Chapter 1354
An application to get remarried? Allan, Merlin, and Manley erupted in laughter, clutching their sides and barely able to catch their breath. It was the most ridiculous thing any of them had heard, and it was happening to Cole of all people. Cole had always been icy and impossible to bend, never yielding to anyone. Yet now, Elliana had him completely under her thumb. She had ordered him to write an application, and not only had he obeyed without complaint, but when she found it lacking, he’d come running to his friends for help. It was almost too much to believe.
Cole was already mortified. Watching his friends nearly collapse with laughter only made things worse. His face darkened, his patience wearing thin.
The laughter dragged on, showing no signs of stopping.
Manley burst into uncontrollable laughter, slapping the sofa with such force that he lost his balance, tumbled off the cushions, and landed flat on the floor; yet even there, he continued howling with laughter, completely unfazed. Allan and Merlin managed to keep it together a little better, but even they doubled over, losing any shred of composure.
Cole glared at his friends in stony silence for a long moment before snapping, “Are you planning to keep this up all night?”
At last, they reined in their laughter.
Allan and Merlin rubbed their temples, still catching their breath, and then picked up Cole’s handwritten application to examine it. Manley climbed up from the floor, craning his neck to peek over their shoulders.
As soon as the three finished reading, the laughter erupted again. None of them had ever seen Cole write anything so sentimental; it was dripping with sweetness, so much so that it barely seemed like his own work.
“If any of you laugh again, I’ll throw you out the window!” Cole muttered a warning through clenched teeth.
The three immediately bit back their laughter, faces turning bright red as they struggled to hold it in.
Cole let out a heavy sigh, resigning himself to the chaos. If putting up with it meant getting real advice, he was willing to tolerate every second of it.
? : ν
When the laughter finally faded, Cole asked, “Now that you’re done having a field day at my expense, will you actually help me figure this out?”
Merlin gave a slow shake of his head. “This one’s beyond me. I’m not a mind reader, especially not with Elliana, and the last thing I want is to steer you wrong and make everything even messier.”
Manley rubbed his chin, lost in thought. “Maybe your application is too flowery? It sounds like something out of a romance novel. Maybe Elliana thinks you’re just trying to impress her with fancy words, and that’s why she’s not happy with it?”
Cole pursed his lips, instantly dismissing Manley’s theory. Paulina and Myles had already suggested he was “showing off” yesterday. But from Elliana’s reaction earlier, he knew the problem wasn’t his style; she didn’t seem bothered by it at all.
Just as Cole was mentally brushing off Manley’s suggestion, Manley added another idea that made Cole’s patience snap. “Trust me, in my experience, women love cheesy love lines. Why not fill your application with some of those for Elliana?”
Cheesy love lines, again! Memories of Elliana teasing him this morning flashed through Cole’s mind, setting his temper off. He shot Manley a furious glare. “Get lost!”
.
.
.