The Chief's Comeback: Too Late, Cole

My husband's affair pushed me into the arms of his partner, Cole. For three years, he was the perfect, doting husband. I thought I had finally found my happy ending.

Then I overheard a phone call and my world collapsed. Our marriage was a lie.

I was just a pawn, a tool to keep me docile while his true love secured my ex-husband.

He had me brutally beaten, forced me to abort our child, and publicly stripped me in front of hundreds of his colleagues.

His final act of cruelty was forcing me to give blood to save the woman who destroyed me, leaving me for dead on the hospital floor.

But he made one fatal mistake: he trusted the wrong person to handle our marriage papers.

Three years later, I returned as the new Chief Liaison Officer for the International Police.

And the first faces I saw at my welcome conference were his and my ex-husband's.

Chapter 1

Elinor Marsh POV:

My high-powered attorney husband, Bernard Turner, had a secret. He was cheating with Davida Brandt, the daughter of our firm's most important client. I found out, and my world shattered. My response was immediate, vengeful: a one-night stand with Bernard's charismatic partner, Cole Kirkland. That single night exploded my life, pushing me into a rapid divorce from Bernard and a new marriage to Cole. For three years, Cole was the perfect, doting husband, a stark contrast to the betrayal I had just escaped. He was everything I thought I wanted, everything I believed I deserved after the pain Bernard inflicted. But all of it was a lie, a meticulously crafted facade designed to keep me contained while Davida claimed Bernard, her true prize. I was merely a pawn in their cruel, elaborate game, a truth I would soon discover in the most devastating way imaginable.

The scent of Davida's expensive perfume clung to Bernard's suit jacket. I picked it up from the laundry basket. It was not his usual scent. He always wore a subtle, woody cologne. This was floral, heavy, cloying. My stomach turned. I knew that smell. Davida Brandt favored it. My mind raced. Bernard was not just working late with Davida. He was with her, intimately. My hands clenched. A cold fury settled in my chest. Shock gave way to a searing anger. The betrayal hit me hard.

I looked at my reflection in the darkened window. My face was pale. My eyes were burning. I felt a desperate need to lash out, to hurt Bernard the way he hurt me. My gaze fell on my phone. Cole Kirkland' s name flashed in my contacts. Cole, Bernard's partner, always had a knowing look in his eyes when he talked to me. He made me feel seen, desired. A reckless thought sparked. I wanted to burn Bernard's world down. I wanted to make him feel the same pain.

I pressed Cole' s number. My heart pounded. He answered on the second ring. His voice was smooth,