?Chapter 807:


    For one breathless second, when Elliana looked out at the crowd, Milton almost believed he was seeing his mother again. So, he kept watching, caught up in a gentle warmth blooming in his chest. The feeling defied words, but it stirred up a deep sense of connection—a quiet urge that told him this girl deserved his protection.


    Cole, of course, had no inkling of Milton’s thoughts. Milton’s admissionnded like fuel on a fire, and jealousy red up inside him. The cold, sharp look in his eyes turned even colder, as if he meant to scorch Milton where he sat.


    A sudden shift in the air let Milton know that Cole’s mood had turned. A single raised eyebrow and a quiet, mockingugh signaled his reaction. “Mr. Evans, do you have an issue with that?”


    “Yeah,” Cole shot back, his words sharp and unfiltered.


    Milton’s yful edge disappeared, reced by a cool stillness.


    A sense of challenge settled between them, thickening the tension and leaving no doubt about the rising conflict.


    While their rtionship had never been close, a thinyer of professional politeness and mutual respect had always stood between them. Now, with just a few words, that buffer had evaporated, leaving the air thick and heavy with tension.


    Cole’s voice came out rough, like gravel, as he remarked, “Her name’s Lh. I set my sights on her first. She’s mine, so don’t get any ideas about taking what isn’t yours.”


    There was nothing subtle in Cole’s words. He made his stance painfully clear.


    A nce from Miltonnded on Elliana before he looked straight back at Cole. He let out a dryugh. “Aren’t you supposed to be marrying Wanda? You can’t have everything.”


    The name hit Cole like a ssh of cold water. Wanda. He’d momentarily forgotten his own engagement—his duty to marry the Campbell family’s daughter. If that marriage went through, Milton would be his brother-inw. This was not a man he should be challenging.


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    Even so, the idea of handing Lh over to Milton filled Cole with rage. Just imagining Milton’s hands resting on her felt like a knife twisting deep in his stomach. Now, everything narrowed to a single choice. He could honor his mother’s final wish, or he could fight for Lh. He had to decide which one mattered more.


    Milton had always known Cole to be a man of quick decisions—someone who never second-guessed himself once his mind was made up. But now, regarding the girl performing on stage, Cole looked like he was wrestling with something deep inside. What could possibly have him so twisted up? Was he really torn between choosing Wanda or this Lh girl?<fn4407> Content originallyes from find·novel</fn4407>


    Just as Milton’s curiosity was about to get the better of him, Cole broke the silence with a sharp, sudden statement. “I won’t be marrying Wanda.”


    The words hit Milton like a cold ssh of water. It wasn’t that he cared about Wanda one way or another—he’d never seen her as a sister, much less a true Campbell. Whether she ended up married orpletely humiliated made no difference to him. What caught him off guard was how unpredictable Cole was acting. Hadn’t Cole been the one who personally flew overseas to propose? And now he was calling it off before they’d even thrown a proper celebration to mark the engagement?


    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Milton asked, keeping his voice level and his expression nk. He was genuinely puzzled.


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