Page 119 of Coldhearted King

Her brows shoot up. “But you’ve already given me so much.”

Cole and I spoiled her because we could. Sometimes throwing money around is just as satisfying as you might think, and seeing Mom’s face light up with each gift brought me so much joy.

The sudden tightening of Mom’s expression is the only warning I have beforehesteps up next to our table. I look up at my father and then at Mom, who takes a determined spoonful of her dessert.

“Beth, you’re looking good,” he says, then clears his throat. “Delilah, you look lovely.”

My eyes widen. The gall of this man. He cannot seriously think this is an appropriate time and place to approach the woman he abandoned and the child he never acknowledged.

“Thank you, Ted,” Mom replies, finally deigning to look up at him. “Is there some reason you’ve come over here?” I’m so proud of her composure.

For a moment he looks uncomfortable. But only for a moment. “I saw that you’re dining with Cole King tonight,” he says, and it all becomes clear.

“Yes.” I wait for him to turn his attention to me. “Cole is my boyfriend. But I’m sure you know that already.”

He doesn’t even look ashamed. I don’t think men like him know what shame feels like. If I ever thought Cole was arrogant and entitled, I was wrong. The epitome of those two things is standing right here in front of me.

“I had heard the rumors. Congratulations. That’s quite the coup,” my father—Ted—says.

I shake my head. How do you even respond to a comment like that?

Mom puts her spoon down with a clink. “Is there something you wanted?”

“I know we haven’t always had the best relationship, Beth, and I want to apologize for that. I was under a lot of pressure back when...everything happened. My parents would have disowned me for getting a girl pregnant.” He looks at me again. “That wasn’t fair to you, Delilah. And I’d like to make it up to you if you’ll let me.”

“Make what up?” Cole’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn in my seat to look up at him. He’s focused on my father, though. While he looks completely calm, I can sense the cold anger rolling off him.

Oblivious, Ted extends his hand, a broad smile on his face. “Cole. Ted Barrett. CEO of Apex Industries.”

“I know who you are.” Cole doesn’t take his hand.

After a few seconds of leaving it hanging in midair, my father drops it. Undeterred, he forges right ahead. “I’ve been wanting to meet you. I have some fantastic investment opportunities I think you’ll be—”

“You don’t,” Cole says.

My father stops, obviously confused. “Sorry?”

“You don’t have any investment opportunities I’d be interested in, because you no longer own the majority share of your company. The King Group does.”

All the blood leaves my father’s face. “What?”

“Your company has been having difficulties for a while now—mismanagement, apparently. Your shares are at the lowest price they’ve been for a decade. I saw you come in, and I decided now was the right time to make the call. So no, you don’t have some investments for me. Youarean investment. And unfortunately for you, as of”—Cole checks his watch—“ten minutes ago, you’re no longer CEO of Apex Industries. My brothers and I will appoint one of our own people to take over first thing tomorrow.”

My father stares at Cole with an expression I’m not sure I’ve ever seen on anyone’s face before. “Y-You can’t be serious. That’s...That’s preposterous—”

Cole turns his back on him. “Are we all done, ladies?”

Mom stands in one graceful movement, and I follow her lead. “Yes, thank you, Cole,” she says. “The meal was delicious.”

He gives her the smile I love to see. One filled with the easy affection that has grown between them over the eight months Cole and I have officially been together. It warms my heart to see him receive the type of maternal care he never received growing up. To be short, she mothers him and the big, bad billionaire that he is eats it up.

We make our way past Ted, who is pulling his phone out of his pocket and frantically tapping the screen. He’ll find out soon enough that Cole isn’t bluffing. When my man takes my hand in his, I look up at him, meeting his warm gaze, and mouththank youbehind my mother’s back.

He bends down and brushes his lips against mine. “Sometimes having money and power is a good thing.”

I smile and run my fingers over the five o’clock shadow on his cheeks. He just can’t help himself. As much as he wouldn’t confirm it, I still believe he was responsible for Philippa and Paul being gone from New York when I got back from my leave eight months ago. Apparently, Philippa had made a sudden decision to return to the UK, and Paul had been sent to the Hong Kong office for three years. It may not sound like a punishment, but everyone in the office knows that while he’s out of New York, his chance of promotion to partner is next to none.

Regardless of why they were gone, I can’t say I was disappointed not to have to see either of them.

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