?Chapter 135:


    Paulina wrapped up her speech, and Myles and Aron exchanged a quick nce, their lips twitching with unsaid words. She hadn’t left them a moment to speak up or exin themselves.


    “Alright, up you get,” Paulina said with a wave.


    With a few silent grumbles, Myles and Aron stood, resentment simmering just beneath the surface, but they bit their tongues.


    At that moment, Cole strolled in. Still wearing yesterday’s clothes and rocking a tangled mop of hair, he looked like he hadn’t taken a shower.


    Paulina jumped to her feet. “Mr. Evans, you could’ve just sent a text. Whye all the way here?”


    “I was just drifting around and ended up here,” Cole said, flopping onto the couch. His gaze slid over Myles and Aron, and without missing a beat, he added, “Caught you two getting chewed out again, huh? You really know how to keep your sister on her toes.”


    Myles and Aron stiffened, their jaws twitching again—boiling mad but doing their best to keep theirposure. That was riching from Cole. The mess that had gotten them in trouble? That was all thanks to his dramatic antics that had dragged them in.


    Paulina’s brows furrowed as she nced at Cole. “You look wrecked, Mr. Evans. Did you pull an all-nighter? I’ll have the kitchen throw together some pasta. You need to eat, shower, and hit pause for a bit.”


    “No need,” Cole muttered.


    He hesitated for a moment before his eyes turned toward Paulina with a hint of awkwardness. Paulina, three years his senior, had always yed the role of the protective older sister long before job titles had evere into y. Even with their work dynamic, he still saw her as family.


    “Something on your mind, Mr. Evans?” she asked.


    Cole nodded. “What kind of romantic moves do women usually go for?”


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    Paulina immediately caught on. Elliana, again. Cole was clearly striking out and hade fishing for advice.


    She paused, unsure how to answer. Having lost her parents young, she had been thrust into the role of caregiver early on—raising her three younger brothers and keeping the ship afloat. It had made her take charge, no-nonsense, and more focused on getting things done than on romance.


    At thirty, she was happily unattached—and frankly clueless about her own romantic preferences, let alone anyone else’s.


    Still, she couldn’t just wave Cole off. She leaned on her secret arsenal: romance novels. She’d read enough to fill a library and figured she could piece together something half-decent.


    “Every woman’s different,” she began. “Different strokes, different vibes. There’s no one-size-fits-all. You’ve gotta really see her—pick up on what she likes, what makes her tick.”


    Cole nodded, finding her words reasonable.


    Paulina rxed a little and added, “But here’s something pretty universal. Don’te on too strong. If you box her in, she won’t have room to breathe—and that’s when people panic and bolt.”


    Her wordsnded. Hard. Cole winced inwardly. Had he been doing exactly that with Elliana? The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. Yeah, he’d been way too intense. Maybe it was time to ease up and give her some space to find her footing.


    Just then, Myles’s phone chimed. He nced at the screen and turned to Cole. “Mr. Evans, we’ve got a new lead on that marriage investigation.”


    Cole shook off his thoughts and refocused.


    Myles stepped forward and handed him the phone. “Take a look. Afterbing through a mountain of data, we finally found someone connected.”


    The info Myles showed Cole matched what Matthew had given Elliana.


    Both teams had hit the same wall, unable to dig deeper.


    “Victor Stone?”


    Cole read, racking his memory, but the name rang no bells. The truth was still out of reach.


    “Keep digging. I want everything we can find on this guy,” Cole ordered.


    “Yes,” Myles replied.


    “Oh, and get this,” Myles added. “Lexi’s crew is sniffing around too.”


    Cole’s gaze sharpened. “Lexi Hanson from the Star Society?”


    “Yeah,” Myles said. “They’ve always kept to the shadows, but this case shows they’ve got reach way beyond home turf. We can’t afford to sleep on them.”


    Cole leaned back, deep in thought. “No one knows much about Lexi’s background. But with a track record like the Star Society’s, I’ve got to admit—I respect Lexi’s game. Makes you wonder who hired them for this mess.”


    “Could it be Mrs. Evans?” Paulina asked.


    Myles shook his head quickly. “No shot. If she wanted info, she’d just ask Mr. Evans straight up. She wouldn’t need to hire Lexi. The Star Society doesn’te cheap.”


    Aron chimed in, “Yeah, and even though Mrs. Evans is a big deal as Rosa, after team expenses, her worth’s maybe a billion tops. This is international drama. The Star Society’s price tag would be nuts. No way she could swing it.”


    Cole went silent again, wheels turning fast, about to speak.


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