Chapter 431
The unexpected kiss caught Rowan completely off guard.
Her technique was clumsy, but even so, a fire ignited within him. He was lost, and he willingly surrendered to it.
A second later, Rowan took control, pulling her fully into his arms. His arm wrapped around her waist, and he deepened the kiss without hesitation.
Her senses were filled with his familiar, subtle scent, and for a fleeting moment, Elissa wished time could stop right there, freezing everything in this perfect instant.
A cool evening breeze swept over the terrace, jolting Elissa back to reality. She tore herself from his embrace, not allowing herself to sink any further. Gasping for breath, she fought to regain her composure.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Mr. Murphy, it doesn’t matter if you’re willing. I’m not in the habit of letting someone else raise my child p>
“It doesn’t matter?” Rowan was at a loss. He touched his lips. “Then what was that kiss? Elissa, why did you kiss me p>
Who had taught her to be like this? Pushing him away one second and taking what she wanted the next. Oh, right. Frank, that idiot.
Elissa clenched her fists. “Consider it your bad luck p>
Rowan almost laughed in disbelief, his patience wearing thin. “What is this all about?” he said, his voice turning cold. “Can you just tell me what’s wrong? Elissa, don’t think for a second that I can’t live without you p>
Elissa knew that much, at least. She looked down. “Of course you can. You’re Rowan Murphy p>
The line of women who wanted to marry him could stretch for miles down the coastal highway.
To Rowan, her words sounded like a bitter taunt.
A cold fury settled in his eyes, but before he could speak, they heard a commotion from the stairwell.
The family butler, clearly having run up the stairs, was panting for breath. He looked at Elissa, his voice urgent. “Dr. Drummond, please, come quickly! The madam has collapsed p>
“Collapsed?” Elissa’s heart sank. Fortunately, she was familiar with Suzanne Jensen’s condition. “What happened? Did she fall?” she asked as she rushed downstairs.
Suzanne’s blood pressure was slightly high, but it had been well-controlled recently. She shouldn’t have collapsed out of the blue.
“She was arguing with the master,” the butler explained. “And then she just… fainted p>
Elissa understood and didn’t press for more details. She was just surprised. From her previous interactions with them in Vistapeak City, she had always thought Tristan cherished his wife.
When she reached the living room, Suzanne had already been moved to a bed in a first-floor guest room.
The sight of Suzanne lying so still
sent a pang of fear through Elissa’s heart. As s she moved toward the bed, Maya blocked her path. “What are you doing here?” she snapped you Said you were taking good care of my mother! Why did she just faint like that? We don’t need you here p>
As she moved, she inadvertently tugged at the collar of Elissa’s shirt, revealing for
a split second a distinctive, bow-shaped birthmark on her shoulder.
Maya’s world tilted on its axis. She quickly let go, allowing the fabric to fall back into place.
“What’s your problem?” Rex’s sharp
voice cut through the tension.
Everyone else was focused on
Suzanne and hadn’t noticed the brief exchange. He pushed past Maya and urged Elissa forward Then seeing Tristan’s familiar, hesitant expression, ready to defend Maya, Rex’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Look at the way you protect her. Anyone would think she was your secret love child p>
Tristan’s brow furrowed. “Don’t talk such nonsense p>
“Me?” Rex scoffed. “If you had said a little less nonsense just now, my mother wouldn’t have collapsed p>
The tension between father and son was thick enough to cut with a knife.
“I need you all to leave, please,” Elissa said in a firm voice as she began taking Suzanne’s pulse.
Maya, desperate to appear normal, forced a sneer. “Elissa, who do you think you are, giving orders in my house p>
“I told you to shut up!” Rex hissed, grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the
room.
Tristan looked at Elissa, concerned. “Dr. Drummond p>
“Jesse, could you go upstairs and get my needle case?” Elissa said, as if she hadn’t heard him. She turned to Jesse. “It’s in the drawer of the nightstand on the right side of the bed p>
“On my way,” Jesse nodded and quickly left.
Tristan frowned. Apart from Suzanne, no one had ever treated him with such disregard, acting as if they couldn’t even hear him. But strangely, as he watched Elissa calmly and professionally tending to his wife, he felt no anger, only a twinge of guilt.
He felt indebted to Maya’s parents, and he had poured all that guilt into doting on Maya, often favoring her over his own children. After Vera disappear Suzanines annu toward Maya had grown colder, and in response, he had become even more protective of her. The
argument at the dinner table had been about Maya.
But why had Suzanne grown so cold to Maya in the first place?
It was because of Vera.
Just before she collapsed, Suzanne’s last words to him had been, “Tristan, have
you completely forgotten about Vera p>