Chapter 532
By the time they stepped out of Atwater Manor, dusk had settled over the city. The evening wind slipped beneath Elissa’s collar, sending a shiver down her spine.
Rowan opened the passenger door, and she quickly slid into the warmth of the car. Before getting in, she tossed her own keys to lan, asking him to drive her car back to Rivercross Residence.
The moment Rowan settled into the driver’s seat, Elissa turned to him, the question burning in her mind. “Why did you suddenly announce your relationship with Paige Jensen?”
His tension with the woman had been an open secret for years, but ripping the polite facade off the Murphy family at this exact moment felt calculated.
Rowan reached over, tracing the knuckles of her elegant fingers. He shot her a meaningful glance. “Why do you think?”
Because of her?
The thought bloomed instinctively in Elissa’s mind.
If he had wanted to cut ties, he could have done it years ago when he first took control of the Murphy Group.
Unable to hold back, she asked, “Because of me?”
“…Hmm?”
Rowan arched an eyebrow, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. “Because the shares Paige Jensen held in the Murphy Group were officially transferred to my name over the last two days.”
He had what he needed. He could finally burn the bridge.
“Oh…”
Elissa swiftly pulled her hand away and turned to look out the window.
She mentally kicked herself. She really needed to stop reading so much into things.
Watching her sulk, Rowan reached out with his long fingers and gave the hem of her jacket a gentle tug. His voice was laced with amusement. “Are you mad?”
“No.”
She wasn’t angry; she was embarrassed.
She felt like an absolute fool for assuming she was the center of his universe. Seeing that she refused to look at him, Rowan laughed softly, shaking his head. “Alright, princess. It really was because of you. Happy?”
It was the truth. She was the only reason he had rushed to the hospital that day, ruthlessly backing Paige Jensen into a corner to sign over the shares.
He knew that if it came down to a war between Elissa and the matriarch, he would choose Elissa every single time.
So, he played dirty, securing the shares while he still could, giving himself the freedom to cut ties with Paige whenever he pleased.
Elissa still didn’t turn around, but the corners of her lips twitched upward. She kept her tone icy. “Yeah, right.”
“Yeah, right,” Rowan echoed, his gaze dropping to the slight, happy shift of her ears. He couldn’t resist teasing her. “Only a puppy would believe that.”
Ever since she was a little girl, her ears would give a subtle twitch whenever she smiled.
Even though she was facing away and playing it cool, her body language completely betrayed her.
Elissa whipped around, glaring at him. “Who are you calling a puppy?”
“Me. I’m the puppy.”
Seeing her puffed-up cheeks, Rowan immediately surrendered, throwing his hands up in mock defeat.
But beneath the teasing, his chest ached with an overwhelming sense of fullness.
For two nights straight, Elissa slept soundly at Rivercross Residence.
Every time she woke up, the reality of it all felt like a dream. She would lie there for a few moments, trying to decipher if this was real, or if the
nine years she had spent apart from Rowan had just been a nightmare.
nine years she had
Once she grounded herself, a profound wave of gratitude would wash over her.
Fate had been kind.
They had found their way back to the same path, becoming each other’s entire world once again.
After breakfast, she drove toward
Sean Cross’s house. Her heart pounded a nervous rhythm against her ribs When she stepped out of the car the crisp morning air hit her, and she realized her back was slick with a cold sweat.
She was terrified that whatever she learned today would force her away from Rowan all over again.
Elissa bypassed an obnoxious McLaren parked haphazardly in the driveway and stood before the heavy front doors. She took a deep, steadying breath before ringing the bell.
It took a few minutes before a maid finally answered. The woman looked surprised
to see her. “Dr. Drummond, you’re… you’re here so early?”
Elissa’s appointment with Sean was for ten o’clock, but it wasn’t even nine yet.
Consumed by anxiety over her parentage, she had mixed up the time. Hearing the maid’s hesitation, she glanced inside. “Is this a bad time for Mr. Cross?”
The maid hesitated for a fraction of a second before offering a warm smile. “No, it’s fine. Please, come in.”
Elissa followed her into the drawing room. “Please have a seat,” the maid said. “Mr. Cross will be right down.”
“Thank you.”
Elissa smiled and sat on the sofa. Just like her last visit, her gaze drifted toward the dining room.
The staff was clearing the table. Once again, it looked like it had been set for two.
But there was no one else in sight.
Feigning casual curiosity, Elissa asked, “I hope I didn’t interrupt Mr. Cross while he was entertaining a friend?”
The maid paused, then laughed politely. “Oh, no. Mr. Cross hasn’t been back in the country for years. He hardly has any friends left here to visit him.”
“I see.”
Elissa let the topic drop.
A moment later, Sean emerged from the elevator, leaning heavily on his cane. He offered a casual smile. “Dr. Drummond, you came alone today?”
“Mr. Riley was planning to come visit you, but something came up at work,” Elissa replied, offering a smooth excuse.
The truth was, she hadn’t even told Cliff she was coming.
She didn’t want the potentially messy details of her birth family broadcasted to anyone else.
Pushing down her impatience, Elissa offered her hand. “Let me check your vitals and adjust your prescription first.”
“Are you sure you want to do that now?” Sean asked, half-joking. “Don’t let your mind wander. I’d hate for you to write down the wrong dosage.”
Elissa caught his underlying meaning. There was no point in dancing around the subject anymore.
She took a quiet breath. “Mr. Cross, I came today because I really need to know… have you made any progress regarding my birth parents?”
Sean sat down, setting his cane aside, and poured her a cup of tea himself. I told you I’d handle it, and meant it. I’ve pretty much verified everything about your background.”
“My parents…” Elissa tightened her hands in her lap, forcing herself to sound composed. “Who are they?”