The Rose That Grew Thorns

I was Southport’s untouchable rose, admired by everyone yet criticized by no one. Behind me stood Southport’s three most powerful families—the Carters, the Bennetts, and the Hayeses. My fiancée, Ava Bennett, was a law professor who had never lost a case. Fierce, decisive, and ruthless in court, she was the eldest daughter of Southport’s most influential legal family. Yet whenever she faced me, she would grow shy and lose the ability to speak. My childhood friend, Nora Hayes, was a brilliant doctor. When I had a fever that wouldn’t break as a child, she stayed by my bed all night, her eyes red from crying. She had sworn to become a doctor so she could keep me safe and healthy for the rest of my life. My sister, Claire Carter, was ten years older than me. She had held the entire Carter Group together and given all her love to me, her little brother. I had thought I would be happy forever. Until the day of my engagement, when I saw my sister’s brutally murdered body with my own eyes. I grabbed her killer’s brother by the throat and roared that I would never let him go! But Nora shoved me to the ground. And Ava shielded him behind her, threatening me. “Ethan, sign the letter of forgiveness.” “Your sister is dead, but Nora and I will still protect you for the rest of your life.” “But Damien can’t lose his brother, too.” I took the letter without hesitation. Then I tore it to pieces in front of them. “You’re all animals!” “My sister’s body was covered in horrific wounds, and you’re telling me not to press charges? You even brought me this piece of trash and expect me to forgive him? You’re insane!” “Ava, Nora, what the hell happened to you? My sister watched all three of us grow up. She treated you like family. And now you’re protecting a murderer and helping some outsider escape justice!” Faced with my furious accusations, Ava let out a helpless sigh. Then she reached down and helped me up. “Damien isn’t an outsider to us. He saved our lives. He did us a huge favor and never asked for anything in return. The only thing he’s ever begged us for is help protecting his brother.” “Ethan, stop throwing a tantrum. I’ll have another letter brought over. Sign it.” “We’ll continue with the engagement party. After the celebration, we’ll give your sister the grandest funeral Southport has ever seen. She loved you so much. She’ll forgive you.” The gentleness on Ava’s face looked monstrous to me. My engagement suit was still stained with my sister’s blood. How could she stand there smiling and say something like that? I trembled with rage. Smack! I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. “Don’t even dream of it!” “Ava, we’re done. I’m breaking off the engagement!” Before I could say another word, Damien rushed over with a wounded expression and gently touched Ava’s cheek. Then he turned to me, tears in his eyes. “Mr. Carter, what are you doing?” “Everything is my fault. Blame me if you want, but don’t drag anyone else into this. I know someone like you could crush my brother as easily as an ant.” “I’m begging you. Even if you want my life, I’ll give it to you. Please, let my brother go.” With that, Damien started to kneel. But before his knees touched the floor, Nora hurried over and pulled him back up. Then she glared at me. “Ethan, you’ve gone too far!” “Ava and I could have covered this up and made it look like an accident. But we respected you enough to tell you the truth. Your sister is dead. Why are you determined to destroy Damien?” I bit my lower lip until it bled and glared at Nora. “I’ve gone too far? My sister was murdered on the day of my engagement, and my fiancée and childhood friend are protecting the killer! Which one of us is actually crossing the line?” “Even if none of you help me, I’ll still get justice for my sister!” I turned and walked away. Ava shouted after me. “Ethan, don’t be stubborn. Otherwise, you won’t even be able to protect the Carter Group your sister left you!”That very night, Ava submitted a report accusing the Carter Group of tax fraud, along with a pile of fabricated evidence. She was a famous attorney. The evidence was so convincing that it would take a great deal of time to verify it. After my sister’s death, I was her sole heir. I was immediately placed under strict supervision and forced to cooperate with the investigation. I couldn’t even leave the house to report my sister’s murder. Every communication device was confiscated. Guards were stationed at every entrance and exit of the mansion. Whenever I tried to escape or contact the outside world, they found me. They stopped me roughly, tied me up, and threw me into a room to “cool off.” After I finally managed to break free, the once-adored young heir of the Carter family could only scream like a madman or beg the guards at the door to let me out. “I’m calling the police! This is unlawful imprisonment!” “Let me out!” “I’m going to make sure that murderer pays!” The guards didn’t react. When I tried to force my way out again, they tied me up, stuffed something into my mouth, lifted me off