Dusk Snow Hides All Return (Rowan and Adrienne) novel Chapter 6

"Rowan!!" Mr. Ashford Sr. exploded, storming out of the hospital room. He jabbed a finger in Rowan's face, shaking with rage. "You ungrateful bastard! What the hell has Desmond ever done to you? So he took a little of our attention, a little of Adrienne's concern! Everything else is yours! Why can't you just share this family with him?! Do you have to drive him into the ground?!"

Mrs. Ashford came out too, tears streaming down her face, staring at him with bitter disappointment. "Rowan, how did you become this person? We always thought you were just a little willful, a little jealous of Desmond. We never imagined... your heart could be this cold."

Adrienne stood behind them, her eyes on Rowan—cold, disappointed, with that quiet look of I knew it, underneath it a flicker of exhaustion she couldn't quite hide.

Rowan watched the whole show play out. Watched their furious, disappointed, heartbroken faces. Whatever small stir of numbness had still been left in his chest, it died right there.

He didn't even bother saying "I didn't do it."

"So?" His voice came out terrifyingly calm. "What are you going to do to punish me this time? Get on with it. I want to go home and sleep."

That flat, couldn't-care-less attitude—like he was rushing them along—pushed every single one of them over the edge.

"Crack—!"

A hard slap landed across Rowan's face.

Mr. Ashford Sr.

His face was white with rage. But the second his hand came down, he froze, something like regret and panic flickering in his eyes.

Rowan's head turned with the hit. His cheek flared red, swelling fast, burning.

He slowly turned back and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand; the skin had split, leaving a faint taste of blood.

He looked at his father, still calm, almost curious. "Done punishing me? Can I go now?"

"You—!" Mr. Ashford Sr. was too furious to speak.

Adrienne stepped forward, her chest heaving. She was clearly just as worked up.

She looked at his red, swollen cheek. Looked at those terrifyingly calm eyes. Something snapped in her, and the words came out before she could stop them.

"Punish you? Rowan, Desmond has one hundred and eight injuries on his body! You had the guts to do it, so you'd better have the guts to take it! Every single bruise he has, you're getting one too!"

She raised her voice and called over the bodyguards who'd been waiting nearby. "Take him to the hospital entrance. Throw cash around. Tell people—hit him once, get fifty grand. Keep going until we match the count!"

Even Rowan's parents were stunned. They stared at Adrienne like they couldn't believe what they were hearing.

Rowan's head snapped up. He looked at Adrienne.

No fear in his eyes. No begging. Just a dead, hollow wasteland and a deep, knowing kind of grief.

That look cut into Adrienne's heart like an ice-cold blade, out of nowhere.

Her chest seized. A sharp wave of regret and panic slammed into her.

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