
She laughed despite herself and stood on her toes, pressing a few kisses to his lips. He deepened the last one with a low growl before pulling back.
“Now, what are you hiding?” she asked, smirking.
He handed her a large, wrapped object.
“You’re missing a piece in your show,” he said.
Her brows furrowed in confusion as she tore through the wrapping. But when she saw what was underneath, her breath caught.
The Joy in Chaospainting.
Mazi’s painting.
“You got it back?” she gasped, eyes already stinging with tears.
Savior nodded. “Yeah, Allure. That painting belongs here. Belongs toyou. It’s a part of your story. A part of who you are.”
She carefully sat the painting down, then launched herself into his arms, wrapping her body around him like a second skin.
“I love you so much,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him deeply.
And in that moment, wrapped in the arms of the man who’d brought her peace, she tried to push the ghost of her past out of her mind.
But the note in her back pocket burned like fire. And William’s shadow still lingered in the room.
Her stomach twisted with guilt. She hadn’t done anything wrong… but she hadn’t been honest either. Not with the man standing in front of her.
Savior placed her back down gently, moving toward the food, but Ahzii didn’t move.
Her chest felt tight.
The note. The phrase.Let beauty shine, Beautiful.It wasn’t coincidence. It washim.
She couldn't lie to herself anymore.
If the visions and paranoia hadn’t been enough, those flowers were the final sign. She had to tell Savior. He deserved to know the truth—not just about the haunting reminders—but about everything.
The fire. The blood. The love she buried and never fully let go.
“Savior,” she said, her voice low and almost shaky. “I want to tell you my story. What happened to me... a year ago.”
He paused, slowly turning to face her. She could see it in his eyes—the stillness that came when he knew something important was about to be said. He nodded and took a seat, focused entirely on her.
But before she could speak, his phone lit up and buzzed violently against the table.
He looked at the screen.
