Chapter 28
Chapter 28:
“I’ve done some checking. An official report was filed. The authorities are taking it seriously, which is why you’ve been called back p>
“And how soon can I leave Gridron?” She wanted nothing more than to put the city behind her.
“Cases like this usually drag on for months. Odds are you’ll have to stay put until things are resolved p>
Kristine pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “I’ll do whatever’s required to cooperate with the investigation — but is there any chance they’ll let me go in the meantime p>
Caught off guard by the question, Vance paused. After a brief hesitation, he said, “I’ll talk to the lawyer and see what they say p>
“Alright p>
He made the call. Even as he waited, his attention lingered on Kristine. There was a calm, effortless quality about her now — a far cry from the unhappy woman she had been while wrapped up in Colton’s world. He couldn’t help but wonder whether her move back to the villa truly had anything to do with Colton at all. Somewhere deep down, a door he had long since closed began to creak open.
By the time he ended the call, Vance had regained his steady composure. “The lawyer says leaving Gridron isn’t possible at the moment. This case has attracted serious attention from the authorities. The only way out is to identify who filed the report and prove they acted out of spite p>
That news left Kristine quiet. With strict protections in place for whistleblowers, tracking down the person behind the report would be a tremendous challenge.
Still, she had to try.
𝘛𝗁𝗲 𝗯e𝗌𝗍 𝗋е𝘢𝖽𝗂n𝗀 eх𝘱е𝗿𝗶е𝗻ce о𝗻 𝗀a𝘭n𝗼𝗏е𝘭ѕ.𝗰𝗼𝘮
“Thanks for your help, Vance p>
Once she parted ways with Vance, Kristine began reaching out to private investigators. The moment she mentioned needing to uncover the identity of a whistleblower, most of them turned her down immediately. By the time evening rolled around, her voice had gone hoarse from explaining her situation over and over, and she still had not found anyone willing to take the job.
Eventually, she settled into a restaurant for dinner. As she scanned the menu, she noticed several missed calls — every one of them from Bobby.
Colton’s words from that morning flashed through her mind. It was already past eight, far later than the time he had mentioned. But she had never agreed to meet him in the first place, so she felt no obligation to show up.
No sooner had she placed her order than a stir erupted outside. A quick glance through the window revealed a Porsche pulling up directly in front of the restaurant. The moment the door swung open, Colton emerged in a sharp black suit, his chilling presence enough to make anyone nearby think twice about getting close.
A heartbeat later, his icy stare sliced through the glass and locked onto Kristine, making her feel as though she had been cornered. The chill that crawled down her spine only made her more desperate to leave Gridron behind.