?Chapter 126:


    Cole always made a point of maintaining a pristine image. Before every single meal, he had to take a shower. Skipping it meant he couldn’t bring himself to eat. His grooming habits were relentless. Not even a strand of hair was out of ce, not a speck of dust dared tond on him, and his clothes looked like they came straight from the store. After each shower, he changed into a clean set of clothes and never repeated an outfit back-to-back.


    But today, the man known for treating cleanliness like a religion walked in wearing what he had on yesterday. His skin looked drained of color, dark shadows clung to the skin under his eyes, and his hair—usually neat to the point of obsession—was a wild, tangled mess. Elliana only needed a second to realize Cole hadn’t gotten any sleep. He must’ve dropped everything and rushed back the moment Paulina called earlier this morning, not even bothering to clean himself up first. Whatever he had donest night must’ve been a serious mess.


    Her attention shifted past him to the three men following close behind—Myles, Aron, and Hugh. Under Cole’s usual iron-fisted standards, these three never showed up looking less than wless. They always wore ck suits paired with crisp white shirts, everything from their cors to their shoces perfectly in sync.


    Today, though, the trio looked just as wrecked as their boss. Pale faces. Wrinkled suits. Hair like it had lost a fight with the wind. Even their dark under-eye circles matched Cole’s, as though they were part of some team uniform.


    There was no doubt in Elliana’s mind—the trio hadn’t slept a minute either. Whatever happenedst night had hit all of them hard.


    And now Elliana had even more questions. What in the world had the four gotten themselves into? Had they spent the whole night being chased through the city by a gang of wild dogs? The image was so ridiculous that it nearly made herugh out loud. She managed to keep it together.


    Others in the room were equally stunned by Cole’s appearance. He had always been known for being a neat freak. But today, he left everyone stunned and questioning their perception of him.


    Even so, the attention in the room didn’t stay on Cole’s messy appearance for long. Most of the focus had shifted to the chaos caused by the Henderson family, who had arrived at the Evans estate with a coffin and stirred up a storm.


    Without seeming the least bit bothered by how he looked, Cole walked into the living room and gave the space a quick once-over. When he didn’t spot anyone from the Henderson family, his brow lifted in clear confusion.


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    Paulina rushed over, eager to fill him in on what had happened.


    Once Paulina finished exining, Cole’s eyes drifted over to Elliana, who was seatedfortably on the sofa.


    As for Elliana, she had been quietly entertained by the single tuft of hair sticking straight up from the top of Cole’s head. But the second she noticed his eyes on her, she quickly turned her gaze away. Sitting nearby, Ruben stayed quiet, though the hard look on his face made it clear he wasn’t pleased with Cole at all.


    Trinity, who had been carefully acting the part of a fragile and wounded soul, kept a sharp watch on Cole’s every move. When she saw him looking at Elliana, she stepped forward at once, her voice shaking as she begged, “Cole, please, I need you to talk to Elliana for me. I never meant to upset her. I was only trying to help, but everything just went wrong.”


    As she spoke, two thick tears slid down her cheeks, making it seem like she was the most pitiful person in the world. Every bit of it was staged to earn sympathy.


    Just as Cole was about to say something, Lance interjected, his voice soft and reassuring, “Trinity, don’t me yourself too harshly. Everyone here knows you had no bad intentions. Barbara’s misdiagnosis wasn’t your responsibility. Even the top doctors believed she was gone. Her condition was just too strange.”


    Trinity felt a flicker of annoyance rise inside her. Although she usually weed Lance’s attention, this wasn’t the moment for him to speak up. Right now, all she wanted was Cole’s focus. Still, she didn’t let that irritation show.


    Trinity nced at Lance with teary eyes before slipping right back into her performance. “Thank you for trusting me,” she murmured. “But I’m terrified that Elliana will get the wrong idea and start resenting me. If she refuses to forgive me, I honestly don’t know how I’ll continue living with this family.”


    There was a quiet usation hidden in her words, one that suggested Elliana intended to push her out of the Evans family. Right now, if Elliana didn’t graciously say that it was all fine, she would be instantly branded as petty and intolerant.


    “If Elliana thinks I don’t belong here, then I’ll just pack up and return to the Craig family,” Trinity added, sobbing again as if the world had turned its back on her. She made herself look like a meek girl who had been wronged but chose to leave without causing trouble.


    Elliana looked at Trinity, a mocking smile pulling at her lips. She could never figure out how women like Trinity and Paige, who dripped with fake sweetness, managed to charm the people around them. What was their secret recipe?


    But the moment Trinity mentioned going back to the Craig family, Lance immediately lost his cool. He swung toward Elliana, sounding like he was about to burst. “Elliana, everyone here knows how much you’ve done for the Evans family with the Venacure. No one’s questioning that. But it doesn’t give you the right to be petty and force Trinity out!”


    Elliana turned her head slowly and gave him a look as if he hadpletely lost his mind. Then, without a word, she reached for the steaming cup of coffee on the table and hurled it at his face. The hot coffee hit him squarely, soaking his face and leaving him frozen in shock.


    “You!” he shouted, furious and dripping. “What the hell was that for?”


    Elliana batted hershes and mimicked Trinity’s syrupy voice, soft and dripping with fake regret. “Oops, I’m so sorry,” she said sweetly. “I saw a mosquito on your face and got a little carried away trying to drive it away. I didn’t mean any harm. It was just an honest mistake. I hope you can forgive me for having such good intentions.”


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