Royal Princess: Doted On By The Mafia King

***

Anna sat cross-legged weakly on the couch. She always had a slim frame but she looked really thin despite the baggy sweat shirt and joggers she wore to cover up her emancipated state.

She watched her father who visited her for the first time since Rose went missing. Her mother said he was busy with the search for Rose but she knew that was only an excuse because her father never really liked Rose.

He almost did not like her too but perhaps because she always made sure to act like the daughter she was to him, he tried to also reciprocate the feeling. Rose who almost never tried to gain anyone's affection, was not as important as she was and it was really annoying.

She knew Rose had not lived with them for as long as she did and she began living with them ever since she was a little child but she wanted them to care more for Rose. Rose is her first and only sister and she wanted Rose back into her life.

She constantly blamed herself for getting suspicious of almost everything Rose did. She knew Rose had secrets. Rose must have been through a lot of things in the past which made her keep almost everything about herself a secret and she always understood and was patient until recently.

Months before Rose went missing, she always wanted to know everything about Rose and she was slowly getting annoyed with the fact that she knew Rose had secrets she hid from her.

Rose is missing now and she have been berating herself over the suspicious thoughts she had about her sister. She cried over and over when she thinks about how much she changed recently. Rose lived all her life until she turned fourteen in an orphanage.

She also lived in the orphanage until she turned four so, she knew very well how unloved a child could feel in such an environment. The sisters tried their best to give and show them enough love but the love was nothing compared to what someone will experience with their biological parents.

"I should have remained close to her," Anna murmured. "I should have never doubted her."

"What did you say?" Justin asked when he could not pick out what his foster daughter said.

"Nothing," Anna said dropping her gaze to her hands on her leg.

Justin gulped, Anna might not be his biological daughter but it pained him to see the usual joyful girl who seemed to plant a seed of happiness and smiles in the heart and faces of everyone she comes across looking so dull.

She was not as problematic as other kids he have brought into his family. His first and only biological daughter suffered a lot before she died from a sickness. Rose made him have problems with the council and they were the last set of people he wanted to offend.

Anna also gave him problems for the weeks she went missing but since she woke up from coma, she seemed to have not given him any other problem and he was very pleased with that.

When his mind drifted to the fact that Rose's presence was what brought Anna back to them and saved his marriage, his heart tightened in his chest but his brain immediately stopped his heart from feeling guilty.

Rose was brought to their family for that reason and since she served her purpose, it won't be bad to send her off before more people get curious of her true identity.

He secretly carried out a DNA test when Rose won the competition and everyone began saying she inherited Valerie's fashion designing skills but Rose was not Valerie's daughter. When he was contacted by the council, he heard Rose was Valerie's daughter.

He pretended to be calm and composed about the whole thing but it have made him so tired that he regretted letting her go out and stop being homeschooled. It was so tiring and complicated he hated to admit it but Rose's disappearance was a huge relief.

"We intend to hold Rose's funeral soon, perhaps next week," Justin said knowing Anna was nice not going to accept it very easily.

"Who is the we?" Anna asked trying to suppress the tears and the fresh urge she felt to cry over Rose's disappearance.

"Your mother and I," Justin replied glancing at Valerie. It had taken him over two weeks to persuade his wife. She seemed to have grown attached to Rose and Rose leaving forever also meant she lost a very talented designer.

"I am not going to believe Rose is dead until I see her body. I thought they don't hold funerals for people who go missing?" Anna asked her voice hoarse as she tried to increase the volume to voice her disagreement.

"In this case we have to hold her funeral without her body. Like you know, an unidentified body was found in the building. They said Rose must have tried to escape but got caught in the fire," Justin explained hoping Anna believes.

The explanation made by the police was actually not a very bad explanation although they were too many loopholes for very intelligent people to believe. The police also brought an evidence saying the DNA of the blood in the restroom and the DNA of the body matched.

"If she is the body found, is there any reason then to hold a funeral without her body? We might as well use the body to represent Rose since you really want to get rid of Rose," Anna could not remain calm without voicing out her thoughts.

"Why will I want to get rid her?" Justin asked surprised that Anna could say that to him.

"You never loved her or even cared for her," Anna replied calmly looking at him intently. The respect she always had for her father was slowly wearing off.

"I am too busy to even come back home. What time to have to play house?" Justin asked straightforwardly just like Anna did.

"I guess you are less busy to come and play the house you always avoided playing by turning the drama into a tragedy, right?"

Justin frowned.

"I guess being busily around actors and actresses slowly turns you into one," Anna told him with enough sarcasm to please her aching heart.

"Anna you should not talk to your father in that manner," Valerie who have remained quiet and almost invisible all long immediately reprimanded her daughter.

"That is right, you also agreed to give up on Rose. I know Rose might not be your biological daughter or stayed long enough with you like the way I did but you should not do that to her. Even if she is dead, she will not be happy to know we were not patient enough," Anna said venting her frustration and self guilt on her parents.

"We will delay the funeral by just one week, we will tell the police to keep searching for Rose. Next week the search will stop and we will hold her funeral," Valerie told Anna firmly without room for negotiation.

"This is not right," Anna said losing hope. Her mother have always been the one to stand up to her father but since her mother agreed, she had no one else to turn to. "Fine. I am sorry for speaking to you the way I did. I am very sorry but don't give up on Rose." Anna covered her face as she began crying hard with her body rocking as she cried.

"It is not your fault. If Rose is dead, she will pray for your well-being and if she is not, she will definitely find her way back home because of your perseverance," Valerie encouraged her daughter with a warm hug.

Anna hated herself so much for having suspicions about her sister less than an hour before the fire. The guilt will haunt her for life if Rose is really dead. She wanted Rose to be alive so she could trust her again like she did couple of years ago when they just met.

When she remembered the argument she had with Rose over the person who took her away during Wayne's birthday party, she felt more hurt and because of it all, she took a break away from the teacher because she realized that she began getting suspicious of Rose only after she met him and they got close.

Valerie could easily understand Anna since she had been this way when the police told her then that Anna ran away from home. She alone believed Anna didn't and waited for Anna's return. She rubbed Anna's back soothingly.

Justin stood up looking away from the scene of the crying mother and daughter to ease the guilt in his heart. He knew Valerie was heartbroken due to Rose's disappearance. He always had his walls melting down whenever Valerie gets heartbroken.

He planned to invite Rose's friend who came second in the last fashion competition to work with wife and try to spend more time at home.

While he was planning on how to ease his wife's broken heart, his phone vibrated. He picked his phone to see a message from his friend, Damon telling him he was also in Star city and wanted to have a drink with him.

He immediately accepted the offer with a small smile lifting a corner of his lips.