?Chapter 128:


    Cole found himself at a loss for words when Ruben threw the question his way. Even if Elliana hadn’t done a single thing for the Evans family today, he would still have been more than happy to kiss her. But what did his feelings matter if she rejected him? Moreover,st night, he had kicked that little firecracker out of his car, leaving her fuming with rage. That re she threw his way downstairs was still burning in his memory. He hadn’t even figured out how to make it up to her yet.


    “Is your heart really that shallow? Do appearances mean everything to you?” When Cole stayed quiet, Ruben mmed his cane against the floor with frustration. “Elliana might not turn heads, but she’s got more character than most. Can’t you grow a little substance in that soul of yours? Or are you the clueless type Jeff mentioned?” The room went still. Nobody expected Ruben to go that far—a scolding just to bring Cole closer to Elliana.


    Cole’s mouth twitched, his patience finally reaching its limit. Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and walked away toward the stairs.


    “Where do you think you’re going?” Ruben snapped, his eyes locked onto Cole’s back.


    “I’m going upstairs to grow a little substance in my soul, Grandpa,” Cole shot back without breaking stride.


    Ruben let out a huff, ring at him until he vanished around the staircase. Then, turning to look at the others in the room—most of whom were trying not tough—Ruben shouted, “None of you is any better!” With that final grumble, Ruben stood and headed up the stairs as well. Those left behind couldn’t help but twitch their lips. Ruben wasn’t holding back today.


    On the upper floor, inside the bedroom, Ellianay stretched out on the balcony sofa, letting the sunlight warm her skin as if she hadn’t a single worry in the world. She took slow bites of her sandwich, sipped on her milk, andzily scrolled through her phone.


    The incident downstairs had already slipped from her mind. She didn’t see any reason to dwell on it.


    What truly upied her thoughts was the search for her mother and the truth buried in this marriage. As for those scheming, double-faced girls, she had only dealt with them while she was at it.


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    Finding her mother remained aplicated and twisted endeavor—one that couldn’t be rushed. Elliana knew she had to take things slow. For now, the more pressing issue was uncovering the real story behind her marriage to Cole, that maddening man. The sooner she figured it out, the sooner she could walk away and return the title of “Mrs. Evans” to him. That alone would save her from the constant headache of dealing with him.


    With that in mind, she tapped out a message to Matthew: “Any updates on the marriage registration between me and Cole in Podgend?” Matthew replied quickly, “I’ve found a few things, but it’s a bit messy. We should talk face-to-face.”


    Elliana answered, “Alright. I’ll meet you at Ublento Hotel.”


    After hitting send, she stuffed the rest of the sandwich into her mouth, cheeks puffed out like a little chipmunk, and downed thest of the milk in one swift gulp. She stood up, ready to head out. At that exact moment, Cole opened the door and walked in.


    Elliana froze, not expecting to be alone with him. Memories of the previous night rushed back—how things had gone from intimate to explosive in no time. The awkward tension made her ufortable, so she turned around and flopped back down on the sofa.


    Cole, standing with a rxed posture, had both hands tucked into the pockets of his crisp cks. He looked at her chipmunk-like cheeks and let out a light chuckle. “Wow, a chipmunk there?” He’d never met a girl who ate with such little grace.


    Elliana gave him a sharp look, refusing to take the bait. But before she could say anything, a sudden hup escaped her lips—loud and unexpected. She was choking. And this time, it wasn’t mild.


    The urge to spit it out nearly overwhelmed her, but the thought of doing that in front of Cole made her stomach twist even more. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced the bite down. Sadly, that only made things worse. Her throat tightened, and the choking grew more intense.


    Seeing her in distress, Cole rushed forward and began patting her back. As soon as she showed signs of calming down, he turned and poured her a ss of water without a word.


    Elliana no longer cared about appearances. She snatched the ss and drank the water in one long gulp.


    Once she could breathe again, Cole tilted his head and asked, half-teasing, “Have I been starving you or something?”


    Mortified beyond belief, Elliana refused to answer. She threw him a re that could’ve frozen the air between them.


    Cole didn’t need to ask. He could already tell that she hadn’t forgiven him for what happened the night before. He didn’t know what to say to make things better. So instead of trying and making it worse, he stayed quiet and just stood there watching her. After a long stretch of silence, when it became clear she still had no ns of speaking to him, he walked over to the rocking chair across from her and lowered himself into it.


    The chair, made of fine woven rattan, felt cool against his skin. He leaned back slowly, letting it sway as he kept his eyes on Elliana. She gave him nothing—not a nce, not a word. He just sat there and watched her.


    Truthfully, he had no clue how to pacify a woman. He had never dated anyone before. He had never been drawn to anyone before. He had zero experience in this kind of situation.


    Reaching twenty-seven this year, his being seven years her senior made him a little self-conscious. He sometimes worried that she saw him as too old. And whenever she got upset, hepletely froze, afraid that anything he said might make things worse.


    Silence lingered between them. Elliana sat on the sofa with her head down, scrolling aimlessly through her phone. Across from her, Cole rocked gently in his chair, eyes never leaving her.


    After a few more back-and-forth messages with Matthew, Elliana locked her phone and stood up to leave.


    Watching her rise sent a wave of panic through Cole. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the right words. His hand brushed something in his pocket—something small and smooth. It was a piece of candy. On impulse, he pulled it out and held it out to her. “Honey, have a candy.”


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