Chapter 127– When His Patience Breaks
Trinity Medical Campus
New York City
There were many things Cole Watson could tolerate.
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Corporate rivals.
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Government officials.
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Hostile negotiations.
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Media.
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Board members.
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Even JJ and Percy together.
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Somehow.
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But recently—
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There was one thing testing the limits of his patience.
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Dr. Adrian Reyes.
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The problem?
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He was a genuinely good person.
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A brilliant cardiologist.
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Professional.
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Respectful.
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Kind.
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Which made it impossible for Cole to dislike him.
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Unfortunately.
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Day One
Cardiology Conference Room
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Adrian
Looking at Care.
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Adrian
"The surgical plan is brilliant."
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Care
Thank you.
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Adrian
Honestly, your approach is better than mine.
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Care
I doubt that.
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Adrian
I'm serious.
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Across the room—
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Cole
Working on his laptop.
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Or pretending to.
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Cole
...
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Day Three
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Adrian
Dr. Patel, that paper you published in Singapore?
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Care
Hmm?
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Adrian
Still one of my favorites.
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Care
You're exaggerating.
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Adrian
Not even slightly.
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Cole
...
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Day Five
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Adrian
You're probably one of the best cardiologists of our generation.
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Care
That's a very generous statement.
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Adrian
It's a factual one.
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Cole
...
---
Cole
...
---
Cole
...
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Day Seven
Trinity Cafeteria
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The entire friend group was present.
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A terrible situation.
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Because Adrian arrived.
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And sat down.
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Right beside Care.
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Adrian
Good afternoon.
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Care
Hi.
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Adrian
I reviewed your research proposal.
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Care
And?
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Adrian
It's brilliant.
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Care
...
---
Adrian
Seriously.
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Care
Thank you.
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Adrian
I don't think you realize how good you are.
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Care
Now you're definitely exaggerating.
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Adrian
No.
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Silence.
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Keifer
Slowly looked toward Cole.
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Cole
Drinking coffee.
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Very slowly.
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Keifer
...
---
Cole
...
---
Keifer
Brother.
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Cole
What?
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Keifer
You look murderous.
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Cole
I am perfectly calm.
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JJ
Immediately choked.
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Percy
Nearly fell off his chair.
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Aera
Started laughing.
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Rhys
Turned away.
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Lyra
Trying not to smile.
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Alex
Watching the disaster unfold.
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Keifer
You are not calm.
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Cole
I am.
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Keifer
No.
---
Cole
Yes.
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Keifer
No.
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Cole
Yes.
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JJ
Looking at Cole.
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JJ
You're one compliment away from committing a felony.
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Cole
I don't know what you're talking about.
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Percy
He's lying.
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Entire Table
He's lying.
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Cole
Traitors.
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Later That Evening
C2W Headquarters
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Keifer entered Cole's office.
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And immediately stopped.
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Because the atmosphere was strange.
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Very strange.
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Cole
Reading reports.
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Aggressively.
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Keifer
...
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Keifer
Brother.
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Cole
Hmm?
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Keifer
How many times did Adrian praise Care today?
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Cole
Seven.
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Silence.
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Keifer
You counted?
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Cole
...
---
Keifer
YOU COUNTED?
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Cole
...
---
Keifer
OH MY GOD.
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Cole
Get out.
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Keifer
YOU COUNTED.
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Cole
GET OUT.
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Keifer
BROTHER IS DOWN HORRENDOUS.
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Cole
KEIFER.
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Keifer
I'M TELLING JJ.
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Cole
DON'T YOU DARE.
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The Next Day
Watson-Mariano Mansion
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Dinner.
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Bad timing.
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Because JJ already knew.
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Of course she did.
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JJ
Looking at Cole.
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JJ
So.
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Cole
No.
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JJ
You counted?
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Cole
Keifer.
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Keifer
😊
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Percy
HE COUNTED?
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Aera
HE COUNTED?
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Rhys
HE COUNTED?
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Lyra
HE COUNTED?
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Care
...
---
Care
What did he count?
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Silence.
---
Cole
Death.
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JJ
Compliments.
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Care
...
---
Care
YOU COUNTED?
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Cole
...
---
Entire Mansion
EXPLODED.
---
Then
A New Disaster Arrived
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The butler entered.
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Carrying a stack of envelopes.
