Page 108 of Cole

The walk to the main house was brisk and invigorating. When she arrived, the housekeeper directed her to her father’s office. Taking a deep breath, Annie knocked on the heavy wooden door.

“Come in,” her father called.

He was seated behind his massive desk, papers neatly arranged before him. He looked tired, Annie thought—the kind of bone-deep weariness that came from carrying a heavy burden for too long.

“Good morning, Dad.”

“Annalisa.” He gestured to the chair across from him. “Thank you for coming.”

The formality struck her as odd, given they were family, but she recognized it as his way of creating emotional distance when difficult conversations loomed.

“Elizabeth mentioned you’ve been talking,” Annie said as she settled into the chair, thinking of the text she’d woken to that morning from her step-mom.

“Yes.” Her father folded his hands on the desk. “She’s quite persuasive when she wants to be.” A hint of fondness softened her father’s expression. “She believes I’ve been unfair to you.”

Annie waited, knowing her father rarely revealed his thoughts without careful consideration.

“I’ve spent twenty-four years trying to keep you safe,” he continued, his voice low. “Every decision, every restriction—it all came from that one terrible day when I nearly lost you both.” He paused, swallowing hard. “When I did lose Angelica.”

“I know, Dad.” Annie leaned forward. “I’ve never doubted your love.”

“But you doubt my methods.”

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “Especially now.”

“All these years, I’ve been focused on protecting what remained of our family,” he said finally. “Perhaps I’ve… overcompensated.”

The admission, small as it was, felt monumental coming from Duncan Burke.

“I understand why you did it,” Annie said softly. “I do, Dad. But I can’t live my whole life afraid of what might happen.”

Her father nodded slowly. “Cole Halverson contacted me this morning.”

Annie’s eyes widened. “He did?”

“Yes. Very early. He requested a meeting when he visits Serenity. Said he wants to discuss security arrangements and his intentions toward you.” Her father’s expression was unreadable. “He’s either very brave or very foolish.”

“Or he loves me,” Annie suggested quietly.

Her father studied her face. “You really believe that?”

“I know it,” she said with conviction. “And I love him.”

Duncan leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking beneath him. “I told him I would meet with him. On one condition.”

Annie tensed. “What condition?”

“That he understands that I will still be in charge of your security.”

“But that doesn’t change anything,” Annie said with a frown.

“Cole can work with Jude to sort out security whenever you’re going to be with him. There won’t be any sneaking around like you did with the gala.”

Annie considered what he was offering, then nodded. “Okay.”

“When Cole comes next week, we’ll all meet together and get it hashed out.”

“So you’ll stop fighting us being together?”

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