CHAPTER 10 – The Cousin
1134 Words
If Elena had to describe Ethan Cole in one sentence, she would say he was impossible to ignore.
Not because he demanded attention.
Because attention seemed to find him naturally.
The man could walk into a room and somehow leave with three new friends, two invitations, and an entire audience laughing at something ridiculous he had said.
It was a talent Elena didn’t understand.
And honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
“You like him.”
Maya’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Elena looked up from her computer.
“No.”
“You smiled.”
“I smile at lots of people.”
“Not like that.”
“There are different kinds of smiling now?”
“There absolutely are.”
Elena sighed dramatically.
“Please go back to work.”
“I am working.”
“You are gossiping.”
Maya grinned.
“Multitasking.”
Meanwhile, on the executive floor, a very different conversation was taking place.
Ethan walked into Adrian’s office without knocking.
As usual.
Adrian barely looked up from the documents on his desk.
“You should really start knocking.”
“You should really stop pretending you care.”
Adrian sighed.
Ethan dropped into the chair opposite him.
Comfortable.
Relaxed.
Entirely unbothered.
For a moment, neither spoke.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
It never had been.
Despite their differences, Ethan remained one of the few people who treated Adrian like a person instead of a position.
Most people saw the CEO of Wolfe Global.
Ethan saw the cousin he had grown up with.
The distinction mattered.
“You’ve been staring at that report for five minutes,” Ethan said.
“I’ve been working.”
“No.”
Ethan pointed toward the document.
“You’ve been pretending to work.”
Adrian finally looked up.
“You came here for something.”
“I did.”
“And?”
Ethan frowned thoughtfully.
“I forgot.”
“Convenient.”
“It happens.”
“Only to you.”
Ethan grinned.
The office might belong to Adrian, but Ethan had long ago decided formalities were unnecessary between them.
Some battles weren’t worth fighting.
This was one of them.
“You know,” Ethan said, stretching comfortably in his chair, “one day you’re going to wrinkle permanently from all this frowning.”
“I’m not frowning.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You absolutely are.”
Adrian shook his head.
Some things never changed.
Not the arguments.
Not Ethan’s refusal to take anything seriously.
And certainly not his ability to test Adrian’s patience within minutes of entering a room.
Strangely enough, Adrian didn’t entirely mind.
Family was complicated.
But despite everything life had thrown at them, despite growing into completely different men, some bonds remained untouched.
“You’ve been staring.”
Ethan’s voice pulled Adrian from his thoughts.
“I was thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
Adrian rolled his eyes.
Some things truly never changed.
Ethan leaned forward.
“You know, your problem is that you work too much.”
“There it is.”
“There what is?”
“The lecture.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Ethan shook his head.
“You’ve spent your entire life trying to carry the world.”
“Someone has to.”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
Firmly.
Unexpectedly.
Adrian looked up.
Ethan’s expression had changed.
For once, there was no teasing.
No humor.
Only sincerity.
“You know Uncle Richard spent years teaching you that everything depends on you.”
Adrian remained silent.
“That’s not true.”
“It isn’t?”
“No.”
Ethan leaned back.
“The company existed before you.”
“It will exist after you.”
“People help you.”
“People care about you.”
“You don’t have to carry everything alone.”
For a moment, Adrian didn’t know what to say.
Because Ethan was one of the few people willing to speak to him like that.
One of the few people who saw beyond the CEO title.
Beyond the expectations.
Beyond the legacy.
And perhaps that was why Adrian tolerated things from Ethan that he would never tolerate from anyone else.
Later that afternoon, Ethan found himself wandering through the office.
Officially, he was reviewing departmental reports.
Unofficially, he was avoiding them.
His attention shifted when he noticed Elena speaking with a colleague nearby.
She was laughing.
Again.
And somehow, every time she laughed, the room seemed brighter.
Ethan approached.
“Working hard?”
Elena looked up.
“Unlike some people.”
“I work.”
“You disappear for hours.”
“Creative freedom.”
“That’s not a real thing.”
“It should be.”
Elena laughed.
Ethan smiled.
There it was again.
That feeling.
The one he’d been trying not to think about.
Because somewhere between casual conversations and shared lunches, Elena had become important.
More important than she should have.
And that realization was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
From the executive floor above, Adrian happened to glance through the glass partition below.
Just in time to see Ethan making Elena laugh again.
His teeth clenched.
Slightly.
Only slightly.
Enough to annoy himself.
Because this was ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
Everything was unfolding exactly as intended.
Exactly as planned.
So why did it feel wrong?
That evening, Elena stayed late finishing reports.
The office had grown quiet.
Most employees had already left.
She was packing her things when a voice spoke behind her.
“Still here?”
She turned.
Adrian.
Of course.
At this point she was beginning to suspect he appeared through magic.
“Still working?”
she countered.
“As always.”
“That’s unhealthy.”
One eyebrow lifted.
“You’re saying this while sitting at your desk after hours.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
Elena opened her mouth.
Paused.
Then laughed.
“I don’t actually know.”
A rare smile touched his face.
Brief.
Genuine.
And unexpectedly attractive.
Elena immediately looked away.
Because that thought was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
For a second, neither spoke.
The office felt strangely quiet.
Almost intimate.
Then Adrian glanced toward the elevator.
“You should go home.”
The words sounded softer than usual.
Less like an instruction.
More like concern.
The realization caught both of them off guard.
Elena stood.
Gathering her bag.
“Good night, Mr. Wolfe.”
“Good night, Elena.”
Once again, he used her first name.
And once again, something about it lingered.
Long after she stepped into the elevator.
Long after the doors closed.
Long after she disappeared from sight.
Adrian remained standing there.
Thinking.
Because the revenge plan was becoming increasingly complicated.
Not because Ethan was getting closer to Elena.
But because Adrian was no longer certain he wanted him to.
- Writer