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Golden.
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Elegant.
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Expensive.
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JJ
Ooo.
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Percy
What now?
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Butler
Invitations.
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Keifer
For?
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Butler
The New York Grand Gala.
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Silence.
---
Because everyone knew that event.
---
The event.
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The biggest social gathering in New York.
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CEOs.
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Doctors.
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Politicians.
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Investors.
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Media.
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The elite.
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Everyone.
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JJ
Already excited.
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Percy
Already worried.
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Aera
Already planning outfits.
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Lyra
Already regretting this.
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Then
One final envelope appeared.
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Addressed specifically.
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Dr. Care Patel
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Personal Invitation.
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JJ
Immediately suspicious.
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Aera
Very suspicious.
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Percy
Extremely suspicious.
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Care
Opened it.
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Read it.
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Paused.
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Care
...
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JJ
What?
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Care
It's from Adrian.
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Silence.
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Entire Table
...
---
Cole
...
---
Keifer
Oh no.
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Percy
OH NO.
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JJ
OH NO.
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Aera
OH THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD.
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Because for the first time—
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Cole Watson's patience was approaching its limit.
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And everyone could see it.
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Except apparently Care.
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Who was still completely oblivious.
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The New York Grand Gala was coming.
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And with it—
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The final push.
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The breaking point.
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The confession that had been waiting for years.
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Whether Cole intended it or not.
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Watson-Mariano Mansion
Three Days Before The Gala
The mansion was peaceful.
---
For approximately twelve minutes.
---
Because the Manila squad had returned.
---
And with them came—
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Noise.
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Chaos.
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Luggage.
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More luggage.
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Even more luggage.
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And somehow—
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A blender.
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Nobody knew why.
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Not even Eman.
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Who owned it.
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Living Room
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The front doors opened.
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JJ
Immediately tackled Aries.
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Percy
"YOU WERE WITH ME YESTERDAY."
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JJ
"I MISSED HIM."
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Percy
"But why never my Handsome face?"
Trying to act offended.
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JJ
Deadpan
"You are not handsome, Percy."
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Keifer
Watching.
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Keifer
"That's unhealthy."
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JJ
"Everyone listen, Cole count compliments,ones which Adrian gave to Care."
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Keifer
...
---
Entire Mansion
...
---
Cole
Leaving.
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Immediately.
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Aera
"HE'S EMBARRASSED."
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Rhys
"He's never recovering."
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Reunion Chaos
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Freya returned.
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Immediately screaming.
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Freya
"WHO STOLE MY PILLOW?"
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Edrix
"YOU BROUGHT IT From MANILA ?."
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Freya
"Oh."
---
---
Rakhi returned.
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Immediately judging everyone.
Trying to control Cin.
---
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Mica returned.
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Immediately laughing at everyone.
---
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Felix returned.
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Immediately creating problems.
---
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Rory returned.
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Immediately helping Felix create problems.
---
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Denzel and Grace returned. And Grazel Jay ran to them.
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Which somehow doubled the noise.
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Grazel
Running through the mansion.
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Grazel
"Daddy!"
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Cole
Actually smiling.
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Which shocked everyone.
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Missing Person Report
---
By dinner—
everyone was present.
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Almost everyone.
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JJ
Looking around.
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JJ
"Where's Yuri?"
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Silence.
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Percy
"..."
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Freya
"..."
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Aera
"..."
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Keifer
"..."
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JJ
"Don't all look at me like that."
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Rhys
"He's not coming."
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JJ
"What?"
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Lyra
"He and his fiancée aren't attending."
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JJ
Immediately stood.
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JJ
"I REFUSE."
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Percy
"You don't control Japan."
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JJ
"I CAN TRY."
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Aera
"I still want to know who she is."
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Freya
"Same."
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Mica
"Same."
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Entire Mansion
"Same."
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Keifer
We literally know nothing.
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JJ
One day.
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A pause.
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JJ
One day I will discover it.
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Percy
That's exactly what worries me.
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The Next Day
Gala Preparations Begin
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Big mistake.
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Huge mistake.
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Because now—
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The women started shopping.
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Men
Immediately terrified.
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Percy
"We're doomed."
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Rhys
"We're doomed."
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Alex
"We're doomed."
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Cole
Ignoring them.
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Keifer
"You are the most doomed."
