Rose stood frozen. My God! Caspian Hughes was actually in love with her? She was completely blindsided, her mind struggling to process the revelation.

"Rose, don't be scared. I've been in love with you for a long time. Since the first moment I saw you. I've been looking out for you in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. Can... can you give me a chance?" Caspian looked at her, his face flushed with shy, earnest anticipation.

A cold, sharp voice sliced through the tension. "Sorry to break up the party, but she’s already married. She’s not exactly available for dating."

Maximus Anderson stood there, his eyes icy as he watched the two of them. He was seething. They had just barely started to mend their bridge, and here she was, brazenly stepping out on him!

Rose snapped her head up, her eyes wide with bewilderment as she locked gazes with Maximus.

"Exactly. Rose Harrison is nothing but a loose woman. You should really open your eyes before you sign yourself up for this mess, pal," Delilah Kelly chimed in, clicking her heels against the floor, her hips swaying with practiced, snake-like grace.

A flicker of panic crossed Maximus's eyes. He clearly hadn't intended for Rose to know Delilah was shadowing him.

"Why are you two here?" Rose regained her composure, her voice dropping to a cool, steady register.

As expected, she was furious. But she was the one out on a date, wasn't she? Receiving a heartfelt confession, no less! The thought set Maximus’s blood to boiling.

"Why shouldn't we be here?" Delilah snapped, her tone dripping with toxic sweetness. "This restaurant isn't owned by the Harrison estate, is it? I should be asking you the same thing, dear."

"I’m not here to argue with a lunatic. Please leave," Rose said, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.

"Ooh, Rose, don't get all high and mighty now. I'm just so terrified," Delilah sneered, faking a shudder.

"Rose Harrison, don't forget you're still my wife," Maximus growled, his eyes clouded with jagged rage. "I haven't signed the divorce papers, and you're already out shopping for a replacement?"

"Enough!" Caspian stepped in, his voice firm and unwavering. "Who the hell do you think you are to come here and cause a scene? And for the record, even if she is married, it doesn’t change how I feel about her."

"Caspian?" Rose stared at him. She was completely overwhelmed. It was the first time someone had stood up for her so fiercely.

In her life with Maximus, she had lost too much and expected too little. When had a simple, genuine act of protection become such a rare treasure?

"Fine! A heartfelt defense, isn't it?" Maximus hissed, his voice lethal. "You really do have a talent for this, don't you, Rose? Having men fall over themselves for you, completely unfazed by your reputation."

With that, unable to stomach the sight of them for another second, he spun on his heel and stormed out.

"Rose Harrison, you're nothing but a tramp, incapable of change!" Delilah spat as she hurried after him, her designer heels clicking frantically against the pavement.

"Rose, who were they?" Caspian asked, his voice low and tentative. He knew he shouldn't pry, but the curiosity was eating him alive.

"That was my husband," Rose said, her gaze drifting into the distance, "and his former flame."

A year ago, Maximus had married her in a quiet, private ceremony. The Hughes siblings had been abroad for university at the time, and given the bitter, long-standing corporate rivalry between the Harrison and Anderson conglomerates, the news had been buried. The public had all but forgotten.

After all, with the two companies at each other's throats, who would ever dream they were actually family?