Chapter 69
Chapter 69:
June’s stomach dropped. The cold glass in her hand suddenly felt like ice burning her skin.
By early evening, the setting sun had turned the glass dome of Emerald Cove into a blazing sheet of copper.
June stood in her bathroom, washing the sand and sunscreen from her skin, then changed into a simple navy blue silk slip dress — light, comfortable, hanging perfectly against her collarbones. She grabbed a small clutch and walked out of her room.
Silas was waiting at the bottom of the spiral staircase in the lobby, wearing a dark blazer over a clean shirt. He smiled when he saw her and offered his arm.
June didn’t take it, but she returned his smile. They walked side by side down the long corridor leading to the oceanfront restaurant, the hallway lined with large potted monstera plants that gave it a tropical, enclosed feeling.
As they turned a sharp corner, both of them stopped dead.
Walking directly toward them was Cole.
He was at the front of his group, half-listening to Julian talk, but the moment he came around the corner his boots stopped moving entirely. His gaze locked onto June and dropped immediately to the thin straps of the navy silk dress, tracing the exposed skin of her neck and collarbones. His pupils dilated.
Then his eyes shifted to the man standing beside her.
The temperature in the hallway seemed to fall twenty degrees.
Alycia, clinging to Cole’s left arm, caught the look on his face — pure, unguarded obsession. A spike of toxic jealousy pierced her chest. She dug her manicured nails into his jacket sleeve.
T𝘩e 𝗆𝘰𝗌t 𝗉o𝘱𝗎l𝖺𝗿 ո𝗼vе𝗹𝘴 𝗼n
The two groups stood facing each other in the narrow passage. The silence was thick with hostility.
Cole broke it first. He tilted his head, his lips curling into a cruel sneer.
“You move fast, June,” he said, his voice carrying off the glass walls. “I guess you found your next mark before the ink on the divorce papers is even printed p>
A hot flash of anger lit June’s chest. She lifted her chin and held his gaze. “You should worry about your own companion, Mr. Compton. My social life is none of your business p>
Cole’s jaw tightened, a muscle ticking visibly beneath the skin. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, his large frame blocking the light.
Before he could close the distance any further, Silas stepped sideways, placing himself directly between Cole and June. He didn’t raise his fists, but his stance was immovable.
“Mr. Compton,” Silas said, his voice low, calm, and completely unafraid. “I suggest you remember your manners. This is a public space p>
Cole studied him the way a predator regards a minor nuisance. “Do you have any idea who you’re defending?” he asked, his voice dripping with contempt. “She is a woman who signed a contract to sell her life for money. A gold digger p>
Silas didn’t flinch. He looked straight into Cole’s eyes. “I only know that the woman standing behind me is a priceless medical genius,” he said clearly. “She is not anyone’s property p>