Chapter 164
Chapter 164:
The memory of his physical revulsion the night before had settled into a strange, heavy guilt. He had convinced himself that Alycia was a fragile, pregnant woman carrying his dead brother’s legacy — and that he had damaged her. He needed to fix it. He needed to buy his way out of the feeling.
Cole picked up his phone and dialed his executive assistant.
“Go to the Hermès boutique on Madison Avenue,” he ordered, his voice flat and commanding. “Buy the Himalayan Birkin. I don’t care what it costs. Then book the entire Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel for three o’clock this afternoon p>
“Yes, sir,” the assistant replied, entirely unfazed by the extravagance.
At noon, a large, iconic orange box arrived at the Beasley mansion via private courier. Alycia sat on the floor and pulled the ribbon. When she lifted the lid and found the extraordinarily rare, diamond-encrusted crocodile leather bag nestled inside, her tears vanished on the spot. The bag was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars — the ultimate status symbol.
𝗦𝗁a𝗿𝘦 y𝗈𝘂r 𝗍𝗵𝘰𝗎𝗀h𝘁s о𝗇 𝗀𝗮𝘭ո𝗼𝗏e𝗹ѕ.𝗰𝗈m
Her phone buzzed. A text from Cole.
“Three o’clock. The Plaza. A surprise for you p>
Alycia’s vanity swelled instantly. She spent the next two hours having her hair and makeup professionally done.
At three o’clock, she walked into the Palm Court. The grand, luxurious restaurant was completely empty, reserved solely for her. Cole sat at the best table in a dark suit, a tower of expensive pastries and a bottle of vintage champagne arranged between them.
He didn’t smile. He reached into his jacket pocket and slid a heavy, solid black titanium credit card across the white tablecloth. “There is no limit on this,” he said, his voice entirely without warmth. “Don’t deprive yourself of anything p>
Alycia looked at the card. She looked at the Himalayan Birkin resting on the chair beside her.
Her mind immediately began to rationalize. He wasn’t disgusted by her — he was simply suffering from severe PTSD. He was broken, and this was his clumsy, extravagant way of showing love.
The delusion gave her a sick sense of superiority.
Alycia pulled out her phone and arranged the black card, the champagne flute, and the Birkin into a careful composition. She photographed it and posted it to her private social media circle with a caption: “A quiet afternoon surrounded by love. Thank you, Mr. C p>
Within seconds, her phone erupted with envious comments from New York socialites.
Cole watched her obsess over the screen. A deep, heavy exhaustion rolled over him. He had successfully purchased her silence and her contentment. It had been a simple, emotionless transaction.
After thirty minutes, he stood. “I have a board meeting. My driver will take you home p>
He walked out of The Plaza and got into his own car.
For twenty minutes he drove aimlessly, both hands fixed on the steering wheel. Then, without consciously deciding to, he found himself turning onto the street where Apex Bio headquarters stood. He pulled to the curb, cut the engine, and sat staring up at the massive glass building.
He just wanted to be near her. He wanted to breathe the same air.