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Chapter 384
Chapter 384:
Cole was sitting across from her looking exactly like a frozen statue. He was physically in the chair, but his soul was completely gone. He reached out and mechanically pulled her chair in for her, his movements stiff, his dark eyes staring straight through her and locking onto the blurry headlights of the cars passing on the wet street outside the window.
Alycia swallowed hard. She forced a bright, sweet smile onto her face.
“Cole, thank you so much for tonight,” Alycia said softly, placing her hand over her flat stomach. “The doctor said I really needed to relax after… after the scare today. The baby needs a calm environment p>
Cole did not blink.
“Yeah,” Cole muttered. His voice was completely hollow.
Alycia frowned slightly. She tried again.
“I was thinking about the nursery,” she continued, leaning forward. “Maybe we could hire that designer from Paris? The one who did the p>
𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯
“Fine,” Cole interrupted flatly. He did not even look at her.
His brain was completely consumed by a toxic, burning loop.
Every time he blinked, he saw June’s face. He saw her gentle profile as she leaned over the hospital bed. He heard the old man’s raspy voice echoing in his skull.
Granddaughter-in-law. Granddaughter-in-law.
The words played on a continuous, agonizing loop. He pictured June and Brogan standing shoulder to shoulder, and the jealousy burned so hot in his chest it felt like his ribs were physically melting.
A waiter in a crisp white jacket approached the table and carefully placed a crystal dish of premium Beluga caviar and two flutes of vintage champagne before them.
Cole reached out, grabbed his champagne flute, and threw his head back. He swallowed the expensive alcohol in a single, violent gulp — as though it were bitter medicine.
Alycia sat frozen. Her fake smile was beginning to crack.
A hot, prickling surge of anger rose in her throat. She felt exactly like a clown performing a desperate routine for an empty audience. She gripped her napkin tightly beneath the table.
“Cole!” Alycia snapped, her voice rising sharply, the sweet act completely abandoned. “Are you even listening to a single word I am saying p>
Cole’s head snapped toward her.
He looked at her face. He looked at her bright red lipstick.
For the first time in his life, a wave of pure, physical disgust rolled through his stomach. He suddenly realized he could not stand to look at her. He could not stand the sound of her voice. He could not stand being in the same room as her for one more second.
Cole pushed his chair back abruptly. The wooden legs scraped loudly against the floor.
He stood, reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his solid black American Express card, and threw it onto the white tablecloth. It landed with a heavy smack.
“Take your time,” Cole said, his voice devoid of all warmth. “The bill is covered. I have somewhere to be p>
He did not wait for her to speak. He turned his back on her and walked away with long, aggressive strides.
Alycia sat completely paralyzed in her chair, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. She stared at his retreating back.
At the surrounding tables, wealthy diners paused their conversations and turned their heads, looking at her with quiet pity and amusement.
The humiliation burned her skin like acid.