Chapter 366

"I think I was the one who kicked him," Elissa replied, then realized it was actually plausible. He had gotten hurt in the fight and was blaming it on her!

Tanya couldn't help but laugh. "What happened? Why would you kick him?"

"It was nothing." Elissa's ears burned as she carried the supplies to the corner of the living room designated for Max and started setting things up. She couldn't very well say she'd kicked him because he had forced a kiss on her.

Tanya saw through her but didn't press. She walked over to the dining table and opened the takeout bags. "Come and eat first. I'm starving."

"Okay, be right there." At the mention of food, Elissa realized she was hungry too. She washed her hands and joined Tanya at the table. The two women and one dog made for a harmonious picture.

Tanya glanced at Max, who was sitting politely beside them. "Did you name him?" she asked curiously. "Why Max?"

Elissa fell silent for a moment. His name was Rowan, so her first idea had been "Wan." Rowan had vehemently rejected it. As a compromise, she had suggested "Max." He'd agreed, but in reality, the name still came from him. An 'M' was just an upside-down 'W'.

Elissa was suddenly struck by how much of her life had been shaped by him. It was one thing for her personality to resemble his, but even her dog's name was a part of him.

She was just about to explain the name's origin to Tanya when Frank arrived. He waited patiently while they finished their meal before getting down to business.

He first recounted the news he'd received that morning, then added, "But I just got an update on my way up. They've recovered seven bodies. They're not sure if the last man is dead or if he escaped."

A chill ran down Elissa's spine. If he escaped, the possibilities were

vel

endless. If the escapee was the one connected to Matriarch Paige Murphy, he could use this

opportunity to disappear and create a new identity. They would be out the open while he was back in the shadows.

At the same time, Rowan was receiving the same news.

"Sir, we've confirmed he escaped," lan reported crisply. "But our people are watching the manor. There's been no movement from the old matriarch yet."

Rowan had his phone on speaker, his expression grim. "Keep watching," he said, his voice like ice. "Don't let them out of your sight."

"Yes, sir." Just as lan was about to

hang up, Rowan added, "And keep an eye on Frank. See what he's been up to fately." Rowan had a gut feeling that Elissa's sudden distance had something to do with him.

After lan confirmed, Rowan ended the call and immediately made another. Rex, knowing him well,

answered and got straight to then et

point. The police have finished the

DNA analysis. The

one who got

away was Orion Stone, your

grandmother's old flame

"Your grandmother," Rowan corrected.

"Screw you," Rex shot back with a laugh. "My grandparents were childhood sweethearts. They weren't nearly as scandalous as the Murphy matriarch."

Joking aside, Rex got back to the topic. "In any case, that car crash was no accident."

"I know." Rowan agreed, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the city lights below. "To go to such lengths to create a new identity... he must be planning something big."

Rex voiced his own long-held suspicion. "Are you sure the shootout seven years ago, the one that almost killed you, was orchestrated by Orion Stone's people?"

***