<b>Chapter </b><b>134 </b>
“Who told you I was just acting on a whim?”
Elissa froze.
She’d always been quick–witted; she understood exactly what Rowan meant beneath the surface.
If she just yed along, softened her stance, she could once again be Rowan’s cherished little sister–at least for a while.
He’d shield her, just like he had during those nine years in the past.
But…
When would the next abandonmente? If she nodded now, she’d probably lose sleep every night from now on, waiting for the ax to fall.
She pressed her lips together and took a measured step back, putting some space between them. “You must be joking, Mr. Murphy.”
Unbelievable. She was probably the first person in Vistapeak City daring enough to repeatedly bruise Rowan’s ego.
The study fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The air was thick with
tension.
Rowan had always known she was stubborn, but he hadn’t realized she could be this unyielding.
In the past, whenever she was upset, she’d act just like this. He’d offer her an out, but she’d refuse to take it, insisting he lower his pride and coax
her.
He was the eldest son of the Murphy family–he’d never had to cate anyone. But if he didn’t, she’d cry. And not just once–she’d cry on and on, until his head was pounding.
But now, she didn’t even bother to cry anymore.
All that remained was her stubbornness.
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Elissa half wondered if he was silently considering the best ce <b>to </b>
dump her body, when suddenly the man spoke. “I thought you were going to thank me. Or was that just for show?”
She blinked, momentarily thrown off. But she quickly caught his meaning. “How about… I treat you to dinner next time I’m free?”
“No need to wait for next time.”
Rowan nced down at his watch–a piece worth as much as a
downtown apartment–and regarded her with a rare air of magnanimity. “I’ve got time now.”
He’d be so powerful that he couldn’t even be bothered to distinguish between empty pleasantries and genuine invitations.
He hadn’t always been like this, had he?
Elissa was just about to protest that she was busy. But Rowan, as if seeing straight through her intention, cut in, “Ms. Drummond, surely you weren’t just making empty promises, were you?”
Elissa felt her toes curl in embarrassment. Her scalp tingling, she forced herself to respond, “Of course not. I just… haven’t decided which restaurant would be best.”
“I know a ce.”
He grabbed the suit jacket draped over the back of his chair and tossed it over his arm with practiced ease. “Let’s go.”
Elissa’s brow twitched. Resigned, she followed him downstairs.
There was no way Rowan would stoop to riding in her car. She didn’t even wait for him to suggest otherwise, simply fell in step behind him and slipped into the back seat of his Bentley.
Rowan spoke casually, almost as if making small talk. “You haven’t been
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to theb these past couple of days<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“Mmm.”
Elissa assumed he was checking on her progress, so she exined without thinking, “But I haven’t dyed any of the work. I’ve attended every research meeting online.”
She’d also been in constant discussion with Cliff about potential side effects of the new drug.
Cancer patients were already so fragile–she wanted to maximize the treatment’s effectiveness and minimize any side effects.
Ideally, she wanted to achieve zero side effects.
The rest of the team thought her expectations were unrealistic, but she refused to give up.
That’s what it meant to be a true doctor.
When people talked about physicians, those were the words that came to mind–she wanted to live up to them.
She wanted to have a clear conscience.
Rowan listened to her quietly. Instead of reacting like everyone else, he simply raised an eyebrow. “If you need any support from thepany–funding or anything else–telln. Any time.”
Elissa looked at him in surprise. “You don’t think I’m being naive?”
Rowan’s tone was cool, matter–of–fact. “It’s only money. I have more than enough for you to chase your ideals.”
Alright then.
Money talks.
But that was only to be expected. If the research seeded, Murphy
Group would be a top global medicalpany, and this drug alone
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would secure its legacy for generations.
If it failed, he’d only lose a little money.
Money was the one thing he’d neverck.
Elissa was about to say something when her phone suddenly rang. As she pulled it out, a strange tension seemed to fill the car.
She answered Frank’s call, her tone cool. “Hello?”
Frank’s voice was warm, tinged with confusion. “Elissa, are you not home right now?”
She didn’t answer directly. “Why?”
“The courier in charge of delivering your painting called me. He said he can’t reach you.”
Frank was always patient. “I happened to want to check in on you, so I came over to your ce to sign for the painting. I’m at your front door now–when will you be back?”