?Chapter 109:


    The room was buzzing with chatter about Elliana’s story of rising from hardship, but when Trinity dropped Cole’s name, it was like someone flipped a switch. The vibe went cold in a heartbeat.


    “Cole got suckered into tying the knot with Elliana. Talk about a rotten deal!” Jeff sneered. He was already stewing, and Trinity’s jab gave him the perfect opening to tear into Elliana, letting his resentment pour out. “Cole’s always been a straight shooter, never chasing skirts. If he got desperatest night and tangled with someone who wasn’t his wife, he’s probably gutted. He might never set foot in the Evans house again.” Jeff snorted, rolling his eyes. “So what if Elliana’s the brains behind Rosa? Her art’s a knockout, her clothes and jewelry are pure fire, but that doesn’t erase the fact that she’s ugly and barely made it past grade school. She’s no match for Cole.”


    Jeff went on. “I can’t wrap my head around what Grandpa’s thinking. The Evans family doesn’t need some artsy type or designer. Why did he so appreciate Elliana? She’s driven Cole to storm off, yet she’s still ted to call the shots as matriarch. That’s just upside-down!”


    With Ruben out of the room, Jeff cut loose, and nobody pped back. Honestly, Jeff was just voicing the thoughts simmering in the minds of half the room. Even though Elliana was Rosa, she was still too unattractive in their eyes. If given the choice, the Evans family wouldn’t trade their golden boy for her talents. At the end of the day, Elliana’s looks were her Achilles’ heel in their book. Despite her jaw-dropping wins in art and design, to the high-and-mighty Evans family, it was chump change—not enough to gloss over her appearance.


    Jeff’s griping doused the admiration and warm fuzzies Elliana had sparked. Some even pointed fingers at her for Cole’s absence from home.


    Cole was the Evans family’s bedrock. They wouldn’t let some unattractive woman break him down.


    This was the exact vibe Trinity was gunning for. Jeff had done her dirty work. Watching the crowd turn, she felt her nerves cool like a summer breeze.


    “Elliana, that nobody, thinking she can swipe my spot as the Evans family’s darling with her Rosa street cred? Fat chance!” Trinity smirked to herself.


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    Meanwhile, upstairs in the study, Ruben sank into a cushy leather chair, hands gripping his cane. He opened his mouth a few times but mmed up, like he was wrestling with a thorny question.


    “Ruben, something eating at you?” Elliana prodded.


    Ruben hesitated and then chose his words carefully. “You and Cole…” He let out a sigh, switching tracks. “Elliana, don’t take Cole’s sharp edges to heart. He’s got a fierce sense of duty. Give him time to get his head straight, and he’lle around.”


    Elliana raised an eyebrow. So that was what was gnawing at Ruben—he was worried she was hurting over Cole’s cold shoulder. For a moment, she didn’t know how to answer. Ruben cared so deeply, but she was holding her cards close to her chest, and the unease was eating her alive.


    “I’m okay,” Elliana said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    “That’s a relief,” Ruben nodded. “As long as I’m breathing, you’re the Evans matriarch, no matter who’s got a bone to pick. Just settle in and take it easy.”


    Elliana managed a crooked smile,pletely tongue-tied.


    He smiled back. “It’s gettingte. Go hit the hay.”


    “Alright. Night.”


    Leaving the study, Elliana went back to her room. The empty bedroom, with Cole’s stuff strewn about, dragged her back to their earlier shouting match.


    Elliana couldn’t help but chuckle. Man, they’d both acted like hotheaded kids during that fight.


    After a goodugh, Elliana headed to the bathroom for a steamy shower to wash the day away.


    Stepping out, she felt like she’d shed a heavy skin—no caked-on makeup, no wig, just her real self shining through.


    Elliana figured Cole would stay gone for a bit. She’d shot him down twice, and his pride wasn’t exactly made of rubber. For now, she had this plush room all to herself, and honestly, she was pretty jazzed about it.


    Cole was getting all bossy and hard to predict. She wasn’t sure she could handle him. Keeping her distance felt like the smart y. Drying her damp hair with a towel, Elliana sauntered into the walk-in closet to snag some cozy pajamas.


    But once inside, she didn’t change right away. She parked herself in front of the mirror, giving her reflection a long, hard look.


    She’d been trapped in that in-Jane disguise for so long that she had almost forgotten what her real face looked like. With no one around to cramp her style, she felt free to let her guard down.


    In the mirror, she saw a tall, graceful figure, long hair cascading down her back, skin smooth as ss, and sharp, delicate features. She was the spitting image of her mom, Rita, in her glory days, but there wasn’t a trace of her dad, Darin.


    Thinking of Rita sent a pang through Elliana’s chest. Why had Rita run back into that fire, and where was she now?


    Just then, a knock at the door made Elliana’s heart do a flip. Could that be Coleing back?


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