?Chapter 61:


    In the opulent, brightly lit CEO’s office, the air was thick with tension. Myles approached the massive desk cautiously, cing a folder down with reverent care. “Mr. Evans, this document needs your signature.” But Cole didn’t respond. He sat motionless behind his sleekputer, his chiseled features frozen in an expression of iciness.


    Myles stood awkwardly, not daring to speak again. He simply waited, heart pounding.


    Just outside the door, Aron and Hugh stood with their ears practically pressed to the wood, barely breathing. Minutes passed. Or was it longer?


    Atst, Cole reached for the pen and signed the document with brisk, practiced strokes.


    Myles exhaled, quietly relieved. Perhaps—just perhaps—this time would go smoothly.


    Then, with a sudden snarl, Cole grabbed the paper he’d just signed and flung it straight into the trash. “Cruel woman!”


    Myles flinched. Outside, Aron and Hugh instinctively jumped back. Here it went again.


    Last night, Cole had spent hours in a cold shower, trying to cool off the effects of the aphrodisiac. He hadn’t said a word in the car this morning. But once he arrived at the office, the roller coaster began—rage, silence, brooding, snapping. At any given moment, Cole could shift from cial calm to stormy outburst. It was hard to say when he’d suddenly scream out loud. “Cruel woman!”


    The entire staff tiptoed through the halls, hoping to avoid Cole’s wrath. If anyone was unlucky enough to be called into his office, they would have to cross themselves first.


    The secretarial department had resorted to desperate measures. Myles had already been begged by every secretary on the floor to deliver their documents for them. He’d been back and forth to the CEO’s office so many times that he’d stopped checking his step count.


    And Cole hadn’t even touched lunch. Now, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, his mood had turned even darker.


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    Outside the office, Hugh held up three fingers, whispering to Aron.


    “That makes three hundred ‘cruel women’ today.”


    Aron shot Hugh a scowl. “And whose fault is that?”


    Hugh let out a sheepish sigh, his shoulders drooping with the weight of regret. How he wished he hadn’t said those flippant words to Elliana. He never meant for things to go this far. Sure, he’d teased Elliana a little. Maybe even exaggerated a few things. But Elliana’s rejection of Cole’s desire for intimacy? Cole’s full-blown heartbreak? The CEO of the Evans Group turned into a brooding, love-scorned wreck? That hadn’t been part of the n.


    With a groan, Hugh ruffled his hair and whispered a prayer to every deity he could remember, hoping Cole would miraculously recover before he ended up demoted to parking lot supervisor—or worse.


    Inside the office, Myles kept his head down. He moved quietly to the trash can, retrieved the crumpled document, and ttened it with slow, reverent care. He didn’t dare speak. Not after thest time he’d tried to offer Cole advice and had nearly been turned to stone by a single re. Today, Cole was a live wire—vtile, unpredictable, and emotionally radioactive. The best move? Complete silence.


    With the paper in hand, Myles cast a nce at Cole, who sat staring at hisputer screen, unmoved, unspeaking. Myles gave a subtle bow and turned to leave.


    Myles had barely pivoted when Cole’s voice cut through the silence.


    “What is she doing?”


    There was no need to ask who “she” was.


    A shiver crawled down Myles’ spine.


    All morning, Elliana’s name had been a forbidden word. Anyone reckless enough to mention her in Cole’s presence had paid dearly. Her name was a spark near dry kindling—dangerous and unpredictable. And yet now, Cole was the one asking about her.


    “Mrs. Evans joined a reality show called The Heiress Graduation Trip,” Myles replied dutifully, turning back toward Cole. “She left early this morning to begin filming. It’s being streamed live as we speak.”


    Cole’s fingers froze over the keyboard. He looked up, a shadow of disbelief flickering in his eyes as he stared at Myles.


    Wordlessly, Myles pulled out his phone,unched the livestream, and ced it on the desk in front of Cole.


    Cole nced down. His expression darkened. “Cruel woman,” he grumbled.


    Cole was genuinely pissed. So, Elliana had really done it—stepped into the entertainment world without so much as a backward nce. She had once expressed interest in him, watched him drink that spiked soup, and led him on, only to rip the ground from under him with a simple confession: she didn’t like him and had no intention of being his wife. Cruel. Heartless. Utterly cold.


    Last night, he’d stormed out of their room in fury, resorting to drenching himself in icy water throughout the night to deal with the burning sensation the aphrodisiac had caused. And where was she now? On camera, smiling, as though none of it mattered. As though he had never mattered. So be it. If she wanted to brave the world alone, let her. He was curious to see how far she could go without his protection.


    Myles watched silently, his eyes fixed on Cole’s shifting expressions—rage, disbelief, wounded pride. It was like watching time rewind. The seventeen-year-old version of Cole was vtile, entitled, and emotionally raw.


    Elliana hadn’t just broken Cole’s heart. She had unmade him. She wasn’t an ordinary woman. She was an enchantress—one who could unravel years of maturity with a single choice.


    Then, suddenly, a scream rang out from the livestream.


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