“Please, dear,” his mother said softly. “I trust her more than that woman you’re staying with. We’ve known Dora for a long time.”“I’ll try, Mom.” Cole nodded. “But first—we’ve found another house. And I just got us a researcher. Her name is Maria. I’ll be bringing her over later today. She’s a good person.”His mother smiled. “I wouldn’t mind if she’s someone you’re interested in too.”“No,” Cole said immediately, firmer than he intended. “She’s just a researcher. Someone who can help us.”She studied his face, then sighed. “Cole… anyone. Anyone other than Amanda. I don’t like her. Not even a bit.”Cole didn’t interrupt.“She’ll look down on you eventually,” his mother continued. “Your relationship started as a transaction. And we’ve all heard the stories—how rich women treat husbands they believe are beneath them.”Cole nodded slowly.He had heard those stories too. And some of them were true. ****It was 3:07 a.m. when several cars pulled up in front of Amanda’s house.Chris stepp

“Cole,” Maria walked closer, sniffing. “It’s all a fake marriage anyway. That’s why she’s behaving like this. Let her know where she stands in your life. If she doesn’t care about your mother…” She deliberately left the words unsaid, letting the weight of them hang in the air.Amanda couldn’t look at Cole. Instead, her eyes darted to Maria.“She even called me a slut…said I was seducing you,” Maria said, her disdain clear for a brief second. She turned back to Cole, sensing his anger boiling. This was her one chance—maybe the only one—to claim a sliver of attention.“You must be really angry, Cole,” Maria said softly, holding his hand. “I wonder how annoying it must’ve been to put up with all that.”Amanda swallowed hard, turning to Chris. “I’m sorry for bothering you. We can leave now. They’re both safe.”“Um…” Chris looked at Cole for guidance. Cole stayed still, silent. “I… I’m so sorry, sir. It’s all my fault.”“No, it’s her fault!” Maria snapped, pointing at Amanda’s chest. “She’

Cole didn’t know how much time had passed since he got back to the room, but sleep had abandoned him. He lay staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling, when a knock came at the door.He swung it open. Amanda stood there in… what the fuck? A black lingerie set, a laptop clutched to her chest.His jaw dropped. She caught his look and gave an awkward smile.“I was thinking… we might as well go ahead with the plans this morning,” she said, “unless you’ve already fallen asleep?”Even drowsy, the sight of her made every nerve in his body tense. He opened the door wider, letting her in.Whether she knew what she was doing or not, it was pure torment.“I only have one plan,” she said, setting the laptop on the table.But Cole’s eyes weren’t on the table—they were on her. He should focus, listen, engage—but hell, how could he?“So, let’s call my uncle and threaten him with all we found out. You can hack all the CCTV in his office, right?”Cole nodded, not entirely following, still trying to qu