Not Coming Back
Rowan sat in the backseat of the car, staring out at the dark streets illuminated by the glow of passing headlights. His mind was far from the city outside. Callum cleared his throat, glancing at him through the rearview mirror, breaking the silence.
“Long dinner?” Callum asked casually, his tone laced with curiosity.
Rowan gave him a side glance. “You’re fishing. Just ask.”
“Alright,” Callum said, not bothering to deny it. “Who is she?”
“Who’s who?” Rowan replied, his tone deliberately evasive.
Callum rolled his eyes. “The woman. The one who answered the door tonight. The one who wasn’t your grandmother.”
Rowan leaned back in his seat, exhaling through his nose. “She’s my grandmother’s doctor. Or caretaker. Or both.”
Callum raised an eyebrow, his disbelief apparent. “Caretakers don’t usually have kids calling you Handsome Uncle.”
“She’s complicated,” Rowan said curtly, not wanting to dive into the tangled mess of emotions he’d felt seeing her again. “And so is the situation.”
Callum, clearly not satisfied, pressed on. “She looked familiar. Like I’ve seen her somewhere before. But I didn't see her face though.”
Rowan’s jaw tightened. He didn’t need Callum asking questions he wasn’t ready to answer. “Drop it, Callum.”
Callum raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. Just saying, you don’t usually let people get under your skin. She must be special seeing you got her flowers.”
Rowan opened his mouth to respond when his phone rang, cutting through the tension. He glanced at the screen. It was his mother’s number.
“Great,” he muttered before answering. “What’s going on?”
“Rowan,” his mother’s crisp voice came through, carrying a faint edge of authority. “You need to come home. Now.”
He frowned. “It’s late. Can this wait until morning?”
“No, it cannot,” she said firmly. “We’ve already waited long enough. Be here within the hour.”
She hung up before he could ask anything further.
“Change of plans,” Rowan said to Callum, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Take me to the family home.”
\---
The Vaughn estate loomed ahead, its grand facade lit up like a beacon in the darkness. Rowan stepped out of the car, his mood souring with every step toward the front door.
The butler opened it before he could knock, and Rowan walked in, his sharp eyes immediately landing on Gigi, who was perched on the edge of the sofa, her perfectly styled hair gleaming under the chandelier.
“Rowan,” Gigi said with a saccharine smile as she stood to greet him. She moved toward him, arms open, clearly intending to kiss him.
He sidestepped smoothly, planting a quick kiss on his mother’s cheek instead. “Mother,” he greeted, ignoring Gigi’s outstretched arms.
Gigi’s smile faltered, but she quickly recovered, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s so good to see you,” she said sweetly, masking her irritation.
Rowan’s mother, Elizabeth Vaughn, gave him a cool look. “You’re late.”
“I wasn’t aware this was on my schedule,” Rowan replied, his tone clipped. “What’s the urgency?”
“Let’s sit,” Elizabeth said, gesturing to the grand parlor.
Rowan followed reluctantly, his patience wearing thin. Gigi trailed behind him, her eyes darting toward him like she was trying to gauge his mood.
As they settled into the parlor, Rowan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Why am I here?”
Elizabeth glanced at Gigi before turning back to Rowan. “It’s time to start preparing for the wedding.”
The words hit him like a brick, though his face remained impassive. He leaned back, his jaw tightening.
“The wedding,” he repeated flatly, his tone devoid of enthusiasm.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said firmly. “You’ve been dragging this out for too long, Rowan. It’s time to make things official.”
Gigi smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Rowan’s gaze flicked to her, his expression cold. “You couldn’t?”
“Of course not,” she said with a laugh that was too forced to be genuine. “We’ve been waiting for the perfect moment, and there’s no reason to wait any longer.”
He clenched his jaw, his mind racing. After everything he’d learned, the thought of marrying Gigi felt like a noose tightening around his neck.
“And what if I’m not ready?” he asked, his voice measured.
Elizabeth’s sharp gaze locked onto him. “You’re more than ready. This is about more than just you, Rowan. It’s about the family. The company. Your future.”
Rowan stood abruptly, pacing to the window. “My future,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
“You’ve made promises, Rowan,” Elizabeth said, her tone hardening. “Gigi has been patient. She deserves this.”
“I’ve been more than patient,” Gigi chimed in, her voice soft but pointed. “And I know you’ve been through a lot, Rowan, with the accident and everything, but this is the next step for us.”
He turned to face her, his eyes cold. “You mean for you.”
Her smile slipped, and her tone shifted, more pleading now. “Rowan, we’ve built something together. Don’t let—whatever’s going on with you—ruin it.”
“Whatever’s going on with me?” he repeated, his voice low, dangerous. “You mean the lies? The manipulation? Or the fact that I still don’t know who I was before you decided to rewrite my life?”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened slightly, her composure slipping for just a moment. “Rowan, that’s enough.”
“No, Mother,” he said sharply. “It’s not enough. I’ve let this go on for too long. I let you and Gigi dictate my life, but I’m done. I am without memories and insteAD of you both to be off help you guys act like robots in front of me.”
Gigi stood, her face pale but defiant. “Rowan, you’re not thinking clearly.”
“Actually, for the first time in a long time, I am,” he said, his voice cutting through the room like ice. “And what I see is a sham. A relationship built on lies. And I won’t pretend otherwise just to keep appearances.”
Elizabeth rose slowly, her expression steely. “Rowan, you will think about this carefully before you make any rash decisions. The Vaughn name carries responsibilities—”
“To hell with the Vaughn name!” Rowan snapped, his patience finally snapping. “I’ve done everything this family has asked of me. But I won’t sacrifice myself for it anymore.”
The room fell silent, the tension thick and unyielding.
Finally, Gigi spoke, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. “If you walk away from this, Rowan, don’t expect me to be waiting when you come to your senses. I don't know where you find out
that I Georgina lied to you.”
He laughed humorlessly. “You won’t be waiting because I’m not coming back.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
