Chapter 232
Chapter 232:
“Kristine!” Colton’s sharp, urgent shout yanked her back into the present.
In the next instant, his hands seized the steering wheel. “Brake! Now p>
Only then did Kristine realize she had blown through a red light. She slammed her foot down on the brakes. The car shrieked as it skidded, jolted forward, and then stopped abruptly.
A long breath escaped her lips, but Colton’s voice cut in, cold and unforgiving. “Are you trying to get yourself killed p>
Everything Kristine had been holding in since the night before finally exploded. She whirled toward him, eyes blazing. “Yes. I want to die. And I’d drag you down with me p>
“Do you really despise me that much?” Colton shot back, anger burning in his gaze.
“If it hadn’t been for you, none of this would have happened to me p>
Only then did Kristine truly understand how pitiful she had become — someone who was never genuinely loved by anyone.
Colton’s expression turned rigid, anger still raging beneath the surface. “You’re falling apart over a man, Kristine. That’s unbelievable.” He yanked the car door open, stepped out, and slammed it shut behind him.
Watching him walk away, Kristine suddenly remembered that today wasn’t just about this argument. Drawing in a sharp breath, she reached for the door handle — only to freeze when she saw him still standing outside.
“Get out of the car,” he ordered harshly, his face tight with strain.
𝖬𝘰rе 𝘯ov𝘦𝘭𝘀 𝗼ո
Kristine clenched her lips, then complied, stepping out so Colton could move into the driver’s seat while she took the passenger side.
“Give me the address,” Colton said.
The fury in his voice was impossible to miss. Kristine checked the time, paused briefly, then gave him the name of the motel where Azariah was staying. Without another word, Colton started the engine.
The drive unfolded in heavy silence, the atmosphere thick and suffocating.
Kristine’s thoughts drifted backward. Whenever she and Colton slipped into these long stretches of silence, she used to secretly promise herself that she would never speak to him again — yet the instant he showed even the slightest kindness, sometimes no more than a simple greeting, she would return to his side as if nothing had happened, talking endlessly.
Back then, she hadn’t yet learned what heartbreak truly felt like. All she had ever done was give, pouring herself out without limits, believing that enough warmth might soften his heart. Yet every time, reality dragged her back and forced her to wake up.
Perhaps she had been mistaken from the very start. Love was never meant to be something begged for or taken from others. It was supposed to grow from within — and only by choosing herself could she keep from being wounded again.
With that realization, the pressure weighing on her chest slowly loosened.
“We’ve arrived,” Colton said without emotion.