The question lingered longer than Emma expected.
“Why is everyone treating me so differently?”
It didn’t sound emotional.
It didn’t sound defensive.
Just… precise.
Rowan didn’t answer immediately.
He watched her instead—not her face, not her posture. Something quieter. The way she held still after asking. The way she didn’t fill silence.
Then—
“Because you’re different from everyone else.”
Simple.
Too simple.
Emma held his gaze. “Am I?”
A faint shift in his expression. Not quite a smile. Not quite approval.
“Of course,” he said. “You’re not new here.”
A pause.
“You’re just returning in a different position.”
That wasn’t an answer.
It was a deflection.
Emma registered it—but before she could press—
A knock.
Alina stepped in, composed as ever.
“Sir, the media presence ha
