[EVE]
Sinclair and I had arrived at the auction event separately, so it made sense that we would depart in the same fashion.
I was headed back to my condo, while he would return to his mansion, each of us in our own cars.
Sinclair had come accompanied by his bodyguard, while I had ventured here alone. I wasn't overly concerned; I knew my secret bodyguard was keeping a watchful eye not far away.
Cole had made sure of that.
But now, as I approached my car, I found him standing there, alone, and that unsettled me.
"What do you want?" I asked, my voice carrying a hint of annoyance.
"I'm still your bodyguard, so I'm taking you home," he replied, not a crack of his icy expression.
"Are you joking?" I shot back, fully aware that Cole never joked about such things.
He raised an eyebrow, his nonchalance irritating me. "No, I'm not." With that, he casually slid into the driver's seat of my car.
Of course, he had a spare key.
I glanced over at Sinclair, silently pleading for his intervention, but the old man simply waved me off as he headed towards his Rolls Royce.
"Come to the mansion later, Eve. We'll have a little celebration. And make sure to bring Sebastian with you," Sinclair called out just before his car pulled away.
My mouth dropped open in shock. What the hell!
Traitor
!
Cole leaned over, peeking out of the window. "Are you coming?" he asked, his tone infuriatingly calm.
Taking a deep breath, I sighed heavily and stared at the horizon.
Fine, then!
If he wanted to drive me, then he could be my chauffeur. I stomped to the backseat, slamming the door shut and crossing my arms.
Cole was unfazed by my mood, and expertly maneuvered my car out of the parking lot.
"I will be by your side from now on. I have already finished everything that I had to do," he started, his voice steady.
I chose to ignore him, staring out the window as the city blurred past.
"So that means I'll be moving into your condo."
I flinched. "Absolutely not," I retorted, a fire igniting in my chest at the mere suggestion.
Cole shrugged, unperturbed. "I'll stay in the other unit."
"Other unit?" My brow furrowed in confusion.
Cole nodded, his eyes firmly on the road. "You're staying in Heaven's Tower, right? I own the place, so I can have any unit there if I want. And your bodyguards are also staying around your unit just to be safe."
My jaw dropped. Of course, he owned it. Did he own every condo in the city?
"Are you nuts?" I exclaimed, incredulity coursing through me.
"I'm only doing my job," he replied, his expression serious as he focused on the drive.
I shook my head, struggling to find the words to push back against him. I had no idea he owned Heaven's Tower.
Continue your journey on empire
The thought of finally having my own space now seemed like a distant dream, with Cole determined to invade it.
It seemed I would need to move out and find another condo unit. I had several in the city, but I had them rented out.
A shame, really. I genuinely loved that unit of mine. It was luxurious, spacious, and equipped with everything I needed. Best of all, it was conveniently located near everything I could want or need.
Thanks to Cole, I was going to move out again.
"You don't have to move out," Cole said, almost as if he could read my thoughts. "Just pretend that I'm not there."
I scoffed, disbelief evident in my tone. "That would only be possible if you stopped being my bodyguard and quit trying to insert yourself into my life."
His expression remained unperturbed, but I caught a flicker of something in the rearview mirror—a crack in his stoic face.
"I don't ask for forgiveness, Eve. I only want a second chance to bring back what we had before."
"What part of 'I don't want you back' don't you understand?" I shot back, my heart racing as I sensed the tension thickening between us.
Cole pursed his lips, and for a moment, the silence that enveloped us felt heavy, almost suffocating.
Then I noticed we weren't heading toward my condo.
"Wait, what are you doing? Where are we going? Where are you taking me?" Panic edged into my voice, rising with each question.
"Relax. I'm not going to kidnap you. I just want to take you somewhere that has fresh air," he said calmly, but it did little to ease my mounting anxiety.
"I don't want fresh air! I want my condo air, so turn this damn car around and take me home!" I insisted, frustration bubbling over as he continued to drive without a hint of hesitation.
I was usually calm, but when it came to this man, he had a way of rattling me with ease.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" I exclaimed, my voice rising.
Suddenly, the car came to a halt, jolting me as I looked around, realizing we were perched on some kind of hill that overlooked the sprawling city below.
The twinkling lights created a breathtaking panorama, but it was the last thing on my mind right now.
"Wait, why did you bring me here?" I demanded, my pulse quickening with confusion.
Instead of answering, Cole stepped out and opened my door. In silence, he extended his hand to me, his gesture both inviting and commanding.
I hesitated, torn between the beauty of the scene and the chaos brewing within me.
The city lights glimmered like stars, but all I could focus on was the man standing before me, waiting for me to decide whether to step into his world once more or to walk away forever.
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle around us as Cole remained unmoving, resolute in his stance.
It became clear to me that he wouldn't back down, and I decided to get this done and over with. As soon as this was done, then the soonest I could return to the comfort of my condo.
With a firm grip, I took his hand.