[ELENA]
"You look . . . different," Elena began, her voice smooth, like silk wrapping around every word. She was trying—Cole could see that. "More mature, of course. You've grown into yourself. You've always had this . . . edge to you, though."
Cole didn't respond right away, letting her words hang in the air, cold and detached. Instead, he toyed with the edge of his water glass, eyes flicking toward the door, counting the seconds until he could make his escape.
Elena's presence, her polished persona, the way she tried to pull him in—it didn't interest him.
Not anymore.
"I'm glad you're doing well," he said, his tone flat, as he looked her over again. Her smile faltered a little, but she quickly recovered.
"Well, of course, you wouldn't have heard the news," Elena continued, leaning forward slightly, as if trying to hook him into a deeper conversation. "My family's business is expanding—huge contracts, international deals, everything's falling into place. But I've co back for sothing more . . . personal."
The words hit Cole, but they barely registered. Personal.
That was an interesting way to put it. He took another sip of water, letting the cool liquid settle in his throat as he thought about Eve. What would she be doing right now? Probably waiting for him. They'd spoken earlier, and he couldn't help but feel an ache in his chest—a feeling he hadn't experienced in years, certainly not for soone like Elena.
Elena, on the other hand, wasn't missing a beat. She was staring at him now, her gaze becoming more intense, and Cole could almost feel the heat of it. She had grown up, no question about it. And as she spoke, it beca clear that she had beco very aware of her beauty, of the way n looked at her now. But Cole didn't bite. He wasn't interested in being one of those n.
"I was hoping to work with you on a few things, Cole. Business matters, of course," Elena said, her voice lowering slightly, her lips curling up in a seductive smile. "Your connections . . . your experience. You've beco very important in the industry, haven't you? You have this power, this way of getting things done . . ."
While Elena was speaking, Cole's thoughts were elsewhere. Eve. Her smile. Her eyes. The warmth in her voice. It was her face that flashed in his mind every ti Elena's words began to fade into the background.
"I'm not really looking to do business right now," Cole said, his voice curt and dismissive. "My focus is elsewhere. But you can speak to my staff and see if they can assist you," he said in a decisive tone, handing over a card. Clearly, he was eager to wrap this up and leave as quickly as possible.
Elena raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the coldness in his response. But she recovered quickly, her smile still firmly in place. "Elsewhere? Is there soone else?" She leaned in slightly, her gaze sharpening with curiosity. "You didn't always seem like the type to settle down."
At that, Cole's indifferent facade cracked, just slightly. He had to fight back the urge to scoff. Settling down? He was ready to settle down—with Eve. The only problem was, she wasn't ready for that.
"I'm ready to settle down," he said, eyes narrowing, "with Eve . . ."
The words slipped out, almost without thinking, and for a brief mont, the air between them thickened. Elena's smile faltered, and Cole could see the quick flicker of sothing—disappointnt? Jealousy? Maybe a little of both.
"Is that so?" Elena said, her voice quieter now, with a touch of tension threading through her words. "Congratulations. Eve is a lucky girl."
Her smile was sweet, but Cole wasn't fooled. He'd seen enough "good girl" facades to know this was just that—a front.
Elena, however, played her part flawlessly. She reached into her designer handbag, feigning nonchalance as she pulled out a bottle of lotion. Twisting the cap, she deliberately squeezed out far more than necessary.
"Oh, oops," she said with an apologetic smile that didn't reach her eyes. She held the excess in her hand and tilted her head slightly, a hint of faux shyness in her posture. "Do you mind if I share so with you?"
It was a strategy she had perfected—a delicate, calculated move that had never failed to make n fall over themselves to oblige her.
But Cole? Apparently, he wasn't like the rest. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire
"I'm allergic to lotions," he said curtly, his tone leaving no room for further conversation. He reached over, grabbed the box of tissues on the table, and placed it in front of her with indifference.
The aning behind the gesture wasn't lost on Elena. Wipe your own ss.
For the first ti in years, Elena felt a flicker of dismay. Not at herself—no, she never took the bla—but at Cole's apparent immunity to her charms. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
She studied him as he leaned back in his chair, exuding the kind of composed arrogance she once admired in his father, Cain Fay. Back then, Cain had been the dream of every girl her age. Charismatic, untouchable, and devastatingly handso. It was no wonder Cole had inherited those sa qualities, making him the perfect catch.
And yet, he was nothing like the boy she once knew. The Cole she rembered had been easier to manipulate, bending to her whims with a single bat of her lashes or a sly suggestion.
But this man? He was colder, sharper, and far more detached—a man who seed utterly uninterested in anything she had to offer.
Elena's fingers tightened slightly on the tissue, but her serene expression didn't waver. She wouldn't give up that easily. She'd learned too much from her travels, picking up thods that most would dismiss as old folklore but had proven to be surprisingly effective.
This one particular country had taught her the art of gayuma—a love spell, as the locals called it. It wasn't magic in the fairytale sense, but it was potent enough to tip the scales in her favor.
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