Broken Trust

After I left Cole, there was a long period of silence in the mansion.

I should have been proud of myself for refusing to back down. For asking him questions. For not allowing my intuition to be overruled by his soulless, icy reasoning.

However, I felt anything but triumphant as I sat by myself in my poorly lighted room, gazing out the enormous windows at the flickering city lights.

I couldn't concentrate properly because Kaitlyn's comments kept coming back to me, circling Cole's response.

He ruined Aria, my family's business.

*Nothing was destroyed by me. I took advantage of the poor choices her father made.

It seems like they were saying the same thing. Cole presented it as business, whereas Kaitlyn depicted it as a betrayal. Nevertheless, I felt uneasy about the way he spoke, so without regret.

I let out a quick exhale and ran my hands through my hair.

I had to get my thoughts straight.

With my bare feet silent on the cool marble floors, I padded out of my room and down the dimly lit hallway. There was an uncanny silence in the home, a silence that gave me the impression that I was being watched.

I dismissed the emotion and headed downstairs. I didn't have a plan; I just felt the urge to breathe and get away from the oppressive weight of uncertainty that was weighing me down.

However, a voice interrupted me before I could enter the main foyer.

"You shouldn't go out at night by yourself."

I turned and froze, my heartbeat thumping.

In the shadows by his study, Cole stood with his shirt slightly crumpled and his tie loose as though he had been frantically raking his hands through his hair for the past hour. He should have been recognizable by now, but tonight, he seemed unfamiliar.

I said, "I couldn't sleep."

He looked at me for a long time, then pointed to his study's open door. "Enter now."

I paused. Was I truly prepared to confront him once more after everything?

I followed him inside, though, because the urge for answers surpassed my pride.

The study was warm, with a lingering smell of aged whiskey and leather. A testament to the guy in front of me, the enormous bookcases that lined the walls were oppressive, brimming with power and wisdom.

Cole shut the door behind us, and I felt a chill go through me as the lock clicked.

I crossed my arms and faced him. "You wanted to speak?"

He folded his arms across his chest and walked behind his desk, resting against it. "Ariana, I dislike incomplete conversations."

"Unfinished?" I laughed resentfully. "I believe we covered all the necessary ground."

Although his jaw tensed, he remained silent. Rather, his eyes were unreadable as he observed me. "What specifically are you looking for from me?"

I scowled. "What?"

"Want me to inform you that Kaitlyn is mistaken? That I regret what took place? He spoke in a measured, low voice. "Because I don't."

A harsh breath came out of my mouth. "You don't feel guilty at all?"

With a steady look, he exhaled through his nostrils. "I took the necessary action."

I fulfilled my obligations.

My spine tingled at the words.

"Is that your way of defending everything?" Quietly, I asked. "Regardless of who is harmed?"

He moved in closer, his voice lower now, his presence overwhelming. "You believe that I am cruel."

"I am unsure of what to think."

Before he turned aside and ran a hand through his hair, a ghost of something briefly appeared in his eyes. "Ariana, Kaitlyn is not a helpless victim. She is engaging in a game.

"She appeared to be fairly certain that you are the one engaging in the game."

Cole laughed softly, but it was a serious laugh. "She certainly did."

I detested how easily he was able to make me doubt everything. How effortlessly he conflated manipulation with truth.

"So tell me," I said, "why should I trust you instead of her."

His face grew serious. "Because I have never told you lies."

I started to argue, but my words became stuck in my throat.

Had he not?

He might have concealed information or taken advantage of circumstances, but I couldn't think of a single instance in which he just lied to me.

And I was more afraid of that than anything else.

Because it implied that all of the vicious things he confessed to were accurate.

My fingers clenched into fists as I gulped forcefully. "Cole, that does not make you a good person."

Something that wasn't quite a smile curled his lips. "I didn't say I was."

We fell into a thick quiet.

I ought to have left. Before he could further influence my thoughts, I should have left the room.

However, I refused to back down, my heart racing as I looked for anything, anything, in his face that would ease the situation.

I mumbled, "Tell me one thing. "And don't respond with a prepared response."

He raised an eyebrow. "Continue."

"To you, what am I?"

Like a loaded rifle, the question hung between us.

Something inscrutable flashed in Cole's eyes before he took a step forward. Slowly. Consciously. Until there was an electricity in the air between us that I couldn't get rid of.

His voice was dangerously low as he talked.

"I own you."

The unadulterated intensity in his voice made me shudder.

However, I wouldn't allow him to dictate the story.

Tilting my chin up, I added, "Being yours isn't an answer." "It's an excuse."

His breathing was erratic, and his lips were slightly parted as if he hadn't anticipated my challenge.

However, the study door abruptly opened before he could reply.

One of Cole's security officers entered with a tight attitude, and we both turned in surprise.

“We have a problem, sir,” he replied quickly.

Cole's whole attitude changed in a flash. The deliberate control had vanished, and something darker had taken its place. Sharper.

"What sort of issue?" he insisted.

The guard looked at me and paused before responding. "The Montgomery Industries deal is at issue."

Cole’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll handle it.”

The guard nodded and quickly exited, leaving us alone again.

Cole looked back at me, his face again unreadable. "This is not the end of the conversation."

I exhaled sharply, my emotions tangled between frustration and something far more dangerous. “It never is, is it?”

He said nothing, but his eyes stayed on me as I turned and went out of the room.

And as I walked the stairs back to my room, one idea echoed in my thoughts.

I might have wanted the truth.

But I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.

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