40

40
Cole
I stormed downstairs, the memory of that woman’s lips still burning against mine, but my mind was no longer on her. Marcus. It had to be him. That conniving bastard.
The crowd of bodies swarmed the bar, their laughter and chatter blending into a dull, static buzz in my head. My fists clenched as I scanned the room, blood boiling. Where is he?
I spotted a bartender stacking glasses and grabbed his arm. “Where’s Marcus?”
The bartender blinked at me, startled. “Uh, he left a while ago. Said he was going home.”
Home. The word twisted in my gut. I hadn’t stepped foot in that house since Yasmin…since everything fell apart.
The thought of walking through those halls again, where her laughter once echoed, made my chest ache. Her laughter.
It hadn’t been genuine - I’d known that - but it still cut through me like a dull blade.
It didn’t matter. Tonight, I needed answers.
I slammed my car door shut and tore through the streets, the engine roaring as I approached the mansion. Its grandeur loomed cold and hollow, a facade of everything it used to represent.
Parking carelessly, I stormed inside, memories of our shared life flashing through my mind.
“Marcus!” I roared, my voice reverberating through the vast empty halls.
That son of a bitch. He knew exactly what he was doing, luring me to that bar, planting that Yasmin lookalike with her tattoo. He knew I’d be drawn to her.
The realization sickened me. I’d fallen into his trap, and I hated myself almost as much as I hated him.
“Marcus!”
There he was, lounging on the couch like the smug bastard he was, scrolling through his phone without a care in the world.
“You son of a bitch!” I snarled, closing the distance between us.
He looked up, a smirk playing on his lips. “Back so soon, Cole?”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence before my fist collided with his jaw. The impact sent him stumbling backward, blood trickling from his split lip.
“You think this is a game?” I growled, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him up.
Marcus wiped his lip, his smirk never faltering. “You’re upset. I get it. But come on, Cole, admit it—you enjoyed every second of her. Didn’t you?”
His words were gasoline on a fire. I threw another punch, harder this time, sending him crashing into the coffee table.
“Don’t play dumb with me!” I spat, towering over him. “Who the hell was she? And how the fuck did she have Yasmin’s tattoo? No one knew about that!”
Marcus chuckled darkly, propping himself up on his elbows. “Oh, come on, Cole. You’re not stupid. If you’re this mad, maybe you should be asking who sent me to hire her in the first place.”
I froze, my breath hitching. His words hinted at something deeper, something I didn’t want to believe.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice hard.
Before Marcus could answer, our mother’s voice cut through the tension. “What on earth is going on here?”
She stood in the doorway, her expression a mix of anger and concern.
“Stay out of this,” I snapped, my eyes still locked on Marcus. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh, but it does,” Marcus said with a laugh, standing and brushing himself off. “Tell him, Mom. Tell him why Yasmin had to go.”
I turned to her, my chest heaving. “What is he talking about?”
Her gaze didn’t falter. “You never loved her, Cole. You made that clear. I was just…helping you.”
Helping me? The words sliced through me like a blade.
“Helping me?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.
“She was holding you back,” she said, crossing her arms. “You said so yourself that you didn’t want a child with her. You made her take those pills. Don’t act like you’re innocent in this.”
My head spun. “So you framed her? Made it look like she cheated? Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
She shrugged. “I did what was best for you. And let’s face it—you’re better off without her.”
Rage bubbled in my chest, threatening to consume me. “Are you even my mother?”
“Of course I am,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “You and Marcus are twins. Don’t forget that.”
Her casual tone only fueled my anger. I turned back to Marcus, fists itching to hit him again. He just smirked, reveling in the chaos.
“You’re pathetic,” I snarled, my voice low and dangerous. “Both of you.”
Without another word, I stormed out of the mansion, the cold night air hitting me like a slap.
I walked to my car, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. Yasmin’s face flashed in my mind. Her voice, her eyes, they haunted me. I hadn’t listened. I’d failed her.
My phone vibrated, pulling me from my thoughts. A notification from Philip caught my eye.
“Boss, have you seen this?”
I clicked the link, my heart sinking. A video of me with the Yasmin lookalike was plastered all over the internet. The headline was brutal:
“Few days after his wife’s death, Cole Martinez was spotted with a sex worker.”
Fucking Marcus.
He’d orchestrated this, and I’d walked right into his trap.
I dialed Philip, my hands trembling with fury.
“Philip,” I barked when he answered, “pull that video down. Now.”
“I’m trying, sir,” he replied, his voice tense. “But the damage is spreading fast. The board is already talking about your removal.”
My grip on the phone tightened. “Do whatever it takes. I don’t care how much it costs.”
I ended the call, my heart pounding. My family had betrayed me. Yasmin had been innocent all along. And now, I was on the brink of losing everything I’d worked for.
For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone.
I looked up at the dark sky, the cold biting into my skin. Yasmin’s face lingered in my mind - her laughter, her warmth.
I’d failed her.
And now I was paying the price.