Chapter 820
Chapter 819:
Milton’s brows furrowed. His mind raced, connecting dots with jarring clarity. His voice turned grave. “Lilah, you’ve got it wrong. It wasn’t our father who hunted her—it was our grandfather p>
The line etched between Elliana’s brows deepened, uncertainty clouding her expression. Milton’s gaze flicked briefly to Cole, who lingered just a few feet away, and then scanned their surroundings. He understood her skepticism.
“This isn’t the right place to talk,” he said quietly. “We need to talk somewhere else p>
He reached for her hand, and this time, she didn’t pull away. Curiosity about her mother, and perhaps something far more urgent, compelled her to follow.
As they passed Cole, Milton stopped and leaned in, his voice dipped in ice. “Stay away from my sister p>
The warning landed with weight, but Cole didn’t respond. His hostility toward Milton had already dissolved into something far more complicated. His eyes never left Lilah.
So this was her. The girl his mother had handpicked for him years ago. The one who had gripped his attention.
The word “pathetic” echoed in Cole’s head, bouncing around until it lost its sting, leaving him with nothing but the urge to laugh at himself. A low chuckle slipped out, dry and self-deprecating. Were all men this pathetic when they fell in love? From the very first moment, without even trying. If he’d known it was her whom his mother had intended for him, he’d never have wasted time on someone like Wanda. Now that he knew, he had no objections to marrying Lilah. None at all.
Oblivious to Cole’s silent storm, Milton gave Elliana’s hand a reassuring squeeze and led her away, the past and present colliding with every step. Walking beside Milton, Elliana cast a glance over her shoulder to look at Cole. His stare was scorching—unreadable to anyone else, but not to her. She recognized that look. He was falling hard for her. That one brazen move—climbing into his car to flirt with him—had actually worked. She’d captured his heart.
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She understood his thrill. The woman his mother had chosen for him and the woman who haunted his every thought were one and the same. No wonder he looked like he’d just won the lottery.
And for a heartbeat, she felt triumphant. Even with his mind fractured and memories blurred, his heart had led him right back to her. His instincts hadn’t changed. She hadn’t even had to try; he was hers from the start. One glance, one word, and he would have melted in her hands all over again.
But she didn’t want to make another move on him. Not now. She was still burning with rage. How could he remember everyone else, even Paige, the woman he couldn’t stand, but not her? Seething, she shot him one last glare, sharp as shattered glass, followed by a scoff full of contempt. Then, she turned away without hesitation.
Cole didn’t move. He stood rooted in place, eyes locked on the corridor where she’d vanished, his heart hammering against his ribs.
That look she gave him struck like lightning—white-hot and electric, rattling him down to his bones. He felt breathless and unmoored. Was this what falling in love actually felt like? Apparently, it was that easy. All it took was her crashing into his world, nestling in his arms, and scolding him like a child, and suddenly, his entire existence revolved around her.
She left, and his appetite vanished. Sleep became a joke. Every man she spoke to felt like a threat. He hated the silence she left behind, hated how every hour without her dragged like a week. She uttered harsh words to him, and he’d still trail after her like some sad, desperate mutt. Damn. Why was he so pathetic?