Chapter 224

Cole's eyes narrowed, but he maintained his amused smile, as if considering something. I didn't care what he was thinking and went straight for it. "If it's too much trouble, just forget it."

He chuckled dryly. "Too much trouble? Please. You could ask for anything, and I'd be in."

That felt a little presumptuous. But before I could respond, Steve cleared his throat, a not-so-subtle hint.

Cole grinned, mischief gleaming in his eyes. "Alright, alright. Ladies first."

I wasn't in the mood to mess around. If he was letting me go first, I'd make it count. I lined up my shot, took it, and cleared the table in one go. Not bad.

Cole didn't seem the least bit upset. He simply clapped, grinning. "No surprise, being Steve's friend. You're impressive."

"I'll concede this one, but you gotta give me a shot to show off, right?" He waved over the attendant to reset the balls.

His turn. He cleared the table even faster than I did. It made sense—he wasn't just bragging about that championship.

I clapped back enthusiastically. "Okay, you're definitely better."

"According to our deal, you still win. So, tell me, what do you want me to do?" Cole squinted at me.

I took a breath. "I want to meet your father, Thorsten Drago."

His eyes darkened for a split second. Knowing he'd wonder why, I continued. "I need him to authenticate something."

Cole's tense expression relaxed slightly. "Oh? Some kind of treasure?"

"No," I said, keeping it vague.

Cole was smart enough not to press. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright, I can take you to him. But…"

He glanced at Steve, then back at me. "He's not in the best shape right now. Doesn't really do visitors." That was his way of warning me that even if he took me, I might not get to see his father.

I caught on quickly—he was trying to set a trap. But I wasn't about to fall for it. So, I put on a disappointed look and said, "In that case, forget it."

I wasn't worried about wasting tonight's effort. I knew I'd already piqued his interest. Now, he'd be dying to know what I wanted to show his father.

Cole's eyes narrowed; he was surprised by my response. He stared at me for a few seconds, then let out a dry laugh. "You're not as simple as you seem, huh?" He'd caught on to my strategic retreat.

But I wasn't going to admit it. "I just don't like putting people in tough spots."

"Well, I do enjoy helping out," he said, agreeing to my request.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief as he signaled to the attendant, then turned back to me. "How about we play a few more rounds, but for real this time?" My perfect break shot had definitely sparked his competitive side.

I couldn't shut him down now. In fact, I needed to lean into it. So, I nodded and played along.

Out of five games, I only won one, letting him savor his victories.

"If you're holding back, that's kind of insulting," he said as we finished, giving me a knowing look.