"Boss Rose, we should swing by our safe house first. I’ll have soone dress your wounds there."
"No need, just hit the hotel. I’ve got a first aid kit on ." Rosemary was prepared; she always carried an ergency dical kit whenever she went out.
"Okay, then let at least stop the bleeding for now." Horace fished through the car and found so gauze, efficiently wrapping it around Rosemary’s bleeding arm to stop the flow.
They were often on assignnts, so the car was usually stocked with dical supplies. But this ti,they were down to nothing but bandages—the dicine had all been used up.
"Just bear with , we’ll have you patched up in no ti." After applying several layers of gauze,Horace make sure it was fastened securely. Throughout the process, Rosemary remained silent and
stoic, though her complexion was noticeably pale and weary.
"Boss." Horace couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy seeing her like this—and it was well past 2:00a.m..
Rosemary must be exhausted, and likely famished.
"Hand over your jacket."
When Rosemary said this, Horace assud she was chilly and quickly took his off, helping her put it on with care.
But a mont later, sothing dawned on him, and he exclaid in shock, "Boss Rose, are you covering up your wound so that Roo won’t see it and worry."
Rosemary gave him a look that said: "If you’ve figured it out, why ask?"
Horace zipped his lips, swallowing hard, and at the sa ti, he couldn’t believe that—Boss had changed.
She actually showed a vulnerability now!
Pulling up at the hotel entrance, Rosemary gave her orders, "Take so trusted guys and head back to the states. From now on, you’re my right-hand man. I’ll head back with Roo tonight or tomorrow.
Head over to Jack’s and wait for ."
Horace considered asking if he could join them on their private jet, but then thought better of it—he didn’t want to be the third wheel.
"Boss Rose, make sure you get that wound seen to as soon as you’re up there. Don’t wait." he urged instead.
"Sure." Rosemary confird and headed into the hotel.
Horace stayed until he saw her step into the elevator before driving off.
With Roo upstairs, Rose would be in safe hands.
Reassured, he could feel a weight lift from his shoulders.
Upon reaching her floor, Rosemary found the presidential suite’s door slightly open. Inside was chaos—a clear aftermath of turmoil, as if a storm had passed through.
The hotel manager and several executives were awkwardly gathered near the sofa, incessantly bowing to Roo and apologizing, "We’re terribly sorry, Mr. McMillian. This incident was a lapse in our security.Please accept our deepest apologies."
Noticing Rosemary, Roo dismissed them and rushed to her side, "Are you hurt?"
She gave a slight shake of her head and questioned, "What happened?"
"So thugs forced their way in here," Roo replied in a low voice.
Seeing her paleness, he quickly fetched her a glass of water and urged her to drink, his eyes filled with displeasure as he glanced at the inept hotel staff. "Why are you still there?" he growled.
The staff bowed again, expressing their gratitude for Roo’s understanding, then hastened to straighten up the furniture.
But it was clear—the coffee table split into pieces, the windows and doors damaged, and bloodstains on both the bed and carpet.
This suite was beyond staying in.
"The suite next door is all set. The door is open, and I’ll arrange so late-night delicacies to be delivered."
Before the manager could finish his words, Roo shot him a stern glance that imdiately cut him off. Knowing to exit swiftly, the man bowed out.
An attempt on Roo’s life in their hotel.
If the word got out, how would the hotel ever attract the high society?
With such a security failure, who among the elite would trust a stay there?
The thing was, the head honcho of the hotel had been practically drooling to ink a deal with Roo.
But after this security failure, that possibility was sinking fast. And to top it off, they might even need to make ands personally.
The hotel manager knew better not to speak further, mindful not to provoke more criticism. Exiting, he hurried off to devise damage control plans and compensation strategies with the other executives.
"How’s your hand?" Rosemary asked once the room was theirs. "Did it hurt?"
Roo played it cool, "Nope, nothing."
"I saw it when you were handling the water earlier. Where are you hurt? Show ." Rosemary retrieved her backpack, which was packed with all sorts of first-aid supplies.
"You are quite the dic, aren’t you? Can’t get anything past you." Roo pushed up his sleeve to expose a crudely bandaged forearm.
"That’s so rough wrapping," Rosemary teased. "Couldn’t put in a little more effort?"
Roo had used so powder the manager had given him to stop the bleeding, then carelessly bandaged his arm, hoping Rosemary wouldn’t notice in case of a sudden return. But she had.
Unwrapping his hastily done bondage, Rosemary spotted that it was a knife wound—thankfully, it was a shallow flesh wound.
"Were there many? Any tough ones?" she probed as she started her treatnt.
Soone of Roo’s caliber wasn’t easy to injure.
"Just hired guns. They had numbers on their side."
"They were after ?" Rosemary inferred.
"Mmm." Roo’s gaze lingered on her, wondering what enemies she had made recently.
When the intruders had slipped in under the cover of darkness, they likely hadn’t expected to find Roo there. They had hesitated at first, as if they looked to avoid an extra fight.
But Roo wasn’t about to let them off the hook. After a scuffle, they were badly injured.
He purposely allowed their escape, with his people to tail them. He intended to track them, revealing who they were, and who had sent them.
"We’ll get to the bottom of this soon," Roo hinted, then moved in closer unexpectedly.
Rosemary mistook it for an attempt at a kiss and focused on her work instead, pulling back slightly.
"Knock it off."
"Why do you sll like blood? And why are you wearing Horace’s jacket?" Roo asked, sniffing closer. Indeed, there was a scent of blood.
"It’s chilly out, so I’ve borrowed his jacket," Rosemary maintained her composure as she concluded her task and stood up. "All done. Get so rest. I’m going to contact my people to arrange our trip back."
"You’re injured?" Roo instantly stepped in front of her. "Let have a look."
"I’m fine."
"I noticed when you were applying the dicine. Your left hand isn’t as dexterous as the right one. Is your left injured?" Roo’s tone was filled with worries.
Rosemary tried to downplay it, but Roo wouldn’t have it and insisted on seeing for himself.
Finally, he slipped off her jacket and discovered her left arm was also wrapped in a makeshift bandage, even more slipshod than his.
Her clothes were drenched in blood that had clearly been seeping for so ti.
"So you are injured."
Her wound was more serious than his.
"Looks like we’re even," Rosemary remarked earnestly. "You kept secrets, I kept secrets."
"Even? Nonsense, girl. I’m not here to score points. What were you up to tonight? You weren’t the one hunting those guys, were you?"
He recalled a phone call with Derrick, where he’d heard that his girl had gotten the upper hand and was tailgating the assailants’ car.
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