Melody stepped into the hallway and spotted Rowan at the far end, leaning casually against the wall with a cigarette in hand. She approached him, "Mrs. Salstrom wants to see you."


    Rowan took a final drag, flicked the cigarette out the window, and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he headed towards the hospital room.


    "Hey, Rowan," Melody called out, “If I hadn''te with you, would you still have brought Mrs. Salstrom here? You like her, don''t you?"


    It was their first meeting, but Rowan''s rugged good looks were hard to miss. Melody, having met her fair share of men, noticed the way he looked at Anastasia —a look that showed he cared.


    Rowan turned, his gaze sharp. "Mind your own business," he snapped.


    He didn''t owe an exnation to someone he barely knew.


    Melody felt a chill run down her spine under his intense gaze. She''d only seen such intensity once before-in Herman''s eyes.


    She wisely decided to drop the subject.


    Rowan entered the hospital room. It waste, well past two in the morning. Anastasia was on the phone with Nelson.


    Nelson had been rushed to the hospital for stitches and had called Anastasia as soon as he could. Only then did she find out about his ident.


    The memory of the strange drink and Nelson''s ident nagged at her. Jarod had denied any wrongdoing, but if he had spiked the drink, why would he drink it too? Was someone else pulling the strings?


    Anastasia''s mind raced. She spoke calmly into the phone, "Focus on getting better, Nelson. Don''t worry about anything else right now; your health is what matters."


    Nelson had a mild concussion and needed stitches, requiring a brief stay at the hospital.


    "Alright, Mrs. Salstrom," Nelson replied. "I''ll head to the office tomorrow. Can you handle Mr. Jarod?"


    Anastasia didn''t mention the situation to Nelson. "Don''t worry about it. Just get some rest."


    After hanging up, she called Henry. She noticed Rowan hade in but continued with her calls first.


    Rowan sat quietly, respecting her space.


    Once the call connected, Anastasia instructed Henry, "I need you to check out Neon Dreams. Look into the waiter who served us and find out what happened after I left. Also, check the background of the guy who fought with Nelson. I want all the details by morning, okay?"


    "No problem," Henry assured her.


    "Thanks, Henry." She ended the call and finally turned to Rowan. "You''ve been following me again. What''s your deal?"


    It wasn''t a coincidence that Rowan always showed up when things went wrong. She couldn''t figure out his motives.


    Rowan''s eyes locked onto hers, deep and mysterious. She had handled things well, he thought. Her quick thinking showed she was no pushover. But even the smartest woman could be vulnerable.


    She needed someone to have her back.


    Rowan didn''t know why he kept following her. From Springfield to Riverdale, he''d been her silent guardian. Asher had ordered him back to their old stomping grounds, but he''d lied, saying he was busy.


    It had be a habit, this silent protection. He simply wanted to be where she


    was.


    Seeing his silence and intense gaze,


    Anastasia frowned. "Rowan, say something. What''s your purpose here? And was it you who took Herman? My sources say he''s not


    dead, that someone took him Was it you?"


    She had been nning to seek him out, but here he was, right in front of her.