Page 66 of King of Pride

There was only one package sitting on the table—a medium-sized box.

“That one, Miss Rose.”

Rose picked up the scissors lying beside the box and cut through the tape. She opened the package and looked inside.

Her expression changed.

The box was filled with snow globes.

She pulled one out.

Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized it.

It was the exact same brand as the snow globe she had broken.

The entire box was filled with them.

Rose stared at the snow globe for a moment before a faint, mocking smile appeared on her lips.

“This little thing used to cause me so much pain and uncertainty.”

She turned it over in her hands, studying it almost absentmindedly.

“And now…”

She let out a soft breath.

“I don’t feel anything at all.”

Her gaze moved over the box filled with snow globes.

“All that mess over something that cost less than ten dollars.”

The realization was strangely freeing.

The ache that had once consumed her whenever she thought about that stupid snow globe was gone. The uncertainty, the anger, the fear of losing Ivan—it had all disappeared.

Rose looked down at the snow globe one last time.

Then she turned to Troy.

“I need you to deliver this package somewhere. Can you help me?”

Troy immediately stepped toward the table.

“Of course, Miss Rose. Just tell me where you want it delivered, and I’ll make sure it gets there.”

***

Across the city, the Carrington Group headquarters remained busy, filled with the constant hum of employees, ringing phones, and hurried footsteps.

From the outside, everything looked as normal as ever.

But beneath the polished surface, the company was beginning to struggle.

Deals that had once been easy to secure were suddenly disappearing. One contract after another had been canceled, and despite the executives’ efforts to replace them with new business, every attempt seemed to end in failure.

Over the past week, the situation had deteriorated rapidly.