Uncovering the Past

I kept thinking about the picture. The blurry snapshot shows Cole and another woman outside the motel. My chest was constricted, and my mind was swirling with uncertainty and rage.

Had I truly allowed myself to think that things were getting better? Perhaps, just possibly, we had a genuine connection?

I kept thinking about what Victor had said that morning. *My legacy is him. And I'll take you out of the equation if you start to cause trouble.

Was he trying to remind me of my position?

I needed time to think about space. However, there was no way out of this house—Cole's residence. Every room, hallway, and exquisitely chosen piece of furniture served as a reminder of the world I had been compelled to live in.

I, therefore, took the only action possible.

I looked for something to divert me.

When I walked into the study, it was silent, and the smell of old paper and leather filled the air. Cole had never allowed it, but I didn't care at the moment. I just needed a space to breathe and get my thoughts straight; I wasn't searching for secrets.

However, as I moved my fingertips across the oak desk, I noticed a stack of folders in the corner. The documents were thick and official-looking, with worn edges from repeated handling.

I had no intention of looking.

I shouldn't look.

Then I noticed it, though.

The name of my father.

My throat tightened with each breath.

My fingers shaking, I grabbed the top file and opened it. At first, nothing in the pages of financial reports, corporate transactions, and legal agreements made sense. But my heart began to rush as I skimmed the sentences.

Montgomery Enterprises.

The name was buried in records, imprinted across contracts, and repeated over and over.

Then I noticed the date.

I got a lump in my throat.

This transaction wasn't your typical one.

My father lost everything in this year.

With my heart thumping in my ears, I frantically turned the pages. Although the numbers were hazy, it was evident that Cole's business had contributed to my father's demise.

Not only participating.

Accountable.

The ground seemed to have been torn away from me.

I continued reading while assembling it with trembling hands. My father should have been able to repay the company loan he had taken out. However, the conditions had shifted, with interest rates soaring overnight and unstated provisions pushing his business into unmanageable debt.

And who was responsible for those modifications?

Montgomery Enterprises.

Cole's relatives.

As understanding sunk in, my breath caught.

It was more than just poor business.

It was planned.

Planned.

My father had been devastated, but he hadn't ruined himself.

I was now married to the same man.

Bitter and stinging, I let out a choked laugh.

All this time, I had been wondering what was genuine. The moments of generosity, the stolen looks, and the unquenchable fire between us. I had begun to think that perhaps there was something genuine between us despite all the barriers Cole had put up.

Now, though?

I was aware of the truth now.

My family had been ruined by Cole Montgomery.

And I had entered his arms directly.

I'm not sure how long I sat there looking at the documents, my thoughts vacillating between anger and incredulity.

Then I heard footsteps.

Heavy. Intentional.

Cole.

The door slammed open before I could even push the files back into position.

His piercing blue eyes narrowed when he saw me and paused. "Why have you entered this room?"

He spoke in a calm tone, yet there was caution in his voice as if he already knew I had discovered something I shouldn't have.

Heart hammering between my ribs, I pushed myself to stand. "Your company," I murmured, almost raising my voice above a whisper. "You destroyed my father’s business."

His mouth tightened. "Aria—"

"Don’t," I said, taking a step back as if I needed some breathing room. "Avoid attempting to justify this. Cole, I saw the documents. My father was wrecked by your family—you.

He didn't deny that something flared in his eyes.

It was sufficient to remain silent.

I felt foolish.

I had been struggling to understand who we were and battling my feelings for him the entire time. Now, however, everything was evident.

This marriage wasn't merely arranged.

It was retaliation.

Revenge was what it was.

"You knew," I said, my words resembling treachery. "You were aware of my identity and the actions of your family. You still—" With anger and hurt tangled inside of me, my voice broke. Even so, you touched me. You continued to behave like—"

I was unable to complete. it

Cole stepped forward, his eyes inscrutable. "It’s not that simple."

I gave a halting laugh. "No? Then, Cole, tell me. What's simple about this? The part where my family was devastated by you? or the bit where you married me to maintain your enemy's precise location?"

He didn't respond.

And that quiet?

Compared to a confession, it was worse.

I raised my chin and swallowed the lump in my throat. I said, "Tell me one thing," in a harsh voice. "Was any of it real?"

His jaw muscle twitched. His eyes darkened, but he appeared almost... conflicted for the first time.

I was more frightened by that than by his simple refusal.

Because if he had even once hesitated...

Then perhaps—just possibly—I hadn't fallen alone.

I didn't hold off till he responded.

I turned around and left.

