Chapter 11
Chapter 11:
Elliana didn’t move a muscle, playing the part of a sleeping doll. Only after the soft click of the closing door did she allow her eyes to flutter open. Flat on her back in a bed that wasn’t hers, she stared blankly at the ceiling, the cruel laughter echoing in her thoughts—cold, bitter, and all her own.
Whatever lingering hope she’d held for Darin had just been snuffed out. She had wasted years longing for fatherly love that had never existed. Each time they met, it felt like reopening the same wound.
Years ago, Darin had been nothing more than a struggling doctor from a small town, barely making ends meet. Kiara, his first love, hadn’t hesitated to dump him for a man with deeper pockets and a deed to his name.
Later, Darin had taken Rita’s research—her brilliance—and turned it into an empire. The Jones Group rose on the shoulders of her work. And once he’d made it, he discarded both Rita and Elliana and crawled back to Kiara without shame.
Not only had Darin been heartless toward Rita, but now he was offering up Elliana like a pawn to be sacrificed. That was the final crack for her. Whatever bond once existed had snapped. She was done calling him “father.” If he wanted a show, she’d give them one. And when the curtain fell, she’d make sure they were the ones left scorched.
The door creaked open again. A group of lecherous men stepped in, each one recoiling in theatrical disgust at the sight of Elliana on the bed.
“‘This gig’s a joke. We’re supposed to screw her and snap pictures? That’s trauma I’m not getting paid enough for p>
“‘Shut up. The Jones family’s paying three times the usual. Suck it up and think of the cash p>
“She’s got a decent body at least. Just close your eyes and pretend it’s someone else p>
While crude jokes bounced around the room, belts loosened, and shirts started hitting the floor.
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Meanwhile, in another room, Manley shot up from his seat and jabbed a finger at the computer screen. “‘Cole, are we seriously watching this go down? You’re not going to stop it p>
Manley waited for a reaction, any reaction—but Cole only reclined in his chair, expression unreadable, fingers pressed together in thought.
With a frown and a glint of amusement, Manley flopped back into his seat. “So this is your plan? Let your wife get dragged through hell just to cut her loose? Thought you cared about your name. When the headlines crown you the king of cuckolds, how about letting me be the first to sit down with you for the full story p>
Cole shot Manley a glare cold enough to freeze him in place. “Say one more word and I’ll make sure it’s your last p>
Before anyone could react, loud crashing erupted from the computer speakers. Heads whipped toward the screen—only to see Elliana explode into motion. In a blur of strikes and counterattacks, she floored every man in the room. Her movements were sharp, fluid, lethal—like watching a trained operative dismantle a dozen fools in seconds.
Manley’s mouth hung open. “What the hell? I thought she was some fragile little flower—does that look fragile to you p>
Allan turned to Cole, realization dawning in his eyes—like he’d just connected a trail of clues that had been in front of him all along.
Merlin’s eyes sharpened as he watched the screen. Every instinct he’d honed as a soldier roared to life—this wasn’t just some ordinary woman.
With the last lecherous man unconscious on the floor, Elliana tilted her head toward the surveillance camera. A flicker of realization crossed her face. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and started typing quickly.
Within seconds, the screen in the surveillance room went pitch black. “What the—” Manley scrambled to the keyboard. “No way. The whole system’s been wiped! Who the hell had the guts to hack into my family business’s network like this p>
Without a word, Cole rose to his feet and strode out, his expression unreadable.
Back in the room, Elliana slipped her phone back into her pocket and moved toward the door. She paused to check the peephole.
Sure enough, the hallway was crawling with Kiara’s guards. They weren’t just loitering—they were stationed. Once she left through that door, they’d know.
Elliana didn’t waste a second. She hurried back to the bathroom, pushed the window open, and climbed out without hesitation. Her hands gripped the drainpipe as she descended carefully, inch by inch, before sliding herself into a narrow ventilation opening on the far side of the building.
Right as Elliana was about to leap down, she went rigid. Standing in the hallway, tall as ever and twice as furious, was Cole.
Elliana’s breath caught. “Why are you here?” she asked, stunned.
Cole didn’t bother answering. With a storm brewing behind his eyes, he marched forward, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her off the windowsill like she weighed nothing.
Elliana barely had time to catch her breath, let alone speak, before he spun her around and pinned her wrist to the wall. The sudden motion jarred her spine against the cold surface, drawing a sharp inhale from her lips.
“What is wrong with you?” Elliana snapped, glaring up at him, irritation sparking in her voice.
Cole stepped in, his chest nearly flush with hers, the wall at her back, frustration written in every taut line of his body. “Seventeenth floor. Climbing walls like it’s some action film. Have you lost your mind?” Getting caught had never been part of Elliana’s plan. Judging by the fire in his eyes, he was more than angry—he was furious. Her teeth caught her lower lip, buying her a second to think. Then, chin high, she looked away from him. “Whatever I do is my own business. You don’t get to interfere. We agreed—your life, my life, separate. That was the deal p>
Not his business? She actually had the nerve to say that out loud? Cole’s expression darkened, his jaw clenched. He was her husband, damn it—and she expected him to stand by while she dangled off buildings like a lunatic? Unbelievable. The nerve of this woman was almost impressive. Every inch of her screamed defiance. Maybe it was time she remembered what it meant to be his wife.
Elliana could sense the tension rolling off Cole, his fury almost crackling in the space between them. Her heart gave a nervous jolt. She figured she might have gone a step too far this time and decided it was probably wise not to stir the beast any more than she already had. Flashing a quick, nervous smile, she tilted her head up. “Let’s just p>
Before the sentence even finished, Cole silenced her the only way he knew how—his mouth crashed down onto hers, wild, forceful, and utterly unforgiving.