Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Mr Romero the Schemer

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Twenty minutes later, Claudia sat at the dining table, swinging her legs as she ate wontons, her eyes drifting now and then to the living room where the men were bandaging Sterling’s wounds.

Unlike the clingy, shameless man who had followed her home, the Sterling in front of Clint and David carried an edge of cold authority.

Not wanting to overhear anything she shouldn’t, Claudia had put on headphones, but even so, she could sense from the atmosphere that their discussion was serious.

And she was right. Sterling was asking Clint, “Have they caught the traitor?”

Clint nodded. “It was Charles, working with Mr. Henry.”

The Zachary family was vast and complicated.

Donovan had lived a flamboyant life, fathering three sons and a daughter with his first wife: the eldest, Leon Romero; the second son, Quinton Romero; the fifth child, Waylon Romero; and the daughter, Macy.

There were also the illegitimate children later taken in: Kenneth Romero, the fourth son Henry Romero, the sixth son Jackson Romero, and the youngest daughter Hailey Romero.

There were countless more, unacknowledged, scattered outside.

Leon had already fallen to his death in an early power struggle, leaving behind his widow Yvonne and unborn son Simon Romero.

The second son was Sterling’s father, paralyzed four years ago and long absent from the family’s power center. The cause of his injury was a mystery everyone in the family avoided.

As for Uncle Waylon, he was said to have betrayed the family for a woman and had long since been sidelined.

Macy had married into the Lane family, another old house, though her marriage was fraught with constant quarrels.

It seemed the legitimate bloodline hadn’t fared well at all.

The others were even worse.

Perhaps because that generation had fought so viciously, in the end none of them held on to true power.

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Chapter 13 Mr Romero the Schemer

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Instead, it was the grandson Sterling who rose above them all. From the moment he revealed his talents, he had crushed every restless faction with lightning force and firmly secured his place as the heir.

They called him the golden boy, but in truth, Donovan’s continued presence was the only thing keeping the title symbolic. Sterling already controlled the Romero family in practice.

Yet his reach went beyond Romero Corp. Charles was one of the enemies he had made

overseas.

It seemed Sterling’s ruthless seizure of resources had left Charles too much to swallow. The man hated him so much he had exposed his own forces, willing to risk everything to kill him in Dracovia.

And the one who had leaked Sterling’s movements this time was Henry.

Henry’s mother had once been Donovan’s favorite, which was the only reason Henry had been taken into the Romero family. But that very favor had planted dangerous ambitions in him.

He had hoped to carve a place for himself, only to have it all snatched away by a younger man. How could Henry accept that?

“Should I take him out?” Clint asked.

“No. Not yet. Let them stew. We’ll flush out all the moles at once,” Sterling said, his eyes flashing cold. “Keep a close watch on Tyson. When the time comes, we’ll send Uncle Henry a gift.”

Tyson Romero was Henry’s only son. And a blade cut deepest when aimed at the heart.

Clint understood instantly, and despite himself, felt a pang of pity for Henry.

After all these years, how had Henry still not realized? Sterling was not the type to show mercy, not even to family. To provoke him was to invite lifelong torment.

The serious talk ended, and David finished dressing Sterling’s wounds.

His sleepy eyes opened a little wider. “Not bad. These killers weren’t as sharp as the last batch- not one strike hit a vital spot.”

For ordinary people, the injuries would have been catastrophic.

But for Sterling, unless it was life–threatening, it was nothing.

“Still…” David glanced at Claudia, who was calmly eating at the table. “Cough, cough… Mr. Romero, I’m just saying–even if you’ll live, rest is crucial. You should restrain yourself a little,

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Chapter 13 Mr Romero the Schemer

yeah?”

“Cough!” Clint nearly choked on his own breath.

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Sterling’s cold face froze for a second, his sharp eyes cutting toward the doctor, who tried to look innocent.

David straightened. “I’m serious. This is about your long–term happiness. Fighting through injuries isn’t exactly enjoyable.”

“Get out.” Sterling’s voice was icy.

“Eh?” Seeing the conversation drifting in dangerous directions, Clint hurriedly clamped a hand over David’s mouth.

“Mr. Romero, we’ll be leaving now. Please take care of yourself.”

He even flashed Claudia a polite smile.

There were plenty of places to recover. Why did his boss insist on staying in this tiny apartment? Clint didn’t know and didn’t ask. A good assistant knew when to keep his mouth

shut.

He had arrived suddenly and left just as quickly.

But in Clint’s mind, Sterling now carried the label of a schemer.

The moment Clint recognized Claudia as the same woman from the other night–the one his boss had gone out of his way to rescue–he’d nearly squawked like a rooster. It was clear: The Reaper had taken a liking to her.

Wasn’t this a classic case of using an injury as an excuse to linger?

Though, on this point, Sterling was actually innocent. Tonight really had been an accident.

After shaking off his pursuers, he had simply followed his instincts toward the mountains. He’d killed two more enemies, abandoned his car, and continued on foot.

He had planned to rest in the deserted courtyard, but by sheer chance, he had stumbled into that same Rosebud from the other night.

That time, the rose had been sharp yet fragile, pitiful even. But tonight, though her expression was calm, Sterling had seen flames raging within her.

And again, he had watched her put on a breathtaking show.

A beauty, mad and burning in the firelight.

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9:38 Tue, Oct 7

Chapter 13 Mr Romero the Schemer

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+8 Pearls

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