Chapter 227
Chapter 227:
She enlarged the image and only then noticed something she had missed before. The date on the report did not belong to this year. It was from five years earlier. That detail had always bothered her. No matter how badly Colton wanted Elyse, it had never seemed reasonable that she would have conceived while her health had been so fragile.
So the pregnancy had happened five years ago. They had concealed it thoroughly. During all that time, Kristine had never once seen a child connected to either of them. Yet as she stared at the report, confusion crept in. If Elyse had already given birth years ago, why keep silent until now? Why send the medical record only a few months earlier?
She set the question aside and continued transferring the messages onto the USB. By the time she finished, two hours had passed.
Exhausted but relieved, she lay down and quickly fell asleep.
In her dream, she not only left Gridron but also returned to the Artifact Institute. Her remarkable ability earned Victor’s recognition, and she was selected to represent her nation at international competitions.
і𝗻s𝗍𝗮𝘯𝗍 𝗮𝗰сe𝘴𝘴 𝗼𝗻 g𝖺𝗅n𝗼𝘃еl𝗌.со𝘮
Sunlight warmed her face when she woke. Reality settled in at once. She glanced to the side and saw her phone and the red flash drive resting nearby. A faint curve touched her lips. Standing on an international stage might have been a dream — but leaving Gridron was not. For Elyse’s sake, Colton would make sure of that.
After washing up, she sat down to eat and suddenly remembered she had blocked every way of reaching Colton. After a brief pause, she removed the block on his number, hesitated, then pressed call.
At the same time, in Colton’s office, the unexpected ringtone drew his attention. He frowned and looked down at the screen, his eyes tightening instantly.
Nearby, Bobby was sorting paperwork. Seeing Colton go still, he glanced over — then stiffened when he saw Kristine’s name on the screen.
Colton waited a moment before answering, his voice calm. “What do you need p>
“I want to see you,” Kristine replied.
A slight lift appeared at the corner of his mouth. “I may be busy. I’ll get back to you p>
Her brows knitted. “Today. Eleven o’clock in the morning. Your office p>
He frowned lightly. “I’ll ask Bobby to review my schedule p>
Bobby froze, staring at the planner lying right in front of Colton, utterly speechless.
Kristine kept her voice steady. “Alright. How long will that take p>
“I’ll tell you after I check p>
She inhaled slowly. “Okay.” Then she ended the call.
Colton stared at the screen, his expression unreadable.
Kristine waited through the afternoon, but no response came. When she tried calling again, she discovered she had been blocked.
Puzzled, she dialed Devin instead. “Where’s Colton p>
Devin happened to be at his own bar. The question startled him enough that he pulled the phone away and checked the caller ID again. Seeing Kristine’s name, he smirked and glanced toward Colton, who sat at the center of the private room. The lighting was low, but his relaxed posture was clear — one arm resting casually along the sofa, his demeanor untroubled. He looked pleased.
Devin checked his screen again. It seemed like they were back together already. Honestly, anyone else might split up for good, but not those two.
He shared the address.