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The Cole Group had been busy the past few days. So, to clear his schedule for the wedding, Sebastian had crammed as much work as possible into this week.
After skimming the stack of documents covering his desk, a faint weariness settled in his eyes. He was pinching the bridge of his nose when Aston knocked on his office door.
“Come in.” Sebastian raised his voice slightly
Aston stepped in with a tablet. Sebastian didn’t think twice before saying, “I’m done with work for the day.”
Sebastian lifted his wrist and checked the time. It was already 6:00 pm.
He wanted to ask Noelle out to dinner so, if he waited any long, she might have already eaten. He was
already afraid that she would turn him down, so he couldn’t afford to give her another reason.to.
Just as Sebastian was staring at the chat box on his phone, trying to figure out a natural way to word the invitation, Aston hesitated before speaking. “Mr. Cole… this isn’t about work. It’s about Ms. Spencer.”
Aston knew Sebastian well. He knew exactly what would catch his attention and made a point of keeping
tabs on those things.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he looked at Aston and asked, “About Noelle? What is it?”
Aston handed Sebastian the tablet, and a large, clear photo came into his view. His brows furrowed
instantly.
Aston spoke carefully. “I just saw it online. Ms. Spencer’s picture is up there, and the guy’s face is pixelated, so it’s clearly aimed at her. The caption is ugly, accusing her of going after a married man…”
He paused before adding, “Mr. Cole, should I have it taken down?”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed just slightly as he instructed, “Of course. In the future, you don’t need to come to me about things like this. And I don’t want to see anything that exposes her privacy again. Needless to
say, negative stories are absolutely out of the question.”
Aston carried out the order immediately. This wasn’t a difficult problem to fix. He just needed to be clear on where Sebastian stood. With Sebastian’s stance on Noelle so unmistakably protective, no one would
dare go against Sebastian.
As Aston was about to take the tablet with him, Sebastian stopped him and said, “Leave the tablet here. Come pick it up later.”
Aston had no idea why Sebastian wanted to keep the tablet, but he pulled his hand back awkwardly.
After Aston left, Sebastian’s expression grew even darker.
His gaze stayed fixed on the tablet. In the photo, the two of them sat across from each other in a coffee shop. The man’s face was pixelated, but Sebastian recognized him instantly–Conner.
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Conner had been on his radar for so long that Sebastian could recognize him anywhere. He knew that face well enough to spot it anywhere.
Conner was holding Noelle’s hand, the air between them warm and intimate.
He lifted his other hand and rubbed at the space between his nose and upper lip, his brows furrowing hard.
His heart skipped a beat, and a rush of unease tore through him, scattering his thoughts.
Had Conner confessed to Noelle? And if he had, was she planning to go back to him? The thought alone was enough to crack his composure.
That tension and fear kept growing, taking over his mind until he could barely think. Right now, the smallest sound and the slightest movement would feel like a threat closing in.
When Aston returned to retrieve the tablet, he found Sebastian looking so different from usual that it was
unsettling
Chapter 70