the floor, and tossed me into the living room like a piece of garbage. I struggled with everything I had, muffled cries escaping my throat. Then familiar footsteps approached. Someone lifted me from the cold tile floor, brushed the tear-soaked hair from my face, and untied the ropes. I turned around. It was Ava. Damien stood behind her, one hand resting suggestively on her shoulder. Ava removed the gag from my mouth and asked coldly, “Ethan, it’s been two days. You should’ve calmed down by now.” “You have two choices. You can stay locked up here and lose the Carter Group along with your freedom. Or you can sign the letter of forgiveness and drop the charges against Damien’s brother.” “Have you made your decision?” I stayed silent for a long time. Finally, I raised my head. “I choose…” “I choose to watch that animal, Grant Reed, die!” The moment I finished speaking, I shot to my feet and sprinted toward the open window with every ounce of strength I had. The light outside drew closer and closer. This was the first floor. If I jumped, crossed the low fence in the backyard, and made it to the street, I would be free. I stepped onto the windowsill. Half my body was already outside. Suddenly, a powerful force grabbed my ankle. The next second, I was yanked violently backward and slammed onto the floor. Pain shot through my body, and cold sweat broke out across my skin. Nora came running over, gasping for breath. She glared at me. “Ethan, when are you going to stop?” “That’s a rose garden down there! The thorns haven’t even been trimmed. You could’ve killed yourself!” “And even if you got out, it wouldn’t matter! I’ve taken care of everything outside. Here—read the latest paper yourself!” I snatched up the newspaper and skimmed it. Then I stared at Nora in disbelief. “You had the hospital falsify evidence!” “My sister had that many wounds. There’s no way she killed herself! You’re a liar!” I hurled the newspaper at her face. Nora gave a cold laugh. “Ethan, you don’t have any choices left.” “The Carter Group is on the verge of collapse, and the case has already been classified as an accident. Accept it. Say that Grant was trying to rescue your sister but failed, and that she died by suicide.” “Don’t worry. Once Damien’s debt is repaid, Ava and I will still protect you for the rest of your life. You’ll remain Southport’s most powerful young heir. No one will ever bully you again.” I smiled bitterly, as if I had finally given up. “Fine.”“But first, I want to see my sister in the morgue.” I agreed to their demands. I decided to go to the police station and officially identify the murderer as someone who had only been trying to save her. It wasn’t surrender. It was the moment I finally gave up on both of them. My sister’s body was covered with a white sheet. I was already crying before I even pulled it back. “Leave. I want to be alone with my sister.” Ava and Nora were clearly uneasy, but when they saw my swollen, tear-filled eyes, they finally gave in. I pulled back the sheet. My sister’s body appeared before me. The warmth that had once filled her was gone. Her skin was cold. Her body was covered in wounds of every size. Even her gentle face had been slashed beyond recognition by Grant. He had tried to rob her. When that failed, he decided to kill her. With trembling hands, I unbuttoned my sister’s bloodstained shirt. There was a small string of numbers tattooed on her waist. The Carter family had money. That naturally attracted people with bad intentions. Years ago, my sister had taken me aside and shown me the tattoo. “If I ever die suddenly—whether it’s because of an accident or an enemy—and I can’t protect you anymore, remember these numbers.” “If anyone ever hurts you, make one phone call.” “Someone will always protect you, Ethan.” Back then, I had been young and naïve. I had only known how to curl up in my sister’s arms and act spoiled. “I’m not going to remember it.” “You promised you’d stay with me forever!” I engraved the numbers into my memory. Then I finally opened the door. Ava and Nora had been waiting outside. “Let’s go.” The headline read: "Famous Businesswoman Dies by Suicide in the Middle of the Night" Even though I was inside the police station, the press room was packed with cameras and reporters. “Why are there so many reporters here?” I demanded. Ava explained, “Damien said that if his brother is being recognized as a hero who tried to save someone, then the story should be properly publicized.” I clenched my fists and forced myself to stay silent. On the large screen in the conference room were four enormous words: "A TRIBUTE TO A HERO" They stabbed at my eyes. When Damien saw me arrive, he gave me a smug smile. His brother, Grant, stood before the microphones, delivering a long speech about his own “heroic deeds.” I frowned. I thought I could endure it. But Grant only became more disgusting. He was no longer satisfied with portraying himself as a hero. He began twisting his resentment over the failed robbery into an attempt to smear my sister as a slut. “When I rushed in to save her, that