Chapter 203
To anyone else, the question seemed harmless–no different from asking a child if they loved their mom or dad more.
But Elissa and Rowan weren’t anyone else. Their relationship had always been complicated, and so the question, so ordinary for others, was anything but for them.
Still, Rowan and Frank both turned to her, waiting for an answer. The others did the same, eyes quietly expectant.
Elissa smiled, her tone light but honest. “Honestly? Neither really matters to me p>
Her answer drew laughter from the group, though no one seemed surprised.
After all, Rowan had abandoned her for eight years. Frank hadn’t touched her for three, too busy pining for Marcia Carson.
Really, they were all just as bad as each other.
The evening rolled on, and after a few more rounds of games, someone suggested playing cards. The suite had two card tables, each separated by a decorative screen. The mood was relaxed, and the groups kept to themselves.
At one table, Rowan, Frank, Bradley, and Tanya Foster gathered, with Elissa seated quietly beside Tanya, watching the hands unfold.
Someone called Rex over to the other table, but he declined, pulled up a chair beside Tanya instead, and grinned. “I’m here to bring you luck p>
Tanya flicked a card onto the pile, not missing a beat. “I’ve got Elissa for that. She brings me all the luck I need p>
Rex arched an eyebrow. “So if you win, it’s your skill. If you lose, it’s my fault? Fair enough p>
“Deal,” Tanya replied, this time with a hint of amusement.
Elissa made a mental note: she’d definitely have to tease Tanya about her and Rex when they got home.
After a while, Elissa excused herself to use the restroom. On her way back, she called Aaron Blaine to check on Jacqueline’s health.
“Don’t worry,” Aaron’s voice was reassuring. “She’s almost fully recovered p>
“We’re actually planning to head home in a couple of days,” he added, sounding
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relieved.
“That soon?” Elissa was surprised. “I thought you’d stay at least until after the spring
festival p>
“Nah, we’ve had enough of being abroad. Nothing beats home, and your godmother is ready to be back p>
“Alright then,” Elissa agreed. “I’ll book your flights and pick you up at the airport when you arrive p>
They chatted briefly before Elissa hung up, walking out of the restroom and scrolling through her phone to check flight tickets.
She’d barely taken a few steps when a large hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a dark, empty suite. The room was pitch–black, the lights off, and no one else inside.
Elissa barely had time to adjust to the darkness before she felt a man’s hand gripping her waist, his voice low and unmistakably familiar. “So, I don’t matter to you at all p>
The warmth of his breath, the deep timbre of his voice–she knew it was Rowan.
Elissa pressed her lips together, her answer measured. “That wasn’t part of the contract p>
She’d learned to use his own words against him.
Rowan gave a quiet, humorless chuckle in the dark, leaning down until his face was close to hers. “This,” he murmured, “was in the contract p>
And he was right. The agreement was clear: she couldn’t refuse intimacy.
Elissa parted her lips to say something, but Rowan didn’t give her the chance. His lips claimed hers, stealing her words and her breath.
In the darkness, with her senses overwhelmed, Elissa found herself instinctively wrapping her arms around his waist. Her body remembered him–his touch, his heat. She surrendered control, letting him do as he pleased.
Feeling her soften in his arms, Rowan slid his hand up her back, pressing her closer. Her skin was soft and warm beneath his palm, and he pulled her in until their bodies were flush against each other.
The air between them grew thick and charged.
He wanted more. She was too sweet, too untried–yielding to him, trembling quietly as
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if every touch was new.
Chapter 204