Chapter 160

Chapter 160:
The moment Cole finished speaking, he violently kicked the table aside and slumped back into the sofa, shutting his eyes in quiet rage. Elliana. That infuriating woman. He had spent an entire week waiting for her to reach out, and yet nothing came of it.
No text, no call. According to Paulina, she hadn’t even mentioned his name once. She acted as if he no longer existed. She’d said she didn’t want him, and clearly, she wasn’t bluffing. So what was the point of that confession she made about being drawn to him?
Stunned by Cole’s reaction, Allan, Merlin, and Manley remained silent, not daring to speak. It made no sense. What kind of strange power did Elliana, who wasn’t even striking in appearance, have to make someone like Cole—proud and emotionally distant—fall for her so hard?
While the three of them pondered this mystery, Myles stepped into the room. The heavy tension hit him instantly, and he approached Cole with care before saying, “Mr. Evans, something happened. Mrs. Evans has been kidnapped. The kidnappers sent a message asking for a ransom or else…”
This made Allan, Merlin, and Manley go stiff, their faces losing all color. Who would be reckless enough to kidnap someone tied to Cole and go as far as to demand a ransom?
Though Cole’s eyes stayed shut, he momentarily froze at the news. Then, without opening his eyes, he let out a cold, sharp laugh. “Ha! That vile woman finally ran out of luck.”
For a moment, Cole felt Elliana deserved it. She had rejected him and refused to cherish him, and now she suffered. She hadn’t so much as batted an eyelid when he’d stormed off. Afterward, in his absence, she’d played the role of the matriarch of the household without bothering to text or call him. Now, she was landed in danger because some morons assumed he didn’t care about her. This might serve as a harsh lesson—that falling out of his grace and not being protected by him would make her a prime target.
Myles stood frozen, completely thrown by Cole’s response and uncertain of his next move.
“Cole, aren’t you going to rescue Elliana?” Manley asked hesitantly. Given Cole’s personality, even if his feelings for Elliana were complicated, the moment someone threatened her while she carried the name Mrs. Evans, he would defend her. Besides, his feelings for her weren’t exactly subtle. Plus, Cole loathed being…
Anyone who had ever pulled that off before had learned the hard way that it never ended well. What on earth was making him act like this today?
𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 g𝖺𝖑𝖓𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⫶ⅽ𝗈𝗺
“Why should I rescue her?” At last, Cole opened his eyes and cast a look at Manley. “She pushed me away. So why should I waste even a dime on someone who clearly doesn’t want me? Do I look that desperate to you?”
He wasn’t about to humiliate himself by pouring his resources into a woman who had already rejected him. That would be absurd. The air in the room grew heavy. Nobody dared utter a single word. Cole straightened his posture. “Let’s pick up where we left off with the card game.”
Without a word, he lifted the overturned table and began gathering the scattered playing cards.
Right as Allan, Merlin, and Manley braced themselves to sit back down and continue, Cole abruptly lashed out and sent the table flying once more.
With a deafening crash, the table slammed across the room. Everyone jumped at the sound.
“Damn it!” Cole stormed toward the door, his eyes cutting through the room like blades. The sheer intensity in his presence chilled the room.
“Forget the cards. I’m going to make those morons pay!”
Myles stood frozen for a few moments before hurrying after Cole.
Merlin, having once served as an international special forces soldier, picked up on the danger instantly. The moment Myles shared the details, his instincts kicked in, and he strode after them without hesitation.
Manley rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, “I see a storm of emotions brewing in Cole.”
Allan let out a quiet laugh. “Let’s catch up. I want to see how this plays out.”
Manley and Allan immediately followed behind Cole.
At the same time, Elliana and the others had already been forced aboard a private aircraft. The quiet café had served as nothing more than a carefully set trap, and the abduction had been executed so quietly that it left no trace. The captives were shoved into a black van, driven to the shoreline, and then loaded onto a private plane that soared out over the ocean.
As the coastline disappeared behind them, Vivien’s sobs grew louder.
“Paige, where are they taking us? I’m really scared…”
In a gentle tone, Paige replied, “Don’t worry, Vivien. I’ll protect you.” Without warning, Vivien whipped around and shouted at Elliana, her eyes blazing, “This is all your fault, you walking curse! You’ve dragged us into this!”
Elliana’s gaze remained frosty as she stared at Vivien and Paige. Since when did Paige have such composure and courage? Back at the art gallery, Paige had been practically trembling when a few shoes were thrown onto the stage. Now, while being hauled onto a private aircraft by kidnappers, she kept her cool and even comforted someone else. Had she magically turned into someone brave?
Elliana knew there was no sudden transformation. That much was certain. Only one explanation made sense—Paige had been part of this whole kidnapping from the beginning. Since Paige was collaborating with the kidnappers, the person capable of organizing their transport via a private plane had to be Merritt. Vivien was merely a pawn in this conspiracy.
The moment that truth settled in, Elliana cast Vivien a sideways glance filled with sarcasm. “You’re the type who gets stabbed in the back and still thanks the one holding the knife.”
“What are you talking about?” Vivien’s brow furrowed.
Elliana didn’t bother answering. Instead, she turned to Hailee with sincerity in her voice. “Hailee, I’m really sorry for pulling you into this. But I promise I’ll protect you.”
Hailee quickly shook her head. “Don’t say that, Elliana. You’re not to blame.”
The aircraft soared through the night sky for six full hours before finally descending onto a luxury yacht drifting in the middle of the ocean under the cloak of darkness.
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