Chapter 158
Chapter 158:
Kristine stopped in place, stunned to see Tripp appear here. At that instant, the rear door opened, revealing Asher seated inside. He was dressed in a pale blue suit, his eyes holding their usual warmth — and as they rested on her now, that familiar smile carried something deeper she could not name.
“At last, I found you,” Asher said, his voice smooth and pleasant, like a gentle melody.
In the biting night air, his presence felt like sunlight, driving away the chill wrapped around her.
“Come in,” he added.
Kristine gave a small nod and climbed into the car without pause. The interior was warm, and strength returned to her almost immediately.
Asher waited until she had settled before speaking. “I’m sorry p>
𝘚𝘩𝗮r𝘦 yo𝗎𝘳 𝘧a𝘷𝗼𝗋i𝗍𝗲s 𝗳𝗿𝗈𝗺
Kristine looked at him, confused. “For what p>
“If not for a flaw in my planning, you would already be far from Gridron p>
“Please don’t blame yourself,” Kristine replied, lifting her eyes to meet his calm yet resolute gaze. “Without you, I might still be trapped in Colton’s place p>
Asher smiled softly. “So you don’t resent me p>
“Why would I?” Kristine looked ahead with ease. “Even if I can’t leave Gridron, Colton has agreed to stay away from me. From now on, we’re strangers. That’s enough for me. As long as I never see him again, I can live just fine p>
Seeing the lightness in her smile, Asher smiled as well. His gaze lingered on her, deep and unreadable. Once he returned from Peudon…
Bobby drove back to the spot where Kristine had been left, only to find the road empty.
Inside the car, Colton stared at the deserted street, his eyes cold and rigid. “Where did she go p>
Bobby leaned forward. “I can tell the others to continue ahead p>
Colton said nothing, silently approving the suggestion. Bobby hurried to relay instructions to the vehicles behind them, hoping they might still locate Kristine.
Back in the car, Colton took out his phone and dialed Devin.
Devin was deep asleep when the ringing dragged him awake. Irritated and groggy, he squinted at the screen — and froze when he saw Colton’s name. His mind snapped fully awake.
Recently, sleepless nights had become routine while searching for Kristine. Earlier that day, someone had claimed to know her location, and Colton had gone personally, giving Devin a rare chance to rest. Now, in the middle of the night, the call had come again. At this rate, he would end up in the hospital.
He answered. “Hello p>
“Pull the surveillance footage from my current location. I want everything within the last minute.” The line went dead.
Moments later, Devin received the coordinates, sighed, and got to work, sending the footage over immediately.
Less than sixty seconds passed before Colton reviewed the recordings. He followed the timeline and quickly spotted Kristine stepping into a pale blue Porsche. The license plate was unmistakably registered in Peudon.
Colton’s fingers curled tightly. His eyes burned with restrained fury. She had gotten into Asher’s car.
Once they arrived downtown, Kristine stepped out of the vehicle.
“You have nowhere to stay tonight,” Asher said gently. “Why not come to my place? The villa is spacious — choose any room you like. I’m leaving for Peudon tomorrow, and the lease ends next month anyway p>