Pt.2: 8: Return of the Rose Slayer

In a distant nightmare, there was a strong explosion that happened. It smashed concrete walls, scattering stones and metals around, causing a fatal wound on someone's right side of her forehead down to the corner of her eyes. It was a deep cut while a sharp object stuck on her arm and leg, preventing her from moving further, making her weak but alive.

'Well, well, I finally caught you.'

'I see…it was you all along…'

***

A blasting alarm in the morning at the household of the Saison-Monsour, the wife, Skylar, grumpily woke up as she hardly smashed her alarm off. It gave a few seconds of silence when it alarmed again, making the grumpy wife throw it toward the door, where Vincencio exactly opened the door and surprisingly caught it.

"Wifey, it almost hit me," Vincencio teased as he put down the clock on the side and kissed Skylar's temple.

"Almost." She grumpily groaned and lay back on the bed.

"Nightmare or just being grumpy in the morning?" he teased as he pulled her up.

"That stupid clock's fault." She whined like a kid, which Vincencio found adorable.

"Right." He nodded and kissed her lips before getting up. "Don't go back to sleep, my grumpy wife, and join me downstairs for breakfast."

"Fine, since you're being sweet." Skylar can't help but smile and let her husband's sweetness lift her grumpiness.

"Always. Freshen up; I'll prepare the table." He winked as he began tidying their bed.

"Yes, Hubby." She pecked his cheek before running to the bathroom.

***

Skylar and Vincencio had a simple morning, despite Skylar's attempts to tease each other about their weaknesses. It was a funny duo around the kitchen, and none of them was hurt. After a warm breakfast, Skylar turned on the TV in the living area for breaking news until one piqued her interest. With the volume up, it caught Vincencio's attention and he went beside his wife.

Today's News Flash Headlines: A middle-aged man was found dead at the small abandoned house near the Night Ave District.

"That's our district," Vincencio commented.

"Just near, Hubby, not in our district," Skylar corrected him.

"Still, it's around the area." He defended, and Skylar shook her head and listened to the news.

Newscaster: Good morning, citizens of Chevalier City. This is Marwen Zinger, your caster for this morning. The headline for today has some gruesome images that we would like to apologize for beforehand, especially for those people having their breakfast. Our field reporter, Abigail Santos, will tell us what the report is about.

Field Reporter: Morning, Marwen and citizens of Chevalier City, the man has been found dead at the old abandoned house of Stalzer near the Night Ave district. The man was barely identified from being brutally killed if the officers didn't notice his ID. The man's name was Jonathan Gables.

They showed a secured perimeter around the house before showing slightly blurry images of the man's dead body that lay gruesomely chopped carefully on a spreadsheet of the crime scene investigators. They were taking detailed photographs of the scene, including the victim's body and surroundings or any potential evidence scattered around the scene.

Field Reporter: As you can see behind me, the investigators were gathering potential evidence around the crime scene where they found out about other unidentified bloodstains that don't belong to the victim.

Newscaster: So it means he was not the only one who died there?

Field Reporter: That's how they see it since they also found decayed roses that matched the recent tainted white rose they found on the man's dead body.

Then they went back to showing where the reporter was standing by and doing her job as a field reporter. She was standing confidently in front of the camera regardless of how creepy the vibe of the house was behind her, where the investigators and police officers were spread out and securing the crime scene's perimeter.

Newscaster: And their conclusion about this crime?

Field Reporter: The investigators concluded this very house behind me is the killer's murdering den yet, the motive still unknown. However, the investigators were certified about the comeback warning of the known killer, the Rose Slayer.

News Caster: If the Rose Slayer comes back, then the authority will make a move, isn't that right?

Field Reporter: They do, in fact; they already gave us notice of declaring a warning to the citizen upon the reappearance of the killer. Citizens must not wander alone at night or go home in the middle of the night, as the killer hasn't been caught. It's not safe; now the Rose Slayer is making an appearance after a year of silence.

Newscaster: There you have it, citizens of Chevalier City. The authority already declared a warning due to the reappearance of the well-known killer, the Rose Slayer. Do not wander so late at night alone, and go home early. Secure your safety and your loved ones.

"Wow. Rose Slayer is back." With amusement, Skylar commented on the morning headline, catching Vincencio's attention.

"Wifey, there's nothing to be amazed at there." Vincencio sighed dismissively over the side comment of his wife.

"Well, you can't blame me for being amazed over that killer since its tracks were all clear and undetectable." Skylar defended herself and added her admiration for the killer's clean tracks. "If I'm going to be a killer, I want to be like that."

"And if I am that killer, I wouldn't leave anything like roses or fresh corpses in public just to be famous." With a scoff, Vincencio rolled his eyes since he was slightly jealous upon hearing his wife's admiration.

"Jealous much?" Skylar teased, making him look away before she added, "But what if it's sending a message?"

"Message?" he wondered slightly after catching what his wife had mentioned.

"I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders before stating her thoughts regarding the potential reason for the killer leaving its signature kill. "Sometimes the killer intended to leave something as a reminder, but who knows what the killer thinks when doing that?"

