Chapter 610
Chapter 610:
Finally, the door creaked open, nudged by a quiet servant. Stepping through was a man in a sharp black suit, his hair combed neatly back, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and an air of quiet authority trailing behind him.
Kolton strode in, his coat slung loosely over one arm. Travel fatigue clung to him, but he didn’t slow down. The aftermath of the cargo theft had delayed him overseas, and now, fresh off a plane, he found Mariana storming straight toward him.
Without hesitation, Mariana grabbed his wrist, her voice catching in her throat. “Dad, thank God you’re back. Do you even know what kind of disaster Claudius caused at Maia’s birthday banquet? He tried to win her over right in front of everyone — and made a complete fool of himself. The whole city’s talking about it p>
She didn’t need to exaggerate. Her father’s obsession with legacy and image was legendary. And if Kolton found out that his prized heir was tangled up with a married woman — the same one who’d taken the Aurora Apparel Company out from under their noses — his reaction would be far from mild.
Had Claudius joined her, they might’ve buried this together. She would’ve backed him up, spun the story, maybe even protected him. The way Claudius looked at Maia now — utterly enchanted — was something Mariana couldn’t stomach.
Last night’s birthday party had been her chance to take Maia down, to publicly unravel her image. Instead, Mariana ended up losing a useful pawn and narrowly being dragged into that incident herself. That failure stung deeply.
Being the treasured daughter of the Cooper family meant that she wasn’t accustomed to setbacks — especially not twice, and both at the hands of the same woman. No, Mariana wasn’t about to let this go. Whatever it took, she would find a way to bend things back in her favor.
And if removing Maia personally was no longer an option? Then her father would simply have to intervene.
As expected, the moment he heard Mariana’s words, Kolton’s usual composure cracked. His expression tightened, and for a second, fire sparked behind his eyes.
𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 @
Kolton paused, his eyes settling on Mariana’s tear-stained face, brows knitting in response to her words. “What did you just say? Claudius… is chasing after Maia p>
The statement hung in the air, jarring and utterly perplexing. The idea that his son — his arrogant, hard-to-please Claudius — would lower himself for a woman like Maia? Kolton’s mind strained to accept it. It was ridiculous. In fact, it was dangerous.
A shadow flickered across Kolton’s face. Without a word, he shrugged off his coat and handed it to the butler with a curt motion. “Bring Claudius to me. Now,” he instructed, his voice cold as ice.
Without delay, he ushered Mariana toward the study. Once inside, the heavy door shut behind them with a muted thud, and Kolton settled into his chair. “Start from the beginning. What happened last night p>
Mariana eased into the seat across from him, her voice taking on a careful rhythm. “The Morgan family hosted a joint birthday party for Maia and Rosanna p>
What followed was a dramatic retelling of the evening, each detail painted with a stroke more colorful than the last. She kept glancing at her father, tracking the shifts in his expression, while maintaining her look of sorrowful injustice.
By the time she finished, her voice dropped to a somber murmur. “I really don’t know what spell that cunning woman has cast over Claudius. She’s already married, yet he’s falling for her tricks… Everyone must be laughing at our family now p>
Kolton’s jaw clenched, his features tightening like an approaching storm. For a moment, silence overtook the study. Then came the soft, steady tapping of his fingers on the wooden desk, each beat colder than the last.
When he looked at Mariana, his expression softened, his voice laced with paternal tenderness. “Alright, I understand. Mariana, go upstairs and rest. I’ll handle this matter p>
With a small nod and a discreet bite of her lip, Mariana masked her delight. She had observed every nuance of her father’s reaction, and it had confirmed what she needed to know. A flicker of satisfaction gleamed in her eyes.