Anne's body shuddered. "You mean to say that it will take a week for you to come here?" she asked, trying her best to mask her disappointment. Helena was leaving the house today in a hurry so that Dawn could come and here Dawn said she would come in a week. Helena could have stayed longer. Fury rose in her chest. "B— but your Grandmother w— wants you here as soon as possible."

"Aww…" replied Dawn in a voice laced with love and tenderness. "I am feeling so guilty, but what can I do Aunt Anne? I have a lot of things to take care of." There was a long pause and she could almost feel Anne's dejection. Suddenly she exclaimed, "Oh! I have an idea."

​​

"What?" asked Anne with renewed interest. 

"Both Cole and I can come to meet you, say… maybe… for an hour everyday? Would that be okay with you?" she suggested. 

Anything would be okay as long as she came back and this suggestion was like a straw to the one who was about to drown. "Sound great to me," replied Anne with enthusiasm. 

"Cool! But I don't want to see a trace of Helena in Wyatt Manor."

"You won't. You have my word for that." 

Dawn squealed like a schoolgirl. "Bye Aunt Anne. See you tomorrow then." 

"Bye Dawn!" Anne bit her lip after disconnecting the call. They had hastily asked Helena to evict the premises. She could have stayed there longer. She cursed, insulted Dawn under her breath. "Focus Anne, focus. It doesn't matter. Look at the future. She is getting trapped, eventually." She took a deep breath to calm down. That evening she would go straight to where Helena was moving into her temporary house and discuss more things. 

A day later, Dawn went to Wyatt Manor along with Cole. 

Lily Wyatt was sitting in the living room, sipping her coffee. It was 11AM and she was eagerly waiting for her Grandson. As soon as they came in, she got up to greet them. Though she greeted Dawn too, her eyes were all on Cole. 

"Cole, I am very sorry for what happened last time," she said in an apologetic tone. She shook her head. "I can't— can't tell you enough, how much I regretted my behavior." Her eyes became moist. 

Cole didn't say anything. He walked past her and sat on the couch. His gaze went to the garden on the outside and he was sure that he wouldn't go in any of the rooms now. He was happy that Dawn's security of ten werewolves was positioned on the outside. 

Dawn sat down and tried to relax but the new scenario was pretty awkward. 

Feeling somewhat relieved that Cole sat without shouting at her Lily was encouraged. Anne had already filled her with the plan. So she had to go strictly with it. She looked with pain in her eyes when she said, "I don't expect you to forgive me right away Cole, but I am with time, you will see that I did that only because I love you." 

Cole's Adam's apple moved up and down. He was reluctant to speak. 

Lily pursed her lips. Then she asked, "Would you like to eat something?" She wasn't even concerned about Dawn, whom she completely ignored just like before. In fact she wished that she left. She was an eyesore to her always. 

Cole shook his head. "No, thanks," he replied. 

"Cole, is it okay that you stay here for an hour? I am going to pick you up as soon as possible. I have some very important work to do," said Dawn, sounding urgent. 

Lily's face beamed. Gods had listened to her prayer. She was leaving. 

"Where are you going?" he asked, panic rising in him. 

"Office," she replied as she got up. "Don't worry. Grandmother will take good care of you." 

"Yes, yes. Please Cole, I won't do anything. Trust me, child. I am here to mend broken threads," Lily said in an exasperated voice. She really wanted some time alone with Cole. 

"Okay," Cole rasped. He grew uncomfortable. ��Come back as soon as possible." 

"I will," Dawn said with a sweet smile and left. On her way out, she ordered five of the security to stay back with Cole. She just didn't trust the old woman. 

Relieved that she had left, Lily gave her best smile to Cole. "What would you like to eat Cole?" she asked again. 

"Nothing," he replied sternly. The last time he accepted, she had drugged him. 

"I understand," said Lily and looked at her folded hands in her lap. "If you don't want to eat anything, then I have something for you, which you cannot reject." 

Cole shot a glance at her. 

Lily rose from her place and went to her bedroom. When she walked out, she had a small blue velvet box in her hand. She gave it to him and said, "This is for you dear boy." 

Cole frowned. Another one of her tricks? "What's in there?" He suspected that if he would open it, some powder would blast in his face and make him unconscious. Nope. He wasn't opening it. 

"Open it," she coaxed. 

"No," he replied curtly. 

Lily huffed and then opened it. She turned the face towards him to see. There was a key in it. She picked it up from the box and dangled it in front of him. "This is the key to your new Ducati," she said with much love. She intended to spoil her Grandson in these seven days so much that he wouldn't think of going back to his sister, ever. 

Cole raised an eyebrow. Then he said, "Thanks, but Gayle had gifted a Ducati to me on my sixteenth birthday." 

Lily's hopes dashed. Her face paled. Gayle had gifted him a Ducati? "You should not accept gifts from strangers," she said hoarsely. She had thought out of so many things and this was just the starting and right in the beginning, Gayle won. "Plus, Gayle isn't a good man. Anne told me he was involved with Helena for Luke's murder." Poison lashed out through her tongue. "How can you accept a gift from him?" 

Cole frowned. "Has it been proved that he killed father?" Even if he would return Gayle's gift, he would not accept this from her. He smirked. 

Lily was taken aback. "N— no. B— but—" 

Cole cut her off. "Anyway, thanks, but I already have a Ducati." 

Lily gulped her anger down. This meant that he was keeping Gayle's gift. She took in a deep breath and said, "Okay, no worries Cole." She put the key back in the blue velvet box with disappointed written all over her face 

Dawn came an hour later and for that time Lily couldn't make any headway with him. When he left, she muttered, "No worries Cole. I have a lot of schemes to lure you." 

Next day when he came back, she dangled a Porsche key in front of his eyes. "This is a Sports Coupe. You will love it. I went to the showroom to personally choose it for you." At first she thought she'd buy a sedan, but this was a better option. Cole was a young teenager. He would love the rush of driving it. 

"Thanks, but Neal had gifted me a sports car for my sixteenth birthday," Cole replied looking bored. 

Once again Lily's face fell to the floor.