Chapter 2
Chapter 2:
More than a dozen trucks were needed to clear every antique out of Kristine’s house.
Standing inside the nearly vacant space, she felt a strange sense of relief settle over her. She reached for her phone, checked the calendar, and only then noticed something she had completely overlooked: the day before her departure happened to be her birthday.
Over time, every day of celebration had turned painful. Each one inevitably brought a call from Elyse to Colton, and that was how she had come to forget her own birthday altogether. But once Colton was out of her life, she could finally return to something resembling normalcy.
That night, she went to sleep holding onto that fragile hope.
ոo𝘷е𝘭𝗌 𝘪𝗇 𝗍𝗋е𝘯𝘥 on
When morning came, she headed to the house she and Colton had planned to live in after getting married. Originally, Colton had purchased it in full, yet she had insisted on paying half. In her mind, a place could only be called home if both of them had contributed to it equally. At the time, she had little cash to spare, but she still chose to sell her most treasured pair of ceramic figurines. They had been truly irreplaceable.
She entered the passcode. The lock flashed an error.
A frown immediately crossed her face. She had chosen that passcode herself — a combination of both their birthdays. There was no logical reason for it to fail.
A middle-aged woman’s voice came from inside. “Who is it p>
Seconds later, the door opened slightly, and a confused face appeared in the gap.
“Who are you?” Kristine asked, caution creeping into her tone.
“And who might you be?” the woman replied without hesitation.
Kristine brushed past her and stepped inside, only to find Elyse emerging from the bedroom in a nightgown. It became painfully clear that Elyse was already living there.
Annoyance surged through her. “Who allowed you to move into this house p>
Seeing Kristine did not surprise Elyse in the least. She had chosen to move in on purpose, fully aware of what this place meant to her. With a calm smile, Elyse replied, “Colton told me to live here. Don’t you understand yet? I’m the only one who matters to him p>
Elyse waited, clearly expecting Kristine to lose her temper. Instead, Kristine calmly pulled out her phone and dialed property management.
“Hello, this is the homeowner. There is an unauthorized occupant in my house. How exactly are you handling your responsibilities p>
Nearly an hour passed before anyone arrived — and it was not property management. It was Colton.
A cold presence clung to him as he stepped inside, his sharp features hardened by impatience. The moment he noticed Kristine, irritation flashed openly in his eyes. “What are you causing trouble over this time p>
A sudden ache struck Kristine’s chest, the pressure making it hard to breathe. She had honestly believed she would feel nothing.
“This is our house,” she said, her voice tight with restrained anger. “What gives you the right to let her move in on your own p>
The air between them grew heavy. Watching from the side, Elyse appeared more than pleased with how things were unfolding. She put on a fragile expression and spoke gently, stirring things further. “Colton, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I didn’t realize this was the place you shared with her. I’ll move out immediately p>
Suddenly, she pressed a hand to her chest and began coughing hard, as though she might faint at any second.
Without hesitation, Colton rushed to her side and steadied her. “Kristine, can you try to be reasonable for once p>
The sight of his hand supporting Elyse sent another sharp pain through her. When Kristine spoke again, her voice came out unexpectedly calm. “She doesn’t have to leave. I paid for half of this house. Just return that half to me in cash, and we’ll be done p>
She had been wondering how to handle the house. Now the problem had resolved itself.
Kristine’s sudden composure was precisely what Colton wanted, yet for some reason, it left him feeling uneasy. “No problem. I’ll have Bobby transfer the money to you once I get back,” he said.
“Okay p>
She turned and left without looking back.
As Colton watched her retreating figure, a flicker of unease rose in his chest — but he quickly pushed it down. Kristine loved him deeply. Even if she was upset, it was nothing serious. She would work through it on her own.
Later that afternoon, a transfer from Colton appeared in Kristine’s account. The figure totaled ten million — double what she had originally paid for the house. Whatever his many shortcomings, Colton had never been the type to hold back when it came to money.
Not long after the transfer, a message from him arrived. “I will pick you up tomorrow p>
No room for discussion. It was a declaration, as it always was with him. The message offered no hint about their destination or who else might be present. To him, details had always felt unnecessary.
Without giving it much thought, Kristine dismissed the message, slipped her phone away, and returned to preparing everything she needed for her departure.
At exactly ten the following morning, Colton’s car arrived downstairs on schedule.
Genuine surprise crossed his face when he realized she was staying at her own house. “Aren’t you living in Crestwood p>
Colton’s villa was located in a neighborhood called Crestwood. Kristine had only been permitted to move in during the third year of their relationship. Rumors said that on the very first night Colton met Elyse, he had already brought her there. That alone said everything about the distance between being cherished and merely tolerated.
“I stayed there long enough,” Kristine answered, with little emotion. “I got tired of it p>
No further comment came from Colton. Silence filled the car.
About thirty minutes later, the vehicle stopped in front of a high-end car dealership. A brief emotion flickered through Kristine’s gaze. Just a month ago, an automotive company had unveiled a brand-new sports car to the public. She had fallen in love with it instantly and had brought it up to Colton more times than she could count. Since the model had not yet gone into mass production, only three units existed in the entire world. Not long ago, this dealership had secured one of them, and the news had spread everywhere.
Excitement surged in Kristine’s chest as she stepped out of the car and followed Colton inside. The moment she entered and saw Elyse surrounded by staff like the focal point of the room, her mood collapsed entirely.
Just as she was about to leave, Elyse called out in a gentle, deliberately sweet tone. “Colton, Kristine, you’re here p>
She gestured toward the very sports car Kristine adored. “I’ve already chosen one, Colton. I want this one. Is that alright p>
“Sure,” Colton answered, warmth coloring his voice.
When his gaze shifted to Kristine, the warmth disappeared entirely. “You can choose one as well p>
Kristine looked at Elyse, whose expression openly carried pride and provocation. She raised her hand and responded calmly. “I want this one as well p>
A frown appeared on Colton’s face. “Pick something else p>
“This is the one I want,” Kristine answered without backing down.
Elyse watched, a faint curve forming at her lips. A single glance told her Colton would not approve. As expected, his expression tightened. “Don’t be unreasonable, Kristine. There are so many cars here. Why can’t you just choose a different one p>
Kristine echoed his words back to him gently. “Right. Why can’t I just choose a different one p>
She raised her head, and a bright smile slowly formed. “Don’t be so tense. I was only joking. Of course I wouldn’t compete with your precious sweetheart. I want this one instead p>
Elyse turned to follow the direction of Kristine’s gesture — and her expression immediately darkened. What Kristine had chosen was another sports car, one with a price tag of one hundred million.