Rowan wasn’t his to worry about anymore.
Yet he knew that wouldn’t stop him.
CHAPTER 7
Rowan satat the kitchen table with a plate of eggs she hadn’t touched and a mug of coffee that had already gone lukewarm. She reminded herself that she needed to keep up her act that things were completely normal or people would ask too many questions.
But right now, it was just her, Naomi, and Grace—so she’d let down her guard just a smidgen.
Morning light filled the room, spilling across the table and catching the edge of Baby Grace’s blanket where Naomi held her close.
The scene should have felt comforting. Familiar. Safe in a way Rowan hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Instead, she found herself waiting for more trouble to pop up.
Was she putting her family in danger? Baby Grace?
“You’re not eating.” Naomi adjusted Grace against her shoulder and gave Rowan a look. “You know when Mom sees you, she’s going to tell you you’re too skinny.”
Yes, her mom always had opinions about her weight. But by Hollywood standards, Rowan was on the verge of obesity. Okay, not really. But the pressure to stay thin was real.
Rowan glanced at her plate as if the sight surprised her. “I will eat. I promise you I’m not starving myself. I’m just . . . waking up still.”
Naomi studied her before nodding. “A long drive can be exhausting. I still can’t believe you drove here instead of flying.”
Rowan reached for her fork and took a bite of her eggs, more out of obligation than hunger. The food tasted fine—better than fine, actually—but her mind stayed elsewhere.
It drifted back to the article she’d read upstairs. The words replayed whether she wanted them to or not.
How would the narrative continue to play out? Should she simply come forward and tell her story?
That would involve a different kind of risk.
She still had no idea what to do.
Mostly, she feared being framed for this. Being arrested. Spending the rest of her life in prison.
Just like Richard Harding was doing.
Only he was guilty. She wasn’t.
She hated feeling helpless. She didn’t have to feel helpless, did she? Wasn’t there something she could do?
Her mind raced through the possibilities.
She’d never been one to back down. She’d always been a go-getter. Why should she change now? Why should she let fear stop her?
She knew the answer.
She shouldn’t.
Shecouldn’t.
She forced herself to think rather than spiral.
There had been others Vince had targeted—at least, that was the rumor.
Eva Kelleher, for one. She was an actress who’d worked with Vince three years ago onThe Meridian,and she’d quietly walkedaway from a supporting role halfway through production. No public explanation, no interview, nothing.
