Chapter 499

Elissa's hands clenched into tight fists. Of course she remembered. He was the one who was supposed to have forgotten.

Just as the bitter thought crossed her mind, Rowan's deep, unwavering voice broke the silence. "Three thousand, three hundred, and thirty-six days."

He remembered too. A violent shudder ripped through Elissa's body.

"Nine," Rowan said, using the private nickname he reserved only for their most intimate moments. His tone was shockingly earnest, not giving her a second to

recover.

"Three thousand, three hundred, and thirty-six days of living and breathing side by side. Out of my entire thirty-one years of existence, you are the person who has been with me the longest. What on earth gave you the impression that anyone could ever mean more to me than you?"

She wasn't the type to blindly condemn an entire bloodline. Paige had committed the sins, and she wouldn't drag him into her hatred for the woman.

That was why he had been tearing his hair out last night. Once she discovered what Paige had done to her family, why hadn't she come straight to him? Instead, she had dodged him like he was infected with the plague.

It wasn't until he suddenly remembered a ridiculous hypothetical she had asked him in the past: "If your grandmother and I fell into the ocean at the same time, who would you save?"

That was when Rowan finally understood. She was terrified that he wouldn't choose her. As if he could ever choose anyone else. She was completely oblivious to just how essential she was to his sanity.

But that was fine. He would remind her every single day until it became a physical truth in her bones. He wouldn't stop until she was exactly like the arrogant, fiercely confident little girl who used to trail after him, knowing exactly how adored she was.

A suffocating wave of emotion tore up from her chest, completely overwhelming her. A heavy, painful lump lodged in her throat, and hot tears burned behind her eyes.

She snapped her head away, furiously fighting back the pathetic tears before forcing herself to look back up at Rowan. She opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.

The events of nine years ago had broken her, stripping away her courage and shattering her

confidence. Even after learning the truth of his motives, she still couldn't bring herself to believe that she was his absolute priority. That no matter what she did, he would choose her without a second thought.

It took a long time before Elissa sniffled and finally found her voice. "Aren't you...

aren't you afraid of how vicious the rumors will get?"

This was the definition of destroying

one's own flesh and blood. After all, to the elite, some crimes weren't considered dealbreakers. A few bribes and strategic cover-ups, the whole mess could just disappear.

sŵnovel

and

The lighting in the car was dim, but her trembling voice was

unmistakable. Rowan lowered his gaze, his thumb gently wiping away the stray tear at the corner of her 's my my little crybaby done being angry?" he teased effortlessly.

eve

She had been prone to bursting into tears as a kid, earning herself the ridiculous nickname.

Elissa's tears vanished instantly. She shot him a withering glare. "I wasn't even angry to begin with."

"Then what was it?" Seeing the tears recede, a wicked smirk curled on Rowan's lips. "Disappointment? Heartbreak? Or..."

Having her absolute vulnerability laid bare, Elissa flushed with embarrassment and slammed her hand over his mouth. "Shut up!"

The words had barely left her lips when his mouth crashed down over hers. Thank god the privacy partition had been rolled up the second they got in.

Elissa's entire body tensed. As he kissed her slowly, deliberately, his husky, gravelly voice vibrated against her lips. "This is one way to shut me up."