You could see it in their faces–both Rowan and Matriarch Paige Murphy were distinctly ufortable, though each did their best to pretend otherwise.


    But age brings cunning, and as long as the peace hadn’t been shatteredpletely, Matriarch Paige Murphy could maintain her dignifiedposure. She waved Elissa over with a practiced calm. “Come here, Elissa. Why don’t you tell everyone how well the Murphy family has treated you?”


    She couldn’t put Frank on the spot, and Rowan was even further out of reach. So naturally, Elissa became the sacrificialmb.


    Elissa hadn’t moved yet, lips parting to speak, when Rowan’s voice cut through the tension, sharp and mocking. “Enough already. You’ve been ying this game–hurting people, then not letting themin–since she was five. Aren’t you tired of it yet?”


    He didn’t bother to soften the blow. In a few words, heid bare nearly two decades of


    Elissa’s life: obedience without protest, no room for resistance, no space even to say it hurt. Only absolutepliance kept her from being punished ruthlessly.


    A flicker of confusion crossed Lorraine’s face. She hadn’t realized how deep the rift ran between Rowan and his grandmother. “I’m sure Grandma meant well…”


    Rowan clicked his tongue, obviously impatient. “Then why are you at the Murphy family’s Christmas dinner?”


    She fell silent, and Rowan’s retort made his stance clear–he was picking fights indiscriminately, and in the process, drawing a line between himself and Lorraine.


    Matriarch Paige Murphy looked thoroughly embarrassed, and just as the atmosphere threatened to explode, a little cousin from another branch of the family started wailing–loud and sudden.


    Everyone seized the opportunity to change the subject and move past the


    awkwardness.


    Even so, a few minutester, several younger cousins gravitated toward Rowan. It was clear–his sharpness was reserved for te and the matriarch; with the others, he could still manage a smile.


    Later, dinner was served. Three long tables filled with rtives, the dining room spacious enough that it didn’t feel crowded despite the numbers.


    After the earlier drama, Matriarch Paige Murphy kept her attention off Elissa, who


    <b>11:39 </b>


    stayed quiet, focused on her meal.


    With sses clinking and friendly chatter floating through the air, the gathering, for once, managed to appear harmonious.


    By the time the meal ended and people began drifting away from the table in twos. and threes, night had truly fallen.


    With so many young people in the family, Butler Murphy had–as he did every year–prepared boxes of fireworks. After dinner, everyone made their way outside for the show.


    “Elissa-”


    Just as she was about to leave the table, Matriarch Paige Murphy called her back. “Would you go upstairs to my study and bring down the gifts I set aside?”


    Elissa nodded. “Of course.”


    It was a Murphy tradition: gifts handed out once on Christmas Eve, then again on Christmas morning. For a family that wanted for nothing, it was more about good wishes than material need.


    Her uncle seemed busy pitching some new business idea to Frank, so Elissa headed upstairs alone.


    To reach the study, she had to pass a small balcony. Suddenly, a hand shot out from the shadows and pulled her onto it.


    Elissa’s heart leapt into her throat, but before she could cry out, someone’s lips pressed over hers.


    The icy night air mixed with the deep, familiar scent of Rowan’s cologne. Outside, fireworks burst and crackled, covering the sound of their secret. Still, the yard was crowded; anyone ncing up at that moment would see Rowan kissing her.


    Elissa froze, every muscle tense. She managed a muffled protest against his mouth. “There are so many people downstairs!”


    Rowan didn’t let up, his voice low and rough as his lips moved against hers. “What did you promise me?”


    Her eyes shimmered as his kisses left her breathless. “What?”


    He tightened his grip on her shoulder, clearly annoyed.


    Then Elissa remembered. She whispered, “If I avoided him in front of everyone, it


    11:39


    would have looked suspicious.”


    Rowan’s arm circled her waist, spinning her so her back pressed firmly to the wall. Their bodies were so close, she could feel the heat radiating through their clothes.


    “So,” he whispered, breath hot against her ear, “this… is your punishment.”


    <b>Chapter </b><b>195 </b>