?Chapter 797:


    Cole turned her words over in his mind. Finding no immediate w in her logic, he epted the exnation—for now. Still, the doubt gnawed at him. The ring wasn’t just some meaningless trinket. It was a symbol of power, trust, and responsibility. How could he forget ever handing it over?


    But his trust in Paulina was absolute, so he let the matter drop. He wrapped up his work and retreated to his bedroom, hoping a hot shower and some much-needed rest would quiet the turmoil churning inside him.


    Yet, no matter how he tried to banish Lh from his mind, she crept back into his thoughts. Herst words echoed in his ears, slicing deeper each time they resurfaced. His jaw clenched. His chest tightened, the weight of her rejection pressing down on him like a stone.


    With a scowl, he stripped off his clothes, leaving them in a scattered trail behind him, and stepped into the shower. He turned the water on full st, letting the heat beat against his skin.


    But it didn’t help. His mind remained a battlefield.


    Afterward, he rubbed a towel vigorously through his hair and reached for the robe slung over the hook.


    Then, as he turned toward the foggy mirror, something in the ss caught his eye. A faint shape, barely visible, etched into the skin of his shoulder de.


    His hand froze halfway to the bathrobe.


    He knew every scar, every line of muscle, every inch of his skin. He didn’t have birthmarks. And he definitely didn’t have tattoos. So where the hell had thate from?


    A chill ran through him as he stepped closer to the mirror, contorting his body for a better look. There, inked just below his shoulder de, was the delicate outline of a hummingbird. A tattoo? On his body? With no memory of getting it? His gaze locked onto the unfamiliar ink, and a shadow passed over his face, hardening into something grim.


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    He felt like his world had slipped into something unreal. How could it be real when he had no memory of where that vital ring had disappeared? And even more baffling, he couldn’t recall the moment the delicate female hummingbird had been inked onto his shoulder.


    Reality felt warped. What was going on with him? It was as if parts of his own story had been redacted, sealed behind an invisible door. He could feel the edges of something vital just beyond reach, like fingers brushing against a locked box.


    The confusion calcified into fury. With a clenched jaw and eyes stormy with questions, Cole slipped on the robe, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the room.


    Cole walked back into the study after his shower, his mood darker than before. He hadn’t bothered getting dressed. A bathrobe clung to his damp skin, and water still dripped from his hair.


    Paulina and Hugh, already ready for bed, were hastily summoned back.


    The study was wrapped in heavy silence, thick enough to choke on.


    Paulina and Hugh exchanged uneasy nces, carefully avoiding Cole’s stormy face.<fn9ee3> The source of th?s content is f?ndnovel</fn9ee3>


    “Did you need something, Mr. Evans?” Paulina asked softly, her voice tiptoeing into the silence.


    Cole slowly lifted his head. His eyes locked onto hers. Each word left his mouth like ice. “Paulina, tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me?”


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