Elissa stiffened as she turned around, only to find Rowan leaning casually against the doorway, his dark eyes fixed on her.

He looked freshly showered–his short, inky hair still damp and falling haphazardly across his forehead. The usual sharpness in his features had softened, reced by a rxed, at–home air that made him look refreshingly approachable.

Elissa’s expression was all resignation. “You’re reading itoo /imuch iinto /iit.”

Wait, no. She was the one overthinking things.

How could she have been na?ve enough to believe that, after finally getting something to hold over her, Rowan would just let it go?

He nced at her with a faint, teasing smile. “Not exactly thrilled to see me back, are iyou/i?”

“…That’s not true.” The words came out t and unconvincing.

If Rowan noticed, he didn’t let on. Instead, he beckoned her over. “Thene eat.”

Elissa knew she didn’t really have a choice. With that agreement between them, she had even less say in front of Rowan than she ever did with Frank.

She changed her shoes and headed into the dining room, where four dishes and a steaming bowl of soup sat on the table. Her eyes sparkled with surprise as she nced at Frank. “You made all this?”

Each dish was neatly ted–nothing like takeout or leftovers from a restaurant.

And after all, the breakfast he’d made the other morning–the nourishing soup and the perfect omelet–had been delicious. It wasn’t a stretch to believe he could cook.

But Rowan arched an eyebrow, dodging her question. “So, do you prefer men who can cook, or men

who can’t?”

Elissa thought for a moment, then looked at him earnestly. “Do you want the truth?”

He fired right back, “Why wouldn’t I?”

She shrugged, rxing a little. “Doesn’t really matter, honestly. If you like someone, even if they burn down the kitchen, you’d still think it’s charming.”

In other words, if you don’t care for the person, even if he’s a Michelin–starred chef, he’s still just a chef. All you’d offer is a polite, ‘Nice cooking.”

Rowan decided to be honest too. “Wasn’t me.”

“From a restaurant, then?”

“Sort of.”

Janice was particr about the holidays–she insisted the new year wasn’t really over until Lantern Festival had passed. iSo /ieven though Rowan hadn’t gone back to the family estate, Janice had meals prepared and delivered to his Rivercross apartment.

18:02

Elissa nodded and offered a genuinepliment. “Still, the breakfast you madest time was really good.”

Rowan shot her a sidelong nce, his eyes lowering just a little. “I only learned to make the omelet. The soup? That was a one–time deal.”

After he’d dropped Elissa off at Matriarch Paige Murphy’s ce, he’d moved out soon after.

It wasn’t justn and Evan who struggled to get used to the quiet. Rowan missed her too.

Without Elissa around, even the chef stopped making omelets for breakfast.

But Rowan was too proud to ever admit it out loud. He could never lower his head and simply say he

wanted an omelet again.

Truth was… he missed Elissa.

So,te at night, he’d slip into the kitchen and make omelets over and over again.

He was a quick study; even the first time, he’d done a decent job. Before long, he’d perfected it.

Rowan told himself that once everything was settled, he’d bring her back–and make her omelets every morning.

But by the time he had finally put everything in order, Elissa had fallen for Frank. She was set on marrying Frank, and no one else.

Elissa paused, uncertain, as a strange sense of recognition flickered in her heart. But she’d never been one to dodge the truth. Tilting her head up, she met Rowan’s eyes. “So, that’s the only thing you

learned to make?”

“That’s right,” he replied without a second’s hesitation, his tone light and teasing, half–joking, half–casual. “Just for iyou/i, princess. Are you ttered?”

Elissa could tell he was messing with her–if she took him seriously, he’d only mock her for it.

So she didn’t take the bait, just washed her hands and headed to the kitchen to grab tes and

utensils for dinner.

Rowan pulled out a chair at the table, folding his arms across his chest. “There are clean tes in the dishwasher,” he reminded her.

Bent over, Elissa called back, “Got it.”

18:02