All Chapters of Ex-Convict To Mysterious Power : Chapter 81
- Chapter 90
172 chapters
Chapter 81
The next few hours of Cole’s life were a blur of treadmill belts and Amanda’s relentless energy. She perched on his back like a tiny, caffeinated coach, steadily increasing the pace to something that felt absurdly fast.“You need to grow resistance,” she said, her tone all business. “Do you need water?”Cole opened his mouth, ready to answer, but Amanda cut him off, already answering for him.“No, you don’t. Five more minutes. And then we move to the next. I think…” She grabbed her iPad and scrolled for a moment. “Yeah…this is nice too,” she nodded approvingly at the screen without looking up.Cole finally stopped, breath still even, and eyed her. “When did you get all these?” he asked, gesturing at the equipment around them. None of this had been here three years ago.“I suddenly developed a passion for the gym,” Amanda said quickly, her eyes flicking to him, full of mock innocence. Cole caught the lie immediately—but he let it slide, si
Chapter 82
Cole slipped out of the house while Amanda was still deep in her Livestream with the white-dyed-hair guy. The guy tried to greet him, but Cole’s sharp hand cut the motion off. Yesterday’s manipulation still hung in the air—if Amanda realized what had happened now, he didn’t even want to imagine the fallout.The fact she let him inside the house again…well…Cole could barely call it a miracle. If something like this had happened with a man Bella was married to, Cole would’ve made sure she didn’t share the same room with him for months.Prison taught you things. Harsh, ugly things. Things that change you. Things that…well…you don’t talk about unless someone’s ready to see the fire behind your eyes.“Good morning, sir,” Scarface said, bowing slightly as Cole emerged from the car. His presence alone made the air feel heavier.“Matteo. What about him?” Cole asked, voice low but sharp.Scarface’s eyes darted around. No one was near. Good.
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Chapter 83
After a day full of chaos with the guys, all Cole wanted was a quiet night—maybe cook with Amanda, collapse into bed, finally breathe. But, of course, when you’re married to someone like Amanda, every plan comes with a “ruined” warning.“Babe!” she called out the second he stepped inside. Cole nearly jumped through the ceiling. What the hell was that name for again?He padded into the sitting room. There she was, sitting on the sofa, a tissue pressed to her face.“Are you okay?” Cole asked, moving closer, cautious.“Babe, we did it!” She leapt at him, practically crushing him in her hug. “I just got a call! They said I got the collaboration! It’s going to be announced on the news in…wait…” She fumbled for her phone. “In the next thirty minutes!”Cole nodded, trying to find the right words. “Congratulations…” Did that even cover it?“Amanda…” She started crying, big, ugly, happy tears.Therapist mode activated. Only Amand
Chapter 84
“Cole,” she said softly, “I have never felt this fulfilled in my entire life. I suddenly feel like I can stand up for myself. Like I can do anything I set my mind to.”Cole glanced at her — really looked at her. The glow in her eyes wasn’t just excitement. It was confidence. Growth. Freedom.And something inside him warmed.“Well…” she paused, gathering courage, then tried again. “You can talk to me sometimes, you know… if something’s bothering you. If you need help with your sister—the… the girl I saw the other day. She can talk to me.”Cole glanced at her again.“I just feel indebted to you,” she continued. “We’re both getting benefits from this, but I feel like I got the bigger one. I paid you and you acted your role well—actually!”She snapped so suddenly Cole nearly missed the turn. If this were only his second day driving, Amanda’s scream would have put both of them in the hospital.“Actually,” she repeated, “I didn’t tell you to do all that for me. You could have told me—” she
Chapter 85
“I love you too,” she added with another giggle like she was hearing secret sweet nothings from him.Inside, the matriarch was pretending to read a magazine — badly. Her glasses were perched too low, and the page hadn’t flipped once.Amanda and Cole walked in.“Grandma!” Amanda squealed, excitement bouncing off her voice. “We have news to tell you!”The matriarch glanced at Cole for half a second before focusing solely on Amanda.“Someone please turn on the television,” Amanda said.Everyone in the room suddenly became deaf.Cole moved toward the remote, but Amanda stopped him with exaggerated drama.“Babe, don’t,” she purred loudly. “You’ve done so much today already. I’ll get it. Rest. I love you, okay?”Cole managed to smile even though his skin was crawling.Did Amanda HAVE to do this much?She guided him to one of the sofas and made him sit. The entire family stared — open-mouthed — like they had just walked in on a movie scene they weren’t prepared for.Tiffany tried to look awa
