Rosetta's face turned instantly pale at those words.
However, she did not want to waste her energy arguing with Jared. "Let go."
"Don't be so cold to me. The Sinclair brothers don't want you, but I do," Jared replied, refusing to release his grip. His tone and movements were laced with contempt as he raised a hand, aiming to brush her cheek.
Her complexion drained even further. She struggled with every ounce of strength, but Jared's hand drew closer and closer.
Just when he was about to land his hand on her cheek, a pair of long, slender and sharply defined hands stopped him.
Rosetta turned her head, only to meet a handsome face, almost flawless in its features, with deep-set eyes and a strikingly defined profile. A cold glint shone in the stranger's gaze.
"Who are you?"
"Someone you can't afford to offend." The man's voice was low and unyielding. "Get lost."
Jared wanted to retort, but the person standing next to him leaned in, whispering something into his ear. Within moments, Jared and his group hurriedly left.
Freed from the confrontation, Rosetta turned to offer her thanks, but the man was already walking away.
"Please, wait a moment."
The man's tall frame came to a slight halt, though he remained silent.
"Thank you so much for helping me."
"You're welcome." He left her with just those words before disappearing from view entirely.
Rosetta stood frozen, her mind still whirling, until the sharp ringing of her phone broke her trance.
She looked at the screen and found it was Elliot calling.
After staring at the screen for a long time, she finally decided to answer and Elliot's deep voice came from the other end. "Rosie, why did you call? Sierra has been crying and I'm comforting her."
A wave of exhaustion instantly swept over Rosetta.
"It's fine." She decided to keep silent about what had just happened.
But she had not expected Elliot to ask again, "Rosie, your voice sounds strange. Did something happen?"
Rosetta felt a twist of emotions at his question.
When she had needed him most, he had been busy prioritizing Sierra's needs, ignoring her calls. And now, when she no longer needed him, here he was, asking if anything was wrong. How ridiculous.
"Nothing."
On the other end, Elliot sensed something off. He wanted to ask Rosetta directly, but in the background, she could faintly hear Sierra's voice calling him anxiously.
"That's all. You go on. I'm hanging up now." Rosetta closed her eyes, spoke in a cold tone and then ended the call.
The following days passed without any sign of Elliot or Edric. She assumed he was at the hospital, keeping Sierra company.
In the meantime, Rosetta had almost finished packing her belongings, with only two days left until her final performance.
After the last rehearsal, Rosetta returned home and briefly called Riley. As soon as she hung up, she heard a car pulling up outside.
It was Elliot and Edric returning.
In the past, she would have waited to greet them, but today, she only felt an overwhelming weariness, too drained to face anyone.
So she stood and started to go upstairs.
But before she could make it far, Elliot stopped her.
"Rosie."
She turned and there, between Elliot and Edric, stood Sierra.
For a moment, Rosetta was caught off guard, forgetting to guard her emotions as she looked at the two brothers with questioning, puzzled eyes.
Edric stepped forward, gently taking her arm. "Rosie, Sierra's grandmother is in the hospital. We didn't feel right about leaving her alone, so we'll have her stay here at the villa for a while."
