16. Cole/ Tori
COLE/ TORI
C OLE
I entered the hotel ballroom with Tori by my side, my hand resting on the small of her back.
She looked stunning in her sleek black dress, so gorgeous, I wanted to have her all to myself.
But as much as I wanted to focus on her, on us, I also needed to play my role and do my job.
This wasn’t just another business event. It was a battlefield where alliances were forged and broken over a glass of champagne.
Normally I was in my element in these kinds of events, but tonight, more than usual, I was on edge.
“Tori, you okay?” I murmured, leaning closer to her ear.
She glanced up at me with a soft smile, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—nerves, maybe.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice steady but not entirely convincing.
I nodded, letting it slide for now. Whatever it was, I’d get it out of her later.
For now, I had to make an appearance and deal with the usual parade of handshakes and forced conversations.
We made our way through the crowd, stopping occasionally to exchange pleasantries with acquaintances and potential business partners.
Tori was charming as ever, her presence a quiet strength beside me. But then, as we turned a corner, I saw him.
Marcus.
He stood in a small cluster of people, his posture casual but calculated, like he was the center of gravity holding them in orbit.
And, to my immediate irritation, one of the people in his circle was Richard Graham—a key investor in one of my upcoming ventures.
My jaw clenched as cold anger coursed through me. Of all the places for him to show up, he’d chosen this one.
Tori stiffened beside me, her hand tightening slightly on my arm. She’d seen him too.
“Cole,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“I see him,” I said, my tone low and controlled.
She took a step back, her confidence wavering for the first time that evening. I turned to her, catching the unease in her eyes.
“You don’t have to worry. He won’t get anywhere near you,” I told her firmly.
But as I turned back to Marcus, he glanced up—and his gaze landed directly on us.
His expression shifted, a slow smirk spreading across his face. It wasn’t the friendly kind.
It was the kind meant to rattle, to remind us of the control he thought he still had.
“I’m going to handle this,” I said firmly to Tori. “Stay here.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I was already moving toward Marcus, my steps measured but deliberate.
He saw me coming and casually excused himself from the group, meeting me halfway with a practiced air of nonchalance.
“Cole Valen,” he said smoothly in his rented suit. “What a surprise.”
“Marcus,” I said, my tone ice-cold. “Didn’t realize you ran in these circles.”
He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at Richard’s retreating form.
“I like to keep my options open. Networking, you know how it is,” Marcus said with a shrug.
“Networking?” I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. “Seems more like lurking to me.”
His shrugged, and he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “You always did have a way with words. But let’s not make a scene. Wouldn’t want your reputation to suffer, would we?”
My fists clenched at my sides, but I forced myself to stay calm. Giving him a reaction was exactly what he wanted.
“Cut the crap, Marcus,” I said, my voice low and lethal. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, feigning innocence.
“Just making connections. Surely, a man like you can appreciate that,” Marcus said.
My gaze hardened.
“Stay away from Tori. Whatever game you’re playing, it ends here,” I told him.
Marcus’s expression darkened slightly, but he quickly masked it with a mockery of concern.
“Tori? Is she here? I had no idea,” Marcus said with a shrug.
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut glass.
He tilted his head, studying me with a maddening calm.
“You’re awfully protective of her. That’s sweet. But you should know, Tori and I have a long history. Sometimes, the past has a way of coming back,” Marcus said.
My blood boiled at the thinly veiled threat, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control.
“The past is exactly where you belong, Marcus. Don’t forget that,” I told him.
His smile was still in place, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—something darker.
At that moment, all I wanted to do was punch his lights out. It took everything to hold back. To remain calm.
“You’re a confident man, Cole. I’ll give you that. But when confident men fall, well, that’s always delicious to watch.”
Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, disappearing back into the crowd like a shadow slipping into the night.
I stood there for a moment, my fists clenched, my jaw tight.
The urge to follow him and put an end to this once and for all was overwhelming, but I knew that wouldn’t solve anything.
Marcus thrived on chaos, and I wouldn’t play his game.
When I returned to Tori, she was standing where I’d left her, her expression a mixture of worry and determination.
“What did he say?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“Nothing important,” I said, though the lie felt heavy on my tongue.
She didn’t believe me, of course. “Cole…”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
“He’s trying to rattle us, Tori. That’s all. He doesn’t have any real power here,” I reminded her.
She looked down, her hands twisting nervously in front of her.
“He has enough power to show up here and make me feel like…” She trailed off, shaking her head.
“Like what?” I asked gently, stepping closer.
“Like I’m still under his thumb,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
I reached for her hands, stilling their movement.
“You’re not,” I said firmly. “He doesn’t control you anymore. He’s just a coward trying to act like he’s bigger than he is.”
She looked up at me then, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “But what if he does something?—”
“He won’t,” I interrupted, my voice steady. “Not as long as I’m here.”
For a moment, she just stared at me, her vulnerability laid bare. And in that moment, I made a silent vow: I wouldn’t let Marcus win.
“We should leave,” I said softly. “You’ve had enough of this for one night.”
Tori hesitated but eventually nodded, allowing me to guide her toward the exit.
As we stepped out into the cool night air, I tightened my arm around her, determined to be what she needed.
