15. Cole/ Tori
COLE/ TORI
C OLE
I stood in my office, staring out over the city, but my mind was miles away, right outside Tori’s place.
All morning, a nagging sense of unease had been gnawing at me, distracting me from the stack of work on my desk.
Tori was no fragile flower, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to protect her.
And Marcus? That man made me wish I was the kind of person who didn’t have to hold back.
When my phone buzzed, I snatched it up the second I saw the caller ID: Aden.
My hand tightened around the phone as I answered. “Aden. What’s going on?”
“Sir,” Aden’s voice was calm, but there was a tension in it. “I thought you’d want to know… Marcus showed up at Tori’s place last night. Left something on her doorstep.”
My jaw clenched. “What did he leave?”
“A bouquet of black roses. No note, but I think you can guess the message.”
I didn’t need Aden to tell me what it meant. Marcus also gave her black roses when he dropped by her boutique.
He wanted her to know he was still lurking in the shadows, watching, reminding her she couldn’t shake him off that easily.
Anger flared up in my chest, and I forced myself to stay calm. The last thing I wanted was to make a call that would push Tori away.
She’d made it clear that she valued her independence. But this? It felt like I was balancing on a knife’s edge.
“Did she see them yet?” I asked, keeping my voice as steady as I could.
“Yes, she opened the door after he left and brought them inside,” Aden said. “Her light’s been on the entire night. I doubted she got any sleep.”
I took a slow, deep breath, trying to keep the protective instinct in check.
I could picture her reaction already—the way her face would go pale, her lips pressed into a thin line.
She’d probably try to brush it off like it was nothing, but I knew better.
She’d been through hell because of that man, and the scars ran deep.
“Aden,” I finally said, choosing each word carefully. “Keep a close eye on Tori. But don’t do anything to spook her. She needs to feel in control of this.”
Aden hesitated for a moment.
“Are you sure? I mean… if she knows about me, she could use the support right now. I could make it clear that I’m around.”
“No.” The word came out sharper than I intended. I swallowed, trying to calm myself.
I continued, “No. Tori assumed I called you off. Besides, she’s been doing her best to stand on her own, and she’s just started trusting me. The last thing I want is for her to feel like I’m managing her life. Marcus already did enough of that.”
There was another pause on the line, and I could tell Aden was processing.
“Understood, sir. I’ll stay close but keep my distance,” Aden said.
“Good. Let me know if anything changes,” I told him.
The call ended, but I didn’t feel any relief. If anything, my tension only deepened.
Every instinct screamed at me to grab my keys, get in my car, and drive over to her place.
I wanted to be there for her, to tell her I’d handle this so she didn’t have to. But that wouldn’t do either of us any good.
She didn’t need a man who would coddle her, especially not after everything she’d been through with Marcus.
I dragged a hand down my face and turned back to the window, looking over the city that stretched out beneath me.
All that wealth, all that power—it felt useless when I couldn’t do the one thing I really wanted: protect her without crowding her.
I tapped my fingers on the desk, trying to wrestle with myself. She deserved her space, deserved to feel in control of her life again.
But damn, it was hard not to reach out, to pick up the phone and hear her voice, to know she was okay.
I wanted to tell her I’d handle it, that Marcus would never come close to her again. But Tori? She wouldn’t want that.
She was proud, and I loved that about her.
And even if I couldn’t protect her the way I wanted to, I could respect her enough to let her fight her own battles. For now.
She’d come to me if she needed me. And when she did, I’d be ready.
TORI
The boutique hummed with the usual rhythm of a weekday—customers browsing racks.
The soft rustle of tissue paper as Candy wrapped purchases, the faint buzz of music playing in the background.
Normally, this environment calmed me.
I loved being surrounded by my work, seeing customers light up when they found something they loved. But today, I couldn’t focus.
Candy noticed it too. She leaned across the counter as I sorted through receipts for the third time.
“You okay, boss?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
I forced a smile, trying to keep my hands steady.
“Yeah, just a bit tired. Didn’t sleep well last night,” I admitted.
Candy tilted her head, unconvinced.
