Chapter 518
II
Rowan shot him a sideways glance and replied with a question of his own, “Are you leaving or not?”
Rex quickly backpedaled. “Leaving, leaving, leaving.”
Fine, he’d leave.
Just don’t come crying to him for shelter when she kicks you out.
Once the roar of Rex’s engine faded down the driveway, Rowan slowly made his way back upstairs.
However, he stopped by his study first to handle some work.
Since her room was fully stocked with everything she could possibly need, Elissa grabbed a cotton pajama set and headed into the bathroom to shower.
Stepping out clean and refreshed, she wandered out to the balcony. Seeing that Rex’s car was gone from the driveway, she automatically assumed Rowan had headed back to Vistapeak Gardens as well.
“Miss Elissa, the kitchen made some warm chamomile tea. Would you like me to bring it up?”
A gentle knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. It was Mrs. Gable.
Hearing her familiar voice stripped away the last remnants of awkwardness Elissa felt in the house. She walked over and opened the door. The dimples on her cheeks made her look incredibly sweet when she smiled.
Mrs. Gable’s heart melted at the sight.
After all, she had practically watched this girl grow up.
Elissa was an orphan.
Though Mrs. Gable was just an employee, over the years she had subconsciously come to treat Elissa like her own family.
Since it was still early, Elissa didn’t want to trouble her. “It’s okay, Mrs. Gable, I’ll go down and have it in the kitchen.”
Besides, Max should be back soon.
He would be thrilled to see her.
And since Mrs. Garrett was temporarily sleeping in a first-floor guest room due to her ankle, Elissa wanted to check the swelling one last time before bed.
“Alright,” Mrs. Gable said, her eyes soft with affection. Having not seen Elissa in a long time, she couldn’t help but ramble. “It’s so crazy how time flies. You and Rowan are all grown up, and now you’re going to have a baby of your own…”
Elissa smiled softly. “You can tell I’m pregnant?”
She was just starting to show, and though she purposely wore looser clothes, Mrs. Gable was experienced enough that it wasn’t surprising she’d noticed.
“I didn’t need to guess,” Mrs. Gable chuckled. “A few days ago, when Rowan came back to personally add some things to your room, he told me you were expecting He made sure to tell me to take extra special care of you when you moved in.”
Elissa paused.
Did that mean Rowan had been planning for her to move into Rivercross Residence days ago?
And then Mrs. Garrett coincidentally sprained her ankle, giving him the perfect excuse before he even had to ask?
But if he was living at Vistapeak Gardens, why would he want her to move in here?
Before Elissa could overthink it, she
reached the bottom of the stairs. A massive white dog bounded out of a black Maybach in the driveway. Catching sight of her through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he sprinted inside like a bullet.
His tail was wagging so fast it looked like a helicopter propeller.
Mrs. Gable and Evan both gasped, terrified Max was going to tackle Elissa to the ground. Just as Evan lunged to grab his collar, Max slammed on his front brakes a few feet away
He slid perfectly to a halt right in front of her, shoving his big head affectionately against her legs. “Woof! Woof!”
“Hey, Max, you’re back!” Elissa crouched down and wrapped her arms around him. The freshly bathed dog smelled amazing.
But Max wasn’t satisfied with just a hug. He bolted to his room, retrieved a squeaky toy, and shoved it directly into her hands, demanding playtime.
Elissa knew that at his age, she wouldn’t have many more chances to play with him like this.
Most dogs Max’s age were lethargic, but thanks to the incredible care Rowan had provided over the years, Max was far more energetic than other senior dogs.
She happily took the toy and indulged him.
Upstairs, Rowan sent off his final email. Hearing the joyous commotion from the living room, a rare, tender warmth softened his usually cold eyes.
This was exactly how it was supposed to be.
This was how their home had always been meant to look.
At that exact moment, Frank Atwater was standing inside Elissa’s old home.