Chapter 179
Chapter 179:
“Vance, hold on,” Kristine said. “Did you think someone betrayed me and tipped Colton off about my location? I wanted to check if you’re still trying to get to the bottom of that p>
“I haven’t stopped looking,” he replied, his voice steady. “I even tracked down Helen’s friend, Ryan, but he wouldn’t give me anything. I have a feeling p>
Before he could finish, Kristine cut in gently. “If the trail’s gone cold, maybe it’s best not to dig anymore. What happened is behind us now p>
Although Vance felt disappointed, he quickly masked it and replied with a light laugh. “Sure thing p>
As soon as the call ended, Kristine wandered to the window and let her eyes drift across the view. Her mood lifted almost immediately.
Lately, Victor had kept up his routine of sending her new material on antiques, just as he always had. After dinner, Kristine sat down to work through the documents. Days slipped by faster than she expected, and eventually the farewell party arrived before she even realized it.
Not only did the executives show up — a crowd of employees filled the venue as well. A wave of emotion hit Kristine when she saw the entire room bustling with familiar faces.
Catching sight of her, Vance wasted no time making introductions, his grin wide and proud. “Everyone, let me present our company’s co-founder, Kristine Green p>
The room rose to greet her at once, and Kristine made sure to acknowledge every single person in return.
“Kristine, this spot belongs to you,” Vance said, gesturing toward the seat at the head of the table.
T𝗋𝗲𝗇𝗱iո o𝗻 gа𝗅ո𝘰vе𝘭s.соm
Kristine gave him a grateful look and shook her head. “You’ve been running things all this time, Vance. That seat is meant for you p>
“I only contributed my efforts. The investment came from you, so honestly, you should be the one sitting there p>
A longtime employee let out a hearty laugh from the sidelines. “Seriously, you two don’t need to be so formal with each other. It’s just a seat p>
Kristine’s and Vance’s eyes met for a brief moment, and an awkward smile appeared on both their faces. Color rushed to Vance’s cheeks.
“Look at that — Vance is blushing p>
Several employees who treated Vance more like a friend than a boss burst into gleeful teasing. Then someone called out, “So Ms. Green is the woman you’ve been pining for these past seven years p>
Every head in the room swiveled toward Kristine at once.
Standing under the sudden scrutiny, she felt a flicker of discomfort but held her ground.
Vance stepped in to rescue her. “All right, that’s enough,” he said. “Kristine isn’t the secret crush I’ve been hiding all these years p>
Nobody really believed him, but the group let it go and drifted back to their seats.
Kristine shot him a grateful look before taking the head of the table.