Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 3

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Chapter 3 The Ungrateful Villainess

Sterling Romero had just left Romero Manor that night, pissed off enough to ditch the car halfway home and take the dog out for a head–clearing walk. He didn’t expect to stumble into a scene like this.

There she was–a gorgeous, battered little rosebud–hemmed in by a pack of mangy strays. Fragile as she looked, the way she lifted her chin, eyes fierce and desperate, yanked him straight back to the orphaned wolf pup he’d lived with in the mountains for almost a month when he

was ten.

All bluff and bared teeth, guarding its tiny patch of earth. Weak, but burning with life.

That wolf had died by his hands in the end.

And this girl? She was the same kind of creature–small, thorny, and willing to cut anyone who tried to hurt her.

Her face didn’t so much as twitch while she snapped those thugs‘ arms like twigs, as if nothing could touch her.

Sterling, who hardly ever cared about anything, felt a flicker of interest he couldn’t shake. Against his better judgment, he stepped in.

Up close, she was even more unforgettable. Those eyes–dark, bright, clear as night after rain- hooked into something buried deep in him. When she glanced up, startled, there was a starlit glint that made his fingers twitch, like he might reach out and cover those frank, black eyes.

Fine. He’d already intervened. Might as well see it through. And, honestly, he needed to blow off steam.

The alley filled with screams.

If a minute ago those thugs had only been too hurt to crawl, now they were in pieces–arms ruined, legs useless. Panic set in fast.

They regretted everything. The job had been simple: scare her a little. Their employer had even warned them not to leave marks. But she was too beautiful, and a few of them couldn’t resist getting handsy.

Who could’ve guessed that the delicate beauty punched like a demon–and worse, that a man like this would show up out of nowhere, all cold and lethal, like the Grim Reaper himself? If murder were legal, they were sure he’d have snapped their necks without blinking.

The ringleader was already losing it.

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Chapter 3 The Ungrateful Villainess

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Sterling strolled back to where Claudia lay watching from the ground. His voice had an edge of wicked amusement. “You’re quick, but not nearly ruthless enough. If you don’t finish the job, it’ll come back to bite you. So, little stray–how are you going to pay me back tonight?”

Claudia, who could’ve finished it herself and now inexplicably owed this stranger, went silent.

Flat on her back, face streaked with dust and blood, she somehow looked almost unreal in the dark.

Sterling’s brow creased. Filthy.

He reached down to haul the quiet rosebud to her feet–when something shoved him hard. He stumbled, lost his footing, and went down on top of her.

His weight crushed her injured arm; his left hand landed on something softer. The unfamiliar give made his fingers tense and squeeze before his brain caught up. He and the girl beneath him froze, eyes wide, locked in shock.

The culprit–a forgotten sheepish shepherd dog–sat a few feet away, blinking like, please don’t notice me.

Pinned under a stranger with everything hurting, Claudia sucked in a long breath. Handsome or not, copping a feel was still copping a feel. Her calm expression sharpened into something feral.

Sterling heard the rosebud’s first words to him that night. “No one ever told you?”

“Told me what?”

“Not to stick your nose in other people’s business.”

Before the last word died, her arms snapped around his neck and yanked him down. His forehead slammed into hers. Pain spiked.

“Officer! Over here!” Her voice rang out clear, and seconds later, sirens split the night. Cops came running.

Sterling, played, let out a low laugh. “That’s how you treat your savior?”

He ended up sprawled exactly where she’d been, his tone dripping sarcasm.

Claudia stood, turned half into the shadows, and gave him a thin smile. “Obviously. I’m the ungrateful villainess, remember?”

That night, Liberty City’s golden boy–the heir of Romero Corporation–got hauled down to

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Chapter 3 The Ungrateful Villainess

the station.

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Clint showed up fast with a lawyer, sneaking looks at the girl bold enough to spark the Reaper’s rare mercy and then nail him for harassment. She was stunning–and clearly unafraid of anything.

Once the thugs were processed, Clint braced himself, waiting for Sterling to give the order to “handle” her.

Instead, Sterling said, “Find out who she is.”

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“Who?” The word slipped out before Clint could stop it. Sterling never showed interest in women. The idea alone was terrifying.

Sterling’s gaze cut his way; Clint snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.”

Watching the girl stride off after shooting Sterling one last, blazing look, Clint felt a stab of pity. That was it. She and her whole family were done.

Unaware of the storm she’d kicked up, Claudia dragged herself back to the Lancaster house at dawn, chased by a barrage of phone calls.

Her father, Wilson Lancaster, met her at the door with a ringing slap. “How did I raise a daughter like you?”

She didn’t dodge fast enough. Her pale cheek bloomed red and swollen.

The whole room froze.

Jasper’s brow pinched, pain flickering in his eyes. He made himself stay out of it. This time, Claudia really had crossed a line. If she didn’t learn, who knew what kind of mess she’d make next? Still… Wilson had hit too hard. The sight twisted something in Jasper’s chest.

Lottie, Clarence, and Zane all wore the same angry, disappointed look. On the sofa, Lydia’s eyes sparkled with barely hidden delight.

She’d been furious last night that the hired creeps had bungled it and landed themselves at the station. Thankfully, she’d covered her tracks. They’d sworn it was a heat–of–the–moment grab and, since nothing “serious” happened, there was nothing to pin on her.

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