“You sure? You’ve been zoning out all day. If something’s up, you know you can talk to me, right?” Candy asked.
Her kindness made me ache. The truth sat heavy on my chest, but I couldn’t bring myself to unload it on her. Not yet.
Not when I hadn’t even figured out how to deal with it myself.
“I’m fine,” I lied, giving her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
Candy hesitated but eventually nodded.
“Okay. But if you need me, I’m here,” Candy said.
I nodded, grateful for her understanding but still unwilling to let her in.
She went back to helping a customer, and I let out a shaky breath.
My thoughts drifted to the black roses I’d thrown into the garbage bin last night.
The memory made my stomach twist. Marcus always had a way of getting under my skin, even now, years after I’d left him.
The fact that he knew where I lived sent a chill through me.
Had he hired a private investigator? It wouldn’t be out of character for him.
Marcus thrived on control, and he’d never hesitated to cross lines to get what he wanted.
The bell above the door jingled, snapping me back to the present.
For a second, I panicked, thinking it was Marcus, strolling in with another bouquet of black roses, fake smile on his face.
It wasn’t him. I let out a sigh of relief and plastered on a smile as a customer walked in.
The hours dragged, and by the time the last customer left, I realized I’d barely registered the entire day.
“Have a great night, Tori,” Candy called as she grabbed her bag.
She paused at the door. “You’ve got another date with Cole tonight, don’t you?”
I blinked, startled. The day had slipped through my fingers, and I hadn’t even noticed. That wasn’t like me.
“Yeah,” I said, though my voice sounded distant even to my own ears. “Have a good night, Candy.”
“You too!” she said with a wave, disappearing into the evening.
As I locked up the boutique, the weight of the day pressed down on me.
The worry, the memories, the fear—all of it swirled together until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I turned the key and sighed, leaning against the door.
“Tori.”
The sound of his voice made me turn, relief washing over me like a wave.
Cole stood a few feet away, his tall frame bathed in the warm glow of the streetlights.
His smile was soft, his dark eyes warm as they met mine.
He closed the distance between us in a few strides and kissed me, his hands resting gently on my hips.
“Hey,” he murmured against my lips.
I didn’t realize how much I needed that until it happened. The tension in my chest loosened just enough for me to breathe.
“Hey,” I said back, my voice quieter than I intended.
“Ready for dinner?” Cole asked.
I nodded, grateful for the distraction he offered. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
We walked down the quiet street to one of my favorite restaurants, a cozy little place that served the best homemade pasta in town.
Inside, the soft glow of candles lit the tables, and the scent of garlic and fresh herbs filled the air.
We were seated in a corner booth, and for a moment, I allowed myself to relax.
But as the waiter brought our drinks, I noticed something off about Cole. His shoulders were a little too stiff, his jaw a little too tight.
He was trying to mask it, but I knew him well enough by now to see the signs.
“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning forward slightly.
He glanced at me, his expression softening.
“Yeah. Just a lot on my mind,” Cole admitted.
I hesitated, my thoughts circling back to the black roses. I’d been debating all day whether to tell him.
Part of me didn’t want to—Cole could be so protective, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with his reaction.
But another part of me knew I couldn’t keep this to myself.
“I need to tell you something,” I said, my voice quiet.
He set his drink down, his full attention on me now. “What is it?”
I took a deep breath, my fingers twisting in my lap. “Last night, I found something on my doorstep. A bouquet of black roses.”
His entire demeanor shifted. His eyes darkened, and his jaw tightened. “Black roses?”
I nodded. “Marcus’s favorite. There wasn’t a note, but… I know it was him. He wanted me to know he hasn’t let go,” I said.
Saying those words felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest.
Cole sat back, his hands curling into fists on the table.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything, and the tension between us felt like a physical weight.
“I can’t believe he’d go this far,” he said finally, furrowing his brows.
I watched him silently for a moment, my chest tightening with the weight of what I needed to say.
His gaze was steady, patient, and impossibly understanding.
Yet, I hesitated, the words caught in my throat.
“Neither can I,” I admitted finally, hating the way my voice trembled a little. “I thought I could handle Marcus myself, but maybe… I’m way over my head.”
