?Chapter 76:


    The moment the racket hit his ears, Cole lifted his eyes with cool detachment, sizing up the trio who’d barged in without so much as a knock.


    The trio and Cole had grown up thick as thieves, their bond a rare thing, giving them more guts than most to face Cole, the man who could freeze a room with a nce.


    Myles, the eldest, was always shoved to the front lines, a role that had molded him into the spearhead for his two younger brothers.


    “Mr. Evans, how about a ss of water? You look parched,” Myles offered, shing a polite grin under Cole’s piercing stare. He sauntered to the desk, setting the ss down with a gentle clink. His moves were all respect and sincerity, but his eyes kept sneaking toward Cole’s phone.


    Cole, sharp as a tack, saw right through Myles’ little game.


    For all Myles’ schrly looks—those sses, that calm demeanor—his curiosity could rival a nosy aunt at a family wedding.


    Nobody would peg the poised, steady assistant Myles as the guy with a phone gallery stuffed to the brim with juicy gossip: who was sneaking around with whom, who had split up, who had undergone cosmetic surgery—he had the dirt on everyone.


    In contrast, Aron and Hugh, the younger two, were as guileless as puppies.


    Cole shot Myles a look of quiet disdain but didn’t send him packing. Truth be told, he was feeling a little smug and wanted to unt his brilliant wife.


    Seeing Cole wasn’t kicking him out, Myles visibly rxed and dared to lean a little closer to get a better view of Cole’s phone screen.


    Aron and Hugh took that as their cue and shuffled up to the desk too, craning their necks.


    Cole, mildly amused but keeping up his frosty act, gave Aron and Hugh a side-eye and asked, “And what are you two doing here?”


    “Ahem!” Aron coughed awkwardly, fully aware his lie wouldn’t hold water, but he pushed through anyway. “We thought you might be bored, so we came to keep youpany.”


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    “Ha-ha!” Hugh found the excuse weak, but he had nothing better, so he just chuckled and said, “Yeah, to chat.”


    Cole snorted, unimpressed. “Pair of goofballs!”


    He threw them a disdainful nce but didn’t make a move to shoo them away, returning his gaze to his phone.


    The four of them could be employer and employee on paper, but they had shared a childhood. Their rtionship had always been moreid-back than formal.


    Myles, the same age as Cole, was the most intelligent of the three brothers. He was well-read and steady in his actions.


    Aron and Hugh, younger than Cole by two and four years respectively, were more muscle than mind—great in a scuffle, but hopeless in strategy.


    Naturally, Cole spoke with more respect to Myles and treated Aron and Hugh like overgrown kids who needed regr scolding to stay out of trouble.


    And Aron and Hugh had long gotten used to it. A week without a Cole-style tongueshing felt iplete. Being called goofballs just now? It weirdly warmed their hearts—it almost sounded affectionate. Did that mean they could stick around and gossip? Grinning from ear to ear, they sidled closer to Myles, eager to peek at what Cole was so intently watching.


    Meanwhile, at the museum, thepetition was heating up.


    Elliana’s Lonely Sunset, Paige’s Riding the Waves, and Bentlee’s Brick Bridge were battling it out for the top three spots. But to the seasoned judges, the verdict was all but obvious.


    Compared to the other two, Brick Bridgecked both finesse and depth. It was the clear third-ce pick, no debate needed.


    That left the true showdown between Lonely Sunset and Riding the Waves—Elliana versus Paige.


    But even here, the judges didn’t see much of a toss-up. Paige’s work had charm and solid technique, but Elliana’s piece was in a league of its own. The difference was night and day.


    Still, the rules required that the announcement be dyed for dramatic ir. The judges would put on a show, letting the audience soak in every brushstroke and nuance before delivering the final call. As thepetition entered the final showdown, tension crackled through the museum.


    Luciano was drenched in sweat, nerves fried by the suspense.


    Paige gripped the hem of her gown so tightly that it looked like the fabric might tear. Elliana! Elliana! The name buzzed like a broken record in her mind.


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