This time, after a brief pause, he answered.


    "It didn''t bother you, did it?" Linda''s voice was smooth, slightly yful.


    "Ng." Cole replied tly. "Is something wrong?"


    Linda hummed lightly. "I have a cousin who wants a corporate cement. I was hoping you could help


    out."


    Cole leaned back in his chair. His fingers tapped idly against the desk. "Why not ask Arnold?" he asked, his


    tone neutral.


    Linda''s voice didn''t falter. "Arnold''s been busytely." Then, with a casual lilt, she added, “And I just thought you could do me this favor. No?"


    Cole remained silent for a moment. He had long since learned that Linda never asked for simple favors... there was always something behind her words.


    After a pause, he said, "Your cousin can submit their CV like everyone else. My assistant will handle it."


    His voice held no warmth, but neither was it cold. A careful bnce.


    Linda smiled on the other end. "Please, Cole."


    His fingers stilled. He didn''t respond.


    Sensing


    at the conversation was nearing its end, Linda shifted gears. Her voice turned casual, almost affectionate. "What are you doing now? Been busytely?"


    At that moment, the door to Cole''s office was pushed open.


    Just as a voice of another female began in the background of Cole, He said somewhat coldly, "If there''s nothing else, I''m going to hang up the phone for now."


    Linda tapped her manicured fingers against the smooth surface of her desk, her mind lingering on the abrupt way Cole had ended their conversation.


    The busy signal still echoed in her ears, a sharp reminder of how easily he had dismissed her.


    It was rare for anyone, especially a man, to treat her so indifferently.


    She had always been the one in control, the one who dictated the terms of an interaction.


    15.50


    After I left. Alpha father and son went crazy with regret


    98.3%


    Yet, Cole had cut her off without hesitation.


    Her lips pressed together as she exhaled slowly, reigning in her irritation. There had been a female voice in the background, a familiar one, but in her brief moment of surprise, she hadn''t been able to ce it. Who was that woman? And why had Cole been so willing to end their call for her?


    On the other hand, in Cole''s office, Nora stood near his desk, holding a stack of documents in her arms.


    She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her tone polite but firm.


    "Am I disturbing you?" she asked. "I can wait for you to finish the call if you need more time."


    She had barely finished speaking when Cole pressed the button to hang up.


    The abruptness of the gesture made it clear, there was no one more important to him in that moment than the person standing in front of him.


    "No disturbance," he said simply, his voice carrying a certain finality. He leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes studying her.


    Nora nodded, not giving the interaction much thought, and took a seat across from him.


    She ced the documents in front of her and began scanning the details of the contract they were


    reviewing.


    Her focus was precise, her brows slightly furrowed as she traced each use with her eyes, mentally checking for inconsistencies.


    What she didn''t notice, however, was Cole''s gaze lingering on her. He wasn''t looking at the papers, his attention was on her movements, the way she bit the inside of her cheek when she was deep in concentration, the way her fingers lightly tapped against the table as she absorbed the information.


    Cole had always prided himself on maintaining a professional distance in his interactions.


    But with Nora, it was different. She wasn''t just another business associate, she was someone he found himself drawn to in ways he couldn''t quite exin.


    By mid-afternoon, Linda''s cousin, Brigitta, approached her with a bright smile. "I passed the interview," Brigitta announced, a note of excitement in her voice. Linda barely looked up from her phone. She had already expected this result. After all, she had spoken to Cole about it beforehand. There was no way Brigitta wouldn''t get the job.


    "Of course you did," Linda said with a small, knowing smile. "I told you there wouldn''t be any problems."


    98.5%


    Brigitta sat down beside her, crossing her legs. "You don''t seem too excited. Is something wrong?"


    Linda hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to bring up what had been bothering her since this


    morning.


    "When you saw Cole today, did he say anything to you?" she asked, trying to sound casual.


    Brigitta hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty shing across her face before she finally responded, "I haven''t met Mr. Cole."


    Linda''s expression changed slightly. "Cole didn''t approach you?"


    Brigitta shook her head. "No, no. No one from his team reached out to me directly either."


    Linda fell silent, her fingers curling slightly against the fabric of her skirt.


    That wasn''t what she had expected. She had assumed that once Cole learned of Brigitta''s rtionship with her, he would have at least acknowledged it.


    If not directly, then subtly, maybe by assigning someone to look out for her cousin.


    But it seemed like he hadn''t done anything at all.


    After a brief moment of thought, Linda forced a small smile. "It''s okay," she said lightly.


    Brigitta, sensing that Linda was preupied, simply nodded and left without pressing the matter further.


    The moment she was alone, Linda reached out to Cole through the mind-link, her toneposed yet carrying a hint of expectation.


    "I already know about Brigitta''s induction," she began. "I was thinking we should celebrate. How about dinner tonight?"