Chapter 12: Winter, Trouble After a Nice Date

Rose woke up to a curled-up Winter who was hugging her shirt tightly. She looked at her phone which had a message.

I'm going to be staying in Korea for the next few months, So, I was wondering since today is supposed to be a beautiful day can I take you and your son out on a picnic? -Jean

Rose smiled as she clutched Winter. Her son might want some fresh outdoors. As she got ready to join Jean.

Jean was in a more relaxing attire when Rose saw him. He had a basket in his hand, and he seemed nervous.

"Sorry, where you are waiting long," she said.

"No" his face was somewhat flushed as he smiled "I picked a stop if you don't mind," He said as he led her to the spot. "May I," he asked politely, meaning he wanted Rose to hand him, Winter. She smiled as she handed Winter over to Jean, who looked terrified at the prospect of holding a baby.

Rose laughed as she watched him try to figure out how to hold Winter, who was starting at him as Jean was a new face.

"I told my father, that you were alive. And that you have a child."

"Why?"

"Even though you were adopted, you are still considered a child of his old friends. He's…. He's decided to come down here to see you.

"How was he…"

"He was shocked, but he finally understood why I came down here. On my own

"Rose you going to be 18 in three months, is that why you're playing a waiting game."

"Yes, I'm underaged. Korean laws…the old man could legally take away Winter from me. I had to prevent him from thinking about it. So, I'm going to use his family."

"Use His Family"

"The old man Griffin will hesitate to take Winter away from me if he finds that his own family is willing to harm us."

"Your mother,"

"My mother has no power in the Korean courts, Griffin, on the other hand, is a well-respected member of the public with a decent image. They would take his side over someone who has Mafia ties. The same goes for me as a teenage single mother who got pregnant before marriage. They wouldn't blame Anthony; they'd think I had low morals because I seduced an heir to a rich Family."

"Surely"

"Korean's are different from the western countries" Rose looked at him I all seriousness "They can be that bad."

Jean pale face shook.

"If I don't play my cards right, Winter could be taken from me for good, and to a cruel family who won't treat him as their own. Winter looked so much like Anthony, yet they won't admit it. I won't ever have him subjected to that torment. NOT EVER." Rose trembled

"You thought about this"

"Yes."

"This Anthony person, he…"

"He is a child, nothing more nothing less, he'll resent Winter."

"Was this Griffin character, has he ever tried to register a marriage between you and Anthony, yes, but, thankfully, Anthony's mother had gotten in the way."

Jean looked at Rose, as he pulled her in an embrace, leaving Winter sandwiched between them. "I'm sure if anything goes wrong my father will be able to help."

Without realizing it Rose nearly spent her whole day with Jean. They had pleasant talks about how their lives have been over the years. She and Jean were walking back when she got a call from her Aunt and Uncle.

"Rose, Rose" Coney's voice sounded ballistic "Jake got into a fight with your husband."

"What?!" Jean looked at Rose's pale as he heard what happened. He hailed a taxi immediately, as he pulled her into it and placed Winter on his lap."

Rose was still on the phone. "Ashlyn had told him how the family had been treating you, so, he went and got some of his boys and Jumped Anthony," Coney said through sobs "Your mother-in-law is screaming your Uncle's ear off. Rose, Jake beat-up Anthony pretty badly, they are thinking about suing" Rose became deadly silent as she listened to Coney freak out.

The moment Rose had gotten to the hospital, Anna had come out of nowhere and slapped her hard.

Almost as if she wanted to draw blood. The woman's face was seething in pure rage. Jake sat up and was about to ham on the women when his father held him back.

"You bitch, you think you can treat anyone the way you want to don't you…" Jake was Screaming, and his friends were starting at Anna about ready to go again. Not caring if she is an older woman

"I won't settle, all you hooligans can rot in jail" Anna snapped back at Jake

"Rose, cut ties with this people, we don't need them when having we ever needed them" David almost forgot to hold on tightly to Jake as he was starting to get furious too. Coney just sat looking down her hands covering her face.

Rose nodded "I'll move out," she said suddenly. Anthony walked out at that moment with a smile on his face which had a few scratches. Anna had about the same expression on her face, as is she couldn't wait to get the girl to say those words.

"Don't even bother coming back for your stuff; they'll be sent to you?" She said as she turned around and led Anthony out of the hospital.

"BUBbb" Winter voice sounded out, and he was still be held tightly in Jean's arms. Rose signed as she looked at how calm he was. He indeed was her son, look at how calm he was in this situation.

She turned her face back to the boys she recognized as Jake's close teammates.

"We are sorry, Miss Rose, but we couldn't stand the way he was treating you," One of them said

"He was talking mad smack about you."

"We just couldn't sit there and do nothing."

"Yeah, you always come to our games with sweets and Cookies. Y0ou0r a nice person."

"Jake" Rose turned to her cousin, who looked away. She plucked his forehead

"Ouch," he said

"The reason I didn't tell you anything was that I knew how'd you react. Jake, I know how to take care of myself. I didn't want to ruin your future because of little spats like this"

The police officers who witnessed everything just started as they took notes

"How can you stand it" Jake broke out "They are not even treating you like family."

Jean looked at the poor boy who was sixteen, who was just trying to defend his cousin. Rose looked up at the Security Camera. Surely, her mother didn't set this up for nothing.