Chapter 223

As the door swung open, a loud, booming laugh echoed through the room. I spotted the man sitting at the head of the table. He looked familiar.

Steve jumped in with introductions. "This is Cole, my cue sports buddy and good friend."

I stared, and it clicked—Cole Drago. Thorsten's son, and now the head of VastReach Group. I'd looked him up before; he was a snooker enthusiast, even an amateur champion. I never would have guessed his connection to Steve, let alone their closeness.

"And this must be your friend?" Cole said with a grin. His tone was friendly, yet unsettling. His record might be clean, but his father's wasn't. He couldn't possibly be as perfect as he seemed. You can't judge a book by its cover, they say.

"Keira, just call him Cole. If you ever need anything or run into trouble, go to him," Steve said, pulling out a chair for me.

Just as he sat, Cole interrupted. "Steve, why don't you sit here, and let her sit between us? I'd like to get to know her better." My heart skipped a beat. I'm usually cautious around strangers, especially someone like Cole.

I glanced at Steve, hoping for support, but he didn't look up. He simply set my place, arranging the cutlery and plate casually. "No need. You can still talk comfortably."

Relief washed over me. Thank God for Steve. He hadn't abandoned me.

Cole chuckled. "I've never seen you so protective of a girl before."

Steve finished setting the cutlery, meticulously aligning everything. "She's like my little sister. How could any other girl compare?" That was a clear warning to Cole—I wasn't someone he could easily manipulate.

I was genuinely touched. Steve had made his point, and Cole seemed to understand. He laughed softly and looked at me. "You're lucky to have Steve looking out for you."

Before I could respond, they launched into a conversation about a recent tournament. After a while, Cole turned back to me with a polite smile. "We've been hogging the conversation. You're not bored, are you?"

"She's not bored. She knows as much as we do, and her skills are top-notch, even compared to the guys," Steve said, giving me a nod of approval.

Cole looked genuinely surprised. "Seriously? In that case, how about we head over to Steve's place after dinner and play a few rounds?"

Steve immediately agreed. "Sounds good. You two can play. Out of five rounds, if she wins even one, it counts as your loss."

"Deal!" Cole agreed without hesitation.

They didn't ask if I wanted to play, but I didn't object. Playing Cole could be my chance to get closer to Thorsten.

After dinner, I followed them to Steve's place, a pool hall. Steve stood beside me. "Just play like you normally do. No pressure."

I nodded, grabbed a cue, and walked to the table. I glanced at Cole. "So, if I win just one game, it counts as my victory, right?"

"Absolutely," Cole agreed.

I raised an eyebrow. "And what's the reward if I win?"

Cole laughed and looked at Steve. "She wants a reward, huh?"

Steve shrugged. "You've got deep pockets. You can handle it."

"Alright," Cole said, still smiling. He turned back to me. "Name your prize. As long as it's something within my power, it's yours."

I hesitated. "I want you to promise me something. Don't worry, it's nothing illegal or shady. Just a favor."