Chapter 11
Chapter 11:
Kristine’s words cut through the surrounding noise until they reached Colton.
Pulled back to his senses at last, he fixed his cold stare on her. Before his thoughts could fully settle, his body reacted on its own. Moving quickly, he came up behind Kristine, seized her wrist, and hauled her toward the exit.
The force of his grip left her completely unable to pull free.
“Let go of me, Colton. Let go!” she shouted.
A suffocating menace radiated from him, frightening everyone nearby into stillness. Unable to ignore the scene, the bodyguard asked cautiously, “Mr. Edwards p>
In response, Asher raised his hand, clearly signaling him to stand down. From the very beginning, he had never truly planned to marry Kristine.
From behind them, a staff member called out, “Sir, your marriage certificate is ready p>
The announcement took Asher entirely by surprise.
𝗦𝘩a𝘳𝗲 yo𝘶𝗿 fa𝘷𝗼𝘳іt𝖾ѕ 𝘧rо𝗺 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗇o𝘷еlѕ.cо𝗆
Once they were outside City Hall, Colton’s restraint snapped. In one abrupt motion, he hoisted Kristine over his shoulder and forced her into the car.
“Head to the airport!” he barked.
Ragged breaths tore from his chest as he spoke. In his agitation, he did not even register that the person behind the wheel was Asher’s assistant rather than one of his own drivers.
The assistant caught Colton’s expression in the rearview mirror and felt a chill run down his spine. Without thinking, he replied, “Yes, sir p>
Pressed tightly against Colton in the back seat, Kristine found herself trapped against his chest. Again and again she tried to wrench herself free, and again and again he restrained her without effort.
The thought of being taken back to Gridron — a place soaked in painful memories — stirred fierce resistance within her and sparked a reckless surge of courage. Acting on impulse, she leaned forward and sank her teeth into his arm.
His arm was firm and powerfully built. A muffled groan escaped him, while a sharp ache spread through Kristine’s teeth from the force of it. Once she understood that physical struggle would never be enough to overpower him, she finally went still.
Brushing the stray hair from her cheek, Kristine drew a steadying breath and lifted her gaze to the man she had loved for seven long years.
“Colton, what are you actually trying to accomplish p>
“That’s exactly what I should be asking,” he snapped. “I missed one appointment to register our marriage, and you immediately turned around and filed with another man. You’re getting more daring by the day p>
The words came out with visible irritation. She had truly gone through with submitting a marriage application with Asher. The audacity of it was almost beyond comprehension.
Kristine closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. She no longer wanted to argue with him. It felt entirely pointless.
“You want Elyse, and I’ve already stepped aside to make that possible,” she said calmly. “So tell me — what else are you looking for p>