[EVE]

    Honestly, it would be a tragedy if Victor swung that way. He was handsome—no, scratch that—he was downright beautiful.

    That kind of androgynous beauty that made him look like he''d just stepped out of a Renaissance painting. The kind of face that could launch a thousand ships, or at least a thousand sighs from admirers.

    I knew there''d be an uproar among women everywhere if he was no longer on their radar. Hearts would be shattered. Tears would be shed. Fan clubs would be disbanded.

    But wait . . . Did this mean he liked Cole?@@@@

    My thoughts skidded to a stop like a car narrowly avoiding a collision.

    Cole. My Cole. The puzzle pieces clicked together in my head, forming a very disturbing picture. If Victor did like Cole, did that mean . . . he was my rival now?

    The idea hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a second, I imagined Victor and me in a dramatic showdown: me holding flowers, him holding . . . I don''t know, probably something more expensive and tasteful, like a rare vintage wine. Women and men alike would cry as we faced off for Cole''s heart in the middle of a rainstorm.

    No. Absolutely not. I wasn''t about to let this happen.

    I turned to Victor with the seriousness of someone about to declare a nation''s independence. "Look," I began, my voice firm, but not unkind, "you can like whoever you want. That''s your business, and I''ll support you. But Cole is taken. All right? Off-limits. Mine. I don''t need you being my rival too."

    Victor stared at me, clearly baffled. "What are you talking about?"

    I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes as if to emphasize the importance of this moment. "I''m just saying, if you''re into Cole, you need to take a step back. I''ve fought too hard for this man. I''ve endured his moods, his silence, his Cole-ness. You don''t want to go down this road. It''s exhausting."

    There was a beat of silence, and then Victor threw his head back and laughed. Not a polite chuckle or an awkward laugh, but a full-on, deep, genuine laugh that made me feel like I was missing some kind of joke.

    "What?" I asked, blinking. "What''s so funny?"

    He shook his head, still grinning. "You think I''m into Cole?"

    I squinted at him, still not entirely convinced. "You''re sure? Because I don''t want to find out later that you''ve been secretly pining for him in some tragic, unrequited way. That would be awkward for everyone."

    Victor laughed again, shaking his head. "Eve, you''re something else, you know that?"

    I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed now. "Yeah, well, I just had to make sure. I can''t have you swooping in and stealing my man. I''m already competing with the rest of the world for his attention."

    Not to mention Elena suddenly came back. I felt an omen coming.

    Victor''s smirk returned, but there was something kinder behind it this time. "Don''t worry, Eve. Cole only has eyes for you."

    That statement warmed me more than I wanted to admit, but I quickly masked it with a playful glare. "Good. Because if you ever did try anything, I''d win. Just so you know."

    Victor raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted." Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

    And with that, the strange tension between us finally seemed to ease. But as I walked away, I couldn''t shake the feeling that there was still something Victor wasn''t telling me. Something important.

    But at least one thing was clear: he wasn''t after Cole.

    Or so he said.

    As I walked back toward the house, feeling quite pleased with myself for sorting out the "issue," Victor muttered something under his breath. I couldn''t quite make it out, but it sounded suspiciously like, "She really has no clue."

    Oh well. Whatever it was, I''d figure it out eventually.

    Probably.

    "Did Victor say something to you?" Sinclair''s voice cut through the air, and I whipped around to see him leaning casually against the staircase, a glass of champagne in his hand.

    Was he there the whole time? Did he saw everything?