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BONUS
Chapter for reaching 800PS! Thank you all!🤍 ]
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[EVE]
When I took a quick glance at Cole, I saw his eyes narrowing into slits, his gaze blazing with barely suppressed fury.
He was radiating irritation, just like he always did whenever girls started flocking around him.
The mocking laughter of Lily's group echoed in my ears, but before Cole could react, I grabbed his arm tightly, squeezing to hold him back.
If this kept up, he was bound to reveal his identity.
"What's the matter?" Lily asked, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Is this your new boyfriend, Eve?"
I forced a smile, trying to keep my composure. "No, he's my bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" Lily's brow raised in surprise, and she exchanged a look with her friends.
"A mere bodyguard using that tone with us?" sneered one of the girls.
"You should teach your servant some manners," one of them scoffed.
I felt Cole tense up beside me, his hand clenching into a fist. I squeezed his arm again, giving him a warning look.
"Come to think of it, Sophie, you should definitely bring Cole with you this Saturday," Lily said, her voice dripping with sweetness.
The other girls shifted in excitement, their eyes practically sparkling at the mere mention of Cole Fay. The air around them thickened with anticipation.
"That's right, Sophie. He's a graduating college student, right? I'm sure he could help us all with our studies," one of them added, a playful glint in her eyes.
Sophie's expression tightened, but she masked it quickly. When our eyes met, I raised an eyebrow, giving her a smirk that silently dared her to agree.
"Uhm . . . Cole is really busy right now, because, well . . . as you said, he's a graduating student," Sophie stammered, clearly uncomfortable.
The girls sighed dramatically, fawning over her. "You're so lucky, Sophie. I wish I had someone like Cole Fay in my life," one of them cooed.
Lily leaned in with a sly grin. "I hope you're not feeling bad about this, Eve. After all, everyone knows you like Cole, but you can't blame him if he chooses Sophie over you, right. Sophie is the true Rosette, after all."
They were clearly trying to get under my skin by bringing up Cole, using him as their weapon of choice. In the past, it might have worked—mention his name, and I'd be a bundle of nerves, flustered and stammering like a fool.
But right now, I had bigger problems than a bunch of gossiping girls. Like the ticking time bomb standing right next to me.
I could practically feel the heat radiating off Cole, the way his fingers twitched as if he was seconds away from ripping someone's head off.
His jaw was clenched so tight it looked like he might crack a tooth. If they pushed just a little more, I was pretty sure he'd burst, revealing exactly who he was and sending these girls running for the hills.
For once, instead of worrying about myself, I was more concerned about keeping
him
from exploding. This situation was like watching a kettle on the verge of boiling over, and I was the only one who knew it wasn't just steam that was about to blow.
Before things got out of hand, I turned to face them, my expression indifferent, but my voice was cutting. "Sorry, but I don't have time to waste on you," I said, turning on my heel.
Then, I paused, casting a final glance at Sophie with a sweet, mocking smile. "By the way, I can't wait for your engagement with Cole. Don't forget to invite your aunt, okay?"
Sophie's forced smile faltered, her discomfort barely hidden as she shot me a look.
I made my way inside the theater, my steps quickening as I sensed Cole's frustration building. The last thing I needed was for him to lose his temper and expose himself.
As I walked away, their faint laughter followed me. "See you this Saturday, Eve."
I ignored their taunts and headed straight into the building, grabbing my things along with Daniel's before Cole stopped me.
"You go ahead to the car. I'll take this to him," Cole said, his tone surprisingly serious as he took Daniel's belongings from my hands.
I frowned, instantly suspicious. "Huh? Why do I get a bad feeling about this?"
Cole's smirk was almost too smug. "We only have one umbrella, remember?"
I raised an eyebrow, holding up the extra umbrella I had snatched from my bag. "Actually, we have two."
He looked at me with that devilish grin of his. "Then do you want to share this one while this Daniel have the other?"
I paused, sighing heavily. The last thing I wanted was to be huddled under an umbrella with him again, so close that I could still smell his cologne.
"No thanks. You take one, and give this one to Daniel. I'll wait in the car."
"Good," Cole smiled a little. But then he gave me a pointed look. "I'll go give Daniel his things. You wait in the car."
I narrowed my eyes. "Hold on. Don't do anything to him, okay?"
Cole raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "What do you think I'd do to him?"
I hesitated, feeling oddly defensive. "I don't know, maybe threaten him or scare him off."
"And why would I do that?" he asked, tilting his head, clearly amused.
"Because you think we're dating," I shot back, exasperated.
Cole's smile was almost too relaxed. "So, you're not dating him then?"
I blinked, realizing I'd walked right into his trap. "No, we're not. He's just a friend, and I have very few of those right now. So don't scare him away."
Cole's expression remained unreadable, but something in his eyes softened. "Alright, I won't. Go wait in the car."
There were still a million things I wanted to say, but I couldn't find the right words. Frustrated, I spun on my heel and headed outside.
Why did it feel like I was being led on?
That guy really have ways with words to get the information he wanted.