Chapter 24
Chapter 24:
Kristine shut her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, clarity and composure had settled back into her gaze. Without sparing him a glance, she moved to the sofa, picked up her tablet, and resumed checking the accounts.
As he realized she was deliberately ignoring him, Colton’s eyes tightened. Once, Kristine had been the one trailing after him, talking endlessly — and now her indifference felt distant and sharp, stirring an unfamiliar unease in his chest. His brows drew together as his attention shifted to the tablet in her hands.
“Why bother looking at any of it?” he said dismissively. “The police will handle the investigation. If there’s money laundering, they’ll deal with it p>
Taking a slow sip of water, Kristine did not lift her head. “Naturally, it doesn’t matter to you. You have top lawyers and endless money. I don’t. I’m the one left living like this after you walked away p>
𝗗𝘰w𝗻𝗅𝗈a𝖽𝗮𝘣𝗹е 𝗣𝖣𝗙s 𝗈ո 𝘨𝘢𝗅ո𝗈𝘷еls.𝗰𝗈𝗆
A brief silence settled over Colton.
After a moment, he spoke again. “You’ve learned how to cut deeper with your words.” Without warning, he grabbed the tablet from her hands. “You’re coming back with me p>
“We’re already done,” Kristine replied calmly, meeting his gaze at last.
Gentle, scattered light touched her delicate features and highlighted a quiet, fragile beauty. The moisture on her lips from the water made them look unnervingly soft.
Colton swallowed, his throat moving visibly, then bent down and lifted her against his chest. The moment she resisted, his hold tightened, his arms locking around her with a force that left no room for escape.
Left with no other option, she could only look up at him and say weakly, “Put me down p>
“You were the one who started everything back then,” Colton replied coldly, “so you don’t get to choose when it ends. That decision belongs to me p>
With Kristine held firmly in his arms, he carried her straight out of the condo.
At one point, Kristine considered shouting for help — but in Gridron, almost no one dared oppose Colton. She gave up and sat silently in the back seat of his car, a bitter sense of irony settling over her, made heavier by K&C Entertainment’s financial crisis hanging over her head.
The moment Colton’s car arrived at the villa, the household staff quickly woke and rushed outside to greet him. Shock swept through them when they realized he was carrying Kristine out of the back seat. Among all of them, Claire was the most visibly stunned.
Previously, Colton had asked Claire whether Kristine was staying at the villa. Without hesitation, Claire had confirmed it — even though she was fully aware that Kristine was nowhere near the estate.
Among the household staff, Claire was the lone exception to the unspoken rule of indifference toward Kristine. She monitored her closely and paid attention to every small movement. Whenever Kristine showed even the faintest sign of activity, Claire would pass the information directly to Elyse, who had only recently returned from overseas.
As Colton carried Kristine past her, Claire bowed her head respectfully. The moment the two of them disappeared around the corner, she slipped away to a secluded area and called Elyse.