woman’s shirt was already half-unbuttoned!” “Her boyfriend? Who knows? A rich woman like that could’ve been sleeping with anyone. They were probably just hookups!” “Ha! Too bad I couldn’t save her. If she’d fallen for me, I would’ve loved to see what it was like to sleep with a rich older woman. A hero deserves to have some fun, too!” The male reporters below erupted in oily, lecherous laughter. Their keyboards clattered as they typed filthy insults about my sister. Grant grew more and more excited. When he opened his mouth to continue, I finally snapped. I charged forward with my fists clenched and tackled him. “You lying piece of trash! You murdered her!”The room instantly erupted into chaos. The reporters scrambled to chase the story. Grant and I fought like we wanted to kill each other. Ava, Nora, Damien, and several police officers rushed to pull us apart. But before my hand could even reach Damien, he suddenly threw himself backward. He slammed onto the floor, grabbed the back of his head, and began howling in pain. Ava and Nora stopped struggling with Grant and immediately turned their attention to Damien. Ava grabbed my arm and dragged me away. “Ethan, you’ve completely lost your mind!” “Have Nora and I spoiled you too much? Do you realize how many reporters are here? You disrupted the event, and now you attacked Damien! You think you can do whatever you want!” My body was thrown backward. The sharpest corner of the table struck my abdomen. A violent pain tore through me. I clutched my stomach as my legs gave out beneath me. But Ava, who used to panic whenever I even frowned, only looked at my pale face and sneered. “Are you done pretending?” “Nora and I already told you. Once we repay Damien, we’ll treat you the way we always did. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? You keep causing trouble, and every time you do, we owe Damien even more.” I sucked in a sharp breath. A heavy, dull pain dragged through my lower abdomen. “Ava… it hurts. Please…” She assumed I was still putting on an act. She didn’t even look at me. She only focused on comforting Damien. I turned to Nora for help. She was a doctor. Surely she could help me. Instead, she grabbed my already agonized body and dragged me out of the way. “The ambulance will be here soon. Don’t block the path.” “Quickly, get Damien onto the stretcher!” “Damien, does it hurt? Don’t be scared. I’m a doctor. Nothing will happen to you while I’m here.” Nora held Damien’s hand as she walked away. My abdomen felt as if it were being crushed beneath a thousand-pound stone. Sweat poured from my forehead. I remembered her old promise to keep me safe and healthy for the rest of my life. It was almost laughable. Just as I was growing weaker, Grant charged toward me. Smack! A loud slap struck my face. Grant sneered. “You little punk. You’re just like your sister. You won’t appreciate kindness until you’re beaten into submission!” “With Ava and Nora still grateful to my brother, what can you do to me? Even if I killed your sister, you’d still have to bow your head and call me a hero.” “No one’s here to stop me now. I’ll beat you to death!” He raised his hand again. Fortunately, the police arrived in time and grabbed him. Then someone in the crowd suddenly pointed at me and shouted. “Blood!” “He’s vomiting blood!” When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. The nurse told me that extreme emotional distress had caused internal bleeding. I held my medical report and stared at it for a long time. At some point, Damien came swaggering into my room. “Well, well. Isn’t this Southport’s golden boy, Ethan Carter? How did you end up looking like this? That’s pathetic.” “You should’ve left my brother alone. Since you refused, don’t blame me for coming after you!” I turned away from him and pressed the call button, asking the nurse to remove him. Before leaving, Damien leaned close and threatened me. “Listen carefully. This is only the beginning. The Carter Group, your fiancée, your childhood friend—everything you’ve ever had will be mine. You’ll be the one watching me from the bottom now.” I lowered my head and listened in silence. I didn’t argue. The nurse began to pity me. She was just about to comfort me when I spoke first. “My phone is gone.” “Could I borrow yours to make a call?” The nurse didn’t suspect anything. She immediately handed me her phone. I entered the string of numbers tattooed on my sister’s body. Beep. Beep. The call was answered after only two rings. A gentle male voice came through. “Claire?” Hearing someone say my sister’s name so affectionately made tears spill from my eyes. Pain flooded through me. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I could only cry. The man seemed to realize something was wrong. He asked cautiously, “Is that Ethan? Why are you calling me? Where’s Claire?” “You sound like you’re crying. Your sister always said you were Southport’s untouchable rose. She called you the little king of Southport. Who would dare make our Ethan suffer?” “I promise I’ll make them pay a hundred times over!”