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Chapter 408
Chapter 408:
Cole sat rigidly in his chair, his face a mask of bruised, terrifying thunder. He had not spoken a single word since walking into the restaurant. His knuckles were white around the crystal water glass he gripped as though he might shatter it.
Crawford Love sat directly across from him.
He was leaning back in his chair, looking utterly relaxed, a glass of dark whiskey in hand. A slow, predatory smile played on his lips, his eyes sharp as surgical scalpels as they sliced into Cole’s miserable posture. He was thoroughly enjoying the show.
Alycia sat next to Cole. She wore a modest, high-necked white dress, desperately performing the role of the pure, innocent future matriarch of the Compton family. But Crawford’s mocking gaze made her skin crawl.
His eyes drifted slowly down to her hands. She had her fingers resting protectively over her perfectly flat stomach.
Crawford took a slow sip of his whiskey. Every instinct honed over thirty years in the cutthroat corporate underworld told him the pregnancy was a fabricated lie. He could spot a desperate, manipulative grifter from a mile away.
Thе 𝗯e𝘴𝘵 𝘳е𝗮𝖽𝘪𝗇𝘨 𝗲𝘹𝘱𝖾rieո𝖼e 𝘰𝘯
Alycia felt the weight of his stare. She shifted uncomfortably and leaned closer to Cole, seeking the physical shelter of his broad shoulder.
Cole’s reaction was instantaneous.
His entire body went rigid. He shifted his weight aggressively in the chair, pulling his shoulder away before she could make contact.
The movement was small, but in the dead silence of the private room, it was deafening.
Crawford let out a low, dark chuckle. The sound scraped against Cole’s spine like sandpaper.
Julian swallowed hard. He needed desperately to break the tension.
A waiter in a crisp white jacket stepped into the room and set a beautiful crystal dish of premium Osetra caviar at the center of the table, flanked by warm blinis and crème fraîche.
“Ah, the caviar!” Julian said, his voice cracking with forced enthusiasm. “This is fantastic. You know, I read an article last week that said high-quality caviar is absolutely packed with Omega-3s p>
He smiled, turning to include Alycia in the conversation.
“It’s supposed to be incredibly good for pregnant women,” Julian added innocently.
The air in the room turned to solid ice.
The instant the words left his mouth, Julian’s eyes widened in horror. He looked as though he wanted to rip his own tongue out.
Cole’s hand clamped down on his water glass so hard the thick crystal let out a dangerous, high-pitched creak. The veins in his neck bulged.
Crawford did not look away from Cole. He reached out calmly, picked up a small mother-of-pearl spoon, and scooped a generous amount of caviar onto a blini. He popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly, his eyes dancing with quiet, malicious delight.
Alycia’s face had gone pale. The tension was suffocating her. She could feel the narrative slipping out of her hands — Cole pulling away, Crawford mocking her in silence. She needed to force Cole’s hand. She needed to make the lie real in front of witnesses.
A sick, desperate plan took shape in her mind.