Oddly Similar (Complete)

Chapter - XXXVII

"What a lovely co-incidence, huh, Ryan?!"

"Almost everyone present in this room is someone that Rose cares for. But do they care for her equally, if not more?"

With every sentence Pete started moving backwards pulling Rose along towards the huge window which was most likely from where he'd entered.

"Let her go and we can clarify all the misunderstandings." From Matt's words it was clear as day that he was restraining his anger without much success.

"You, Mr. Flinthart are unique!! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect an arrogant and pompous ass such as yourself would be able to woo this lady!! You should ask Ryan here, how hard he's been trying since so many years, isn't that right babe?!"

Ryan's stony expression was trying to suppress the fury his eyes reflected.

Rose flinched visibly at that and Matt turned to Ryan,"Is that true?"

"Why would you believe the ramblings of a sadistic madman?" Ryan turned to Matt with evident surprise.

"Sadistic? Me? Huh?! What did I do to deserve such glories, Mayor?!" Pete asked pointing his knife towards Ryan. Rose looked at Arthur as if consulting him since she could now very well turn the tables. Arthur nodded a brief no.

Pete moved his mouth close to Rose's ear and said, "I know you want to and can try taking me down but don't you want the secrets revealed that have been chasing us since the past twelve years?"

Rose replied with a clipped response, "Twelve years, six months and eight days, Pete!! I just wish to know why?"

Moving his left arm caging Rose's waist, Pete said, "It's the who you should wonder about Rosey, the why will become crystal clear then."

Tossing his knife to Arthur, Pete pulled out a gun from his right pocket. "I don't need the knife since Rose here might end up hurting herself with it. Now bid these gentlemen goodbye cause you and i have a lot of catching up to do and I know just the ideal place for it."

"You guys know the consequences if you try to follow us. I wouldn't give a chase if i valued Rose's life. Till we meet again gentlemen!!" Pete dragged Rose towards the fire exit window of the office and away to a common white maintenance van. No sooner were they in when Pete sped off to the nearest highway. It was soon lost in the traffic of cars leaving the Town Hall.

All hell broke loose as Matt started barking orders into his phone and Arthur into his earpiece. Ryan called up his personal staff to pull out the cars.

"Do you have any idea where he might've taken her?" Ryan asked in an exasperated and worried tone.

Matt replied, "I do and for his sake I hope am right else I'll have a first degree murder on my hands if he tries anything other than talk to Rose. And you Mr. Mayor we too have much catching up to do!! You've been trying to woo Rose?!"

"Are you guys seriously having the Bachelorette conversation now?! While he's taken away Rose to God-knows-where?!" Arthur shouted leaving the other two fuming further.

All three rushed out to the cars as soon as Matt said Pete must've taken her to Regalia since it's abandoned, far off population and Rose likes the place.

Ryan made a call from the car arranging for more backup. Matt questioned, "You seriously think my team won't be enough?"

Ryan muttered, "They haven't exactly been successful till now."

Arthur wondered aloud,"I understand why Matt isn't involving the cops yet but what's your reason Mr. Mayor? Anything we need to know?"

Ryan's eyes turned placid, "Like Matt I don't appreciate interference in my business."

The next second he replied, "No point involving state machinery now when we have enough resources, right Matt?!"

"Mmhmm."

"How have you been Rose?" Pete asked looking ahead once they were free of the city roads.

"Aren't you worried I might try something to free myself?" Rose murmured.

"If you wanted that, you would've done that while we were at the Town Hall. We both have been running away from our past and the secrets it holds. If you were ready to know everything, you knew how to find me and since you didn't, I kept my distance too."

"How come you're back now?" Rose whispered.

"There are bigger forces at play. A game which should've never pulled us in. I am partly to blame and you should've stayed away. Not that you could ever stay away from anything that caught your fancy!!" Pete replied smiling wistfully.

"We could've talked earlier, over the phone, any other option would've worked, where are you taking me?!" Rose was close to tears.

Pete turned to look at her, "You know I'd never hurt you, right? We're going to the place which is the reason behind everything in motion now. The culprit needs a stage to come forth and he's going to get it."

"Pete, you're scaring me!! I don't want anyone to get hurt again. A lot has been lost already. I don't want history to repeat itself."

Brushing tears away from Rose's cheek, Pete replied, "I promise i won't let it repeat. I don't know what made you doubt me but I need you to trust me now. Would you do that for the sake of the good times we had?"

Rose nodded reluctantly.

As soon as Pete turned away from the main road towards the oak-lined pathway, Rose turned to him, "Why here?"

"This place is no longer fairytale-like as in your dreams. Hasn't been for quite some time. I wish I could've stopped you from chasing after the city to convert it and open for people, but no one ever could stop you once you put your mind to something. It became an even bigger headache when Mr. Flinthart came down vying for it too."

"I thought if you both kept fighting for it everyone would stay away from here but he turned out to be as stubborn as you are. Not that I could find why he was interested so keenly in Regalia. He joined hands with you and everything set motion in the wrong direction."

Before the van could reach the wrought-iron gates, another car came out of nowhere smashing the driver's side jolting both Pete and Rose against the dashboard and window-glass respectively.

The last thing Rose remembered was looking up at Pete's bloody forehead while a hand pressed a cloth to her mouth and everything went dark.

Matt and Ryan didn't wait for the car to stop completely before they jumped out to inspect the van which had veered away from the gravel oak-lined path into the bushes with it's side all banged up.

Matt could only murmur "Rose" while he frantically looked in and saw area around both seats showed traces of fresh blood. Arthur opened the door and checked the interior of the van which was empty. A note was stuck to the dashboard

Ryan and Matt, come unarmed to the Greenhouse if you want the girl alive.

Arthur's eyes showed anger enough to burn the paper up. Matt threw his gun at him and was about to run towards the gates when Ryan asked looking at Arthur,"Your men won't follow us in, right? I don't want Rose to suffer because of someone's stupidity."

"Not if they wish to stay alive," Matt replied with clear warning looking at Arthur.

Sprinting towards the path which led behind the mansion, Matt could make out a faint silhouette of Rose seated behind the grimy glass of the old Greenhouse. No sooner had he turned towards the open door when a tied up Rose squealed over the cloth constricting her mouth with eyes wide as saucers. But before Matt could move any closer he felt a violent hit against his head and the only sound he registered were Rose's sobs and "Night-night Buddyyyy!!" which strangely sounded like Ryan before everything went black.