?Chapter 426:


    Not even blinking, Cole replied, “If there’s anything you want to know about me, all you have to do is ask. I’ll always tell you the truth.” From the corner of her eye, Elliana studied his face. “You’ve probably run background checks on Victor, too. I wanted to understand if you two were connected somehow.”


    Cole’s brow furrowed. “Never met him. Didn’t know he existed until his name showed up on the report for getting involved in our marriage registration. I still don’t get his intentions.”


    He looked at her, something thoughtful in his eyes. “You’ve been looking into our marriage registration all along, haven’t you?”


    She gave a firm nod. “That’s right.”


    Curiosity sharpened Cole’s gaze. “So, what have you managed to dig up?”


    Elliana didn’t hesitate. “Victor once ran a restaurant on Ublento’s main strip before vanishing fifteen years ago. Now he’s running a little diner in Podgend, and several different groups seem to be keeping tabs on him.”


    “Matches what my sources uncovered,” Cole said, showing no sign of surprise. A gentle touch to her arm turned her so they were face to face. “This marriage—it’s a partnership in every way, especially when ites to chasing down answers. Wouldn’t we make more progress if we joined forces?”


    Augh bubbled up from Elliana, and she grinned. “You’re right.” Working in tandem, she realized, would prove more efficient than them searching for the truth behind each other’s backs.


    With a fond grin, Cole pinched her cheek. “Tell me, what’s your next move?”


    “Podgend is my destination. I n to confront Victor there,” she said.


    His mouth curved in agreement. “Podgend, huh? I was nning to go there too. How about we set off together?”


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    Elliana gave a quick, enthusiastic nod. “Of course.”


    But this journey wasn’t just about Victor—ze Wraith was in the mix, and the Lunathorn was on the line. She’d have to be sharp to beat ze Wraith, and if things got tough, having Cole at her side would tip the scales. With both of them working together, ze Wraith’s odds looked slim.


    Cole’s spirits visibly lifted as he gazed at her. “So let me get this straight—you’re Rosa, a legendary designer, a top-tier fighter, the AI genius River, and somehow you’re also a brilliant doctor… How do you manage to be all that?”


    He leaned in, kissed her softly, and then murmured against her lips, “What other secrets are you hiding from me?”


    Rather than give up her secrets, Elliana threw him a question instead. “Tell me this—why do you think Victor picked us for that marriage registration in the first ce?”


    Why Victor registered her and Cole as husband and wife was a question that ate away at Elliana. She had a feeling it was tied to her mother, Rita—especially since Victor had shown up the night the Jones estate burned. But if Rita was the reason, why drag Cole into it? Cole was dangerous. Provoking him was like kicking a ho’s nest. Victor and his people couldn’t be clueless about that.


    When Elliana brought it up, Cole’s brow creased. “I’m not sure it has anything to do with my mother,” he said.


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