It was late night, when the usual sound of crash echoed through the house. 

Rose was inside the wardrobe in the corridor, her safe place when her dad come back from who know where. She covered her mouth and nose with her hands, trying to hold her breath to keep from breathing in the dust in the closet. 

Her large blue eyes were wide with fear as she listened to her mother and father scream. 

“Josh, calm down!” her mother yelled in the leaving room.

“Shut up bitch! I know you and that bastard over the street are fucking!”. The voice of her father was altered

and the smell of alcohol reached the wardrobe where she was in.

"He's just helping Rose to study“ Her mother face was swollen and blood come out from her broken lips, but her word were firm and fearless. 

“He stole my wife and now wants to steal my daughter! Rose! Come here now!” Her father yelled, running upstairs toward her ​room. 

Rose could hear heavy steps in the stairs near the wardrobe. A second later, the sound of a crash echoed​through the house.

Rose was scared, tears were running down her cheeks, she took her phone and called Mr. Howard. who lived over the street and told her to call him if anything bad was happening.

Her father returned down to his mother with a gloomy face, he's first were clenched tightly “Where is she?!“

Her mother's jaw serred in a straight line, looking at him without saying anything. 

“Rose, is everything fine?” the voice of Mr. Howard came from the phone.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief and stammered in hurry “My F-father! He's hitting my mom again!”

There was a moment of silence before the solemn voice of Mr. Howard came through the phone

“I’m coming, listen carefully, stay hidden!”

Rose nodded even though he couldn’t see her.

Just at that moment, the wardrobe opened and her father's rough hand gripped her hair.

“There you are, little brat!” He dragged her out of the closet as she screamed out in pain. 

A slap hit her cheek, making them red and her heart full of fear.

His father's eyes were cloudy, his breath was full of alcohol. He looked at her phone and grab it.

“fucking brat! Why do you have that bastard`s number!“ yelled at her raising he's fist. 

“Let her go!” Her mother tried to block him, but she was threw in the ground, letting Rose free. 

She fell hard on the floor, her knees scraped and some blood dripped. She ignore it and closed her eyes trembling as sound of beating entered her ears.

After a moment the scream stopped and the sound of sirens came. The only thing she remembered later

were Mr Howard’s arms gripping her tightly.

... 

“Rose, you must tell me what happened last night” said Inspector Jefferson calmy. 

It was already a cold November afternoon, the room was warm and welcoming despite the fact that it was freezing outside, but he was too anxious as he looked into the dull little girl's eyes in front of him

He tried to make himself comfortable on the back of the chair he had been sitting on for half an hour, he took a tissue to wipe his sweaty forehead, trying to figure out how to solve this situation. 

It was he's third time coming to this orphanage. The room were he and the girl was in was empty, leaving them with some privacy.

He looked up at the fragile young girl, and let a sad sigh. She didn’t want to talk to anyone except her

neighbor, and he couldn’t blame her.

Being beaten by your own parent and witnessing the death of another it's not what a 15 year old girl should

experience.

“I need your testimony to arrest your father, so he can no longer harm you”

Silence.

The young girl was just silently trembling. The inspector was about to speak again when a knock came out

of the door.

He left out a sigh of relief and walked toward the door.

“Thanks for coming again Mr. Howard, the girl still doesn’t speak, maybe you can convince her” said the

Inspector Jefferson after greeting the elegant looking man with darkn-green eyes.

“I’ll try, but I need a minute alone with her”

“Of course”

After he left the room, Rose stopped trembling and run toward Mr. Howard.

“Hey hey, you have no reason to be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you” he said quietly after kneeling

down and hugging her.

The girl sobs pierced his heart, paining him.

If only he had come quicker…

Just thinking about that bastard filled him with anger, seeing Rose kneeling in the living room with her father

beating her poor mother to death would be one of those things he would never forget.

“I know it hurt but you have to explain to Mr. Jefferson what happened“

Rose began to tremble in his arms, and said in sobs “he said if the police come I have to shut up or else he’ll

hurt me like in the past"

Mr. Howard froze, a furious expression on his face as he gritted his teeth.

He barely manage to control himself before going to the police station and killing that bastard.

He should have moved faster to get them out of that house. If the night had passed, the plan he and Laura

had come up with would have been successful.

“Henry… take care of her”

These were the last sentence he heard the woman say before the paramedics arrived.

Henry took a few deep breath before looking at the frail young girl, just as he was about to speak,

Rose raised her head. “He killed her… mom, he killed her.”​

Henry didn’t know what to say, he just looked at the girl and nodded silently.​

Rose’s hands tightened in his jacket and she looked at him with her eyes full of terror “Why i'm so scarred? I hate him. I don’t want him to hurt me anymore!”

Henry took her hands and squeezed them gently “He won’t be able to do anything to anyone anymore, trust

me”

Rose shook her head in panic, years and years of physical violence had marked her and frightened her of her

father.

“I want you to come and live with me”

Rose froze at those words and looked up.

“Me and Laura… She wanted to surprise you. I wanted to bring away from that place , and make

you live a proper life, without having to see bruises on you every day. I’m sorry I didn’t arrive early”

At the last sentence his voice cracked, but he continued to look her in the eyes.

Rose gasped for a minute before asking hesitantly. “Really?”

Henry smiled warmly “Of course, your had already prepared the papers, only if you want of course"

“Yes! Of course yes! ”

Henry chuckled a bit before getting up “The only thing you have to do first, It's s settle the matter with him" he held out he's hand in front of her “Are you ready now?“

Rose looked at the large hand stretched out for her and she squeezed it tightly, as if to take courage from

the man who has always been there for her.

Just as they were about to leave the room, Mr. Jefferson came in with a tense and guilty face, his eyes notice that the young girl seemed to have recovered a bit. He hoped that would be enough. 

“They called from the station, the lawyer says your father would like to speak to you”