Rowan’s dark eyes fixed on her. “Frank didn’t even agree to this?”


    “I haven’t brought it up with him yet.”


    “So why are you asking me first?”


    Elissa fell silent, suddenly realizing she trusted Rowan more than she cared to admit. She’d blurted it out without even thinking.


    Seeing the steady, indifferent look on Rowan’s face, Elissa pressed her palms together nervously. “If you don’t want to… then just forget it.”


    There was no forcing Rowan into anything he didn’t want.


    Back home, Elissa barely nced away from the clock on the wall. She watched the hands crawl forward until her eyes burned and her nerves were about to snap. At the breaking point, she snatched up her phone and dialed Aaron’s number.


    The call connected immediately.


    Aaron picked up after barely a ring. Elissa’s voice trembled with both relief and anxiety. “Professor, did you pick up Jonathan? I actually need to trouble you with something-


    “Elissa.” Aaron’s voice was strained, urgent. “Our flightnded early, so we decided to catch a cab instead. There was an ident on the


    way–Jacqueline’s hurt pretty badly. We’re <b>on </b>our way to the hospital right now.<i>” </i>


    Elissa finally understood the meaning of “when it rains, it pours.”


    She shot up from the couch. “What about you? Are you okay? And Jacqueline–does she need-”


    “I’m fine,” Aaron interrupted gently, knowing her too well. “Don’t panic. There’s nothing you can do right now. By the time your visa’s sorted, Jacqueline will probably be out of the hospital.”


    “But-”


    09-197


    “Trust me. Wait until we’re back home, then you can visit her. Don’t worry


    about us.”


    “Alright.”


    After a few deep breaths, Elissa knew she couldn’t leave the country any time soon. “If you or Jacqueline need anything–please call me, any


    time.”


    People liked to joke that Aaron was henpecked, but Elissa knew better. Jacqueline hardly ever nagged–Aaron just loved her fiercely.


    This was the worst possible moment to bring up her own problems. Elissa had no choice but to hang up.


    But then there was Tanya Foster…


    Elissa had never felt so close to falling apart. She paced her living room, clutching her phone, mind racing through everyone she could call.


    Was


    Bradley? Probably not. He was a ssic trust fund kid, but real power in the Murphy family in his older brother’s hands. No one in Vistapeak City wanted to cross the Murphys.


    The more she thought about it, the more obvious it became–Rowan was the only one who could really help.


    At the front door, Elissa’s nails dug crescents into her palm as she hesitated, torn between pride and desperation.


    She knew she ought to go to him, but her thoughts were a tangled mess.


    Her phone rang. te sounded impatient. “Still haven’t decided?”


    “If


    you keep hesitating, Elissa, who knows what might happen to your best friend…” It was a veiled threat, his meaning clear.


    “I’ve decided!” Elissa’s voice came out tight, nearly a shout.


    te chuckled darkly. “Then what are you waiting for-”


    She hung up before he could finish.


    She’d made up her mind.


    She was going to ask Rowan for help.


    No more wavering. Elissa strode across the hall, heart pounding, and rang Rowan’s doorbell.


    It was four in the morning. She’d resigned herself to the possibility that he wouldn’t answer. But as soon as the bell sounded, the door swung open from the inside.


    It was as if he’d been waiting for her all along.


    Rowan stood there, shoulders draped in a dark robe, the entryway light. casting sharp shadows across his face and making his features seem even more enigmatic. His jaw was set, eyes unreadable, watching her in silence. He didn’t say a word–just waited for her to speak, his presence almost overwhelming.


    Elissa’s fingers trembled at her sides. She looked up at him, summoning every ounce of courage she had left.


    “Rowan… you must care about me at least a little, right?”


    09:19