The reason Cole suddenly sidestepped and backed away was because of his ulterior motive. He wanted to see if Lily Shaw could withstand Old Master Grant's aura.
Currently, Lily Shaw's identity is as Aiden Grant's wife, the eldest daughter-in-law of The Grant Family, which means she can't hide behind Aiden Grant forever.
If Lily Shaw couldn't withstand Old Master Grant's authoritative presence, Cole would regard her as the pampered eldest daughter-in-law of The Grant Family, not as the matriarch, because she wouldn't qualify!
Conversely, Cole would henceforth treat Lily Shaw as The Grant Family's future matriarch, adjust his attitude toward her, and swiftly cultivate her into a qualified matriarch.
Cole's thoughts were easily guessed by both Aiden and Connor Grant, so they didn't bother to stop him.
The two brothers sat calmly, not worried about Lily Shaw. Instead, they were somewhat concerned that Lily Shaw might go too far and anger Old Master Grant to an unhealthy extent.
