Chapter 178
Chapter 178:
A faint smile tugged at Kristine’s lips, though her eyes turned cold with quiet determination. Vance’s loyalty was unshakeable. Susan had rarely left her side during that time. Frey had been out at sea with no way to get involved. With those facts, only one possibility remained. She lowered her gaze, unwilling to chase that thought any further.
“We’ll leave that mystery for now,” she said. “About the compatibility test I asked you to investigate earlier — what did you find p>
Ryan’s tone registered real surprise. “You want me to keep working on that? I figured it wasn’t necessary anymore p>
“It’s still important,” Kristine insisted. “Actually, I need your help finding two specific people p>
“Who are they p>
She hesitated, then explained. “All I know is that one of them is Azariah Moran — he’s a doctor. The other was a nurse.” She described as best she could the two individuals who had lured her to the hospital that day.
“Consider it done,” Ryan replied. “I’ll handle it. I won’t stop until I’ve found them p>
“Thank you p>
Their call ended.
As Kristine moved to set her phone aside, another notification from Elyse lit up the screen. Four new photos had just arrived — a delicate necklace, a bangle, an elegant bracelet, and a shimmering pair of earrings. Together with the ring from earlier, it was clear Elyse was already making preparations for a wedding.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Kristine set her phone down and headed to the kitchen to make herself a meal. Once dinner was done, she curled up in front of the television and got lost in episode after episode of her favorite show. Somehow, the hours slipped by faster than she expected.
𝖬𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝗈𝗇
Night fell. Just as she was settling in, her phone began to ring. Vance’s name flashed on the screen.
Kristine paused, torn between the urge to answer and the instinct to let it go.
Kristine took a moment to gather herself before finally picking up. “Hi, Vance p>
Vance cleared his throat before getting to the reason for his call. “Kristine, I’m reaching out about the company shares. The lawyer mentioned everything could be settled by next week. Once that’s done, the company won’t be connected to you anymore. Is this really what you want p>
A wave of relief washed over her. “Yes, I’m certain. I made up my mind the day I chose to walk away from Colton.” That had been a turning point. Now, nothing would tie her to him ever again.
“If that’s what you want,” Vance said, drawing out his words. “One more thing — I was thinking about how long the company’s been around. Aside from that first dinner you had with the other executives, you barely attended any gatherings. Since your time with us is ending soon, I arranged a farewell party to show our appreciation for everything you’ve done. Would you be open to that p>
Kristine was ready to turn him down until Vance added, “It’s not just me. The other executives feel the same way. We’re all grateful. None of us would be here without you p>
“All right,” she agreed after a moment’s thought. It would also be the perfect opportunity to give Vance her answer.
“Perfect. I’ll start making the arrangements,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.