Chapter 628
With her deepest anxieties finally resolved, Elissa’s taut nerves unspooled, and a heavy wave of exhaustion dragged her under. She slept for the entire car ride.
By the time they pulled into Rivercross Residence, it wasn’t just Janice Garrett waiting in the living room; Tanya was there, too. The moment the Bentley rolled into the driveway, Tanya, who had been pacing a hole into the floor, sprinted outside. She threw open the backseat door, her face sagging with profound relief the second she laid eyes on Elissa.
“You practically gave me a heart attack!”
Tanya helped her out of the car, inspecting her from head to toe. “My plane touched down, and the first thing I heard was that you were kidnapped! How are you? Are you hurt? Are you having any pain?”
Tanya had been swamped with work lately, frequently flying out and returning on the same day. When she landed, she couldn’t reach Elissa, so she called Cliff Riley. The moment she found out about the kidnapping, she lost her mind and drove straight to Rivercross Residence to wait it out with Janice.
Having caught a solid nap in the car, Elissa felt significantly better. Seeing the dark, exhausted circles under Tanya’s eyes, she couldn’t help but sigh. “I’m completely fine. But look at you, pulling another all-nighter?”
Rowan, knowing the women could talk for hours, intervened. “Let’s head inside. Dinner is ready.”
Elissa was starving, so she nodded. But immediately, she noticed Rowan’s gaze fix on her, his posture shifting to pick her up again. She hurriedly shook her head. “I’m fine now. I just need to walk slowly.”
Tanya instantly knew she was lying, but she didn’t call her out. She just supported her arm carefully. “Take it as slow as you want. I need my goddaughter to call me Godmother as soon as possible.”
Janice was already waiting at the front door. Seeing Elissa’s pale complexion, she immediately rushed forward to support her other side, not missing a beat to scold Rowan. “Everyone’s so terrified of your reputation, yet you can’t even protect your own woman!”
Rowan had spent the entire drive silently castigating himself for the same thing, so he accepted the scolding without a single word of defense.
Elissa found the situation slightly amusing. “Mrs. Garrett, it’s easy to dodge a spear in the light, but hard to block an arrow in the dark. You can’t blame him for this.”
Every advantage came with a cost. Rowan possessed terrifying power, which naturally attracted enemies lurking in the shadows. She had accepted that reality the moment she decided to return to him. No matter what happened, she was never leaving his side again.
Besides, back at the abandoned villa, she had heard Rowan mention a familiar name. She had been too exhausted to ask about it in the car, but this entire ordeal might not have just been aimed at Rowan. It very likely had something to do with her, too.
Seeing how fiercely Elissa defended him, Janice backed off and ordered the staff to serve dinner.
Neither Janice nor Tanya had eaten a bite while Elissa was missing. Now that she was safely home, all five of them finally sat down to a proper meal.
Mrs. Gable gently placed a bowl of herbal soup in front of Elissa. “Fresh from the stove. Careful, it’s hot.”
“Thank you.” Elissa nodded. “I’ll write down a prescription for you later. Could you go to the Serenity Traditional Medicine Center tomorrow and get it filled for me?”
The herbs at the Serenity Center were rigorously inspected, guaranteeing better efficacy.
Hearing she needed herbal medicine, Janice instantly grew anxious. “Is the baby okay?”
Elissa didn’t want to worry her. “Everything is fine. I just haven’t been sleeping well the past few nights, so I wanted to brew something to help me rest.”
“That’s good, then.” Janice had complete faith in Elissa’s medical expertise. She used serving utensils to place a piece of BBQ ribs onto Tanya’s plate. “Eat up, Tanya We’re all family here, make yourselfat home.”
The dinner was incredibly warm and comforting.
After eating, Tanya didn’t linger. “It’s getting late, and you need to shower and sleep. I’m going to head out.”
Elissa tried to convince her to spend the night, but when she refused, Elissa insisted, “I’ll have a driver take you.”
Tanya had clearly been awake for over twenty-four hours, and Elissa wasn’t about to let her drive exhausted.
Once Tanya’s car disappeared down the road, Elissa and Rowan went upstairs to wash up.
Usually, they showered separately, but tonight, Rowan absolutely refused.
Elissa flushed with embarrassment. “I’m really okay. I can shower by myself.”
“Then leave the door unlocked. I’ll wait right outside.”
That way, if anything happened, he could get to her instantly. Having no other choice, Elissa agreed.
After her shower, Rowan meticulously dried her hair and tucked her into bed before going to take his own shower.
Elissa’s mind was racing with questions, so when the bathroom door finally opened, her eyes immediately locked onto him.
Instantly, the tips of her ears burned.
His bathrobe hung loosely on his
frame, the belt tied carelessly at his waist. His sculpted abs were fully exposed to the cold air, damp droplets trailing down his distinct V-line. Even though they had been intimately familiar with each others bodies for a long time, the sight was still staggering.
Rowan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Not sleepy?”
“I am…” Elissa averted her gaze, feeling inexplicably guilty. She
collected herself and finally cut
straight to the chase. “How do you know about Orion Stone?”