Chapter 164
Chapter 164:
A soft laugh slipped from Kristine as she looked at her phone. Calling him back now would do no good, so she left it.
Instead, she pulled up the study materials Victor had sent her. She had memorized every detail, but life had never given her the chance to put any of it into practice. As she read through the pages, she lost track of time, only realizing it was past eleven when she finally looked up.
She wandered into the kitchen and decided to make herself some warm milk — a small ritual she had picked up from Colton. He had never touched cold milk; his stomach couldn’t take it, so he always heated it first. At first, Kristine had found it fussy, but over time she had come to prefer it the same way.
Shaking herself out of the memory, she reached for the stove. But no matter what she tried, the burner refused to light. A quick inspection revealed the problem — the battery was dead, likely from disuse.
She threw on a coat and headed downstairs to pick up some batteries from the 24-hour shop just outside the building. She grabbed a pack, tossed in some chips and snacks, and made her way back up.
As the elevator doors slid open, Kristine stepped out and stopped short.
Colton was standing in front of her door, tall and unmovable as ever.
“Colton? What are you doing here?” Her fists clenched at her sides as she fought to keep the tremor out of her voice, anger simmering beneath the surface.
𝖲а𝘷𝖾 у𝗼𝘂𝘳 𝖿аvоr𝗶𝘵𝗲 𝘯o𝘃𝗲l𝘴 о𝗇
Colton’s gaze swept over her, one eyebrow arching. “That’s my question. What are you doing here? Did you change your mind and decide to start following me around p>
Kristine’s expression shifted the moment she caught sight of the key in his hand. The number on the door beside hers read 2802.
“You actually live here?” she asked.
She had no memory of Colton ever mentioning a place in this building.
“A friend went on a business trip and won’t be back for six months. He handed me the keys and asked me to check on the place when I had time. I figured I’d stop by.” Colton’s eyes gleamed with quiet amusement as he leaned in slightly. “What — did you really think I came all this way just for you p>
Kristine paused, her breathing faltering briefly, then curved her lips into a faint smile. “You’ve done this before. You can’t fault me for getting suspicious p>
Colton leaned in closer, lowering himself until his brow nearly brushed hers. “Is that so? Or are you secretly hoping I came searching for you p>
Warm breath skimmed along Kristine’s cheek, light and unsettling. Her body locked in place. She could not step back, could not turn away. All she managed was to lift her gaze, meeting him at a distance far too close.