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Chapter 814:

Cole sat across from them. He had not changed his clothes. The mud had dried to a crust on his knees, and his shirt collar was stained with rainwater and blood. He looked like a man who had crawled out of a grave.

“Mr. Compton.” Easton’s voice was glacial. “If you’ve signed the original agreement, we can file with the court today p>

Cole did not look at him. His eyes were fixed on June’s face, searching for any crack in her composure. Her skin was pale and perfect. Her lips were pressed together in a line that allowed no entry.

“I’ve brought something else.” Cole’s voice cracked. He reached into his jacket and withdrew a waterproof document bag, his fingers fumbling with the seal before he pulled out a thick manila folder. The edges were pristine. “An addendum p>

He slid it across the table. It stopped inches from June’s fingertips.

Easton picked it up first. He scanned the first page, his eyebrows rising almost imperceptibly. “This is… comprehensive p>

“Everything,” Cole said. “The trust. The real estate. Liquid assets, securities, the art collection in Geneva. Unconditional transfer. She can sell it, burn it, donate it to a museum. I don’t care p>

June’s eyes flicked down to the folder, then back up to Cole’s face. Her expression did not change.

“You think,” she said, her voice quiet and terrible, “that I need your dirty money p>

Cole flinched. “I know you don’t. But it’s not mine. It never was.” He leaned forward, his hands flat on the table. “It’s Caleb’s p>

The name hung in the air like smoke.

𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯

June’s fingers twitched — the first movement she had made since entering the room.

“I found his diary.” Cole’s throat worked. “Last night. In his desk at the upstate house. He wrote about you. He wrote about everything p>

He reached into his jacket again and pulled out a black leather book, protected by the same waterproof bag, its edges worn soft by handling. He opened it to a marked page and read aloud, his voice breaking:

“She calls me Firefly. Because I light up when she smiles. Because she says even in the darkest mountain night, I find my way to her p>

June’s breath stopped. Her pupils contracted to pinpricks. The blood drained from her face, leaving her lips colorless.

“Seven years ago,” Cole continued, his eyes streaming, “Caleb called me from Switzerland. He told me he had found someone. Someone he would die for. He made me promise —” His voice shattered. “He made me promise to protect her. To use my life as a shield for hers p>

He slammed the diary shut. “I thought it was Alycia. The photo was blurry. The scar, the timing, the hospital — she fit the story. My parents told her to say yes, and she did, and I never questioned it because I was arrogant and stupid and I wanted to believe I could honor my brother’s last wish p>

Cole pressed his palms against his eyes. “But it was you. It was always you. Caleb died trying to save you from that avalanche. And I —” He made a sound like a dying animal. “I spent three years torturing the woman he loved more than his own life p>