Marcus had gone too far. He was soon going to learn that no one threatened the woman I loved and walked away unscathed.
TORI
Cole’s hand on my back as we left the hotel was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
The world around me felt distant and distorted, like I was moving underwater, every sound muffled, every light too sharp.
Seeing Marcus here of all places—Cole’s event, his world—was more than just rattling. It was terrifying.
It confirmed how unhinged he’d become, that he’d stalk me all the way to the city, manipulating his way into a space where he didn’t belong.
I hadn’t even realized I was trembling until we slid into the back of Cole’s sleek black car, and the merciful silence wrapped around me.
The constant buzz of noise from the ballroom, the weight of eyes, the subtle judgment in every glance—it all fell away the moment the door closed behind us.
Cole shifted closer, his hand moving in soothing circles on my back.
“Tori,” he said gently, his voice pulling me out of my daze. “Did something happen while I was talking to Marcus?”
Perspective. I needed perspective. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to ground myself.
“I went to the ladies’ room,” I started, my voice quieter than I intended. “I needed a moment to reorient myself after…everything. I bumped into Samantha there.”
Cole’s hand paused for just a fraction of a second before continuing its comforting motion.
“Samantha?” he asked, his tone calm, though I could hear the icy undertone beneath.
“She’s apparently Marcus’ date,” I said, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. “Her latest husband is some prominent investor—probably how Marcus managed to get an invite to your party.”
Cole’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.
He was always so good at that—letting me speak, giving me the space to unravel my thoughts.
“I decided to outright ask her why Marcus is so intent on inserting himself back into my life,” I continued, my voice growing steadier. “She fed me some nonsense about him ‘hurting’ because his fiancée Fiona left him. And now, suddenly, he’s realized I’m the ‘perfect woman’ for him after all.”
The sarcasm in my voice was sharp enough to cut, but Cole didn’t flinch.
His fingers tensed slightly against my back, though, and I knew he was holding himself in check.
“She said—” My breath hitched, and I forced myself to go on. “She said I should stop acting like a spoiled child and give him another chance. That men like Marcus are ‘one in a million.’”
Cole’s hand stilled completely, and when he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. “What did you say to her?”
I managed a weak smile. “I told her, ‘Then why don’t you take him?’ And I walked away.”
Cole let out a breath that was part laugh, part growl, and pulled me closer, his arm wrapping securely around me.
I didn’t resist—I couldn’t.
The steady beat of his heart against my cheek was grounding, calming.
For a moment, I let myself lean into him, let the exhaustion of the evening crash over me.
I didn’t want to go back to Oakridge, to my apartment, to the oppressive silence and the constant replay of Marcus’ face in my mind.
I didn’t want to be alone.
“What do you need?” Cole murmured, his voice soft, almost tender.
I hesitated, afraid of sounding too needy, too vulnerable. But the words slipped out before I could stop them. “You.”
The tension in his posture eased, and he tilted his head to look at me.
“Come back to my place,” he suggested. “Spend the night there.”
I nodded, the thought of being anywhere else unbearable.
The car ride to Cole’s apartment was quiet, the kind of silence that wasn’t heavy or awkward but shared.
I leaned against him, his arm around my shoulders, and closed my eyes for a moment.
The soft hum of the car, the warmth of his body, and the quiet strength in his presence—it all made me feel safer than I had in weeks.
When we arrived, the doorman cheerfully greeted Cole and gave me a polite nod.
We stepped into the elevator, and I felt a flicker of anxiety bubble up again, thinking of Marcus, of Samantha’s smug words.
Cole must have sensed it because he reached for my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine.
“I’ve got you,” he said simply, and I nodded, swallowing back the lump in my throat.
His apartment was as sleek and sophisticated, all clean lines and warm tones.
Tonight, it felt more like a sanctuary than just a luxurious space. Cole guided me to the couch, pulling me down beside him.
“You don’t have to talk about it anymore if you don’t want to,” he said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face.
I shook my head.
“I needed to tell you, to tell someone,” I said.
He nodded, his expression unreadable, but his hand found mine again, squeezing gently.
We sat there for a while, just holding onto each other.
It was the kind of intimacy I hadn’t realized I craved—the quiet connection, the reassurance that I wasn’t alone in this.
Eventually, Cole stood, holding out his hand.
“Come on,” he said. “You need to sleep.”
I followed him to the bedroom, too tired to argue.
The room was as elegant as the rest of the apartment, but the bed was what drew my attention—a large, inviting space that seemed to promise rest.
Cole handed me one of his shirts to sleep in, and I smiled at the thoughtfulness of it.
As I changed in the adjoining bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—tired eyes, faint traces of makeup smudged from the long evening.
But there was something else, too. A flicker of hope, of reassurance, I hadn’t felt in a long time.
When I climbed into bed, Cole was already there, his arms open in invitation.
I slid in beside him, nestling against his side. His warmth was comforting, his steady breathing a lullaby.
“Thank you for letting me stay over,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“You’re always welcome here, Tori,” he said.
He kissed the top of my head, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself relax completely.
The weight of the evening, of Marcus’ presence, of Samantha’s words—it all began to fade as I drifted off to sleep, safe in Cole’s arms.