The next morning, the tension from the night before still lingered in the house. Rose avoided both Elise and me during breakfast, retreating to her room after a curt "I'll eat later." Elise noticed the shift in energy but didn't press the issue. Instead, she busied herself cleaning the kitchen, a quiet sadness in her movements.
I, however, couldn't let it go. Rose's cryptic warning about me being a "target" had gnawed at me all night. Something bigger was at play, and whatever it was, Rose was in deeper than she could handle.
Later that day, while Elise went to her jewelry store, I made a decision—I needed answers. And I wasn't going to get them from Rose. The only other person who might know something was Leo. Though our first encounter at Eclipse had been tense, I had a gut feeling he wasn't the worst of Rose's problems.
I returned to the club during daylight, hoping to find Leo outside of the chaotic nightlife atmosphere. The building looked almost lifeless during the day, its neon lights dimmed, the thumping bass replaced by silence.
I waited in my car until Leo finally appeared, stepping out of the back entrance. He was dressed casually in jeans and a leather jacket, lighting a cigarette as he leaned against the wall. This was my chance.
"Leo," I called, approaching him cautiously.
He looked up, immediately recognizing me. His expression hardened. "You again? Didn't I tell you to stay out of this?"
"I need answers," I said firmly. "Rose warned me I'm a 'target.' What does that mean? What's going on with her?"
Leo took a long drag from his cigarette, eyeing me warily. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But you're playing with fire."
"Then tell me what I'm walking into," I demanded.
He sighed, flicking the ash off his cigarette. "Fine. You want to know? Rose isn't just partying and living some wild lifestyle for fun. She's in debt—a lot of debt. And the people she owes aren't the forgiving type."
My stomach sank. "Debt? To who?"
Leo's eyes darkened. "A group called The Meridian Syndicate. They're ruthless. Loan sharks, smugglers, you name it. Rose got in over her head when she tried to help her boyfriend out of trouble. Now she's stuck. She works for them, doing whatever they ask to chip away at what she owes."
I was stunned. "Why didn't she tell her mom? Or me? We could've helped."
"She's too proud," Leo said. "And she knows her mom wouldn't understand. Elise lives in a different world—the kind where people don't deal with criminals to survive."
"And you?" I asked. "What's your role in all this?"
Leo smirked, but there was no humor in it. "Let's just say I have my own debts to pay. I look out for Rose when I can, but there's only so much I can do."
My mind raced as I left the club. Rose's life was far more complicated than I'd imagined, and now I understood her erratic behavior. She wasn't just rebelling—she was fighting to keep her head above water in a world she'd been dragged into.
When I got home, Rose was in the living room, scrolling through her phone. She glanced at me briefly before going back to ignoring me.
"We need to talk," I said, standing in front of her.
She didn't look up. "Not in the mood, Daniel."
"Too bad," I shot back. "I know about the syndicate."
Her head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock. "What did you just say?"
"I know about the debt. About the Meridian Syndicate. About Leo. I know everything, Rose."
For a moment, she looked like she might deny it. But then her shoulders slumped, and she let out a bitter laugh. "So, what now? You're going to tell my mom? Lecture me about how I've ruined my life?"
"No," I said quietly. "I want to help you."
Her eyes narrowed. "Help me? You can't. No one can. The syndicate doesn't just let people walk away."
"They haven't met me yet," I said, my voice firm. "You're not alone in this, Rose. Whether you like it or not, I'm involved now."
Rose stared at me, her expression a mix of frustration, fear, and something else—hope. "You don't understand what you're saying, Daniel. These people don't play by the rules."
"Neither do I when it comes to protecting my family," I replied.
For the first time, Rose seemed to drop her guard. "Why would you even care? I've done nothing but push you away."
"Because that's what family does," I said simply. "We look out for each other, even when it's hard."
That night, I sat down with Elise. I didn't tell her everything—just enough to explain that Rose was in trouble and needed our support. Elise was understandably shaken, but she agreed to keep an open mind.
As for Rose, she and I were far from allies, but I could tell she was beginning to trust me. It was a small victory, but in a battle like this, every step forward counted.
But one thing was clear: we were in deep. And the shadows that hung over our new family were growing darker by the day.