The Royal Contract

He could feel it in his guts. It was sending shivers of fear in his entire body. It was killing him slowly.

"No, I have to do something," David mumbled while pacing the floor in his office.

He knew he sounded like a lunatic, talking to himself while acting like he was going out of his mind.

But the thought of losing her was something he could not bear. And he believed she was slowly slipping away.

"Rosella, what else do I have to do?" He tried to think and come up with a new plan.

He had won countless cases because he was great at producing solutions to problems. But he seemed to be failing miserably in this one.

He tried everything to win her back. He took her to their favorite spots and introduced her to the things she used to love. But nothing seemed to work.

Or maybe that was the problem.

Was he trying too hard to make her remember? Instead of gaining her trust, he might be pushing her further away. At least, that was Evan's assessment.

"Give her time." He could still hear his friend's words echoing in his head. "You are suffocating her by shoving those memories too fast. I think you need to give her some space." His friend suggested.

But how much time and space? When all he wanted to do was be with her.

However, what if his friend was right? What if the only way to keep her was to let her go? But could he take that risk of losing her forever?

He would only know the answer if he decided to do it. Until then, that was an idea he still did not wish to consider.

"Hey, Roseann!" He immediately greeted the woman who opened the door. "How are you doing these days?"

He had not spent time with his friend for quite a while. He had been so busy with Rosella that he barely had time to talk to his friend except for a few greetings.

"Same as before," Roseann answered with a curt shrug. "Nothing much but a tight shift." Telling him how busy she was at the hospital.

Suddenly, he felt a little guilty for abandoning Roseann. He would admit since Rosella woke up, he only had time for her.

But now, he realized he had forgotten to be a friend to the only person who had been there for him when he needed a friend.

She had been there through his ups and downs. She had been his strength during the time that he almost gave up. But suddenly, he did not just leave her but also turned his back on her.

"By the way, I still have not apologized for how I acted the..." But Roseann stopped him from saying anything more.

"No, don't. It is not necessary. As I said, I am partly to blame for it." She interrupted him. "There is no more need to talk about it."

He was not proud of how he had reacted to what he had seen. And the way he had treated her and his friend. Of course, he should have given them the benefit of the doubt.

But he had allowed his temper to rule over his judgment. He acted as the judge and the executioner without giving Roseann and Adam a chance to defend themselves.

But now, he knew the truth. Truthfully, he was ashamed of his actions. But thankful that Adam and Roseann were willing to forget the whole thing.

It was water under the bridge, as they said.

"I heard that Adam and Serena are back together." He wondered if she heard about it. "But I also heard it is because of you. So, thank you for helping my sister."

He guessed that could not have been easy for Roseann to do. But it only cemented what he thought of her. She was a great person with an incredible personality and an outstanding character.

"No need to thank me. I just corrected my mistake." She moved along the living room, offering him a sit while they waited. "Besides, I think Adam and Serena deserve each other."

He could see the genuine smile on her lips. It was a clear indication that she was happy for the couple. That she was not just saying that.

"Yeah, I am happy that they are back together. Serena deserves a man who would love her after all she had gone through." David honestly felt glad he finally could see his sister sincerely happy.

But, of course, he also wanted to see his friend happy. But sometimes, it was not that easy. It seemed that true love did not come in a beautiful gift wrap. It was not a giveaway handed on a silver platter.

Some unlucky people spent their lifetime searching for it but failed to find the person who could make them whole. Therefore, he believed if one had found their match, they should never let them go.

"Yeah, I thought so too." She said with a smile, but he could sense that something was bothering her.

As they said, the eyes were the windows of one's soul. And he could peek through her thoughts through the pain he saw reflecting in her eyes.

"I can only hope you find the right man, specifically destined for you." David knew she had been desperately longing for someone who would love her.

"And stop settling for less." He added, noting how she had resorted to desperation.

And he also cited his sister as an example. Serena did not have a clean record regarding her past relationship. She had terrible taste in men that put her in difficult situations.

But not keeping his nose clean, he, too, had his share of terrible relationships, or if he could even call his hooks up that.

"I will keep note of your advice." Roseann agreed, giving him a thumbs up. "Stop dating the jerks. Got it!" She saluted in response, making their conversation a light joke.

"You know what I mean." But he was serious. He believed that Roseann deserved a decent man who would treat her as the most important person in his life.

Truthfully, he would have fallen for her if not for Rosella because she was a terrific girl. He believed she was not hard to love. But unfortunately, his heart already belonged to her sister. And he could not give it to anyone else.

And sadly, it was not Adam too.

Nevertheless, if someone like him could find someone like Rosella, he was sure Roseann could end up with his perfect man eventually.

"Yeah! Don't worry about me." Roseann said as she tapped him on the shoulder while she stood behind his seat. "I am a big girl. I can manage to find my big bad wolf."

That was what she used to call him in one of their jokes, which brought a smile to his lips. He guessed he would have to trust fate. That her destiny just awaited her by the corner.

"Anyway, my sister is just taking a while to prepare herself. So, feel comfortable while I check on her." Roseann said as she changed the topic.

She squeezed his shoulder one more time before she moved on. He felt sad for her, but he still believed she was young. She just had to wait for the right time and the right man.

On the other hand, his clock was ticking. He believed he did not have much time left. His time was now, but the unfortunate accident had put a dent in his plans.

"By the way, David." She called his attention before she could go far. "Be patient with her. Don't ever give up on my sister."

Then, she turned without waiting for his response. Soon, she disappeared at the other door, entering her sister's room.

Suddenly, he could not help but wonder if she had read what he felt deep inside. Could she see it in his expression?

"I won't," David answered, even if she could not hear him anymore. But it was more a promise to himself. He might let her go, but it did not mean he was giving up on them.

He would always be there for her no matter what. And he would wait for her until she was ready to accept him back into her life.

He walked over to the cabinet that had pictures covering the mantle. Some frames had Rosella photos from a young age to the present.

Then, he took one that was years before he had met her. It was a girl that was unknown to him. Then, his eyes shifted to a present one. Again, a woman that he barely knew because of the accident.

"I don't want to." He spoke to the picture. Although he would admit, it was hard.

He could see the woman he loved in her eyes, but she was trapped inside, unable to free herself from the cage inside her mind.
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And there was nothing he could do to help her. He was useless as he failed to set her free.

But then again, maybe he just wanted to see what he wanted to believe, but she had been long gone since the accident. The woman that he loved was no more. And he was just too blind to see it.