Chapter 2

The alarm went off at 8:00 am, pulling Rosalie from her dreams. She opened her eyes and saw that there was no one beside her anymore. To avoid being caught by their parents, she and Luke had set a routine. He would come in at midnight and leave by 5:00 am. They'd been living like this for five years. But soon, things would change. They'd just be siblings, and he wouldn't need to sneak around anymore. After changing, Rosalie went downstairs. She immediately spotted an unfamiliar woman sitting on the couch. Marion waved excitedly and called her over. She introduced the woman warmly, "Come here, Rosie. This is Luke's girlfriend, Joslyn. Go get her some water." Joslyn Woodward stood up graciously, extending her hand with a smile that made her eyes sparkle. "You must be Luke's sister, right? It's nice to meet you. Even though this is our first time meeting, I've heard so many good things about you from Luke." Rosalie's hand trembled slightly as she glanced at Luke, but she didn't ask any questions. She simply turned away and went to get Joslyn some water. She was pouring a cup of water when Luke walked in. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her. Rosalie quickly turned her head to avoid him. "Cut it out. Your girlfriend's out there." Luke raised an eyebrow and gave a light peck on her lips. "Don't be angry. I forgot to mention. She's just my childhood friend. She went abroad when she was really young and just came back a few days ago. "Dad's been pushing me for marriage, so I had her come play along. You know who my girlfriend is, don't you? Hmm?" Rosalie listened quietly for a moment, showing no emotion. She simply nodded. Luke was surprised by her indifferent reaction. He had thought he'd need to coax her for a long time. After all, when other girls gave him love letters back then, she'd get so jealous that she'd cry herself to sleep. He'd ask her about it when he found out, but she'd never admit it right away. He'd have to pull it out of her. It turned out that she felt their forbidden relationship couldn't be accepted by the world, and she'd never be able to stand proudly beside him as his girlfriend. So, she never confronted him or got angry. She just hid away, sulking under the covers. This time, though, her response was different. Her indifference made Luke pause, unsure of what was going on. Before he could ask, Rosalie took the cup of water and walked out of the kitchen. … After breakfast, the family sat down as usual. Joslyn was seated next to Luke. The two chatted about childhood memories, laughing and seeming very close. Joslyn loved fried eggs. When Luke learned this, he immediately took one from his plate and handed it to her. She smiled shyly and gave him a piece of the egg she had bitten into. Luke couldn't help but glance at Rosalie. She had her head down, focused on her food, as though she hadn't noticed what had just happened. When she looked up to grab a napkin, Luke took a bite of the egg. Rosalie looked up at the same moment. Silently, she put down her fork and left the table. Seeing her move toward the door, Joslyn quickly called out to her, "Are you going out, Rosie? Luke and I are going out on a date, too. Wait up. We'll go together." Rosalie was about to decline when Karl spoke up, "It's raining outside. Have Luke take you. Your mom and I will be worried otherwise." Since Karl had spoken, Rosalie couldn't refuse. She headed to the garage. She was going to the visa office, which meant Luke would find out about her studying abroad. After thinking it over, she couldn't come up with any other solution, so she just let it be. Just let him know, then. The plans were set, and there was nothing he could do about it now. Soon, Luke and Joslyn arrived in the car. Strangely, Joslyn sat in the back seat and deliberately struck up a conversation with Rosalie. The latter wasn't in the mood, so she replied in a half-hearted manner. As the car drove off, the sound of rain intensified. Joslyn leaned in close to her ear, deliberately lowering her voice. "I know you don't like me, and I know you and Luke aren't just regular siblings. But you should know that this won't work out. "Luke feels something for me, too. Believe me. If I want to, I can take him from you."