[Cole''s Past]

Cole had been groomed from birth for the weight of his family''s legacy, an empire built on old money and influence that stretched far beyond their home.

Cain saw in him not just a son, but the future of their dynasty. His education began early, far beyond academics—every detail of his life was meticulously planned.

Tutors trained him in subjects far from ordinary, from languages and etiquette to negotiation tactics and fiscal strategy. Enjoy more content from empire

He was introduced to the family business before he understood what the word "responsibility" truly meant.

To outsiders, he was the perfect heir—polished, poised, with the quiet ruthlessness of someone who''d never had to play by anyone else''s rules.

Cole became the epitome of indifferent strength. He understood that people wanted things from him, that they were drawn to his wealth, his power, and the aura that surrounded him, but to him, they were like distant figures moving through fog.

With each passing year, the divide between him and the world around him widened, as if he was encased in glass, observing others without ever truly connecting.

Women flocked to him, their laughter and glances woven with intentions that Cole learned to see right through. Their attention was like a dull buzz, a constant reminder of the superficiality that surrounded him.

Most barely lasted a few exchanges. Cole''s blunt honesty—a product of his upbringing and an unforgiving personality—had them recoiling with shock and indignation. He could never grasp why they were so easily offended; he was merely saying what he thought, yet his words sent them scattering.

Only one person never flinched from him, no matter what he said. That person was none other than Eve.

Eve had been a fixture in his life for as long as he could remember. She was the daughter of a family as prestigious as his own, the Rosettes, whose lineage and reputation were practically carved into the history of the upper echelons.

Eve had been introduced to him at a young age, and for reasons he could never quite understand, she never took no for an answer.

As a child, she''d toddle after him persistently, an ever-present shadow with a stubbornness that had irritated him to no end. She was unrelenting, insistent on being her fiance?, despite his many attempts to shake her off.

And so, he accepted the idea of their engagement with a practical sort of relief. Eve was someone he could tolerate, someone he could trust to never demand more than he could give.

He didn''t have to love her in the way the world imagined love; he simply had to tolerate her, and that was something he''d done from the very beginning.

Cole never questioned if she would accept the arrangement—it was clear to him that she saw things much the same way.

Everything changed when Sophie was declared the rightful heiress of the Rosette fortune, pushing Eve into the shadows almost overnight. Cole''s engagement to Eve was canceled, the plans unraveling in a matter of days. It was as if the future he''d settled into had been erased.

One evening, Sophie found him alone.

"She doesn''t want you, Cole," she said. "Eve never did. It was all an act, you know. She knew she wasn''t a true Rosette, and the only reason she stayed close was because our parents told her to. She owe them a debt of gratitude. Everything was a plan from the very beginning. Think about it—everyone else kept their distance, yet no matter how cold you were, she was still there. Have you never wondered why she stuck around when everyone else left?"

Sophie''s words burrowed into his mind, planting doubts that festered. The one person he thought he could trust had been acting all along? He hated how easily he began to believe it. In a moment of anger, he did something he would regret forever.

The next time Eve approached him, he turned her away. She''d pleaded with him, her voice breaking as she tried to explain, but he wouldn''t listen. He convinced himself that she''d deceived him, that her loyalty was nothing more than a performance orchestrated by her family.

Cole walked away, ignoring her words, her tears. He steeled himself against the guilt, telling himself she''d never truly cared. Yet, as the days passed and her absence settled into his life, a hollowness grew within him. He tried to bury it, focusing on his duties and ambitions, but everything felt dimmer, lacking that brgihtness that Eve had always brought.

Time drifted by, but he never saw her again. With each passing year, he felt the weight of what he''d thrown away.

Eve had been his one constant, the person who''d stood by him no matter how he''d treated her. Only in her absence did he realize the depth of what she''d meant to him. She wasn''t like the others; she had stayed because she''d seen him, not just the title or the fortune.

Desperate, Cole searched for her, hoping that if he found her, he could make amends. But his search was fruitless. Rumors of her whereabouts led him on wild chases, each one ending in disappointment. He grew older, but the regret never faded. The emptiness never filled.

He never married. He couldn''t, not when every woman seemed a shadow of the one he''d lost. He lived the rest of his life with Eve''s absence as a constant ache, a reminder of the choices he could never take back.

When his time came, he closed his eyes with a single wish—a plea to the moon for a second chance, to rewrite the past and undo the greatest mistake of his life.