Until We Met Again ( Rowan and Johnson )
Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Karla lounged on the sofa, lost in thought with a grave expression etched on her face. It wasn’t until she heard the door creak open that she snapped to, swiftly stowing away her case notes and pen.

Nonchalantly, she grabbed an apple and sprawled back into the cushions, feigning boredom as she nibbled on the fruit.

As a police officer with sharp instincts, Karla was adept at hiding things, so Rowan didn’t catch on.

Munching contentedly on the late–night snack Rowan had brought her, Karla casually inquired, “How come you’re home so early today?” She had waited up for him until late the night before.

“No extra shifts today,” Rowan answered, his face a mask of calm. Though he averted his gaze, the deliberate avoidance didn’t escape Karla’s keen eyes.

Karla couldn’t help but chuckle, but then a thought struck her, and after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to share the morning’s incident. “Someone was looking for you this morning, a woman.”

Rowan’s face suddenly tensed. “Did you meet her?”

“Yeah, I told her she had the wrong person and sent her away. But I have a feeling she’ll be back,” Karla observed his concern and probed, “What’s up? Shouldn’t I have met her?”

“What did she tell you?” Rowan pressed urgently.

“Not much, just chit–chat. Why, what’s the matter?”

Rowan’s brow furrowed with heavy thoughts. Staring into Karla’s eyes, he asked, “Did you hit him?”

Karla knew exactly what he meant and nodded in admission, “Yes. It might have been rash, but no regrets. Are you going to hold it against me?”

Rowan shook his head, “I could never blame you. Never. Just consult with me next time. You were tentle.”

Karla blinked. So, he thought she hadn’t been tough enough?

“When he came to after your… visit, he looked everywhere for you. Obviously, you were long gone. He could turn the estate upside down and still not replace a trace of you,” Rowan said, with a hint of resentment in his voice for her unannounced departure.

Karla offered a sheepish smile, “And then?”

“Even though he couldn’t replace you, the mark on his face and that painting were undeniable evidence of your presence,” Rowan’s face darkened, “Later, he came to believe that you were Joana.”

“What?!”

Rowan clenched his fists, “He thinks Joana never died, just transformed into the woman in her painting. He’s been cherishing your portrait all these years, and even now, he’s still searching for you.”

Karla now understood his earlier panic. He feared that Lisa would recognize her and reveal her to Landon. However, judging by Lisa’s reaction that morning, she clearly hadn’t seen the painting.

“Even if she hasn’t seen it yet, one day she will,” Rowan worried about this inevitability.

Karla patted his shoulder reassuringly, “No worries, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. If we’re exposed, it’s not the end of the world. Chill.”

Rowan’s gaze was resolute as he spoke, “He doesn’t deserve that painting. One day, I’ll get it back, whatever it takes.”

Karla paused, wondering if that mysterious buyer who’d splurged sixty million on the painting was Rowan

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Chapter 48

himself.

“Even if that painting went up for auction and it cost sixty million to purchase, would you still be interested?” Karla asked, testing the waters.

Without hesitation, Rowan affirmed, “Yes. To me, that painting is priceless.”

“Because it’s Joana’s last work?” Karla could only guess.

Rowan corrected her, “No, because the person in that painting is you.”

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Karla was taken aback by his candidness; she really did mean that much to him, perhaps as much as family.

“Just to be safe, Karla, I’d prefer if you stayed indoors as much as possible,” Rowan advised.

Karla raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with a smirk, “What did you call me?”

“Your name, is there something wrong with that?”

“Of course, there is. You should call me Ms. Karla. It’s just good manners to respect seniority, isn’t it?” Karla felt it was important to remind him of these basic courtesies. It seemed like someone was getting a bit too familiar.

Rowan pursed his lips and said, “From now on, I’ll just call you ‘Karla‘.”

“Karla,” he looked at her and called out.

Hearing him say her name, Karla froze, memories flooding back to the first time they met. Back then, he had called her ‘Karla‘ in the same tone as well.

So that’s where it all started.