Chapter 298
apter 299
Chapter 299
After handing her the wallet, Rowan slipped one hand casually into his pocket. His expression was calm and untroubled, showing not the slightest hint of guilt–just the same cool demeanor he always
wore.
Elissa hesitated for a moment. But since she’d already asked for it, she figured she might as well satisfy her curiosity, no matter what she found inside.
Her lips twitched when she opened the wallet and saw how empty it was–not a bill in sight, cleaner than a college student’s bank account.
Still under Rowan’s watchful gaze, she slid her slender fingers into a hidden compartment and deftly pulled out a photograph.
There it was–the photo Lorraine had mentioned, the one Rowan kept tucked away as if it were a secret treasure. And now, it was right in front of Elissa.
She’d seen this coming, really.
That was the whole reason she’d asked for his wallet in the first place–to confirm what she already suspected.
But still, looking at the photo–the one of herself grinning boldly at the camera, eyes impossibly bright–Elissa felt her whole body go rigid.
Because she knew better than anyone.
Back then, she hadn’t been looking at the camera. She’d been looking at the person behind it.
At Rowan.
All those years she’d spent moving forward on her own, careful and guarded, had faded so many things to gray. But some memories, once triggered, came flooding back with a force that left her breathless.
Moments that belonged to them. The birthday that year–it all played out in her mind, frame by frame, like a slow–motion film.
She remembered standing in front of the cake, eyes squeezed shut, making a wish out loud to the heavens: “Elissa wishes she’ll never have to be apart from Rowan p>
She even remembered the dazed look in Rowan’s eyes when she opened hers.
At the time, Elissa thought he was moved, that he’d been wishing for the exact same thing.
That they were inseparable.
Looking back, she realized he’d probably been laughing at her for being such a fool.
While she was dreaming about forever, he was probably already planning how to shake off the clingy girl who wouldn’t let go.
Not long after her birthday, he’d packed her off to his grandmother’s house without a word of explanation.
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Chapter 299
He didn’t even bother to say goodbye.
And now? Was this photo, stuffed in his wallet, supposed to magically wipe away everything that had happened?
Rowan looked down. The girl in front of him was frozen, her ponytail neat and high, exposing the delicate curve of her neck and shoulders. Her long lashes cast shadows over her eyes, hiding whatever she was feeling.
But under the harsh elevator lights, the color was draining from her face, second by second.
Rowan’s gaze darkened. He was about to speak when Elissa suddenly looked up, her clear eyes locking onto his.
“Rowan, you don’t have some secret crush on me, do you p>
Blunt. Direct. The kind of question that left nowhere to hide.
Rowan saw how pale she was and swallowed whatever he’d been about to say. The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile. “Actually, I’m secretly in love with Max p>
He needed to be patient with this, he reminded himself.
Because if he pushed too hard, Elissa’s stubborn streak would only make her pull away from him.
Elissa blinked, then glanced down at the photo again.
Only now did she notice the little dog next to her in the picture, sitting perfectly still for the camera.
Max–her birthday present from Rowan that year.
While she was distracted, Rowan swiftly took the photo back and slipped it into the wallet’s hidden pocket as if it were something precious. His tone was light, almost casual: “That was the day Max first came home. Had to keep a memento p>
Elissa’s tense posture finally softened. Her voice was cool and even. “Then maybe you should cut my
half out of it p>
“No way p>
Rowan’s answer was firm, almost self–assured. “That’s the best picture I’ve ever taken. The angle, the composition–everything’s perfect p>
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