Chapter 14
Chapter 14:
The moment he finished the question, another voice chimed in. “Come on, that can’t be right. How could Kristine skip this? She’s obsessed with Colton. There’s no way she wouldn’t tag along p>
By then, Colton had already taken his seat, one long leg crossed over the other. A chill surrounded him, and his expression was noticeably rigid.
Completely oblivious, the man kept talking. “I clearly remember her showing up at Devin’s birthday last year. She stuck to Colton the entire time and kept a close watch, like she was terrified another woman might steal him away p>
Laughter burst out around the room.
Shadows swallowed Colton’s face, leaving his expression impossible to read. The truth was, Kristine had accompanied him to Devin’s birthday last year — but the decision had never been hers. It had been his.
For every birthday Devin hosted, he invited a mix of celebrities, rising influencers, and well-known socialites. Because of Colton’s position, those women were always looking for excuses to get close to him. At times, a drink would be spilled on purpose. Other times, someone would conveniently lose her balance and fall straight into his arms. The whole situation irritated him endlessly, which was why he had brought Kristine along. What he failed to anticipate was how differently others would interpret that choice.
As laughter continued to fill the room, Colton snapped his lighter open. A thin blue flame cast light over his features, sharply defining the cold hardness in his eyes. Once the flame disappeared, his low, magnetic voice cut through the dim space.
“Kristine has returned to Peudon p>
For a brief moment, the room went quiet.
𝗝𝘰i𝗇 𝗍𝘩𝘰uѕа𝗻𝘥𝘴 o𝗳 𝖿𝖺𝗇s оn
Then laughter broke out again from several corners.
Someone scoffed and spoke up first. “She’s just doing this to get your attention, Colton. You made quite a show of bringing Elyse back — of course Kristine would lose her temper and run off to Peudon. Relax. Give it a few days, and she’ll come back on her own p>
Most outsiders had no idea what truly lay between Colton and Elyse. Those within their circle, however, knew better. Long before Colton and Kristine had become official, whispers had already spread that he had a girlfriend overseas. No one could say exactly when that girlfriend had quietly been replaced by Kristine. Once Elyse returned not long ago, the truth behind those rumors finally became clear — Colton really had been involved with someone abroad all along.
In their minds, Elyse’s fragile health was the only reason Kristine had ever been able to step into her place. From the beginning, Kristine had never earned much goodwill among them for pursuing Colton so openly. Now that it was confirmed she had inserted herself between him and Elyse, the contempt aimed at her only grew stronger.
“That’s right. This isn’t even her first outburst, and every single time, she’s the one who comes back first. I’d give her three days at most p>
“Tomorrow morning, for sure p>
“No — she’ll be back tonight p>
Shouts and laughter quickly turned it into a noisy wager.