[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603134E5B19-39":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},39,21,"Chapter 21: The Rose That Turned Away","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He broke her heart when she was falling for him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He pushed himself on her when she had finally moved on.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Now that she remembered everything, he was just starting to realize he loved her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But she wasn't interested anymore.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">You crave the fiery passion of a red rose, willing to do anything to have it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the rose turns its back on you.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">If you'd never had the rose, you might regret missing out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Or fume at its indifference.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But what if that rose was yours all along?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Regret and remorse – they're not the same thing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After being discharged from the hospital, Celine Evans was back at work with Archer Reynolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But maybe because she’d remembered things about Dante Williams, which also brought up a lot about Archer Reynolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She’d never met Archer, but she knew of him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He’d once had a crush on Isabella Lopez.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This made her start to question Archer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As if sensing her inner turmoil, her classmate from the US replied to her email. She opened it. The body was just a few sparse words.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Involves too many people, not safe for email. Two days from now, 4 PM, The Lido Cafe. We’ll talk then.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Archer Reynolds, separated from her by just a glass door.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As if feeling her stare, Archer looked up and met her eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">On the surface, Celine gave him a calm smile and went back to work. But her mind was racing. What did “involves too many people” even mean?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Did it mean he was personally connected to too many folks, or had he done something that roped in too many others?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">If email wasn’t safe, did that mean there was stuff that couldn’t leave a digital footprint?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">What could possibly make a top intelligence officer fly back from overseas just to drop some intel on her?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was in that moment Celine finally got what Dante had meant when he said Archer Reynolds was “not simple.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer Reynolds was way more than he seemed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Two days later.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine kept the appointment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arriving at The Lido Cafe, she spotted Mason Morgan sitting by the window, flipping through some papers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A few years after graduation, he hadn’t changed much, still rocking that vibe of cool, detached indifference.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Mason, long time no see. Sorry I’m late.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine walked over and sat down opposite him, greeting him with a smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“No worries, I was early. What do you want to drink?” Mason slid the menu toward her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After ordering a latte, Celine looked up at him, wordless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Mason sighed, catching her drift, but decided to set the stage first.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Celine, before we dive in, I have to tell you, everything we say from here on out is being recorded. There’s a security camera over there. I checked with the barista before you got here to make sure it’s working.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The mood instantly shifted. Celine seemed taken aback, replying stiffly, “Okay.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Celine? I’m telling you this because what I’m about to say might blow your mind. The recording and footage will be kept safe afterward. This is for our protection, you get me?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine nodded, but inside, she started to feel a chill. Things were going sideways.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Good. Then check this out first.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Mason handed her a file, gesturing for her to read it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was a profile, super basic. Aside from a name, gender, and age, there was next to nothing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The photo was sealed, and all the bio details were marked as blank.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine looked at him, confused. What was the point?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Just remember this person’s name.” Seeing her confusion, Mason handed her another file.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This one was totally different.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was Archer Reynolds’s profile, charting every major and minor event from his birth to now.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine slowly scanned each entry. At first, she read casually, but soon her brow furrowed, her face a mask of shock.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Mason, what’s written here…” Reading on, she gasped, her heart pounding.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Yep. I can vouch for it.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“He and Isabella Lopez…”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine started hesitantly, only to see Mason nod.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Yeah. Archer Reynolds and Isabella Lopez have been in touch. Three years ago, when Isabella went abroad, she went to find Archer. She stayed with him after that.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“…Then why did Isabella suddenly come back?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine didn’t get it. If Isabella went overseas three years ago because of Archer, why ditch him and return now?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Because something happened with the Lopez family. And this whole thing… probably made Isabella realize something from the past…”\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272932432]