Chapter 51
Chapter 51:
He wore a tailored dark suit, a light blue tie hanging loosely against his crisp white shirt. Morning sunlight filtered through the windows and cast a gentle glow across his features, making him look almost unreal.
Kristine’s gaze settled on the tie.
She recognized it immediately. It had been her birthday gift to him three years earlier. Back then, he had not given it a second glance, simply tossing it onto the sofa. She had never admitted how much that moment had stung. After the occasion, she had searched the whole house for it and come up empty. She had always wondered where it had ended up.
“Come have some breakfast p>
There was an unexpected softness in Colton’s voice, or perhaps the morning light was playing tricks on her.
The idea of sitting down with him held no appeal, but hunger overruled her hesitation, and she found herself moving toward the table. She chose the seat farthest from him.
Claire hurried over and set a plate in front of her with bright efficiency. Kristine accepted the meal without comment, though her eyes kept drifting back to the tie at Colton’s collar.
After a quiet moment, she finally spoke. “That tie you’re wearing p>
ѕ𝘁𝗼𝘳𝗂еѕ 𝗒оu 𝘄o𝗇’𝘵 p𝘶𝗍 𝖽ow𝗻 𝗈𝗻 𝗀аlո𝗈𝗏е𝗹ѕ.𝗰𝗈m
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Colton’s lips. “It looks nice, doesn’t it? Is something wrong p>
Kristine’s hand stilled, her fork hovering above the plate.
Whenever Colton described something as looking nice, it was never in reference to her. She lowered her head. “Forget it p>
She took a bite of the pastry, but the bitterness in her mouth overwhelmed even the most carefully prepared breakfast. Her appetite vanished. She pushed the plate aside and rose from her chair.
Colton watched her, a frown forming. “You’re finished already p>
“I am,” Kristine answered, keeping her tone even as she moved toward the staircase.
His voice followed her. “There’s a company celebration dinner next Friday evening. You’ll be coming with me p>
That commanding announcement stopped her mid-step. She turned around and answered in a frosty tone. “Colton, you have no right to expect me to play any part at your company dinner p>
To Kristine’s astonishment, Colton did not react with anger. All he did was give a quiet nod.
Did that mean he was fine with her skipping the celebration banquet?
She doubted what she had just witnessed and tried to read his face for any clue. His expression remained perfectly neutral, offering nothing. Kristine looked away and let go of the need to ask further. It did not matter to her why he had changed his mind — as long as he was not pushing her to attend.
She went upstairs and returned to her room.
Pulling out a small box of medicine, she let her eyes wander over the neat rows of stomach pills, a quiet amusement settling over her. Back before she had gone to the courthouse to register their marriage, she had bought these pills specifically for Colton. Most medications barely touched his condition, yet these ones actually worked. The brand was rare and internationally sourced, and acquiring them had taken considerable effort.
Colton, however, had never seemed to notice.