?Chapter 233:


    Elliana bit the inside of her cheek to keep fromughing and then turned toward Cole. “Did you get a good look?”


    Cole waspletely thrown, his face a perfect mix of confusion and disbelief. “Your friend… Is she also into this odd habit of looking hideous on purpose?”


    “Not at all,” Elliana answered smoothly, keeping her face serious. “See, my ugliness is artificial. But Adah? She was born with it.”


    Cole gave her a skeptical look. “Honey, are you being honest with me right now?”


    Elliana didn’t hesitate, her lies flowing smoothly. “How could I lie to the man I married? When ites to love andmitment, I’m as genuine as it gets. If I’m not in love, I don’t even try. But once I am? I give everything. No lies, no secrets. My whole heart belongs to my husband.”


    Her answer made Cole visibly happy. He smiled and leaned forward, nting a soft kiss on her lips. “You really are something else.”


    Cole nced back at the photo and frowned slightly. “What happened to her tooth?”


    Elliana didn’t flinch as she continued spinning her tale. “Apparently, she had a run-in with a cow on the farm. Got kicked in the mouth. She didn’t have much money, and she never had it fixed. But when she gets back to Ublento, I’ll take care of the dental bill.”


    She even gave Cole’s shoulder a firm poke to drive her point home. “Honey, you absolutely have to say something to An for my friend. No matter what, you’ve got to help make this match work.”


    Cole swallowed hard. He didn’t dare make any promises. Adah and An couldn’t be more mismatched. There was no version of reality where An would willingly go along with this.


    Elliana kept up her act, her tone taking on a pleading softness. “My friend had no clue there was a marriage arrangement between the two families. She honestly thought she’d end up with some grumpy old man from her vige. Now that she knows there’s a chance with the heir of the Shaw family, she’s over the moon. She hasn’t slept since. If An backs out now, it’ll break her heart!”


    She gave Cole’s shoulder another jab, piling on the pressure. “I’m counting on you. You have to make it happen for them!”


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    Cole brought a hand to his forehead, rubbing it in quiet defeat. He still couldn’t bring himself to make any promises.


    No sane man would willingly tie himself to a wife he found unattractive. Whether they admitted it or not, most men leaned toward physical beauty. Cole was no different. He had always been drawn to what pleased the eye—and An shared that same instinct.


    The only reason Cole hadn’t rejected Elliana on that fateful day at the Jones family’s estate was that their names were already on the marriage certificate. Whether he epted it or not, the paperwork had sealed the deal. Plus, their marriage gave him the perfect excuse to cut Paige out of his life. It had felt like a win on all fronts.


    When Cole first encountered Elliana, he had found her personality easy to like, her presence warm and interesting. But back then, he had no ns to treat her as his wife. Even with his promise to Ruben to honor the family customs, he had made up his mind to quietly change the rules. He fully intended to allow divorces in the case of an unwanted marriage. He wasn’t going to let old traditions decide his future.


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