Page 70 of Cole

However, that kiss had put her uncertainty to rest. Her first kiss. Even now, her heart warmed at the memory of that moment with Cole.

Her father leaned forward. “Cole Halverson isn’t just some random man, Annalisa. He’s a public figure. Dating him putsyou squarely in the spotlight. And at some point, you’ll need to tell him about me, about who I am, because I’m your father, and I won’t be banished from your life.”

She didn’t know what to tell him. He was right. She couldn’t deny him because, despite this one issue, she loved and adored him. And she knew he loved her as well.

Her father’s expression softened slightly. “I don’t doubt Cole’s a good man. His background check was impressive.”

“You ran a check on him?” Annie shouldn’t have been surprised, but the intrusion still stung. “Of course you did.”

“It’s my job to protect you.”

“It’s your job to be my father,” Annie countered. “Not my jailer.”

The server returned with their main course—salmon for her father, chicken for her. Annie stared at her plate, appetite gone.

“I understand you want independence,” her father said after a moment of tense silence. “But there are safer ways to achieve that than by associating with a basketball star whose every move is tracked by the media.”

Annie took a deep breath. “What happened to Angelica and me was horrible. I live with that knowledge every day. But I can’t let it define my entire existence.”

“It’s not just about the kidnapping,” he said, his voice dropping. “It’s about who we are. What we represent. The wealth, the power—it makes us targets.”

“Then why did you create all of this?” Annie gestured around them. “Why build an empire that puts us at risk?”

Her father set down his fork. “That’s not fair, Annalisa. I built this to secure our future—your future.”

“A future I can’t even live,” she whispered.

The silence stretched between them, broken only by Nyla’s occasional shifting on the floor.

“Tell me about him,” her father finally said.

Annie looked up, surprised. “About Cole?”

He nodded. “If he’s important enough for you to risk exposure, I want to understand why.”

She hesitated, uncertain if this was a genuine olive branch or another tactical move. But something in her father’s eyes—a weariness, perhaps, or resignation—made her decide to take the chance.

“He’s... kind,” Annie started, choosing her words carefully. “Not just surface kindness that people show when they want something. He’s genuinely considerate.”

Her father listened, his expression neutral as he cut into his salmon.

“He has this way of making me feel seen,” she continued, warming to the subject despite her nervousness. “Not as someone fragile or someone to be protected, but as a person with thoughts and feelings that matter.”

“Many predators are charming, Annalisa.”

Annie shook her head. “It’s not like that. Cole doesn’t even know about our wealth or your position. He thinks I’m just a small business owner.”

“And what have you told him about your family?”

“He knows Benji, and I’ve told him that you’re a businessman. So I haven’t lied.”

“But you also haven’t been completely honest with him.”

Guilt pricked at her. Her dad wasn’t wrong. She’d been trying to honor his request to keep them disconnected, which was why she hadn’t given Cole the full disclosure on who her dad was. But now, she was feeling convicted for not having been more forthcoming.

If he’d asked her more specifically, would she have been honest about it?

It felt wrong not to tell him, but she also understood her dad’s over-protectiveness. He’d lost one daughter. He didn’t want to lose another.

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