When a boutique dressmaker sneered about hiding Rosalie’s body under thick dark fabric, he fired the woman on the spot — then apologized to Rosalie for deciding it without her, and let her choose a new tailor herself.

It wasn’t love yet. But it was built on respect, which to Rosalie already felt like a miracle.

Emmett, though, was still working the strings from a distance.

Dr. Callaway showed up unannounced, claiming he urgently needed to assess Rosalie’s fragile mental state. Manuel turned him away at the entrance in front of the whole household.

Two days later, Naomi, Rosalie’s personal assistant, drank a cup of hot chocolate meant for her employer and collapsed.

An independent doctor confirmed the abandoned cup held a heavy dose of a dangerous sedative.