Chapter 39
Chapter 39:
If she had truly mattered to him, why had he kept silent for so long? Her mind settled on the only explanation that made sense — she had devoted seven years to loving him, and with her gone, perhaps he simply did not know how to adjust to the absence.
That thought drew a hollow, painful laugh from her lips.
Footsteps echoed at the doorway.
Kristine turned her head slowly. The lock clicked, the door swung open, and Colton’s tall silhouette filled the threshold.
Relief flickered across his face the instant he saw her, but it quickly gave way to anger.
“So — did you enjoy yourself, Kristine?” he asked, his voice icy and controlled.
Rather than feeling troubled, she found a certain irony in his frustration. He simply could not bring himself to walk away from someone who had spent years devoted to him.
“Well done,” Kristine replied in a flat tone. “You tracked me down. What happens next? Are you planning to keep me at the villa again, or do you have somewhere new in mind p>
𝗤𝗎a𝗅it𝗒 𝘵𝗋𝗮n𝘀𝗹𝘢t𝗂𝗼ոѕ 𝗼𝘯
A thin, hard line replaced any remaining warmth on his face. Her sarcasm got under his skin. But recalling the years she had spent absorbing misplaced blame, he forced his tone to soften.
“My house is still an upgrade from this place p>
“This is where I actually feel at peace,” Kristine said evenly. “At least here, I have some freedom p>
A brief silence stretched between them.
“We’re leaving,” Colton said.
Without protest, Kristine rose and offered a faint smile as she made her way to the doorway. Colton took her cold hand, and the chill seeped into him as well. Side by side, they descended the staircase.
The small crowd that had gathered to watch slowly drifted apart, bewilderment in their eyes. Rumors had always painted Kristine as the one who clung to Colton — yet the truth seemed to tell a very different story.
Across town at the hospital, Mackenzie’s sobs left her barely able to open her eyes.
“Elyse, you have to do something. All I did was call Kristine out at the restaurant, and now Colton is determined to destroy my family p>
The arrangement had seemed straightforward — once Kristine was found, the pressure on the Reed family was supposed to end. Yet Colton had abandoned that promise entirely, and the threats had only escalated. With their finances already depleted, the Reeds faced the real possibility that they would not hold out much longer.
Mackenzie’s desperate cries never reached Elyse.
Elyse was watching the television broadcast — watching Mackenzie declare publicly that there had never been anything between her and Colton. The words sent her spiraling toward the edge.
Fool. Fool. What an utter fool.
Without warning, Elyse began to cough violently, blood staining her lips.
Kristine trailed behind Colton as they returned to the villa, and without stopping, she went straight up the stairs toward the second floor. Her steps carried the emptiness of someone who had already lost every trace of herself.
From below, Colton stared at her back, his brows slowly knitting together.