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Cole
No.
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Keifer
Yes.
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Cole
No.
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Keifer
Brother.
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Cole
No.
---
Later
Mansion
Evening
---
The girls returned.
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Armed.
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With dresses.
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Shoes.
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Jewelry.
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More dresses.
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Somehow more shoes.
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Nobody understood.
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Not even science.
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JJ
Already excited.
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Aera
Already causing trouble.
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Freya
Already planning chaos.
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Care
Trying to escape.
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Failed.
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Then
The Fashion Show Began
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The men were forced into the living room.
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Against their will.
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Percy
"I don't want to be here."
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JJ
"Nobody asked."
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Percy
Fair.
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First
Freya
---
Beautiful.
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Elegant.
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Everyone applauded.
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Then
Rakhi
---
Beautiful.
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Everyone applauded.
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Then
Mica
---
Beautiful.
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Everyone applauded.
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Then
Lyra
---
Alex forgot how language worked.
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JJ
Pointing.
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JJ
"HE'S BROKEN."
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Alex
...
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Correct.
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Then
Aera
---
Rhys actually stopped talking.
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For five whole seconds.
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A new record.
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Aera
"You okay?"
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Rhys
No.
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Then
JJ
---
Keifer looked ready to cancel the Gala.
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And keep her home.
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Percy
"Control yourself."
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Keifer
"No."
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Finally
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The last person appeared.
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And the room went silent.
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Because Care stepped out.
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In a deep midnight-blue gown.
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Elegant.
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Simple.
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Beautiful.
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The kind of beautiful that didn't try.
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Which somehow made it worse.
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Silence.
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Absolute silence.
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Care
"..."
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JJ
"..."
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Aera
"..."
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Freya
"..."
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Percy
"..."
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Keifer
Slowly turned.
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Toward Cole.
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And immediately regretted it.
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Because—
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Cole Watson had completely stopped functioning.
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Cole
...
---
Keifer
Brother?
---
Cole
...
---
Percy
Is he alive?
---
Rhys
Not anymore.
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Aera
Cause of death:
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Aera
Care Patel.
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Entire Mansion
EXPLODED.
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Care
Blushing.
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Care
Stop it.
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JJ
LOOK AT HIM.
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Freya
HE CAN'T SPEAK.
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Percy
HE'S BUFFERING.
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Keifer
RESTART HIM.
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Cole
Still staring.
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Care
Cole?
---
Cole
...
---
Care
Cole.
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Cole
You look beautiful.
---
Silence.
---
Complete silence.
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Because he said it.
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Actually said it.
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Out loud.
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Without thinking.
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Care
...
---
JJ
...
---
Percy
...
---
Aera
...
---
Entire Mansion
...
---
Keifer
OH MY GOD.
---
Cole
Realized.
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Far too late.
---
Cole
...
---
JJ
HE SAID IT.
---
Percy
HE SAID IT.
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Aera
HE FINALLY SAID IT.
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Care
Trying very hard not to smile.
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Failing.
---
Badly.
---
Cole
Wanted the earth to swallow him.
---
Immediately.
---
Unfortunately—
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Everyone had heard it.
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And nobody was ever letting him forget.
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Especially JJ.
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Never JJ.
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And somewhere in the city—
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The New York Grand Gala waited.
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Unaware.
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That one CEO was approaching his final breaking point.
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New York Grand Gala.
---
9:42 PM
The gala was everything people expected.
Crystal chandeliers.
Live orchestra.
The most powerful people in New York.
And enough expensive suits to fund a small country.
---
For a while, everything went smoothly.
Then Adrian Reyes arrived.
And half the Group immediately noticed.
Especially one CEO.
Cole Watson
---
Who was already having a difficult evening.
Because Care Patel looked stunning.
And everyone else seemed to notice too.
---
Ballroom
The music changed.
A slower piece.
Couples began moving toward the dance floor.
Then Adrian approached.
Adrian
"Dr. Patel."
Care
Smiling politely.
"Dr. Reyes."
Adrian
"May I have this dance?"
Silence.
Across the room—
Cole froze.
Keifer froze.
JJ froze.
Percy froze.
Even Aera stopped talking.
Which was historically significant.
---
Care
Looked toward the dance floor.
Then back at Adrian.
And smiled.
