Semua Bab LOVE BENEATH RIVALRY : Bab 91 - Bab 100

Elisa stood frozen in the middle of the guestroom, trembling, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.She was already stripped down to her underwear.There was nothing left for her to hide behind.Her skin felt too exposed, the air too cold, Rowan’s stare too heavy.“What… what are you saying?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.Rowan stood a few feet away, his chest rising and falling unevenly. The fury from earlier had burned down into something far more dangerous—jealousy sharpened by fear.“I’m telling you to strip,” he said again, slower this time. “Completely.”Her breath hitched violently.“I already did,” she said, her voice breaking. “I did what you asked. I took everything off except—this.” She gestured helplessly to herself. “Isn’t that enough for you?”His jaw tightened.“No,” he said quietly. “It’s not.”Her eyes filled instantly.“Why?” she cried. “Why are you doing this to me?”She took a step back instinctively, heels nearly hitting the edge of the bed.“I’ve do

Elisa woke slowly, the morning light barely filtering through the heavy curtains of the guestroom. For a few seconds, she lay still, staring at the ceiling, her body heavy with exhaustion and a dull ache that had settled deep in her chest. Sleep had done nothing to ease it. If anything, it had sharpened the weight pressing down on her ribs, making each breath feel deliberate.Her phone vibrated beside her.She turned her head, eyes narrowing as the screen lit up.Leonard.Her jaw tightened instantly.She picked up the phone, blinking against the brightness, and read the message.Have you made progress?No greeting. No pleasantries. Straight to the point.Elisa exhaled slowly, rubbing her temple with her free hand. Annoyance flared first—sharp, immediate—followed closely by guilt. She hadn’t done anything. Not a single step forward. Every ounce of her focus for the past days had been spent keeping Rowan at arm’s length, nursing her anger, her humiliation, her bruised pride.She typed,

The sound of running water echoed faintly from the bathroom as Elisa stood frozen in the middle of Rowan’s bedroom.For a moment, she simply breathed.Slowly.Carefully.As if any sudden movement might shatter the fragile calm she’d been wrapped in since he left her there to wait.She rose from the bed, smoothing the fabric of her dress with restless fingers. The room itself was quiet—too quiet—filled with the subtle scent of soap and something unmistakably Rowan. Clean. Warm. Comforting in a way that unsettled her more than it soothed her.She took a few hesitant steps forward, her gaze drifting around the space.The bedroom was undeniably beautiful.Tasteful.Refined.It was a perfect balance between luxury and comfort—soft neutral tones, rich textures, carefully chosen furniture that looked expensive without trying too hard. It didn’t feel cold or ostentatious like so many grand estates she’d been in before. It felt lived in. Personal.Her eyes moved over the walls, lingering on pa

Elisa broke the silence first.Her voice was quiet, careful, but there was a tremor beneath it she couldn’t entirely hide.“Earlier,” she said slowly, “in your room… when you said I’d never compare to her in his eyes.”Rowan stiffened.She noticed immediately.Elisa tilted her head slightly, studying him the way one does when they’re trying to solve a puzzle without realizing they’re already holding the missing piece.“You said it so… naturally,” she continued, eyes never leaving his face. “As if it was something you’d thought about before. Or something you already knew.”Rowan exhaled sharply. “Elisa—”“Were you close to Annalise?” she asked softly.The question landed heavier than she intended.She saw it then—the change.It was subtle, fleeting, but unmistakable. His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. Something old and painful flickered across his expression before he could bury it.Elisa’s lips parted slightly.“I noticed that look,” she said quietly. “Just now. And earlier too. Ev

The silence between them had grown teeth.It had stretched across days, thick and suffocating, settling into every corner of the villa like a fog that refused to lift. Rowan barely spoke to her. When he did, it was distant—polite in a way that hurt more than cruelty ever could. Elisa counted the days obsessively, each one tightening the knot in her chest as the deadline for her assigned task loomed closer with no progress to show for it.By the time night fell again, rain had already begun to pound against the villa with merciless force.The storm was relentless—heavy sheets of rain crashing against the windows, thunder growling low and deep as if the sky itself were angry. Elisa stood under the spray of the shower longer than necessary, letting the hot water scald her skin, hoping it might drown out the spiraling thoughts in her head.A week, she thought desperately. It’s already been a week.She turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel, her heart racing with a mixture of