Hugh, who had been the first to rush in, turned bright red.

Both Myles and Aron clenched their jaws, silently cursing Hugh and wishing they could throw him into a ditch. Couldn’t he have at least warned them or asked before kicking the door open and barging in? Now they had barged in and ruined Cole’s private moment. That was definitely going to cost them.

Cole’s expression shifted—his face darkened with a dangerous edge, and his rage was impossible to miss. “What’s the meaning of this? Do you all make a habit of barging in and watching a couple make out?” Cole shot them a glare sharp enough to cut stone.

Manley glanced sideways at Allan and Merlin, the corner of his mouth twitching. His face said it all—half mortified, half smug that his earlier guess had been spot on.

Allan and Merlin looked like they wished the floor would open up and swallow them whole. They had been bracing themselves outside, ready to jump in and protect Cole from Elliana, only to walk in on the two of them sharing a private, intimate moment. How embarrassing.

Allan and Merlin couldn’t stand the secondhand embarrassment. Without saying a word, they turned around and exited the room, their faces burning red.

Manley let out a few stiff chuckles. Hoping to smooth things over, he said awkwardly, “Cole, Elliana, carry on… I’ll just get out of your way, ha-ha!”

After that, he slipped out too, wearing a thoroughly sheepish expression.

The Fletcher brothers were left standing there like kids caught red-handed.

Elliana peeked out from under the blanket. Deep down, she felt a rush of gratitude. If they hadn’t shown up when they did, she wouldn’t have known how to calm Cole’s fiery momentum. Now, thanks to the interruption, Cole looked completely deflated—his desire doused by pure frustration.

Elliana gave Cole a cautious glance. His face looked sour enough to curdle milk, and the sight made her want to laugh. To keep herself from losing it, she quickly ducked back under the blanket and covered her face.

? ? ?: g?ν﹒

Cole’s jaw tightened as he glared at the three brothers. His voice came out low and sharp. “Are you planning to stand there all day?”

Without missing a beat, Myles and Aron spun around and headed for the door, each grabbing one of Hugh’s arms to drag him along.

Once the door clicked shut, the room finally went still again.

“Complete morons,” Cole muttered, his expression stormy.

The second the words left his mouth, he noticed the blanket shaking behind him.

He turned, confused, and pulled it down—only to find Elliana underneath, her whole body trembling with laughter, her face flushed from trying to hold it in.

“Honey, is it really that funny?” Cole asked, clearly annoyed.

Elliana could tell Cole was overwhelmed by frustration, and though she knew better than to laugh, it just bubbled up and burst out of her anyway. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop herself. She ended up laughing far longer than was decent.

Cole didn’t say a word. He simply watched her with a gaze that was half affectionate, half exasperated. When her laughter finally subsided, he released a gentle chuckle, tapped her forehead playfully with his fingertip, and murmured tenderly, “You naughty thing.”

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