Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Mix of emotions
Cole took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions threatening to burst from his chest.
“Lana, you’ve won. You know I won’t make things difficult for you.”
Alana was taken aback.
She had already prepared herself to have a falling-out with him, but unexpectedly, he had actually backed down?
For a moment, her heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions.
Alana stared intently at her, a hazy sadness lingering in his eyes.
“Lana, next time, don’t use this kind of thing to threaten me, okay?”
She remained silent for a moment. Because she didn’t know what to say.
Cole kept his gaze on her and continued,
“I can agree not to hold him accountable, but I have one condition.”
She felt a heavy weight in her heart. “What condition?”
If it was another unreasonable demand like forcing her to break up with Stephan, she certainly wouldn’t agree.
“Take me out to dinner.”
Cole fixed his gaze on her. “Lana, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a proper meal together. That’s my only request.”
Alana bit her lip, thinking to herself, It’s just a meal. If inviting him to dinner can resolve
this matter completely, it was not a bad idea.
“Okay.”
Cole’s expression softened instantly.
Alana pursed her lips. “You should get some rest. I’m heading back to the office.”
Cole wanted her to stay, and a hint of pleading crept into his voice. “Lana, you’ve just arrived. Stay with me a little longer.”
“I’m sorry, but since your sister is here, I won’t disturb you...” Alana practically fled the scene.
Because she didn’t like him anymore. And she certainly didn’t want to stay.
After Alana left, Cole’s previously mild expression instantly darkened, as if shrouded by dark clouds, becoming eerily foreboding.
A piercing, bone-chilling coldness emanated from the man.
As cold as a demon.
Even Camila, standing beside him, was affected by it, her body trembling involuntarily.
It was the first time she had ever seen her brother look so sinister and terrifying.
In her eyes, her brother had always been easygoing and gentle, never letting his temper show.
But now, he seemed to have lost control.
All because of that woman, Alana.
Cole clenched his fists so tightly they creaked, struggling to contain his rage.
He looked up at Camila and ordered, “Cami, call the manager at Spring Club and request the surveillance footage. I want to see exactly who that boyfriend of Alana is!”
Camila frowned, clearly puzzled. “Big Brother, didn’t you just promise her you wouldn’t hold it against her?”
Cole’s eyes darkened with intensity. Not pursue it? How could that be possible? That man had stolen the woman he loved, how could he possibly let it go?
Promising Alana he wouldn’t pursue the matter was merely to make her feel guilty and burdened.
He didn’t believe that, after all he’d done, Alana wouldn’t have even the slightest feeling for him.
He still planned to win her back, so there was no way he would burn bridges with her so easily.
What boyfriend! No one but him was worthy of being with her!
“Go, call and find out right now. I want to know who that man is immediately!”
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will have the upper hand.
Besides, he wasn’t going to let this beating go so easily.
**********
Meanwhile.
The CEO’s office at Hudson Group.
Stephan sat in his office, his legs crossed, casually flipping through the documents Vande had presented.
Vance said from the side, “President, as you requested, I’ve already destroyed the
surveillance footage from last night. I guarantee no one will be able to trace what happened to you at the Spring Club last
night.”
Stephan continued flipping through the documents, idly flicking the pages with his fingertips without even looking up. “Good. Well done.”
Vance couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up.
“However...” The man changed the subject abruptly, flinging the documents onto the desk. His deep, magnetic voice carried a hint of displeasure.
“I told you to investigate Alana’s boss. How come you’ve only given me this much
information?”
Vance scratched his head, looking a bit flustered. “Well, I’m sorry, President, but that’s all I’ve been able to find so far.”
“Cole, Project Manager at HY Cosmetics. Plus some basic personal details, including the schools he attended and his past addresses, but the specifics can’t be obtained right away, they still need to be looked into.”
After all, the man had some connections; they tried to look into him, but the information was blocked.
Stephan remained expressionless. “Get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”
He needed to know everything about his competitor.
Vance nodded. “Understood.”
After a moment’s pause, he couldn’t help but ask, “Um, Mr. Hudson, why are you suddenly interested in this person?”
Could it be that he’s realized he doesn’t like women and has switched to liking men?
After all, the man they were investigating was quite handsome.
Stephan frowned. “Vance, since when did you become so nosy? Have you been secretly running a gossip club at the office?”
“Um... not exactly.”
“If not, then get out.”
“Uh, got it.”
Vance immediately slipped away smoothly.
Stephan, meanwhile, stared intently at the documents on the desk.
In the file, Cole’s ID photo with its red background stood out strikingly.
This stranger actually looked quite good.
With striking features and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses, he was the kind of “cultured bad boy” that many women find attractive.
Although he wasn’t quite as good-looking as him, if Alana kept getting harassed by this man, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t be swayed.
What if, by some chance, he were to lose his hard-won position as the main man? Where would he go to cry then?
No way!
He had to figure out a way to eliminate this potential threat.
**********
Alana had no idea that she had become a coveted prize, with two men setting their
sights firmly on her.
She walked out of the hospital, her mind heavy with worry.
The words Cole had spoken to her kept weighing on her mind.
His accusatory tone made it seem as though she had committed some heinous crime against him.
When she asked herself honestly, had she really done anything to betray him?
Was it simply because she had stood up for her boyfriend instead of him?
It was true that he had looked out for her
back when she was in middle school.
She was very grateful to him.
But on second thought, all the hardships she had endured back then were related to his sister, Camila.
It was only natural and reasonable for him to protect her.
He shouldn’t use the favors he did her in the past to demand she take his side, should he?
Besides, if she didn’t stand up for her boyfriend, what kind of girlfriend would she be?
In any case, she felt she hadn’t done anything wrong.
The more she thought about it, the more of a headache it gave her. She decided to stop worrying about it, whatever happens, happens.
As long as she didn’t wear herself out over it, that was enough.
After all, Cole had already promised her he wouldn’t pursue the matter with Stephan, that was a good thing.
After leaving the hospital, Alana took a taxi back to the office to get back to work.
Having taken a few days off because of her Grandma, she had quite a backlog of work. On top of that, with Cole currently in the hospital, many tasks from higher-ups were being handed directly to her to handle.
She was revising documents, verifying data, and analyzing conclusions.
All day long, she was glued to her computer screen, swamped with work.
A few colleagues asked her how Cole was doing in the hospital. Alana downplayed the situation, saying it was nothing serious, just a few superficial injuries that should heal quickly.
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