"Sure."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
JJ
"..."
Percy
"..."
Keifer
"..."
Rhys
"Oh, that's dangerous."
Aera
"Extremely dangerous."
JJ
"Somebody check on Cole."
Nobody needed to.
Because everyone could see him.
Standing perfectly still.
Smiling politely.
Looking completely calm.
Which meant he was absolutely, terrifyingly not calm.
---
Dance Floor
Adrian and Care danced.
Nothing inappropriate.
Nothing unusual.
Just a dance.
But from the way one particular CEO was staring—
You would think the world was ending.
---
Cole moved.
JJ
Already trying to follow.
Keifer
Immediately stopping her.
JJ
"LET ME GO."
Keifer
"No."
JJ
"I NEED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS."
Percy
"So do I."
Keifer
"No."
Aera
"Please?"
Keifer
"Absolutely not."
---
A Few Minutes Later
The dance ended.
Adrian thanked Care.
Care smiled.
And before anyone could say anything—
Cole appeared.
His hand locked firmly around her wrist.
Not enough to hurt, but enough to show he wasn't letting go.
Cole
"Care."
Just one word.
But the dark, heavy undertone in his voice made her breath hitch.
Without waiting for permission, he pulled her out of the ballroom.
---
Suites Floor
Empty Hallway
The music from below faded into a distant echo.
Quiet.
Isolated.
Before she could even speak, Cole pushed her back, pinning her against the wall.
---
He stepped into her space, completely blocking her escape.
Cole
"You're wearing something that hot, dancing with another man, and testing my goddamn patience."
Care
Heart hammering against her ribs, but refusing to back down.
Care
"You sound surprised."
Cole
"I am."
Care
"Why?"
Cole
Because it was driving him insane.
Because watching another man's hands on her waist felt like a physical strike.
Because the mask he wore for years was cracking right down the middle.
Cole
"You know why."
Care tilted her head up, meeting his fierce glare with a calculated, dangerous little smile.
Care
"Maybe I wanted to see something."
Cole
"What?"
Care
"Whether Mr. Watson was even capable of getting jealous."
Silence.
---
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt.
Cole
"You did that intentionally?"
Care
"Maybe."
Cole
"Care..."
Care
"What?"
She was teasing him, but her eyes gave her away—she was breathless, waiting, wanting.
Years of almosts.
Years of interruptions.
Years of painful denial.
Shattered in a single second.
Cole didn't let her finish.
He leaned in, capturing her lips in a deep, desperate kiss that poured out every ounce of his hidden frustration and longing.
Care gasped against his mouth, her hands flying up to grip his jacket, pulling him closer as she kissed him back with the exact same intensity.
When he finally pulled back just an inch, his forehead rested against hers, his breathing ragged.
---
Cole
"You have no idea what you've been doing to me."
The teasing was entirely gone.
This was raw. This was real.
Cole
"I tried to ignore it."
A pause.
Cole
"For a long time."
Another breath.
Cole
"It didn't work."
Care felt her chest tighten, tears finally stinging her eyes.
Cole
"I look for you in every single room I walk into."
Cole
"I notice the exact second you're quiet."
Cole
"I notice when you're upset."
Cole
"I notice everything about you."
His voice dropped to a soft, vulnerable whisper.
---
Cole
"And somewhere along the way..."
He let out a short, self-deprecating laugh.
Cole
"I fell completely in love with you."
Silence.
The kind of silence that rewires the universe.
---
Care just stared at him.
Not because she was shocked by the truth, but because hearing him finally voice it felt like oxygen after drowning.
Cole
"If you don't feel the same—"
Care
"Stop."
He stopped, searching her face.
Care
"You really are an idiot sometimes."
Cole
"...What?"
Care
"I've been waiting for you to say that for years."
For the first time in his life, the unshakeable Cole Watson looked utterly stunned.
Care let out a shaky laugh, a tear spilling over her cheek.
---
Care
"I love you too, you slow-witted idiot."
And suddenly—
All the waiting.
All the near-misses.
All the torture.
Vanished.
---
Downstairs, the gala went on, completely oblivious.
JJ was probably losing her mind trying to break past Keifer.
Percy was probably counting his winning bet money.
But up in the quiet hallway—
The longest-running slow-burn in New York had finally crossed the finish line.
✨🏛️❤️💀