Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Elissa paused for a moment as she rinsed the cutlery.
She hadn’t expected him to remember something so trivial.
A gentle warmth flickered through her chest, leaving a faint, lingering ache.
“Mr. Murphy p>
A composed female voice floated in from the half–open doorway. Lorraine stepped inside, flashing a polite smile when she saw Elissa. “Elissa p>
Elissa quickly regained her composure, smoothing away any trace of emotion. “Secretary Lynn p>
Lorraine walked over to the seat beside Rowan, her tone light and friendly. “Mind if I join you for dinner p>
Elissa smiled. “Not at all p>
The way these two could dine so comfortably in private–especially after Rowan had publicly denied being single last time, and Lorraine had been so eager to find out his likes and dislikes–reminded her of those romantic subplots in novels, where both sides are quietly pining but
neither has confessed.
She was just an outsider; what say did she have?
Rowan’s deep, hooded gaze caught the cool indifference on her face. His brow creased slightly as he turned to Lorraine. “What brings you here p>
Elissa blinked, surprised. Wasn’t she here at his invitation?
“A friend mentioned they saw you here,” Lorraine explained as she sat down. “I thought you might be stuck at a business dinner, so I came to rescue you from the endless toasts p>
“And now you see I’m not?” Rowan leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes unreadable. “You won’t be needed for that. You can go p>
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10:43
The tension became palpable, even Elissa could feel it.
Lorraine’s smile faltered. “I p>
“Mr. Murphy-“Elissa, unsure what strange turn this dinner had taken, remembered she was the host and spoke up, “We ordered enough food for an army. One more guest won’t make a difference p>
Rowan’s expression grew colder. He shot her a look and said, “Aren’t you generous p>
His words seemed to carry an unspoken meaning.
Before Elissa could puzzle it out, Lorraine sent her a grateful smile, and she could only respond in kind.
The rest of the meal was an exercise in discomfort; Rowan’s mood never improved, and Elissa found herself wishing she could disappear.
After they left the restaurant, Rowan glanced down at her, his tone dry and mocking. “Well, Miss Sinclair, anything else you’d like me to do? Should I chauffeur Secretary Lynn home for you p>
Elissa nearly choked. “…No, that’s not necessary p>
“Oh, come on, Rowan. Don’t give Elissa a hard time.” Lorraine didn’t seem to mind his coldness. She smiled at Elissa. “Thank you for dinner–I’ll head out now p>
With that, she strolled over to a nearby limited–edition sports car.
Most secretaries could work a lifetime and never afford a car like that.
Elissa couldn’t help but glance at Rowan in surprise. Rowan snorted, “What are you looking at me for? It’s not like I gave it to her p>
“Oh. Right.” Elissa replied, then immediately felt how strange the exchange was.
She sounded like a jealous girlfriend, questioning whether he’d given another woman an expensive gift–and Rowan, of all people, actually explained himself.
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10:43
The awkwardness lingered as they drove back to Rivercross Residence, where Elissa finally retrieved her own car.
Rex was sprawled on the couch, looking bored out of his mind. When he heard the cars outside, he slid his feet into a pair of leather slippers and ambled out, grinning knowingly. “Well, well, lan said you were having dinner with your favorite little sister p>
Elissa, who was just about to close her car door, froze for a second. That odd feeling from earlier came rushing back, and she instinctively glanced in Rex’s direction.
Rex finally noticed she’d come back with Rowan. Under Rowan’s withering stare, he forced a casual smile. “Hey, little Elissa, your brother didn’t bully you tonight, did he p>
“No.” Elissa saw that he seemed perfectly normal, and wondered if she was just overthinking things. She pressed her lips together. “Rex, I’ll head home p>
“Alright,” Rex let out a sigh of relief and waved her off. “Drive safe p>
As the white Mercedes pulled out and disappeared down the street, Rex patted his chest with a dramatic sigh of relief.
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