Arnold’s voice came through, casual but with an undertone of something unspoken. “Are you free today? Alex wants to hang out with Abby.”

Cole leaned against the wall, glancing toward Nora, who had gone back to reading but seemed slightly aware of his presence. He replied evenly, “I’m taking Abby out today. Maybe another time.”

Arnold let out a short chuckle. “You’ve been going out more lately.”

Cole smirked faintly, though there was an edge of something else in his expression. “Abby’s been opening up more.

She’s not as reserved as before.”

They exchanged a few more words before ending the call, but as Cole slipped his phone back into his pocket, something lingered in his mind.

Arnold knew all of this knowledge–probably even more than Cole did–but he had never been willing to teach

Nora.

His eyes darkened slightly at the thought.

The marriage between Arnold and Nora had always been surrounded by rumors.

Many people say that it was Nora’s underhanded tactics that forced Arnold to have to marry her in the first place.

Cole had believed it too, once. But after spending time with her, after seeing how she carried herself with quiet dignity, it was getting harder to reconcile that image with reality.

And then there was Linda–the woman who had somehow inserted herself between them.

underhanded, wasn’t

always resented the very idea of ‘mates‘–that he had resisted his connection

against something

Arnold wasn’t even aware of what he

day passed quickly, their conversation stretching

about economics had seamlessly drifted into other topics–philosophy, literature, even the nature of ambition. Cole found

the kind

slipped away, the sun was already beginning to set, casting golden

99.1%

the large windows,

bathed the room in

book, her fingers resting lightly

face, “Thanks for today,” she said, her voice carrying an unspoken appreciation. “It was helpful.”

leaned back in his chair, a relaxed smile forming, “You can ask me anything, anytime. I won’t

professionalism, maybe some casual politeness, but this–this warmth was unexpected. It lingered between them,

room, Elisa had been getting along well

had been a constant background

to leave, a strange

away, he found himself speaking without much thought. “See you

unreadable, but there was something steady in her

of the car giving her space to think. Cole was different from

herself, they were simply acquaintances. That was

sharing her observations with Alexander. She leaned against the doorframe of his

documents, glanced up at her with a

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