Cole leaned forward, his hands reaching across the table to cover mine.
His touch was warm, grounding me in a way I hadn’t expected.
“It’s okay to ask for help sometimes, Tori,” he said softly.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “I know, but it’s hard,” I said. “When we first started dating, Marcus seemed like a different person.”
Cole’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t interrupt.
“He was charming, attentive. He made me feel special.” I paused, my fingers tightening around Cole’s instinctively.
I continued, “But it didn’t last. Once he felt like he had me, he started to change. Slowly at first. Little comments about what I wore, who I spent time with. At first, I thought he was just protective.”
Cole’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening slightly. He looked terrifyingly still, as though he were trying to hold himself together.
For a moment, I worried he might explode, but then he looked at me, and the concern in his gaze shattered the illusion of anger.
“It wasn’t protection,” I continued. “He wanted to know where I was all the time, who I was talking to, what I was doing. He isolated me from everyone..”
Cole exhaled sharply, his grip on my hands tightening.
“I’m worried about your personal safety,” he said, his voice low but intense.
“I know,” I said, my voice barely audible.
“That’s why I haven’t dismissed Aden,” he said carefully.
I blinked. The revelation hit me harder than I expected.
“You didn’t dismiss him?”
“No,” Cole admitted. “I want his eyes on you in case Marcus makes a move on you again.”
He seemed to be watching for my reaction, his gaze searching mine as if bracing for an argument.
I expelled a shaky breath, my thoughts swirling.
Back when I found out about Aden, I’d been furious. I’d insisted I didn’t need a bodyguard, that I could handle myself.
But now? Now I wasn’t so sure.
In the past, I didn’t think Marcus would become such a danger to me.
He was controlling, manipulative, and emotionally abusive, but I never imagined he’d escalate to something like this.
Yet here I was, haunted by black roses and the knowledge that Marcus knew exactly where I lived.
“I don’t like the idea of having someone watching me,” I said finally, my voice steady but quiet.
“But… I think you’re right. Marcus has become unpredictable. For now, it’s probably a good idea,” I added.
Cole’s expression softened, relief flickering in his eyes.
“Okay,” he said. “But only for now.”
I nodded, meeting his gaze. “Only for now.”
“I know how much you value your independence,” Cole added, his voice gentler now. “But this is just a temporary measure.”
“Alright,” I said. I passed, hesitated, “Thank you for hearing me out. For being patient.”
“Of course.” Cole smiled faintly, but there was still a tension in his posture. “Do you know why Marcus is pursuing you after all these years?”
I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me.
“I genuinely don’t. The last I heard, he had a girlfriend or fiancee. Maybe they broke up, and now he’s fixated on me again. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s rebounded by trying to crawl back into my life,” I said.
Cole’s expression darkened again, his protective instincts kicking in.
“He doesn’t get to do this to you, Tori. He doesn’t get to scare you,” Cole said.
“I’m not scared,” I said quickly, but the words felt hollow.
Cole raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
“Okay, maybe I am,” I admitted. “But I’m also angry. I rebuilt my life after him. I worked hard to get to where I am, and I won’t let him take that away from me.”
“He won’t,” Cole said firmly. “We’ll make sure of it.”
Cole sounded so confident.
Honestly, I felt safer knowing he was there. Marcus had already taken so much from me—I didn’t have to face this battle alone.
The waiter approached then, breaking the tension as he set our plates down.
The smell of fresh pasta and garlic filled the air, but my appetite had vanished.
I picked at my food, my thoughts spinning in circles.
Cole didn’t push me to eat or speak, and for that, I was grateful.
Instead, he reached across the table again, his fingers brushing against mine.
The small gesture was enough to ground me.
For the rest of the evening, we talked about lighter things—work, favorite books, childhood memories.
But even as I laughed at one of Cole’s stories, the weight of Marcus’s presence lingered in the back of my mind.
By the time we left the restaurant, the tension had eased slightly, but I knew this was far from over.
Marcus wasn’t done with me but for the first time in years, I felt like I had someone in my corner, and that…wasn’t too bad.