Chapter 12

Estela had no intention of getting tangled up with Jenson any longer, so she decided to lay it all out once and for all.

“Jenson, I don’t care who you love now or who you’re trying to help. What I do know is that I don’t love you anymore. And I’m sure as hell not marrying a divorced man. So do me a favor and stop bothering me.”

With that, she hung up, ignoring Jenson’s desperate pleas on the other end of the line. Without hesitation, she blocked his number.

Zoe, who’d been standing beside her, gave her a thumbs-up.

“That’s my girl! Nice and clean. That’s exactly how you handle a scumbag. By the way, Estella, I need to swing by the office for a bit. Ron’s coming to pick you up.”

At the mention of that name, Estella’s expression shifted. She tensed and turned to Zoe worriedly.

“Herman? Are you talking about Rowan Olsen? Why are you back with him, Zoe?”

Countering the alarm in Estella’s voice, Zoe said casually, “I’ve been studying abroad all this time, and I just opened a studio in Abert. Since he means doing well here, it would be a waste not to take advantage of his resources!”

Estella frowned, her unease growing. “Zoe! Please don’t fall for his tricks again. He’s not right for you. Back then, he…”

A flicker of embarrassment and frustration crossed Estella’s face. She clenched her teeth and forced herself to continue.

“He confessed to me once, but I didn’t want to affect your exam, so I planned to tell you after it was over. Then, I heard you two had broken up, so I figured it didn’t matter anymore. But he’s not a good guy, Zoe. You need to stay away from him.”

Zoe stood frozen, her eyes wide in shock. “What? Rowan was into you back then?”

Something crossed her mind, and her expression suddenly turned uneasy. “Actually, Rowan’s not that bad. I think you might’ve misunderstood.”

That was it. This was the perfect example of “love is blind.”

Utterly exasperated, Estella cut her off. “Are you serious, Zoe? You were just telling me to stay away from scumbags, and now look at you! You deserve someone better. Don’t waste your time and energy on…”

Zoe scratched her cheeks, letting out a sheepish laugh. “Estle, have you ever considered the possibility that Rowan is my brother? You know, as in biological brother?”

Before Estella could process that, a deep voice sounded from behind her.

“It’s been a long time, Estella!”

It had been years since she’d last seen Rowan. He looked even better now, and his demeanor was more composed.

Estella sat stiffly in the passenger seat, clutching a massive bouquet of tulips while staring out the window in awkward silence.

Five minutes, and she’d finally learned the truth. Rowan and Zoe were fraternal twins. Their parents had divorced when they were young, each raising one child and later remarrying.

Though the two hadn’t grown up in the same household, they’d always kept in touch and even attended the same…

Because of their complicated family situation, not many people knew they were actually siblings. And so, Estella had spent years assuming they were a couple.

The second the truth came out, she’d wanted the ground to swallow her whole right then and there. Had she’d been dismissed by someone only to be yelled at, blocked, and ignored before she’d even had a chance to explain, she’d probably hold a lifelong grudge against that person. Yet, completely unaware of the chaos in Estella’s head, Zoe had casually left her alone with Rowan before making a quick exit.

Estella stared blankly out at the passing streetlights.

“How did you hurt your neck?” Rowan’s voice pulled her back to reality. Estella paused for a moment before reaching up to touch the bandaged wound.

“It’s just a scratch,” she mumbled vaguely.

She had no interest in bringing up the abduction, and Rowan was sharp enough not to press. Once he confirmed she’d seen a doctor, he let the topic drop.

When they arrived at Zoe’s place, Rowan knelt down naturally to pull out a pair of slippers for her. A brand-new pair of pink bunny slippers sat neatly at her feet. “These are new. If you don’t like them, I can get you something else.”

Her ears burned as she muttered a quick “thanks” and slipped them on.

Rowan handed her a glass of water and gave her a quick tour of the apartment. Perhaps he noticed her distress because a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes.

He said, “It’s getting late. Get some rest. If you need anything, I’ll take you shopping tomorrow…”

Watching Rowan’s retreating figure, Estella took a deep breath and mustered the courage to call out to him. “Rowan!”