Chapter 54: Finally Seen the Light

"Rosalie, what's wrong?" Madeline asked.

"I won't be paying your fees. Don't even think about it," Rosalie said coldly.

Madeline's face fell. "Rosie, what do you mean?"

Brian and Kendra immediately looked nervous. Brian frowned. "Aren't you my son's girlfriend and my daughter's best friend? What's wrong with lending a hand? Why are you being so harsh? We wouldn't be asking if we weren't short on time. We'll pay you back!"

He looked at Rosalie with displeasure. "And you still expect to marry my son after this?"

Kendra added, "Rosie, we consider you family. Are you upset because Dominic hasn't been visiting? But your family's attitude doesn't help. If they disrespect others, my son will too. It's okay to be upset later, but not now, at such a critical moment."

How much dignity could a woman who moved in with her boyfriend after less than a week possibly have? Kendra thought, already acting like a haughty mother-in-law.

Rosalie stared at Kendra. Her expression wasn't fiercely angry, but it was unpleasant.

"How my family treats your son depends on him. Do you expect them to respect him? Does he deserve it?"

The Camposes were stunned. Madeline reached for Rosalie's sleeve, but Rosalie shrugged her off. "I'm here to break up with Dominic and get my painting back, not to be used," she roared, her voice echoing through the office and hallway.

Four members of the Quirk family, just exiting the elevator, overheard. Everyone was shocked.

The Quirk family was surprised; they'd never heard Rosalie raise her voice like that. However, their surprise turned to alarm as Dominic entered. They followed him.

"Rosie, what's going on?" Dominic asked, trying to control his anger.

Rosalie saw Dominic. She'd always found him roguishly handsome and cool. He was devoted to her, but now he seemed ill-mannered, impolite, and delusional. She'd been obsessed, blind to the signs. She'd thrown away her future for him. She felt overwhelmed by her foolishness. Looking back, she was disgusted by him.

Dominic, who usually held the upper hand, teasing her rather than showing affection, was at a loss for words. Madeline subtly signaled him to appease Rosalie. If the situation wasn't resolved, Madeline's exchange program would be in jeopardy.

Dominic tried to placate Rosalie. "Don't be upset. You must be hungry. I made this for you. Let's eat first, and then we can talk," he said, holding up a lunchbox.

This tactic usually worked; it reminded Rosalie of a time he'd saved her. But this time, Rosalie opened the lunchbox, and flung it at Dominic's face, smashing the food against him.

A scream echoed through the floor, attracting more onlookers. Dominic shrieked, scalded by the hot food. He frantically wiped it off his face.

The Camposes were frozen. Dominic, enraged by the pain, raised his hand to strike, but a strong grip stopped him. He was kicked to the ground.

Looking up, he saw a powerful couple; one was familiar—he'd researched Quirk Group's backers. His bravado vanished; he trembled and couldn't stand. His anger disappeared; he knew he couldn't offend this person.

The Camposes rushed to help Dominic. Kendra, heartbroken for her son, protested, "How could you be so rude? My son made this meal out of kindness—"

"Ahem, that plastic bag is from a Clusian cuisine franchise," Isabella said, leaning against the door. "Rosalie lost her appetite, and I offered to cook, but I didn't expect my cooking to be so bad. Your son and I are on the same wavelength, but he's a fool. If he had to pretend, he could have changed the bag."

The onlookers were amused. Kendra's face flushed. "He…reused the bag," she insisted.

"Oh, really? Let's order some takeout and compare," Isabella smiled.

"It's none of your business!" Kendra snapped.

Kendra was shocked. Madeline realized Isabella had inadvertently exposed them, explaining Rosalie's anger.

"Rosie, even if my brother deceived you about cooking, his feelings are genuine. You've been living together. You must have felt it, right?" Madeline pleaded.

Isabella started recording a video, others following suit. She wasn't trying to blackmail Rosalie; she wanted to prevent false rumors from spreading. With Madeline and Kendra's history of spreading rumors, video evidence was necessary.

Isabella hadn't anticipated Rosalie's explosive revelation: "Living together? You mean tricking me into being your brother's caretaker, while you two slept together behind my back? You're disgusting!"

Everyone was stunned, curious, and eager for gossip. Dominic's parents were clueless, while Dominic and Madeline stared in disbelief at the outspoken Rosalie. Rosalie glared at them. "You were sleeping together behind my back! You're disgusting!"