Chapter 86
Amanda turned to the matriarch.The old woman looked at Cole, then back at her granddaughter.“Does it have to be this piece of trash?”Cole felt his jaw tighten, but he stayed calm — the kind of calm that made people nervous.“Granny,” Amanda said, voice sharp. “From today, since I’ve already achieved the requirement you asked for, my husband’s name is Cole. C.O.L.E.”She spelled it dramatically.“Any other name anyone calls him will make me angry. And we don’t need anger in a family… right?”The matriarch picked up her phone, adjusted her glasses, and read a new notification — the deal she’d been chasing for four months had finally responded, asking for a call.Her expression shifted.“Okay. Noted,” she said stiffly, glancing at Cole. “But I doubt he’ll last long in this house. Not with that attitude. Wealth is not for everyone. Time will tell.”Tyler jumped in quickly. “Grandma, I already called the dealer to prepare the car. In two days, we’ll get it and I’ll present—”The matriar
Chapter 87
Barely had they gotten home when Amanda’s phone rang — her father. The name on the screen made her breath pause for half a second. Cole saw it. She tried to smile, but it came out softer than normal before she slipped out of the car to answer it.“Amanda, we saw the news. Congratulations,” her mother said, voice warm but… guarded.“Mom, it was only thanks to Cole that I was able to do it,” Amanda said. “He gave me emotional support this whole time. Kept pushing me even when I wanted to give up.”She wasn’t sure if she was exaggerating or if her heart was just choosing the version that comforted her.Silence. A long, heavy silence — the type that says more than words.“Amanda,” her mother finally breathed, “you’re our only child. We’ve always wanted the best for you. Cole… doesn’t look like ‘the best.’”She flinched. “Mom…”Her father’s voice came in, firm but weary. “Your mother is right. The boy who stayed home three years a
Chapter 88
Cole listened. It was.He got up quickly, heading to the pavement where he’d left it earlier.A missed call.Bella.His entire chest tightened—like something cold and heavy had slammed into him.He called her back instantly.“Cole…” Bella’s voice cracked. “I don’t know what’s happening to Mom. She isn’t at home. She’s not answering her calls. No note. No message. Nothing…”Her voice trembled, a thin wire about to snap.“You’re at home right now?” Cole asked, already striding toward the car.“Yes. I am.”“Okay. Take a deep breath and count to a hundred. I’ll get to you before you hit seventy,” Cole said, voice low and fast.Amanda was beside him before he even reached the door. “What happened?”“I think Mom isn’t at home or something,” Cole said. “You can wait for me. I need to go see my sister first.”“With the way you’re trembling, do you think you’ll be able to assure her?” Amanda
Chapter 89
Cole stood behind the glass wall, staring at his mother.Tubes. Fluids. Machines breathing for her.It felt like someone had put his heart inside a fist and squeezed slowly.He swallowed hard—once, twice—trying to keep the ache inside from tearing through his chest.A nurse asked gently if he wanted to wear a surgical gown and go inside.He shook his head.If he stepped in there, he knew he’d break.He could barely hold himself up right where he was.Even now, a single tear slid down his cheek before he could stop it.Minutes later, he sat across from his mother’s doctor.She placed a file in front of him.“These are the scans we ran this afternoon,” she said softly.Cole blinked. “Afternoon?”“Yes.” She folded her hands, voice low. “She mentioned feeling dizzy last night. I asked her to come in this morning. But before we even finished the tests, she went unconscious.”Cole’s throat tigh
Chapter 90
Amanda looked around the sitting room and nodded to herself.“It’s just giving love from every side,” she murmured. “I like how there’s nothing out of the ordinary in here.”Her eyes drifted to the family photos on the wall. She walked closer, smiling.“How old was Cole here?” she giggled. “He looks like a confused toddler.”She glanced at Bella, expecting at least a small laugh. Nothing. The girl didn’t even blink.Amanda hissed under her breath. “What a rude teenager.”But because she wasn’t the type to ignore things, she walked over and sat beside her. Teenagers always had a soft spot — you just had to find the key.She leaned a little, trying to peek at Bella’s phone screen.That was the exact spark Bella had been suppressing. Every second of Amanda’s chirping had been grating her nerves like sandpaper.“Why are you checking my phone?” Bella snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.Amanda blinked. “W