?Chapter 36:


    Elliana’s cheeks flushed as memories rushed back—the night they parted, when Cole had caught her stepping out of the bathroom. They had been too close. To her, the closeness between them felt strange, and the whole situation seemed perplexing. They were two strangers, tied by a marriage certificate neither of them truly understood. Married for six days, with four of those spent apart. Despite their limited time together, they seemed to fall into each other’s arms with surprising ease. Though today, they hadn’t kissed yet.


    As the thought crossed her mind, warmth suddenly brushed her lips—Cole kissed her, out of the blue.


    Elliana froze. Of course. A hug was never going to be enough for him. Before she could recover, he kissed her again. His deep voice brushed her ear. “Did you miss me?”


    Half her body went numb. “Well, have you ever considered that you might not be quite normal?”


    Cole raised an amused brow. “Oh? And what makes you think that?” Elliana hadn’t meant to say it, but with him constantly teasing and getting handsy, she had to speak up. “You’re a billionaire. You could have any attractive woman, be it a supermodel or an actress. But instead, you’re here, flirting with me. Is that normal?”


    Cole shrugged. “I don’t care about looks. I go where the chemistry is.”


    Elliana kept her thoughts to herself—he really wasn’t normal. “Whatever your ‘type’ is, could you at least act a little decent? We’re just husband and wife in name only. Once we figure out how we were brought together, we go our separate ways… Ah!” She yelped. He had pinched her.


    Cole’s face darkened. “Ungrateful woman.” He hadn’t rushed back just to hear talk of separation.


    Just then, the suite door opened. A waiter walked in with the food. Elliana quickly slid off hisp and returned to her seat, rubbing the sore spot in secret. He had pinched hard—what a jerk.


    Once the dishes were served, the waiter left the room.


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    Cole reached out and served her food himself. “Eat quickly. We’re meeting someone after this.”


    Elliana looked up. “Who?”


    “You’ve probably heard of Lexi—the mysterious owner behind Ublento Hotel. In truth, this hotel is just one part of Lexi’s empire. Lexi leads the Star Society. Today, we’re meeting Lexi’s second-inmand, Matthew Santos.”


    The Star Society was a shadowywork with ties to both the legal world and the underworld. Lexi was a legend, but no one had ever seen her face. All operations were handled by her right-hand man, Matthew.


    Elliana frowned. “What do you want to see Matthew for?”


    Cole sighed. “The trip to Vand was a dead end. I need the Star Society’s help to find the legendary healer, Milena.”


    Elliana said nothing. She simply bit her fork and kept quiet.


    After they finished eating, the hotel manager led them into another private room. Matthew was already waiting.


    Seeing Cole, Matthew stood politely—but the moment he saw Elliana beside him, he stiffened.


    Elliana nced at Matthew. That was all it took. Matthew understood immediately—she wanted him to pretend he didn’t know her, to keep her discreet identities as Lexi and Milena concealed.


    Matthew was quick-witted and smooth. Gathering himself swiftly, he cheerfully spoke, “Mr. Evans, pleasure to meet you. Please, have a seat.” Cole gave a courteous nod and sat with Elliana.


    Matthew didn’t waste time. “Mr. Evans, what can the Star Society do for you?”


    Cole ced a check on the table. “I want to find Milena. Five hundred million. Just as a deposit. If you take the job, you can name your price. No limits.”


    The Star Society was known for handling high-risk jobs with spotless records. If they failed, they never charged a cent.


    Matthew stared at the check, tempted. It was an easy job. Too easy. Normally, he would’ve taken it on the spot. Elliana seldom asked about the Star Society’s matters, and he made all the calls. But this time, he couldn’t decide since Elliana was involved. Cole was oblivious that the person he searched for was sitting right beside him. It was hrious, really. Who needed such arge amount of money to deliver a message between husband and wife?


    Matthew’s expression grew strange. Cole noticed and frowned. “Mr. Santos, please speak freely.”


    Matthew found it amusing internally but maintained aposed exterior. “Mr. Evans, I’ll need to check with Lexi first.”


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