Chapter 194
Chapter 194:
“Yes. But it’s a watch. Can you handle that p>
“A watch?” Her excitement only grew.
Watch restoration was one of the most difficult areas in antique repair. The internal mechanisms were complex, and even a small mistake could ruin everything. She had never worked on one before — but the challenge thrilled her.
Back when she chased Colton, everyone had told her he was untouchable. She had refused to believe them. If no one had said those things, maybe she would never have chased him so stubbornly.
“Are you taking it or not?” Asher asked, pulling her back to the present.
Kristine nodded without hesitation. “I’ll try. But will the owner agree? I’ve never restored a watch before p>
“He’ll agree,” Asher replied calmly.
Kristine frowned slightly. “Why p>
“That’s not something you need to worry about. Just answer me — are you in p>
“I’m in,” Kristine said eagerly. She would never turn down such a rare chance to learn.
“Good. I’ll have Tripp send it to you tomorrow p>
I𝘯te𝗻s𝖾 rо𝗆a𝗻𝗰𝘦 𝘰𝗇.с𝗼m
“Thank you,” Kristine said sincerely.
“There’s really no need to be so polite p>
Kristine fell silent.
After a brief pause, Asher spoke again. “There’s something else p>
She straightened immediately. “What is it p>
“I’ll be going to Gridron again next month.” He studied her face quietly after saying it. Under the warm light, her features looked soft yet striking — her eyes clear, her lips vivid. But there was no surprise. No excitement.
“You don’t seem happy about it,” Asher said, keeping his tone even.
Kristine hesitated. “It’s not that. I just…” It felt strange. Why did he feel the need to tell her specifically? It must have been casual conversation. She quickly added, “You’re always welcome in Gridron. You didn’t really get to explore last time. This time, I’ll show you around properly p>
The tension in Asher’s chest eased. “Alright p>
They spoke for a bit longer before Kristine ended the call. She stood up, grabbed another face mask from the cabinet, and had just put it on when her phone rang again.
This time, it was Vance. “Hi, Vance. Why are you calling so late p>
Vance cleared his throat. “Helen wants to treat you to lunch this Saturday p>
“Treat me?” Kristine repeated.
“She did a part-time job at school recently and got paid today. She came to me especially about this p>
Kristine knew he was lying, but she chose not to expose it. He was clearly trying to smooth things over — Helen would apologize over lunch. That was the compromise. It was not perfect, but it was acceptable. More importantly, Vance had made his position clear. He had not stayed silent.
“Oh, and there’s something else,” Vance added. “She got that job because of you p>
“Because of me p>
“You forgot?” he said with a chuckle. “After K&C Entertainment started making profits, you asked me to donate $100,000 every year to Gridron University to create work-study positions. Without that, Helen wouldn’t have gotten the job p>