Thorns Of The Forgotten Rose

I sat in my cabin, lost in thought, recalling every little thing I knew about Juliet. The weight of her name alone was enough to stir a storm inside me.

A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of it.

"Yes!" I called out, straightening slightly.

The door creaked open, revealing Rosaline.

"Yes, Ms. Rosaline?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral, though suspicion lingered in my gaze. I wasn't sure if I could trust her yet.

"Sir asked me to assist you" she said, her voice steady as she stepped inside.

"Alright. Take a seat" I gestured toward the chair across from me. She sat down, her posture professional but relaxed.

I slid a few files toward her. "These contain everything we've gathered on Juliet so far. I want you to go through them."

She barely glanced at them before pushing them back. "I don't need them. I've already read plenty about her" she said confidently.

That caught my attention. My brows lifted.

"You do know agents aren't allowed to read cases they aren't assigned to, right?" I questioned, my tone sharp.

She met my gaze without hesitation. "I'm new, and I hadn't been assigned any high profile cases yet. After finishing my works, When I asked the boss for more, he use to tell me to go through old case reports. This one stood out as one of the most significant—honestly, one of the most fascinating."

Her response was too smooth, too prepared. If she was lying, she was exceptionally good at it.

"I never noticed" I admitted, my fingers drumming lightly against the desk. "How long have you been working here?"

"About a year or two, give or take."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's odd. I thought you joined just a few months ago."

"You were busy. You don't really spend time getting to know other agents. But I've always noticed you," she said, pausing for a brief moment before adding, "Always."

That word. That pause. It was deliberate.

"Always?" I repeated, watching her closely.

She nodded. "You probably don't remember, but once, you slept in my apartment when you were drunk."

A flicker of shock passed over my face. "Wait… you were the one helping me all those times?"

Realization hit like a freight train.

There was a night—one I had buried deep. I had almost gotten myself killed. Intentionally. I had stood in front of a speeding race car, welcoming the impact. But someone had yanked me away just in time. I never saw their face. That night, I drank myself into oblivion and woke up in a stranger's apartment. I never knew who had saved me.

Now, it all made sense.

"Yes" she confirmed, nodding slightly.

I exhaled, my mind racing. "How long have you been working in my department? On Juliet's case?"

"About five or six months."

"And in all that time, you haven't been assigned a single case?"

"Capulet doesn't trust rookies with high-profile cases. He gave me smaller ones—boring, really. But I solve them in minutes, so… I'm usually free," she said with a casual shrug.

It made sense. Capulet had done the same to me when I first joined. He hadn't let me near the Juliet case until I had proven myself. Rosaline's experience was eerily similar to mine.

She hesitated before speaking again. "I have a question."

"Go on," I said.

"I've gone through the case files twice. I understand why she's after you—she believes you killed her parents. But my question is… why aren't you doing anything about it?"

I stiffened slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Why aren't you trying to find her?" she pressed. "You were the one who first told the department she was at the beach, but you didn't even try to catch her. Even after Mercutio's death, you're still not chasing her. Why?"

I clenched my jaw. "It's my choice, Rosaline," I said, my tone colder than before.

She leaned forward, studying me. "I see… So risking your friend's life means nothing to you?"

"Why do you care?" I shot back.

"I care—not just about him. About you too!"

Her voice cracked slightly, betraying emotion.

I blinked, taken aback. "Huh?"

"When I first joined the agency, I heard so much about her. This was two years before she faked her death. I became obsessed—waiting, watching, wondering when she'd make her next move," she admitted.

I leaned back, arms crossed. "That's ridiculous. I mean, I admired her skills too, but she gives off definite psychopath vibes. How can someone be obsessed with her just by reading about her crimes?"

Rosaline crossed her arms, mirroring my stance. "That's exactly my point. How can someone like you—who knows exactly what she's capable of—still be so drawn to her?"

Her words lingered between us, heavier than I expected.

"That's not it. I share a past with her," I said, frustration lacing my voice. "I don't want to lose Mercutio, and I don't want to lose her either. That's it. End of discussion. I'm going to buy drinks."

I stood abruptly, grabbing my coat and heading for the door.

But before I could leave, a hand gripped my wrist.

I stopped, turning to see Rosaline standing there, her head lowered. Her fingers trembled slightly around my wrist, but her grip was firm.

"You love her?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I exhaled sharply. "Hmm."

Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet mine. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking. "What kind of past do you share? You don't even know her real name!"

I pulled my wrist free, taking a step back. "Why do you care? It's my problem."

"You remember everything about her… but not about the time we spent together?" Her voice wavered. "How can you forget that…" She stopped herself mid-sentence.

I frowned. "That?"

She inhaled sharply, then lifted her chin, her expression shifting from pain to quiet resolve.

"Even if you rewrite the pages of history, you still won't be able to place Juliet's fate in Romeo's hands," she said, her voice steady now. "Because it is their separation that makes their love immortal. And this… this Juliet doesn't even love you—she hates you beyond measure. Whereas I… I love you beyond measure."

I felt the air leave my lungs.

Shock rooted me in place.

What…?

I couldn't remember.

Why?

What had happened between us?