Chapter 120
Chapter 120:
Heat thickened inside the bathroom with every passing second.
Lowering her eyes, Kristine searched for a weakness. Then, with her eyes squeezed shut, she grabbed hard.
A sharp hiss of pain tore through the silence.
Colton let go immediately. Clarity returned to his narrowed gaze as the drunken haze receded. “Kristine p>
Using the opening, she quickly wrapped a bath towel around herself. “You earned that p>
She brushed past him without hesitation. Bringing his hand to his temple, Colton rubbed it slowly as his expression grew heavier.
а𝖼𝘁𝗂𝘷e cо𝗆𝗆unі𝘁𝘆 𝘰𝘯.с𝗈m
Stepping after her, he kept his eyes trained on her back. “You agreed to that replacement marriage because your half-sister’s fiancé was Asher Edwards, didn’t you p>
Halfway through pulling clothes from the drawer, Kristine stopped. “What are you implying p>
“Even if Asher uses a wheelchair, he is still part of the Edwards family,” Colton said evenly. “If you married him, money would never be an issue p>
Kristine turned around, her clear, striking eyes meeting his directly. “So you think money was my reason p>
Colton’s mouth parted as if to respond, but the words did not come out the way he intended.
“In that case, you are not wrong,” Kristine continued, smiling sweetly while her tone cut deep. “I wanted Asher because he is rich and because he would not chase after other women p>
Coldness crept across Colton’s face. “That is enough, Kristine p>
A bitter curve formed at the corner of her lips. No matter how much conflict she stirred, Colton still had no understanding of why she had taken Jemma’s place and agreed to marry Asher. In the end, the truth was simple — he never cared enough to ask. That kind of attention would never be withheld from Elyse. With her, he noticed every minor preference and detail. Even Elyse’s daily meal schedule was carefully stored on his phone.
“I need to change now. Would you mind stepping outside?” Kristine kept her smile gentle, despite the sadness twisting in her chest.
Bathed in warm light, her refined features appeared almost radiant. Something faltered in Colton’s chest. His hands tightened, relaxed, and tightened again. Eventually, he forced them still.
“The wedding date is approaching. I do not want rumors circulating. From now on, keep your distance from Asher.” After issuing the warning, he turned and walked away.
Kristine remained where she was, watching his back until the smile she wore began to crack.
What hypocrisy.
Once dressed in comfortable clothes, she lay back across the bed and stretched. Out of habit, she reached for her phone to unwind. The moment the screen lit up, a new message from Elyse appeared.
“A laughable attempt. You actually believe flashing that wedding gown will bother me? Clearly, you know nothing at all. Colton designed that dress for me. If my kidney had not failed five years ago and forced the wedding to be called off, you would never have seen it p>
That explained everything. From the beginning, the gown had never been meant for her.