At the Royal Club, Cole stormed into a private room and flopped onto the sofa, brooding. His whole vibe was off, a feverish heat coursing through him, his cheeks flushed an unnatural red.
Aron and Hugh stood watch at the door, sneaking glances through the cracked-open door, their nerves on edge.
Hugh leaned in, whispering to Aron, “Look at Mr. Evans-he’s in bad shape. Should we, you know, find someone to help him out?”
Aron shot him a cool look. “You…”
“Know how Mr. Evans is. He’s got principles. Grabbing some random woman for him? That’s a one-way ticket to trouble.”
Hugh let out a defeated sigh.
Just then, Trinity walked over, rocking a white chiffon dress, a soft smile on her face. “Is Cole in there?”
Aron and Hugh blinked at her, confused. “Miss Craig, what are you doing here?”
Trinity held up a box. “Ruben sent me to drop off some food for Cole.” Since she name-dropped Ruben, Aron and Hugh had no grounds to stop her. They opened the door to the private room, let her in, and shut it behind her. They figured Ruben had sent Trinity with some kind of remedy for Cole. Still, it struck them as odd. Why Trinity, out of everyone in the Evans family? Especially with Cole in this state, it wasn’t exactly the best time for him to be around women.
Inside the private room, Trinity tugged her chiffon dress down, baring half her shoulder, and gazed at the man sprawled on the sofa with dazed eyes.
Cole, eyes shut, was breathing heavy and rough. At the sound of her steps, his brow creased. “Didn’t I say no interruptions unless I call for you?”
Trinity’s heart raced, torn between thrill and fear. Biting her lip, she tiptoed closer and murmured, “Cole, it’s me.”
Cole froze and then cracked his eyes open, his cold gaze landing on her face. “What are you doing here?”
Before stepping into the room, Trinity had spun fantasies-Cole seeing her, pulling her into his arms, kissing her senseless, claiming her right there. She’d read enough steamy novels to know that guys in his state were supposed to lose all control. But Cole’s voice and gaze were so cold that they sent chills down her spine. “Ruben sent me with some food for you.”
Cole shut his eyes again, his face blank. “Drop the food and get out.” He saw through her lie in a heartbeat but didn’t call her out. Ripping off the mask would just stir up drama under the same roof.
Trinity’s fingers clenched, but she didn’t dare linger. She set the food down and scurried out. She was head-over-heels for Cole’s sharp looks and charm but terrified of his frosty, commanding presence. Defying him? Not a chance!
Getting brushed off like that stung, her face burning with shame. She planned to slip away quietly, but as she stepped out of the room, she ran smack into Manley.
“Manley!”
“Trinity? What are you doing here?”
Trinity’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She forced an awkward smile and bolted.
Manley raised an eyebrow, then turned and strolled into the private room.
At the sound, Cole shot upright, locking eyes with Manley. “Find me a woman…”
A single phone call from Cole was all it took to summon Manley here. In the phone call, Cole hadn’t wasted time on pleasantries. “Get to the Royal Club. Now.”
Manley hadn’t even gotten a chance to reply-the line went dead. Assuming it was an emergency, he raced to the Royal Club. The moment he arrived, Cole hit him with something completely unexpected: he wanted a woman.
Wait-what? Cole asking for a woman? That didn’t line up at all. Cole was practically a monk when it came to women-distant, cold, and always above temptation. And wasn’t he married to Elliana anyway?
The whole thing threw Manley off. He couldn’t make sense of any of it. Cole’s eyes burned with urgency. “She needs to be clean. Legal age. Gorgeous,” he said through clenched teeth.
To Aron and Hugh, it made perfect sense. If anyone could handle this kind of bizarre request, it was Manley. He had connections in every corner of the city, and more importantly, he knew how to get things done fast.
Manley narrowed his eyes, something finally clicking. “Wait… Did someone spike your drink?”
Cole said nothing, just tugged at his collar with a grimace-answer enough.
Manley practically erupted. “Who the hell messed with your drink? Point me to them, and I’ll handle them myself!”
Before Manley could storm off, Aron and Hugh pulled him aside and filled him in on everything that had happened.
The explanation left Manley completely baffled. So, let him get this straight-Cole drank some spiked soup, fully intending to spend the night with his wife, but bailed at the last minute and stormed out instead? That couldn’t be right. It made no sense. He’d just seen Cole wrapped around Elliana like she was the only person that mattered. Why the sudden hesitation now? There was only one thing that made sense-Elliana must’ve turned Cole down.
Manley, never one to miss an opportunity to needle someone, smirked and asked, “Dude, did Elliana turn you down?”
“Bang!” Cole grabbed the takeout box left by Trinity and smashed it onto the floor in frustration, food splattering across the floor.
Both Aron and Hugh flinched, stunned. The outburst sealed it-Manley had guessed right. Elliana had shut Cole down. It was hard to wrap their heads around it.
Hugh rubbed his nose awkwardly. He used to laugh at Elliana for not knowing her place, for wanting something beyond her reach, but now Cole was the one who had been rejected.
Manley couldn’t hold it in and let out a loud laugh. “Alright, Aron, Hugh-out. I need a moment alone with our love-struck friend here.”
Without protest, Aron and Hugh stepped out, pulling the door shut behind them.
Taking a seat beside Cole, Manley pulled out his phone and tilted it toward him. “Here-scroll through. Anyone catch your eye?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.