The CEO's Rose

Bryce’s POV

When asked what the key to a perfect murder was, Bryce was certain that a lot of people would give varying answers. Some would say that it was having the perfect weapon, be it poison, a sharp object, a rope or whatever it is that they preferred. Others would swear that the key to a good murder was strong emotions. That in order to truly kill someone, you had to be passionate about the deed, that deriving satisfaction from the kill made it even better. Then of course there would be those who would be very opposed to that. Believing that the key to a good kill was being completely detached from the situation.

The way that he saw it, everyone was free to do whatever felt right to them. So long as the target was dead at the end of it, that was all that mattered.

For Bryce, what he had discovered to be true for himself was that the key to a perfect murder was patience.

The entire time that he had been keeping an eye on Vivian Rose, he could have lost his cool and just decided to act. Not caring who was there or what they were seeing. Just wanting to get his hands on Vivian and snuff out her worthless life. But spurred on by the thought of how wonderful it would be to wait for just the right moment,( and of course, by Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth). Bryce had exercised patience in a manner that he had never done before. It had been difficult, but he had forced himself to watch, and wait.

His patience was finally paying off.

***

The first odd thing to stick out that morning was seeing just one car exit Ryan Terrell’s building instead of two. Seeing that it was Ryan’s, Bryce had nearly just stayed where he was and not followed. Thinking that Vivian would either come out later. Or that she would stay cooped up in the luxurious penthouse all day like the lazy waste of space that she was.

But then he had noticed that the man had a passenger and he had decided to pursue them.

Upon seeing the billionaire leave Vivian at the school, Bryce had felt hopeful for the first time in weeks. He’d stayed just out of view for hours, waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

Unlike he had been expecting, when school had ended the billionaire had not immediately shown up to whisk her away, and Bryce’s blood had begun to sing.

He had quickly sent a text to Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth, biting his lower lip in excitement.

[This might be it].

He’d have liked for her to reply, but Gwendolyn seldom did that. She preferred talking face to face, so Bryce had not let the silence from her end bug him. Instead he had focused on the task at hand, which had been keeping an eye out. As he’d waited, he had begun wondering if he should just forget the plan and go end her in the school. But he’d held back because he had been uncertain of the placement of cameras throughout the building.

In the end though, his wait had paid off. He had watched her walk out of the building on her own, sinking down lower in his seat to stop her from seeing him.

Then he had watched as she had begun walking instead of waiting for a car to pick her up, and he had known for sure that the chance he had been waiting for was finally there.

***

Now he watched her walk, his eyes unblinking, fixed on her every move as she got farther and farther away. The moment there was enough distance between them, he started up the car, and began to follow her. A warm pleasant feeling spreading in his veins when he realized where she was going. The bus stop that she was headed to had a route that would leave her near her building.

She was going to her apartment...finally.

As proof that the universe agreed that she had to go. There were just enough cars that him following the bus that she had boarded was not at all noticeable.

Just to be safe, when the bus took a familiar turn, he kept going straight ahead. It would give her a few minutes ahead of him. Time for her to walk into her place and feel safe, comfortable. Then he would show up, and end her.

Letting her slip out of sight was really hard, but Bryce forced himself to stay calm. He had held on for weeks now. He could hold himself back for a little while longer just to make sure that she was truly alone. That there really was no one else coming. Just thinking of how he was finally getting a chance to punish her for all of her wrongdoings had Bryce feeling so happy that he actually started whistling. For weeks now she had been taunting him, always being just out of reach. But now he finally had her and she did not even know it.

***

Once he reached her apartment complex, he did not immediately get out. Instead he stayed in the car. His eyes fixed on her apartment as he waited, the time on his watch slowly ticking away. When the tenth minute came and went, with Vivian still being the only person in the apartment, Bryce finally began to prepare himself. Pulling the hoodie that he was wearing low on his face, he checked his reflection in the rear view mirror and was glad that his face was not easy to see. After sliding on some dark leather gloves, he reached for the instrument that would grant him access to her place.

The screwdriver glinted in the fading evening light, and Bryce ran a finger over the tip before slipping it into his pocket.

Looking at his phone on the dashboard, he considered calling Gwendolyn for good luck, but then he decided against that. He did not need luck, he just had to go in there, and teach Vivian Rose a lesson that she would never forget. Leaving the phone behind, he got out of the car and began walking towards Vivian’s place, his steps light, his heart thundering with determination, finally, finally... He was going to show Vivian exactly who he was. By the time that he was done with her, she would be looking casket sharp.