He Wanted an Heir, So I Gave Him Ashes Chapter 36

He Wanted an Heir, So I Gave Him Ashes Chapter 36

Ellie fell asleep in the car.

The alcohol and the shock had overwhelmed her. The moment her body sank into the soft leather seat, she was gone.

She leaned against Cole’s shoulder, sleeping soundly.

The driver navigated the city streets with practiced ease. Inside the car, it was quiet enough to hear the faint sound of breathing.

Few people knew that Cole had known Ellie and Rhett since they were children. The Hayes and Walker ranches bordered each other. Their families had been neighbors for generations, and business rivals for just as long.

But Cole had gone to the East Coast for high school, slowly drifting away from the people and places of his Texas childhood.

The conflict between him and Rhett hadn’t started overnight.

First, it was the long-standing competition between their fathers. Later, when Cole returned from college, eager to modernize his family’s ranch, Rhett had looked down on him, calling him a weakling brainwashed by East Coast liberalism, a man who had forgotten his Texas roots.

Cole looked down on Rhett, too.

He thought Rhett was old-fashioned and mediocre. More than that, he thought Rhett was unworthy of Ellie’s talent and intelligence.

The two men had been fighting, openly and secretly, for years.

More importantly, the first time Ellie and Rhett separated, Cole had been tempted to make a move.

But before he could, Rhett had already persuaded Ellie to come back.

Cole had been deeply uncomfortable with that. He had eventually forced himself to stop paying attention to their affairs, to let it go.

He never expected that, years later, the opportunity would fall into his lap again.

Cole looked at Ellie leaning against his shoulder. A trace of unease still lingered on her face; even in sleep, her brow was furrowed. He lifted a hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small, slow smile.

When Ellie woke, she was no longer in the car.

She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. Her head was throbbing. She sat up immediately.

First, she looked down at her clothes.

She was still wearing last night’s outfit.

She frowned. It was uncomfortable, but at least it meant nothing had happened.