?Chapter 12:


    Trailing behind Cole were An, Merlin, and Manley. The three of them froze in ce the moment they caught sight of what was happening. Manley could hardly believe his eyes. “Hold on, are my eyes ying tricks on me, or is Cole actually kissing that in Jane? Cole’s never once shown the slightest interest in women for years. And now he’s all over Elliana? This is unreal. It’spletely shattering everything I thought I knew.”


    Spinning toward his friends, Manley threw his hands up. “Seriously? Is anyone gonnament, or am I losing my mind alone?”


    An loosened his tie, clearly rattled. “Yeah… I didn’t see thising either.”


    Merlin said nothing. His gaze, sharp and unreadable, stayed locked on the scene, his thoughts racing.


    Elliana had no chance to brace herself. The kiss wasn’t soft or tentative—Cole deepened it before she could react, his tongue slipping past her defenses as if he’d done this a hundred times. Heat surged through her like a shockwave, scattering her thoughts and instincts. It was unfamiliar, intoxicating, andpletely short-circuited her ability to resist.


    By the time her mind caught up, the kiss had already left its mark—her lips buzzed, her breath uneven. Hands shaking, she pressed against his chest and tried to shove him away. “You’re way out of line. Who told you kissing me was okay?”


    Cole finally let her breathe but didn’t release her. Holding her close, his voice dropped to a steady, deliberate tone. “Now tell me, honey—do I have the right to get involved in your business?”


    Elliana’s thoughts were still scrambled, but she managed to re at him. “Back off. You’re one step away from pushing me too far.”


    Cole chuckled, amused. “Oh? What’s your next move then? nning to knock me out like you did those losers in the other room?”


    Elliana stilled, the realization dawning in her eyes—he’d watched everything from the surveince footage. “If you want to find out firsthand, I’d be more than willing to demonstrate.”


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    No sooner had the words left her lips than Elliana sprang into motion. She wasn’t naive—Cole had skill. That much was obvious from what she’d witnessed the night before. But today gave her a chance to test the waters, to see who truly held the upper hand if they ever went toe-to-toe again.


    Right before things could escte, Manley darted between them, waving his arms like a referee. “Alright, timeout! You’re newlyweds, not cage fighters. Save the tension for a steamy reunion. Let’s go cool off with a drink, yeah?”


    Reluctantly, they all headed back to the private room, the tension still crackling in the air. After witnessing everything just now, Manley didn’t dare say another bad word about Elliana. In fact, he suddenly found himself on his best behavior, as if Elliana were royalty. Since Cole was on her side, looks didn’t matter. Affiliation with Cole alonemanded respect—and he wasn’t stupid enough to test that.


    As soon as they sat down, Manley jumped to pour Elliana a drink.


    “Here you go, something to take the edge off.”


    Elliana offered a polite smile and lowered her gaze. “I don’t drink.” Without a word, Cole reached for the juice, filled a ss, and slid it over to her. She epted it calmly and took a slow sip.


    The men across from them froze, speechless. Cole—Mr. Untouchable himself—had just served someone a drink. Willingly. And not just anyone—Elliana, the woman they’d all written off as in and forgettable.


    The couple couldn’t have looked more mismatched. Cole exuded polish and power, while Elliana, in their eyes, looked painfully out of ce. Yet, here they were, sitting together, intimate, aligned, and entirely unfazed by how it looked.


    Grinning now, Manley leaned across the table, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he said, “So, Elliana… Rumor has it you’ve been stuck in the back room for years. Where’d you learn to fight like that?”


    “Self-taught,” Elliana said smoothly, her faint smile giving away nothing.


    Not for a second did Manley believe her. That kind of skill didn’te from watching TV or sparring in a basement. But one nce at Cole—and at Elliana’s calm expression—told him to drop it. This was one mystery better left untouched.


    Without a word, Merlin tilted back his ss and emptied it in a single swallow. The next moment, he snapped his wrist—and the wine ss flew through the air, aimed directly at Elliana’s face.


    An and Manley paled instantly. The move hade out of nowhere, too fast to predict and far too fast to stop.


    Merlin had once ranked among the elite in international special forces, and his aim was nothing short of lethal. If that ss struck Elliana, the oue would be far from pleasant.


    But inches from Elliana’s skin, a hand cut through the air and caught the ss mid-flight.


    Cole had moved first. He always did. No hesitation. He clenched his fist and shattered the ss with a sickening crack, shards cascading to the floor. His re pinned Merlin like a steel de. “What the hell was that?”


    They’d been friends since they were kids, bonded through years of battle and blood—but never before had the air between them been this close to breaking.


    Elliana, meanwhile, stayed perfectly calm. She’d sensed Merlin’s attacking and had every confidence she could’ve dodged it. But deep down, she’d also known Cole wouldn’t let anything happen to her, so she’d stayed right where she was.


    Unbothered by the fury aimed at him, Merlin gave a casual shrug. “Take it easy. Ms. Marsh fights like someone who’s seenbat despite her im of self-teaching. That kind of reflex? Doesn’t just show up on its own. I wanted to test the truth.”


    Cole’s jaw tightened. His voice dropped to a growl as he said, “You really expect me to buy that garbage?”


    “Cole, she’s dangerous,” Merlin said, voice clipped and steady. “My instincts don’t lie, and everything about her sets off rms—sharp and deadly ones. You really believe a person locked in a storage room for fifteen years just happened toe out with that kind of skill? There’s got to be hiddenyers we can’t even begin to guess at! That marriage of yours was suspicious from day one. Keep her around, and you’re practically inviting chaos.”


    Merlin paused, his eyes sharp and unyielding. “And let’s not overlook what happened to your father…”


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