<b>Chapter </b><b>176 </b>


    It didn’t matter; she still had plenty of time.


    As long as there were no other women around him, she believed that persistence would eventually wear him down.


    After taking her medication, Tanya Foster grew drowsy and went to bed.


    The living room was empty and quiet. Elissa picked up her iPad, ready to unwind in bed with some reality TV.


    Just as she stood up, her phone lit up–there was a new WhatsApp message.


    Brother: [Come over for dinner.]


    She’d always saved Rowan’s contact as “Brother.” Even after she’d taken him off her block list, she’d forgotten to change it.


    Elissa nced at the clock. Lorraine had only gone over five minutes ago.


    Why should she go now?


    To be the third wheel?


    Elissa typed back: [Already ate.]


    In truth, she hadn’t. Tanya was sick and had to avoid seafood, so Elissa had ordered the ndest porridge she could find–so in it barely tasted of anything. She’d only had a couple of mouthfuls herself.


    Rowan replied instantly: [Do I need toe get you?]


    She could picture his tone through the screen–cold, leaving no room for argument.


    Not wanting him to actuallye over, Elissa quickly set down her tablet, grabbed her phone, and headed out.


    Standing outside his apartment door, she hadn’t even pressed the doorbell when her phone buzzed again.


    [902079, let yourself in.]


    His door code.


    She froze, a little caught off guard.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Her mind instantly wondered under what circumstances he’d given Lorraine that code. Maybe she was just one of many women who knew the way into his


    apartment.


    She forced herself to stop thinking about it, keyed in the numbers, and stepped inside, slipping off her shoes and changing into her own slippers.


    The dining table was set with all her favorite dishes–especially the braised pork ribs


    with taro.


    Rowan emerged from the kitchen in a ck striped lounge set, long and lean, holding two sses of juice. He set one in front of her.


    Elissa pressed her lips together. “Thanks.”


    With that, she unwrapped the disposable cutlery and started eating in silence.


    Rowan watched her for a good while, his lips twitching with a cold smile. “Youe over for dinner, and you look this unhappy?”


    “I’m fine.”


    She shook her head automatically and picked up a slice of crispy roast pork.


    Before she knew it, she’d polished off almost all the taro ribs.


    Rowan raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you’d already eaten?”


    Elissa set her fork down, at a loss for words.


    She couldn’t exin it–ever since she saw Lorraine keying in the door code earlier, there’d been a tight, ufortable feeling in her chest.


    Rowan frowned, his dark eyes probing as if he could see right through her, but Elissa kept her face nk.


    Suddenly, he stood up, pulled her into his arms, and lifted her onto the edge of the table, forcing her to meet his gaze. “So, princess, what’s really bothering you? Would you rather be having dinner with that fake ex–husband of yours?”


    He sounded irritated.


    Elissa didn’t know how to answer. What was she to him, anyway? Just a lover–no right to ask about Lorraine, or to care. Yet she couldn’t help herself.


    Dangling her feet above the floor made her even more anxious. She avoided his eyes. “I told you, nothing’s wrong.”


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>11:35 </b>1


    The tension hung between them.


    Rowan braced his hands on either side of her thighs, caging her in. “Want me to you to bed?”


    She couldn’t help thinking where that would lead.


    She shook her head. “Can we do that another time?”


    Her period was probably not quite over.


    carry


    Rowan’s face turned cold at her repeated refusals. He stepped back, jaw tight, and jerked his chin at the door. “Then go.”


    His voice felt like shards of ice.