Chapter 4

After Rosalie recovered, the first thing she did was calculate every expense the Davies family had covered for her over the years. Sitting at the table with her credit card in hand, she meticulously listed all the costs incurred during the ten years she'd lived with them—from tuition to everyday necessities. The total came to a staggering 30 million dollars. The inheritance and family home left by her father, Morgan Selfridge, were worth over 20 million dollars combined. Over the years, she had worked hard and saved up quite a bit, but her account was still short by several hundred thousand dollars. Before leaving, she needed to find a way to make up the difference. Rosalie majored in photography. With that in mind, she posted an ad online, offering her services. It didn't take long for the requests to pour in. Soon, she had eight clients lined up, ranging from wedding shoots to graduation photos. She took every job, working tirelessly from morning till night. Even when she was exhausted, she never complained because Marion had assured her that Karl was already divorced before they met. He just hadn't made it public. They had a normal relationship that led to marriage, so she was never a homewrecker. Neither Marion nor Rosalie had ever sought to exploit the Davies family's wealth. Rosalie was determined to leave, but she didn't want Luke to continue misunderstanding Marion, who was going to stay in the Davies residence. That was why she resolved to repay every last cent. After five or six grueling days, she had managed to save a little over 30,000 dollars. Just as she was stressing over the slow progress, a high-paying job came her way. A client reached out, asking her to shoot a birthday party. The payment was a whopping 200,000 dollars. Of course, such a generous offer came with strings attached. The client warned her that the birthday girl was incredibly picky, and every shot had to meet her exacting standards before payment would be released. Desperate to settle the debt, Rosalie agreed without hesitation. When the day of the party arrived, she packed her gear and headed over, only to realize she knew the guest of honor. Standing before her was Joslyn, dressed in a princess gown and wearing a sparkling tiara, with Luke by her side in a sleek black suit. Rosalie's heart sank. Luke frowned as he took in her tired, worn-out face. "Why are you taking on gigs like this? Didn't you always dream of becoming a top-tier photographer? Is Dad not giving you enough money?" "I'm an adult," she replied flatly. "And I enjoy the work." Luke's face darkened further. He looked ready to argue, but Joslyn quickly stepped in. "Rosie, don't take it the wrong way. Luke's just worried about you overworking yourself. No need to pick a fight with him." With that, Joslyn hooked her arm around Rosalie's and led her inside, saying she was excited to see her photography skills in action. Her words were polite enough, but that night, Rosalie didn't get a single moment's rest. She clicked her shutter so many times that it felt like sparks might fly from the camera. By the end of the night, she had taken over 5,000 shots, yet Joslyn still wasn't satisfied. She insisted Rosalie drag her exhausted body to get aerial shots. Carrying dozens of pounds of photography equipment, Rosalie climbed to the third floor, set up the tripod, and aimed at the center of the stage. Through the lens, she saw Luke step onto the stage amid the cheering crowd. He took out a necklace, said to be a Davies family's heirloom, and put it around Joslyn's neck. Joslyn beamed with triumph. She glanced purposefully up at the third floor before throwing herself into Luke's arms. Rosalie knew Joslyn was doing it on purpose. The entire evening, Joslyn clung to Luke, sparing no effort and pulling out all the stops to flaunt their affection in front of Rosalie. She fed him sips of champagne from her own glass, asking him to taste it. She danced with him on the dance floor. Her actions left the guests speculating if a big announcement was on the horizon. She even softly complained that her legs hurt and asked him to give her a massage. Such intimate moments filled Rosalie's memory cards, one after another. She felt numb. She stared blankly through the lens at the couple embracing on the stage and mechanically pressed the shutter. Just as the first shot was taken and she was about to snap the second, Joslyn stood on her tiptoes and kissed Luke. Rosalie froze at once. Her dull eyes regained a fleeting sharpness as they focused on the scene in front of her. In the high-definition shot, Luke froze as well. But it only lasted three seconds before he pulled Joslyn into his arms. With one hand holding the back of her head, he deepened what had started as a fleeting kiss.