"You watched too many gruesome movies." Vincencio's eyes narrowed for a second before shaking his head.

"Well, I loved the action and gruesome scenes," she admitted, making Vincencio chuckle.

"Wifey, are you sure you're a woman and not a man?" he suddenly teased, which was supposed to offend a woman but not Skylar.

"Maybe in my past life I was a man, but what would you do if I were once a man like I'm a transgender?" With a shrug, she wondered, making Vincencio study her for a little while before sighing.

"Well, that's a lot of things to digest, but love can't be bound or restricted into something, and I love you for who you are, and that is what matters to me." With a wink, he sweetly responded, making Skylar feel warm.

"Sweet, and I love you too." She wrapped her arms around his neck before pecking his lips.

"But since there's a warning from the authority, come home earlier than your usual clock-out. I want you here at home safe." With a stern voice, he reminded his wife after hearing the news, even though he knew that Skylar would take some overtime since she was the CEO.

"And you know I can't easily promise that I would be able to do that. I'm the CEO of my companies that I have to handle since I'm feeding my employees too. And besides, I don't want anyone to sabotage or take what I've invested, which includes you. Us." With a sigh, she sincerely shared the reason, making Vincencio weigh the possibilities before giving up.

"Fine, I'll be the understanding husband, but to ease my worry, call me whenever you're on the way home, or better yet, let me pick you up whenever you're going to be late." He bargained, and Skylar grinned.

"Okay, I'll call you to pick me up or I'm on the way. Is that a fair bargain, Hubby?" She quickly came up with something, and Vincencio could not do anything.

"Fine, it's better than letting you be alone." He kissed her temple before capturing her lips.

"Don't worry, Joey and Medina are always with me in the car whenever I go home late," she added, and he chuckled.

"Better. I feel better hearing that." With a relieved smile, he admitted after hearing that and kissed her deeply, making his wife moan between their heated kisses.

"Hubby, I have to go or I'll be late for my meeting, and you don't want to know how Medina gets annoyed whenever I'm late for it." Skylar pulled away before things escalated, and she didn't want to be late because of Medina's silent temper.

"I could only imagine." He chuckled as he understood what his wife meant there and kissed her temple again. "Good luck and always be safe."

"I will. See you later. Love you." Skylar pecked his lips before wearing her dark eyeglasses and grabbing her pouch, coat, and keys.

"Love you too." Vincencio saw her off to their car and watched her safely leave their house premises before heading back inside to do his chores before heading to work.

***

The workflow was always the same around the CEO's routine between the two companies she was hands-on with. She was busy, like usual, and rarely got time to spend her free time with her husband unless they were in the same company. And since Skylar had to visit her hotel and gallery restaurants, her mood dropped.

"Medina, are we done for today?" With a slight groan, Skylar asked as she played with her pen, thinking about something else. "What should I do with you?"

"Why are you missing your husband?" Medina teasingly wondered, making Skylar snap from her inner thoughts and drop her pen on her desk.

"Yeah, and aside from that, I'm tired from going back and forth, not to mention the notification you gave me earlier," Skylar admitted the truth about the bothering notification at the back of her mind.

"Well, that's your last meeting for today. You can chill now." Medina checked her schedule and informed her about her free time before adding seriously about the notification. "About the notification I gave you, it came from our men around the area, including those checking on his every move."

"Are we good to go then?" With a stern voice, Skylar wondered as she began cracking her fingers, and a smirk formed at the corner of her lips.

"Pretty much. If you want to settle it before dawn, we could already do it. We're already on standby," Medina replied while lending their private work tablet, which Skylar's grin deepened.

"I see, prepare my playground. I'm going to rest a little." Skylar gave back the tablet before she got up from her seat and looked out the window of her private suite at her hotel.

"As you wish, boss," Medina replied with a stern voice and posture. She was not in teasing mode since the CEO was now on her dangerous side.

"And make sure Joey prepared them well," she added as she watched the busy city beneath the skyscraper of her hotel suite.

"You know him when it comes to his inventions," Medina, being her Beta, reminded her boss.

"Alright, see you at eight." She nodded and went toward her bedroom.

"Yes, boss." Medina saluted and left the hotel suite to prepare what her boss needed later.

***

Time had been ticking as the night went deep when a dark figure of a woman from head to toe began waltzing silently into a certain mansion where security was tightened after hearing the morning news. But nothing was tight when a huntress went for her hunt.

'Perimeters were all secure.'

"Good, I'm in position." The mysterious woman responded to the report of her colleagues on the watch.

'Then, it's time to play.'

"Watch everything as I have my fun." She chuckled beneath the mask and secretly tiptoed in the mansion's darkness.

'Understood.'

Blending in the shadow and sneaking behind the security guards, the mysterious woman managed to enter the house premises without getting caught. It was too easy for a skilled person, and without leaving any tracks, she moved lightly like a feather until dim lights welcomed her sight. She immediately moved, ensuring she was always in the blind spot while leaving no tracks behind. Finally, her careful movement sent her to her destination, the home office. She quickly accessed the computer without sending any alarm and managed to infiltrate what she needed in her target's home.

'All information is received.'

'Here he comes.'