Chapter 217
Chapter 217:
Kristine listened carefully, yet an uneasy feeling settled in her chest. Joselyn had planned everything too carefully for this to end so cleanly. The earring in her bag had to belong to Joselyn — so why would she retreat so suddenly? The thought of another hidden move lingered and refused to leave her.
Noticing the tension on her face, Vance smiled to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Kristine. Once the earring was found, I had Joselyn explain everything to the president and the other students. They all know the truth now. She won’t dare stir up trouble again p>
Kristine gave a small nod, though the doubt in her heart refused to fade.
Lifting her gaze, she noticed a crowd moving in the direction of the auditorium, with Colton standing at the center of it. The moment their eyes met, a shiver ran through her.
𝗗o𝘸𝗇𝗹𝘰𝗮d𝗮𝗯le P𝗗𝗙ѕ o𝗇
An impulsive thought surfaced. Could it be that Colton had stepped in and persuaded Joselyn to back down?
She dismissed it almost immediately. That made no sense. Vance had stayed with Joselyn the entire time, and if Colton had interfered, Vance would have said something. The only reasonable explanation was that Colton had never crossed paths with Joselyn at all.
Since she couldn’t make sense of it, Kristine chose to let the question go. She already intended to leave Gridron once the school anniversary celebration ended — and after that, Joselyn would no longer be any part of her life.
The disturbance pushed the school’s anniversary program back by a full thirty minutes before it could finally resume. Luckily, the acts onstage were engaging enough that the audience’s earlier frustration slowly dissolved and the restless whispers faded.
When Ryan settled into the seat beside Kristine, Helen masked the irritation flashing through her eyes and leaned closer to him, quietly explaining everything that had just unfolded. At first, Ryan had no interest in hearing Helen out — but the moment Kristine’s name came up, his posture straightened and his attention sharpened.
Once she finished, he turned toward Kristine with visible concern. “Kristine, are you okay p>
“I’m fine,” she answered in a low voice.
Her gaze drifted forward, settling on the first row of seats. There, Joselyn sat pressed close to Elyse, her hand looped possessively around Elyse’s arm, the two of them appearing inseparable. Colton sat beside Elyse, close enough that barely a hand’s width separated them. With the slightest shift, Elyse could have ended up right in his arms.
Kristine forced herself to look away. With Joselyn now firmly by Elyse’s side, Colton would never come to her defense — especially when he believed she was a thief.
“Kristine, I—” Ryan started to say more, but Helen tugged at his sleeve before he could continue. “Ryan, it’s your turn to speak p>
Only then did Ryan recall the responsibility he had that day — he was scheduled to deliver a speech on behalf of the student body. Ordinarily, events like this barely held his attention, and he usually spoke without preparation or concern. This time felt different. An unfamiliar tension settled over him.
Turning to Kristine, he said, “I need to head up now p>
With a small nod and an encouraging smile, Kristine answered, “Go on p>
Ryan made his way toward the stage and stepped into the spotlight.