Chapter 23
Chapter 23:
It was not that she harbored feelings for Vance — but the thought of having to gently turn him away, should he confess, worried her. She did not want to ruin their seven-year friendship, and starting a new relationship was the last thing on her mind.
Letting out a quiet sigh, she turned and walked toward the bathroom.
Left outside, Vance stood still and stared at the closed door. In silence, he made a firm decision: no matter the outcome, he would confess his feelings to Kristine the following morning. For him, it might be the final opportunity.
The night grew deeper.
By the time Kristine stepped out of the shower, the clock had already passed eleven. After a brief pause to think it through, she decided to message Victor and explain everything that had happened. Still awake at that hour, Victor called her back the moment he read it, checked on her situation, and told her to take a few extra days off to deal with things properly.
Gratitude washed over Kristine and she thanked him repeatedly without restraint.
Once the call ended, she set her phone aside and, despite her exhaustion, opened K&C Entertainment’s financial records from the past several years. Most of the firm’s operations had been handled by Vance. Because she trusted him completely, she refused to believe he had done anything unlawful — this could only be a misunderstanding.
She reviewed the figures one line at a time. Before she realized it, the clock had reached three in the morning, and she had not found a single irregularity.
A yawn escaped her just as she prepared to continue, and then a sudden, heavy knock echoed from outside. In the stillness of the night, the sound landed like a muffled clap of thunder, jolting her so sharply that her heart skipped a beat.
“Who’s there?” she called cautiously.
No answer came.
Q𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗂𝘁𝗒 𝗍𝘳𝖺ոѕ𝗅𝗮𝘁𝗶o𝘯ѕ оn
After a brief pause, she approached the door and looked through the peephole. No one was in sight. Convinced it had been her imagination, she turned away.
Without warning, the knocking echoed again.
Trusting in the building’s security, Kristine hesitated briefly before opening the door.
In an instant, a large hand gripped her jaw — and before she could react, the familiar taste of mint filled her mouth. Shock widened her eyes as Colton’s striking face appeared only inches away, and after a split second of disbelief, her body reacted on instinct. She pushed against his chest with both hands.
No matter how much strength she used, he did not budge. Instead, he deepened the kiss, as though he meant to consume her entirely. Only when Kristine was nearly out of air did he finally let her go. A mocking glint surfaced in his eyes.
“After all these years, you still don’t know how to kiss,” he said coldly. “You really are hopeless p>
Back then, embarrassment would have overwhelmed her. This time, Kristine answered with calm detachment. “Leave p>
Colton acted as though he had heard nothing at all. With a single stride, he stepped inside and claimed the space for himself, his eyes sweeping over the cramped four-hundred-square-foot condo in seconds. A faint scoff followed. “Seems you’ve really hit rock bottom without me p>