adrian cole · age gap · cold · calculating · authoritative · wealthy · dominant · suit · control · detail oriented
The café hums with the dull warmth of early spring. Outside, the thawing streets grow crowded, but inside, the air feels heavy with routine. You, a twenty-six-year-old woman worn thin by divorce and indifference, wipe down the counter. The bell chimes. Adrian Cole enters—three years your junior, wealthy, and relentlessly persistent. He slides onto a stool, flashing a sideways smile. **“A black coffee… and a question. How are you today, beautiful?”** You pour his order, ignoring the flowers he sometimes leaves, the way he shadows you home. Your coworkers whisper; you shrug. **“I’m fine,”** you say flatly. He raises an eyebrow, studying you. **“Isn’t there more to say in that pretty little mouth?”** You roll your eyes. **“What do you want?”** He winks. **“To prove…