Chapter 256
Chapter 257
Diana sat stiffly in the chair opposite the desk, her posture rigid, chin lifted in a way that had nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with defiance.
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The office felt smaller than it actually was, weighed down by silence and history and the kind of tension that had no intention of dissipating on its own.
Cole stood behind the desk, hands braced on either side of the documents she had brought. He hadn’t offered her a seat–she’d taken it herself. He hadn’t offered tea, or pleasantries, or even the courtesy of a smile. Instead, he’d done exactly what Alexander had asked of him.
He’d been professional.
It grated on him more than he liked to admit.
Diana was one of the few people who could still make something ugly twist in his chest without saying a single word.
And now here she was.
Diana, for her part, hated every second of this just as much. She hated that Alexander hadn’t come himself. Hated that he’d sent Cole instead, of all people. Cole, who had never hidden his dislike for her. Cole, who looked at her now like she was a chore to be dealt with rather than a woman in distress.
She let the silence stretch deliberately, drumming her fingers once against the arm of the chair, then stopping. When Cole didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge her at all, her patience finally snapped.
“Are you planning to talk,” she asked sharply, “or are we just going to sit here all day in silence?”
Cole’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. He forced himself not to react immediately, eyes still scanning the documents spread across the desk. He counted to three in his head, then slowly raised his gaze to her.
“Do you think I’m playing?” he asked flatly. “I’m reviewing the papers you brought, as I should. Is that a problem?”
Diana blinked, clearly taken aback by his tone. For a moment, something like disbelief crossed her face–then annoyance rushed in to replace it. She let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes, looking away as if the ceiling suddenly held something far more interesting than him.
“Carry on,” she said dismissively, waving one hand.
Cole said nothing. He simply dropped his eyes back to the documents, his expression closing off even further. If she was trying to provoke him, she was going to be disappointed. He had promised
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Alexander that he was going to do this–and so he would.
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The silence returned, heavier now, broken only by the faint sound of paper shifting beneath his fingers. He read carefully, methodically, noting dates, signatures, boundary markings. Everything Diana had submitted checked out. This wasn’t a fabricated claim. It was real, and it was serious.
That didn’t mean he was going to handle it recklessly.
After a few more moments, he straightened and gathered the papers into a neat stack. Diana’s
attention snapped back to him immediately, her body leaning forward just slightly, as if she
expected him to say something dramatic.
“I’ve already arranged a meeting,” Cole said instead, his voice even. “Tomorrow morning. With a representative from the other party. We’ll hear their side first. What comes next will depend on that
conversation.”
Diana stared at him.
“What?” she said. “You’re still talking about hearing them out?”
Cole met her gaze steadily. “Yes.”
She let out a short, humorless laugh. “I already explained everything to you. In detail. They’re encroaching on my family’s land. Illegally. What exactly do you think they’re going to say that changes that?”
He studied her for a second longer than necessary, then tilted his head slightly. “Are you expecting me to jump straight to violence,” he asked calmly, “when dialogue is still an option? What age do you think this is?”
”
The insult landed exactly where it was meant to.
Diana’s face flushed, anger flashing in her eyes. “Don’t talk down to me like I’m some ignorant child,
she snapped. “This is my family’s land. Land that’s been ours for generations…the land where my family house stands. And you have the proof right there.” She gestured sharply at the stack of papers. “Yet you’re acting like this is some minor misunderstanding.”
Cole didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t move. “I’m acting like an Alpha’s appointed officer who
understands how conflicts are resolved without unnecessary bloodshed,” he replied. “These documents don’t disappear just because we’re choosing to talk first.”
Her lips pressed together tightly. “So what,” she shot back, “we wait until they succeed in taking it before you finally admit this is serious? ”
Cole’s eyes hardened slightly. “No one is taking anything from you while this matter is on the table,” he said. “I’ve already ensured that. All actions are frozen until the case is resolved. That includes any construction, relocation, or claim enforcement
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That gave her pause–just for a second.
Then suspicion crept in.
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She leaned back again, studying him closely now, as if trying to peel back layers. “And you expect
me to trust that?”
“You don’t have to trust me,” Cole said. “You just have to understand that it’s already done.”
Diana’s gaze sharpened, her fingers curling slowly against the armrest. She’d come here expecting sympathy. Expecting urgency. Maybe–even if she wouldn’t admit it–expecting Alexander to step in personally, to prove that she still mattered enough to warrant his attention.
Instead, she had Cole.
She stared at him in silence now, eyes narrowing slightly, her expression shifting as if she were carefully weighing her options–choosing between anger, insult, or something sharper still–looking at Cole like she was trying to decide exactly which words to throw at him next.
Cole caught the look on her face and let out a short laugh before he could stop himself. It slipped out rougher than intended, sharp–edged, carrying both amusement and irritation. He straightened slightly, resting his back against the desk as he looked at her properly for the first time since she’d
walked in.
“Let me guess,” he said dryly. “You’d rather Alexander be the one sitting here with you right now.”
Diana’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t interrupt.
Cole went on anyway. “Well, to be honest, I’d rather be spending my time on someone of actual value right now.” He shrugged faintly. “But I guess we don’t always get what we want.”
His eyes stayed on hers.
“So here we are,” he continued. “Stuck with each other as long as this case is active. Unless, of course, you want to withdraw it altogether…which is perfectly fine by me.”
For a split second, something ugly flashed across Diana’s face–pride, offense–the instinctive urge to lash back. But she checked herself. She drew in a slow, deliberate breath, shoulders rising and falling as she forced control back into her expression.
When she looked up again, a smile had been carefully arranged on her lips.
“That won’t be necessary,” she said evenly. “It’s fine. Thank you …for your effort.”
Cole didn’t bother responding to the gratitude. He didn’t care for it, and they both knew it. What he did notice, though–the slight stiffness in her posture, the tension around her eyes she couldn’t quite mask despite the smile – was strangely satisfying.
He nodded once, nonchalant. “We’re done for now, he said. “I’ll hold on to the papers, if you don’t
< Chapter 257
mind.”
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Diana hesitated. Her gaze flicked briefly to the documents, then back to him. She didn’t trust Cole -she never had. But she trusted Alexander. And Cole’s loyalty to Alexander was unquestionable. If this was Alexander’s order, then Cole wouldn’t dare sabotage it.
Reluctantly, she inclined her head. “Fine.”
She rose from her seat, smoothed imaginary creases from her clothes, and turned toward the
door.
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