Lullaby 329
Elissa froze mid–motion.
What she’d said was clear: it was her apartment, not their home. For more chapters visit Find~Novel.net
There hadn’t been a “home” for the two of them in years. That was something Rowan himself had
destroyed long ago.
Now, all she had was a place that belonged solely to her–a home she didn’t have to worry about anyone ruining.
She turned around, a beat too late, and looked back at the man watching her from the entryway of
unit 2202.
Pressing her lips together, she said, “I’m just saying, you’re staying in my apartment.”
Stop twisting my words.
Rowan replied, “And where did you get this apartment from?”
Elissa was straightforward. “From the divorce settlement.”
At that, Rowan beckoned her closer. When she stepped up, a small smirk tugged at his lips. “Two apartments–does that add up to, what, half a million?”
Elissa wasn’t sure what he was getting at, so she gave a vague answer. “Something like that.”
Real estate around here was outrageously expensive; you couldn’t get anything for less than seven figures. Both apartments were spacious, and given current prices, half a million was a conservative
estimate.
Rowan arched an eyebrow. “The Atwater family sure knows how to pinch pennies.”
Elissa didn’t really see it that way.
She’d married Frank with a prenup in place. His shares in the Atwater Group, his assets–none of that was hers. Getting these two apartments, and squeezing another half a million out of Carmela, was
more than enough for her.
That extra cash? Honestly, it was just to get a little satisfaction.
After all those years with the Murphy family, she’d learned exactly how people like them operated. They were always happy to play the benefactor–to hand over a million–dollar apartment without a second thought, like Carmela had, tossing in an extra place entirely.
But the second she asked for anything directly–even a fraction of what she was “given“-they’d erupt with outrage. Because it meant things were slipping out of their control. Because the girl they always thought was meek and easy to push around suddenly bit back.
Rowan stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. As he watched her change her shoes, he added, voice laced with meaning, “Next time, want me to find you someone a little more generous?”
“I’m not exactly looking to get married again,” Elissa replied. Then, tilting her head, she shot him a look. “But you still have a chance to be generous with me, you know.”
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15:43
Rowan gave her a puzzled glance. “How so?”
“When our agreement ends,” Elissa said, her tone deliberately provoking, “you could always up my hush money.”
Rowan almost choked. “Who said anything about our agreement ending?”
“You’ll get married someday,” she said, her logic crisp and unhurried. “Doesn’t matter who the lucky heiress is, and I don’t care what you two get up to after the wedding–but you’ll want a clean slate when you tie the knot, right?”
Their arrangement would be the stain he’d want to erase.
“So you think I’m like you and Frank? Marrying just to go our separate ways?”
Something she’d said had clearly gotten under his skin; his expression went cold. “Are you just waiting for me to get married so you can blackmail me for a big payout?”
“That’s not it,” Elissa said, rubbing her nose. “I swear it isn’t.”
“It better not be.”
Rowan reached out and pinched her cheeks, forcing her to meet his dark eyes. His voice was low, resolute. “Let me make this clear–I have no intention of marrying anyone else. So quit scheming.”
“If you’ve got energy to burn, put it toward the project.”
Honestly, he was relentless.
Even after hours, he couldn’t resist reminding her she should be working herself to death for the job.
Elissa tried to bat his hand away, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he kept gently squeezing her cheeks, like she was some kind of stress ball.