?Chapter 314:


    His joy evaporated, reced by a cold, sullen quiet. The world around him seemed to darken, every shadow in the night deepening with his disappointment.


    Myles, Aron, and Hugh—still aching from six hundred grueling push-ups—froze at the sight of Cole’s thunderous expression. Not one of them dared move a muscle. After all, thest thing they needed was to be his next set of punching bags.


    A heavy silence pressed down on the night. Only the faint whisper of wind and the distant chirping of insects slipped through the open windows.


    Without warning, Cole sprang to his feet and stormed back into the vi. He dropped onto the sofa with a heavy, frustrated sigh. Myles, Aron, and Hugh followed quietly, each man hoping to blend into the wallpaper.


    Once seated, Cole unleashed the storm bottled up inside him. “Tell me, do you think Elliana even understands what it means to be a wife? Even at this hour, she refused toe back home, choosing instead to hang out and eat with whoever she wants—does she even care about her husband? Or this family?”


    His voice rose, sharp with frustration. “Maybe I’ve been too easy on her. I just let her do whatever she pleases. If this keeps up, where is it going to lead? Do you think I need to set some ground rules? Maybe it’s time I taught her how to behave.”


    The living room fell into a bone-chilling hush. Not a single word slipped from anyone’s lips. Even Hugh, normally the first to crack a joke or offer an opinion impulsively, stood stone-faced, wisely keeping his thoughts to himself.


    The uneasy quiet stretched on until Cole finally lifted his gaze, his eyes glinting with ice as he fixed the three men in ce. “What’s wrong? Did your tongues all fall out?”


    Aron and Hugh stared at the floor, rigid with dread, not daring to even breathe too loudly.


    Only Myles managed to gather his wits, forcing a shaky smile. “Mr. Evans, your wife is only twenty—she’s so young, brimming with energy and curiosity. It’s normal for her to want to have some fun. Maybe you could be a little more understanding?”


    Cole’s stare sharpened, his voice dropping to a cutting chill. “Oh? So you think I’m just some out-of-touch old man now?” Panic flickered across Myles’s face. He shook his head frantically. “No, that’s not what I meant! What I’m saying is, Mrs. Evans loves you—she’s always with you. But she still needs her own friends and space. If you try to keep her too close, she might end up feeling suffocated.”


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    Cole fell into brooding silence, weighing those words. After a long pause, he finally nodded. “Fine. You make a fair point.”


    Then, with no warning, he shot Myles a look and snapped, “Go fetch me a whip.”


    Myles froze in confusion for a heartbeat, but quickly scrambled to obey, hurrying out and returning with a whip clutched in his trembling hands.


    Cole bnced the whip in his palm, a steely glint in his eye as he spoke with icy amusement. “If she walks through that door by ten, I’ll let this slide. But if she dares show upte, I’ll make sure she remembers tonight—right down to the sting.”


    Myles, Aron, and Hugh all grimaced in perfect sync, exchanging resigned nces. The couple was at it again—another round of marital fireworks was about to explode.


    Meanwhile, Elliana strolled through the evening without a care in the world, ignorant of the brewing storm back home. At Loftus’s Comfort Eats, she dug into a heaping te of spaghetti, savoring every bite of Hailee’s father’s secret recipe. Theirughter mingled with the gentle tter of dishes, and the hours slipped away faster than she realized.


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