Chapter 429

When Maya was little, she was always competing for attention with the infant Vera.

As she grew up, her behavior in Cresthaven went far beyond just being dramatic. She frequently used her family's status to get her way, but Tristan, always feeling a sense of guilt, would clean up her messes without a second thought. Over time, her sense of entitlement only grew.

"Okay," Elissa nodded, her clear eyes meeting his. "Are... you alright?"

She could sense a shift in Jesse's mood ever since Maya had asked that last, desperate question.

Jesse managed a faint smile. "I'm fine. You should get some rest."

Perhaps because she hadn't slept well at the hospital, Elissa fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. She woke to the warm, golden glow of the late afternoon sun, a feeling that transported her back to her childhood. There had been so many afternoons like this, when she would oversleep and wake up, immediately running out the door to find Rowan.

But she quickly remembered where she was. This was the Wilkinson family home, not the Murphy estate.

Elissa went to the bathroom to freshen up, and after she felt more awake, she opened her door and headed downstairs. As she reached the curve of the grand staircase, she saw a familiar back. A man was sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room, his back to her, but she recognized him instantly.

Suzanne Jensen saw her first and waved her over with a smile. "Elissa, you're awake! Come on down, your brother is here to see you."

She was, of course, referring to Rowan.

Elissa was surprised. She had assumed that once Rowan knew the baby wasn't his, they would revert to their old pattern of mutual avoidance. She hadn't expected him to show up at all, let alone so soon.

She clenched her fists slightly and managed a quiet, "Okay."

As she stepped into the living room, the man finally turned his head to look at her. His dark, ink-black eyes were perfectly calm. There was one of the coldness or anger she had expected. Just... calm. A peacefulness that made Elissa feel as if he were truly, irrevocably far away from her. As if they were finally nothing more than what everyone called them: brother and sister.

It was how it should have been all along. From the moment her parents died in that car crash, their fate had been sealed.

Rex was the first to break the silence. "Hey, my dad's back. Let's get ready for dinner."

Everyone glanced toward the courtyard, where a black sedan was pulling up. A driver in white gloves got out and opened the rear door for Tristan.

Old Mr. Wilkinson had made a rare trip back to Cresthaven and was spending his evenings out with old Mrs. Wilkinson, catching up with old friends. With Tristan's return they could finally start dinner.

In the dining room, Suzanne pulled Elissa into the seat next to her. Everyone else took their places around the large circular table, with Rowan ending up directly across from Elissa.

"Why didn't anyone tell me we had guests for dinner?" Maya's sweet voice drifted in as she entered the room and naturally took the seat next to Rowan.

Suzanne's gaze was cool. "This is your home. No one is stopping you from eating."

"Suzanne," Tristan said, patting his wife's hand soothingly before turning to Maya. "Alright now, just eat your dinner and don't upset your mother."