Page 131 of Cole

His kiss was tender, lingering—a promise rather than a goodbye. When he finally pulled away, his thumb brushed her cheek. “Pray for me?”

The simple request caught her by surprise. They’d talked about faith, certainly, but this felt different—more intentional.

“Every day,” she promised.

“And I’ll pray every day for you, too.” With one last kiss to her forehead, Cole stepped back, shouldering his carry-on bag. “I’ll call you tonight.”

Annie watched him slide into the waiting SUV, staying rooted to her spot even as the car began to slowly move away from the house.

She stood there long after the car had disappeared, her arms wrapped around herself against more than just the cold. The mansion felt emptier somehow, despite being filled with her family.

“He’ll be back before you know it.”

Annie turned to find Elizabeth standing in the doorway, a sympathetic smile on her face.

“I know,” Annie sighed as she climbed the steps to where her step-mom waited. “It’s just… having him here felt right.”

Elizabeth wrapped an arm around Annie’s shoulders as they walked back inside. “It felt that way with your father when we started dating. Every goodbye felt like torture.”

“How did you handle it?”

“One day at a time,” Elizabeth said simply. “And lots of phone calls.”

Annie nodded, grateful for her stepmother’s understanding. As they entered the warmth of the house, Annie’s phone buzzed with a text.

Cole:Already missing you. Thomas says I’m pathetic.

A smile spread across Annie’s face as she typed back.

Tell him that makes two of us.

“There’s that smile,” Elizabeth noted. “Come on, your father wants to speak with us all.”

Annie’s stomach tightened. “About Angelica?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Jude made contact this morning.”

Annie’s heart raced as she hurried alongside Elizabeth toward her father’s study. The warmth of Cole’s goodbye stilllingered on her lips, but the mention of Angelica immediately refocused her thoughts.

“Did Dad say anything about how Jude made out?” she asked, quickening her pace.

“Only that he had some interesting information to share,” Elizabeth replied, her voice carefully neutral.

When they reached the study, Julian and Benji were already there. Julian slouched in one of the leather chairs, scrolling through his phone with feigned disinterest, while Benji sat perched on the edge of his seat, fingers drumming nervously against his knee.

Her dad stood behind his desk, phone pressed to his ear. “Yes, I understand. Keep me posted on any developments.” He ended the call just as Annie and Elizabeth entered the room.

“Ah, good. We’re all here,” he said, gesturing for them to sit.

Annie took the armchair beside Benji, who gave her a small, encouraging smile.

“Jude spoke with Angelica—or Angela, as she knows herself as—this morning,” he began without preamble. “She agreed to meet with him tomorrow at a cafe near where she works.”

“And?” Julian prompted impatiently, finally looking up from his phone.

Her dad’s expression remained calm. “Like us, she’s cautious. Jude presented himself as a representative of the family who might have information about her origins.”

“Did he tell her who we are?” Annie asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

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