Seeing her emotions ripple–however faintly–because of him, Frank’s lips curled in a quiet, almost invisible smile. He watched as anger flushed her cheeks, turning them from pale to a rosy brightness, her eyes burning with a vivid spark he hadn’t seen in a long time.

    He knew perfectly well how much she resented him right now, yet Frank couldn’t seem to stop himself from wanting to get closer. Even if,pared with all the pain he’d caused her in the past, his attempts to make amends now were barely a drop in the ocean.

    Pressing his lips into a thin line, Frank cut her off. “Rowan’s back.”

    He nced at her. “Weren’t you trying to get his help to look into your parents‘ deaths? He’s joining Bradley and the others for lunch at that bistro we reserved. You’ll have a chance to talk to him face to face.”

    Rowan’s back?

    Elissa shot him a skeptical look. “Are you messing with me again?”

    Rowan had told her he wouldn’t be back for another four days. By her count, there were still three left.

    Frank caught the doubt in her eyes and let out a sigh. “You’ll see for yourself. The Lynn family reserved the private room, and word is, it’s to discuss Lorraine Lynn and Rowan’s engagement.”

    Elissa’s nails traced silently over her fingertips. Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “I get it.”

    So, he’de back early. But apparently, he was too busy discussing marriage to spare her even a single call.

    Or maybe, she thought bitterly, he’d lied about the date on purpose. Maybe he’d just wanted to keep his lover at arm’s length, make sure she stayed out of the way while he handled the real milestones in his life.

    As noon drew near, Frank had several deliveries brought over–dozens of this season’s luxury designer dresses.

    Elissa picked one at random, slipped it on, and headed out the door with him toward the restaurant.

    The ce exuded opulence; even the steps at the entrance were iid with marble. Without a reservation, you couldn’t even get through the front doors.

    Frank was clearly a regr. The moment they arrived, a host greeted them by name and led them straight to a private dining room.

    Just before they went in, Frank slipped his hand into hers without warning. “Work with me here,” he murmured.

    Elissa tried to pull away, but as Frank pushed open the door, a loud bang erupted from inside the room. She jumped, startled, and Frank instinctively pulled her into his arms.

    Colorful streamers rained down like confetti.

    Bradley, seeing her fright, shot an exasperated look at the group of friends still filming with their phones. “Didn’t I tell you not to pull that stunt? She’s not used to your antics.”

    14.28

    A guy at the back sheepishly rubbed his nose. “Just wanted to celebrate for you two, that’s all.”

    He turned to Elissa, apologetic. “Sorry about that. Won’t happen again.”

    “It’s fine,” Elissa replied quietly.

    She slipped out of Frank’s arms and crossed the room to sit in an empty chair.

    A friend beside her immediately moved over to give Frank the seat next to her. “Frank, here, take this one.”

    Frank sat down with deliberate calm. Across the table, Bradley gave Elissa a searching look. “Frank hasn’t apologized to you yet?”

    Of all the people here, Elissa only ever responded gently to Bradley. “Apologize for what?”

    Bradley nced at Frank, saw he wasn’t going to interrupt, and went on. “The whole mistake–when he thought you were someone else. Now that it’s cleared up, you two can finally move on, right?”

    He had always felt bad for Elissa. Frank’s behavior in the past had been unforgivable, but Elissa had chased after him for years. Letting go couldn’t be easy. If this could clear the air, it would be for the best.

    Elissa pressed her lips together. Under Frank’s gentle gaze, she dropped her words like stones: “We’ve been divorced for a long time.”