And I didn't turn around this time.Uncovering the Past: Chapter 16

I kept thinking about the picture. The blurry snapshot shows Cole and another woman outside the motel. My chest was constricted, and my mind was swirling with uncertainty and rage.

Had I truly allowed myself to think that things were getting better? Perhaps, just possibly, we had a genuine connection?

I kept thinking about what Victor had said that morning. *My legacy is him. And I'll take you out of the equation if you start to cause trouble.

Was he trying to remind me of my position?

I needed time to think and pace. However, there was no way out of this house—Cole's residence. Every room, hallway, and exquisitely chosen piece of furniture served as a reminder of the world I had been compelled to live in.

I, therefore, took the only action possible.

I looked for something to divert me.

When I walked into the study, it was silent, and the smell of old paper and leather filled the air. Cole had never allowed it, but I didn't care at the moment. I just needed a space to breathe and get my thoughts straight; I wasn't searching for secrets.

However, as I moved my fingertips across the oak desk, I noticed a stack of folders in the corner. The documents were thick and official-looking, with worn edges from repeated handling.

I had no intention of looking.

I shouldn't look.

Then I noticed it, though.

The name of my father.

My throat tightened with each breath.

My fingers shaking, I grabbed the top file and opened it. At first, nothing in the pages of financial reports, corporate transactions, and legal agreements made sense. But my heart began to rush as I skimmed the sentences.

Montgomery Enterprises.

The name was buried in records, imprinted across contracts, and repeated over and over.

Then I noticed the date.

I got a lump in my throat.

This transaction wasn't your typical one.

My father lost everything in this year.

With my heart thumping in my ears, I frantically turned the pages. Although the numbers were hazy, it was evident that Cole's business had contributed to my father's demise.

Not only participating.

Accountable.

The ground seemed to have been torn away from me.

I continued reading while assembling it with trembling hands. My father should have been able to repay the company loan he had taken out. However, the conditions had shifted, with interest rates soaring overnight and unstated provisions pushing his business into unmanageable debt.

And who was responsible for those modifications?

Montgomery Enterprises.

Cole's relatives.

As understanding sunk in, my breath caught.

It was more than just poor business.

It was planned.

Planned.

My father had been devastated, but he hadn't ruined himself.

I was now married to the same man.

Bitter and stinging, I let out a choked laugh.

All this time, I had been wondering what was genuine. The moments of generosity, the stolen looks, and the unquenchable fire between us. I had begun to think that perhaps there was something genuine between us despite all the barriers Cole had put up.

Now, though?

I was aware of the truth now.

My family had been ruined by Cole Montgomery.

And I had entered his arms directly.

I'm not sure how long I sat there looking at the documents, my thoughts vacillating between anger and incredulity.

Then I heard footsteps.

Heavy. Intentional.

Cole.

The door slammed open before I could even push the files back into position.

His piercing blue eyes narrowed when he saw me and paused. "Why have you entered this room?"

He spoke in a calm tone, yet there was caution in his voice as if he already knew I had discovered something I shouldn't have.

Heart hammering between my ribs, I pushed myself to stand. "Your company," I murmured, almost raising my voice above a whisper. "You destroyed my father’s business."

His mouth tightened. "Aria—"

"Don’t," I said, taking a step back as if I needed some breathing room. "Avoid attempting to justify this. Cole, I saw the documents. My father was wrecked by your family—you.

He didn't deny that something flared in his eyes.

It was sufficient to remain silent.

I felt foolish.

I had been struggling to understand who we were and battling my feelings for him the entire time. Now, however, everything was evident.

This marriage wasn't merely arranged.

It was retaliation.

Revenge was what it was.

"You knew," I said, my words resembling treachery. "You were aware of my identity and the actions of your family. You still—" With anger and hurt tangled inside of me, my voice broke. Even so, you touched me. You continued to behave like—"

I was unable to complete it.

Cole stepped forward, his eyes inscrutable. "It’s not that simple."

I gave a halting laugh. "No? Then, Cole, tell me. What's simple about this? The part where my family was devastated by you? or the bit where you married me to maintain your enemy's precise location?"

He didn't respond.

And that quiet?

Compared to a confession, it was worse.

I raised my chin and swallowed the lump in my throat. I said, "Tell me one thing," in a harsh voice. "Was any of it real?"

His jaw muscle twitched. His eyes darkened, but he appeared almost... conflicted for the first time.

I was more frightened by that than by his simple refusal.

Because if he had even once hesitated...

Then perhaps—just possibly—I hadn't fallen alone.

I didn't hold off till he responded.

I turned around and left.

And I didn't turn around this time.