"Come with me, Vanessa."
The song was over, and so was Cole's tenderness.
"Don't boss me around, Cole!" Vanessa told him, visibly annoyed at his sudden change of mood. "We're not at work."
"Because when we're at work, you obey, right? Anyway, you're coming with me."
Cole didn't let go of Vanessa's hand even for a moment, and the two walked toward the bottom of the hall. After a few steps, she focused on Andrea and a man in the distance, though her vision was quite blurry.
As they passed a waiter on their way, Vanessa grabbed a glass from his tray and drank it to the ex.
Cole looked at her but couldn't stop her anyway.
After a few more steps, they were already to Andrea and the unknown man.
"Why are you here?" Cole asked them in a rough tone.
"Andrea suggested we check the situation here, Cole," the man replied. "You asked for security, remember?"
"Outside. Not inside, Dan. And what are you even doing here, Andrea?"
"I'm accompanying Danny. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Vanessa looked at the man and then remembered that she had seen him at the security company. But what did Andrea have to do with it? Considering the black suit she was wearing and the Bluetooth headset in her ear, the only logical explanation was that she also worked at the company, although she had never seen her there. Not that it mattered much, anyway.
"Everything is wrong with your presence here, Dan," Cole's voice grew sharper. "I told you to stand in front, watch, and nothing else."
"Don't talk to him like that, Cole," Andrea interjected timidly. She seemed to be saying her words with a touch of uncertainty.
"She's right. You're not her boss, and you're not my boss." Danny also took a slightly offensive stance.
"You think you can talk and do whatever you want, Dan? Just because my father made you a partner in the security company? Do I need to remind you that my father is gone? I control all the Willker's empire now and own the largest share of your little security company's shares. So if I decide, you both will stay in the street!"
Vanessa continued to watch from the sidelines. She couldn't explain how Cole could be so kind one moment and so rude the next. She wasn't aware of the history between him and this Dan, but she knew about his relationship with Andrea. And even though Rebecca had told her that they were just being intimate, his tone right now was too rude, even for him.
When she was immersed in her thoughts, Danny and Andrea left without another word.
"You know what, Cole?" Vanessa turned to him. "You're an ass." Her words came out of her mouth without thinking about what she was saying. "Poor girl. She was in your bed a few days ago, and now you're acting like this with her?"
"In my bed, you said it. I didn't call her here."
"You are grossing me out."
"Well, I can be less of an ass and fuck her here if it will make you feel better."
Vanessa turned red with anger and took the glass from the hand of a man standing nearby, but Cole quickly took it from her and gave it back to the man. "Excuse her." Then he turned to Vanessa again. "You will drink no more."
"Damn it, Cole!"
"Stay here. I'll find Jackson and take you home."
"You're not going to tell me what to do!"
"You're drunk, Vanessa. We're going home."
"No!" Vanessa shouted at him the moment he turned his back to her and ran to the back entrance.
There weren't many people outside at the back of the building. Few staff members could be seen smoking cigarettes, probably stealing a few minutes of break.
Vanessa could no longer walk in a straight direction, and the high heels didn't help. She took off her shoes, threw them to the right, and walked left.
Before long, she found herself in a deserted park. It looked peaceful and beautiful. But some would say it was dangerous for a girl to be alone there at this hour at night.
Even though it was Vanessa Blake—the X—there, her abilities were questionable at the time. And worse was that she was about to test them at that very moment.
"Give me all your jewels now!" a gruff male voice came from behind her.
"I don't wear jewelry, you idiot!" Vanessa shot back as soon as she turned to face him and reached out to punch him. "Take this!"
However, all the head spinning she was feeling didn't allow her to coordinate her blow, and instead of hitting the man, she swayed and fell to the ground.
The man, holding a knife in one hand, grabbed Vanessa with his other hand and lifted her off the ground.
There followed a second unsuccessful attempt on her part to hit him. The only thing she managed to do to him was claw at his arm as she held onto it to keep from falling again.
"Don't fight, you stupid, drunk bitch!" He grabbed her roughly, turned her back to him, and put the knife to her throat. "Look what you did to my arm!"
That was ridiculous. Vanessa could knock this guy out in the blink of an eye, but at that moment, she couldn't even get out of his grasp. Her heart was beating faster and faster. She wasn't afraid of him, just getting angry, but she didn't even realize she was in a dangerous situation. She kept trying to pull away from him, but every move risked the knife getting stuck in her throat.
