Chapter 2

When he opened his eyes his vision was blurred and his whole body hurt.

" Mrs. Valois? Can you hear me?"

Before her was a man with gray hair and a white coat.

" Where..." he tried to ask, however, he felt so weak...

" Ms. is in the Hospital Provence Aligre, was one of the victims of the explosion in the restaurant Picardie-Baux. "

Informed the doctor on duty.

Rosalie was still confused, and upon hearing those things she tried to sit down, but felt a strong pain in the side of her body and head.

She moaned in pain and the doctor approached.

" Do not move, broke several ribs and was in a coma for two days."

Rosalie Valois gasped to feel the mind-blowing pain in her body and head.

A week in a coma?

She looked around and saw the room white and empty, and thought of Duncan.

" Where is my husband?"

When the doctor’s gaze faltered, she screamed a resounding no.

As if he could deny the truth stamped on his face.

" Mr. Valois endured all the impact of the explosion, his body was found protecting Mrs".

Don’t...

Don’t...

Duncan...

Rosalie felt cut into a thousand pieces, thrown into the darkness of a world without Duncan Valois, the man she had known since the age of seven.

She allowed herself to cry after the doctor left.

She cried completely paralyzed in bed, until her children came to pick her up the next day.

When she arrived home she arranged her husband’s funeral for the next day.

The woman entered the room and lay on the bed, plunging into the pain of mourning.

The next morning Rosalie and her two sons drove to the funeral of Duncan Valois.

At the entrance to the cemetery she saw the shareholders of the Empire Group, and heard them speak negatively of Duncan.

She looked at her two children and could only think she needed to be strong.

The woman looked at the black coffin in the grave and heard nothing of what the priest said about the deceased.

There’s only one thing on my mind.

Duncan was a dead man.

He died throwing himself at her, protecting her with his own body.

" You’re a widow now, I hope you understand your position, Rosalie."

Rosalie averted her gaze from the coffin to the face of Louie Valois, Duncan’s younger brother.

" What did you say? " He asked.

The man who was not as tall as Duncan had been, looked her in the eye.

His blue eyes were cunning and cold.

He took a lock of black hair from his forehead and asked in a malicious tone:

" Who will look after you now that Duncan is gone?"

She opened and closed her mouth, not sure she had heard correctly.

Louie wore a black suit, he ran his hands lightly on the suit when some leaves fell from a tree.

" What are you implying? " questioned the widow.

The man narrowed the distance between them, causing their faces to get too close.

That was tremendously uncomfortable.

" Be my wife. that’s what I’m implying, Rosalie Valois. Submit to me, being an obedient and loyal wife, otherwise bear the consequences."

She slapped Louie, who didn’t react.

This attracted all eyes.

Duncan’s coffin had already been buried and all present looked at the unfolding scene.

" How dare you? You wretch! " The widow has ranted.

Your blood is boiling.

" Was my proposal too soon? " It provoked Louie, the dark sarcasm in every word.

Bastien and Angelika reacted to seeing the disastrous scene.

The teenagers expelled his uncle with his broken heart, taking him out of the cemetery.

Rosalie turned her gaze to the grave as those present dispersed, she walked and knelt before her.

He slowly touched the land where Duncan would rest.

" You swore, Duncan you swore that even death would make you leave me... " The woman whispered.

[...]

The man woke up screaming a name.

He held the covers tightly and was heard shouting "Rosalie" once again.

When he looked around he saw that he was no longer in the fire, but in a luxurious room.

There were numerous mahogany furniture and the walls were gray.

The door opened and a man dressed in a uniform came in.

" Mr. Lecomte, is everything all right?"

It was like getting punched in the stomach, he blinked several times and got up from the bed.

There was a giant mirror on the wall, he looked into the green eyes of François Lecomte.

CEO of the Lecomte group, its competitor in the international auto parts market.

Duncan cried out.