Chapter 521

Rowan kissed her with a desperate intensity.

It was as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Elissa finally understood.

When he had said they were going to sleep together, he meant *this* kind of sleeping.

She could clearly feel his raw desire, and lost in the intoxicating haze of his kiss, she couldn't help but gasp his name. "Rowan..."

"Yeah, I'm right here."

As he spoke, his lips trailed down to her collarbone, dropping soft, teasing bites as he mapped his way lower.

He only stopped when she began to tremble, a stray tear of overwhelming sensation slipping from the corner of her eye.

But he didn't give her a moment to catch her breath, taking her hand and guiding it to the searing heat of his own need.

Elissa knew he was holding back because of the baby, terrified of hurting her.

Even so, he had prioritized her pleasure over his own release.

In a dazed haze, she thought to herself that next time...

She would tell him it was okay.

Her body was strong enough to handle it.

Since they were the only ones on the second floor, Elissa kicked Rowan back to his own room the moment she woke up the next morning.

No one had any idea they had spent the entire night wrapped in each other's arms.

By the time Elissa came downstairs, Rowan was already dressed in a crisp, custom- tailored black suit. He sat at the dining table, looking effortlessly sharp as he teased her. "Finally awake? We've been waiting on you for breakfast."

Elissa mentally rolled her eyes at his perfectly innocent facade, but flashed a sweet smile for Janice Garrett's benefit. "I'm up."

She then turned to the older woman. "Janice, you shouldn't have waited for me. You should have eaten."

"This brat is just messing with you."

Janice shot Rowan a playful glare and pulled Elissa down to sit beside her. "He just sat down himself. His chair isn't even warm yet."

Over at Zephyr Manor, the atmosphere was far less harmonious than the cozy morning at Rivercross Residence.

Suzanne Jensen sat at the dining table, slowly eating her oatmeal. She glanced at Maya and Marcia sitting nearby. "You two have been keeping me company for a few days now. When are you heading back to Cresthaven?"

Maya's expression stiffened. "Mom, we haven't even been here that long. Are you already sick of us?"

She wasn't the only one desperate to avoid Cresthaven; Marcia dreaded it just as much.

For one, Laurel was there. Laurel was far too calculating, and neither of them could guess when she

might secretly snatch Marcia's DNA for a paternity test. In Vistapeak City, Jesse was always busy and rarely home, and Suzanne was much softer than Laurel, making it a far safer environment.

Secondly, Marcia wanted to stay put and keep a close eye on Elissa,

terrified the bitch would get too

close to Suzanne After all Elisset

still had the real jade pendant, and there was no telling when that secret might blow up in their faces.

"Exactly."

Marcia chimed in, her voice soft and accommodating. "You're still recovering, so it's

good for us to stay and take care of you. Right, Jesse?"

She made sure to drag Jesse into the crossfire to back them up.

But Jesse's face remained blank as he casually replied, "It's about time we headed back."

"I'm not going!"

Maya was more than used to the

differing opinions among the

siblings. want to stay here with Mom Besides, isn't the charity auction being held in Vistapeak this year? Vera and I don't want to travel

back and forth."

"Staying in Vistapeak works perfectly."

A cool, familiar female voice drifted in from the living room. The group turned to see

Laurel, who had arrived unannounced.

Alarm bells immediately started blaring in Maya's head.

Wasn't Laurel supposed to be in Cresthaven?

With her high-security job, she wasn't allowed to leave the city without a damn good

reason.

As if reading her mind, Laurel handed her coat to a maid and casually cleared up

the confusion. "I've been transferred. For the foreseeable future, I'll be stationed in Vistapeak."

Even though Laurel was smiling, Maya stumbled over her words. "L-Laurel."

"Why are you stuttering?"

Laurel let out a soft laugh, though the sound was entirely devoid of warmth. "Not happy to see me?"