"Let her go!" Cole's shout echoed throughout the park.
At that moment, the man let go of Vanessa, who fell to the ground and turned around, dropping his knife in the meantime.
Cole didn't hesitate for a moment and hit the man with several punches. Blood oozed from the man's eyebrow and lip. He barely managed to avoid the last blow and ran away at high speed.
Cole crouched down next to Vanessa and lifted her head with his hand. "Are you okay?"
"Cole?" Vanessa grabbed his hands and slowly stood up. "What happened?"
"Seriously, Vanessa?"
"Oh, come on. Everything was under control."
"Is that what you call control? That's it. You're going home."
"What part of you won't tell me what to do you didn't understand?"
Cole waved his hand in the direction the man had run. "This one, the whole part! You're acting like a fifteen-year-old teenage girl. And where the hell are your shoes?"
"Well, they are... I don't remember."
"I can't. Just go!"
Cole grabbed her arm, but Vanessa pushed him away. "I can walk myself." But after just one step, her legs felt like jelly. "Wait, wait, Cole."
He was already a few steps ahead. "You said you can walk alone, didn't you?"
After a few minutes of tottering walking and stupid arguments, the two were already in the limo. Vanessa lay down on one of the seats, and Cole sat across from her. Not long after, she saw the champagne cooler. "More champagne, great!" She stood up and reached for the bottle.
But Cole took it before her. "You've got to be kidding me?"
"Not at all," Vanessa crossed her arms angrily.
"I said you will drink no more."
"I'll do whatever I want!"
Cole put the bottle back in the champagne cooler and looked at her thoughtfully. "No, you won't."
Vanessa looked at the bottle again, but despite her irrational thinking, she realized that she shouldn't drink anymore, so she just looked away and said nothing more.
That made for a smooth ride, at least until they arrived in front of the house.
"Come on," Cole said to her and got out of the car.
"No." Vanessa's voice came from inside.
"Vanessa, get out of the fucking car."
"No."
With the last drop of patience, Cole reached out, grabbed Vanessa's arm, and pulled her out of the limousine. Then he lifted her into the air and threw her over his shoulder.
"Cole, let me go!" Vanessa was trying to free herself, hitting him on his back.
But he held her tightly and, without saying a word entered the house and headed directly for her room. The moment they were inside, Cole finally let her go.
Vanessa patted her dress, stood before him, and glared at his eyes.
Not that he did care about it. "Lie down," he commanded her again.
Vanessa covered her face with her hands and rubbed her eyes lightly. "Are you ever going to stop this?"
"I'll stop when you start acting like an adult. Do you realize what could have happened? Do you even remember that man?"
Vanessa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The effect of the alcohol was starting to wear off a little. And the memories came back. How had she let this happen? She had disarmed herself because of a few drinks. She had left herself vulnerable.
She opened her eyes and turned her head towards the window. "I remember. Thank you for coming for me."
Cole grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
Then he hugged her gently.
The warmth of his body. His hug. They made Vanessa feel... Protected. She had never felt protected by anyone before. She had never needed someone to protect her at all.
And just like that, her words overcame her brain. "Cole, will you stay with me tonight?"
This question was probably as surprising to her as it was to him. He stood looking at her without saying anything.
But there was no coming back. The words were said. Vanessa let go of him and walked over to the closet, standing with her back to him. She took off her dress and put on Cole's shirt, which she had found the first night she spent in the house and always wore for sleep since then. Then she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.
Cole watched her the whole time. As her dress slowly slid down her body, exposing her tender skin. And as she was putting on his shirt, of whose buttons she managed to button only one. That was making it look even sexier...
His heart was pounding. In that annoying and inexplicable way, it did every time he was around her.
After a few seconds of trying to calm his heartbeat, Cole took off his jacket, shirt, and pants, placed them on the chair, and lay on the bed next to Vanessa.
She turned her back to him while pressing her body against his.
"Cole?"
"Yes."
"Why were you nice to me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you give the impression of a harsh person. But you're not always like that. I saw it. Now. And when we danced. Why to me? Why were you so nice to me, and a minute later, you were so rude to Andrea and Danny?"
"I hate it when someone doesn't follow simple orders. You should have figured it out by now."
"So, you should hate me the most."
"Yeah. You piss me off the most. Good night, Vanessa."