Beneath His Ugly Wife’s Mask: Her revenge was her brilliance

Chapter 18:

Cole felt like he’d backed himself into a corner. Ignoring how his family would react if he brought this cat home, he stood frozen, wondering if he should take the cat from Elliana’s grasp and cradle it. Hesitating now would make him look like a fraud—he’d just praised how adorable it was. Yet, the moment he grabbed it, his allergies would flare up.

Trapped in this whirlwind, Cole sidestepped the whole issue. “This kitten looks like it’s been fending for itself for a while. Let’s take it to a vet, make sure it’s okay.”

Elliana blinked. Cole, CEO of ten companies and too busy to breathe, was actually volunteering to go to the vet with her? Cole was already sliding into the driver’s seat. “Come on.”

Cradling the cat, Elliana slipped in beside him and gave him a sideways glance. Her voice softened. “Thanks.”

Cole smirked. “How are you planning to thank me?”

Her eyebrow quirked as she asked, “How would you like me to thank you?”

He didn’t miss a beat. “The best kind of thanks a woman can give a man is a kiss, honey.”

Elliana shot him a look and then turned away to watch the scenery roll by. She could tell he was in one of his playful moods again, tossing out flirty lines just to mess with her.

Cole’s smirk deepened. She was too much fun when she got flustered—half exasperated, half blushing. He never got tired of riling her up.

Meanwhile, back at the event, the lecherous men paid to hurt Elliana were dragged out one by one, their faces bloodied, limbs trembling from the beating they’d received.

Manley emerged between two lines of towering bodyguards, his features darkened with a wicked smirk. “Pathetic trash. Show your faces around here again, or work for the Jones family, and I’ll see to it you can’t take another step or twitch a muscle!”

The men had no idea who Manley was, but they knew better than to test him again. Whimpering, they dropped to their knees. “We’re done! That’s it for us! We swear!”

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“Then fuck off.” Manley’s voice cracked like a whip, and the men bolted, stumbling over each other in their scramble to escape.

Elsewhere, as Cole’s car pulled into the vet’s parking lot, he glanced sideways. “You go ahead. I’ll wait here.”

Just the fact that Cole had driven her to the vet was already beyond Elliana’s expectations. No way was she expecting him to tag along inside. Hugging the cat close, she slipped out of the car and headed for the door.

Once Elliana disappeared inside, Cole’s phone buzzed with a video from Manley. The screen lit up with Manley’s smug face. “Yo, Cole, I’ve given those creeps a sound beating.”

Cole swiftly tapped out a reply. “Appreciate it.”

About thirty minutes later, Elliana stepped out of the vet’s office, cradling the freshly groomed cat. She opened the car door and slid into the seat beside him.

Darling, the adorable cat, looked pristine and smelled wonderfully crisp.

Cole’s eyes flicked to Elliana, cradling Darling in her arms. “So, what’s the report?”

“It’s just a little skinny,” Elliana said, beaming. “Some food, some cuddles—it’ll be its adorable self in no time.”

Cole smirked, started the engine, and eased the car back onto the road. Elliana took out her phone, snapped a quick photo of the cat nestled against her chest, and fired off a message. “Adah, I found Darling!”

Adah and Elliana had been inseparable since childhood, bonded not just by age but by shared scars from turbulent upbringings.

Their mothers had been just as close—best friends who had vanished together the night the Jones family’s estate burned to the ground. Neither woman was ever seen again.

Adah’s grandmother had never warmed up to Adah’s mother. Declaring Adah cursed, she had shipped Adah off to distant relatives in some rural backwater and never called her back.

Rumors spread fast after the fire. Whispers had accused Elliana of starting the fire and murdering Adah’s mother. But Adah never once believed it. No matter what the world said, her faith in Elliana never cracked.

Adah texted back in seconds. “Elliana, I heard you tied the knot with someone from the Evans family. You hanging in there all right?”

Elliana smirked and wrote, “Stole Paige’s dream man. What do you think?”

Adah fired off a laughing emoji. “Come on, spill it! What’s the story?”

Elliana filled her in on the rundown of the mystery marriage. “Still no idea who signed us up at City Hall. I’m working on tracking it down.”

Adah didn’t miss a beat. “They’re saying Cole’s a total heartthrob—every girl’s daydream. Is that for real or pure rumor?”

Cole was practically a legend, but impossible to pin down—no photos online, barely any sightings in public. Until the day he rolled up to the Jones estate to claim his bride, Elliana hadn’t even known what he looked like.

Back in the day, Elliana and Adah used to speculate about Cole’s looks for fun. Now, with the real deal sitting right beside her, Elliana figured it was time her bestie got a peek.

With a sly glance at Cole, Elliana tipped her phone to the side, grabbed a quick profile shot, and sent it straight to Adah.

Adah’s response buzzed back almost instantly. “Damn. He’s even hotter than I imagined. Certified heartthrob. Be honest—are you into him?”

Elliana thought back to the first time she laid eyes on Cole—how she’d toyed with the idea of snatching him from Paige just for the thrill. She didn’t even try to lie. “Yup.”

“Did you shoot your shot yet?” Adah texted back.noveldrama

“Not even close,” Elliana responded frankly.

“Why? He think you’re not his type or something?”

Elliana cast Cole a sidelong glance, her lips twitching with amusement. “Apparently, he’s into ugly women. With my terrible makeup, I am far from attractive, but he keeps sneaking in hugs, stealing kisses, whispering sweet nothings… Honestly? I’m convinced he’s got a few screws loose.”

Before Adah could fire back, Cole’s voice cut in, smooth and teasing. “Honey, I noticed you snapping secret pics and side-eyeing me like I’m the main course. Who are you chatting with, huh?”

As he spoke, he reached for her phone, a mischievous glint in his eye…

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