Chapter 256
Chapter 256:
Eve saved Kristine’s introduction for the end. When the others learned she worked as a conservator at the Artifact Institute, surprise flickered across their faces, though their opinions didn’t seem to shift. To them, her youth spoke louder than her credentials. Sure, she might have made it into the Institute — but in their minds, she was probably stuck doing the tedious, unglamorous work.
A sudden knock echoed from the door. Heads turned as two delivery men stepped in, each balancing two oversized food bags.
“Excuse me,” one called out, scanning the room. “Is Miss Elyse Lloyd here p>
Elyse reacted with a brief look of surprise. “Yes, that’s me p>
“This is a special delivery for you, from a Mr. Colton Yates p>
A spark of excitement lit up Elyse’s face. She gave a bashful smile and bit her lip. “Thank you so much. Please just put them on the table.” After setting the four bags down, the delivery men double-checked the name and slipped out as quietly as they had come.
Within seconds, the room buzzed with whispers. People crowded around Elyse, curiosity getting the better of them.
“That name rings a bell… Miss Lloyd, is he your boyfriend p>
Elyse’s cheeks colored. “We’re actually getting married soon p>
A chorus of gasps and admiration rippled through the room.
“Wait — could it be that Colton from Gridron? The richest man in town? I thought there was a scandal with his girlfriend, a supposed intruder, all over the news. That girlfriend wasn’t a Lloyd p>
Dо𝘄𝗇lo𝗮𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝗲 р𝗗𝘍ѕ 𝗼𝗇
The speaker suddenly glanced Kristine’s way, then fell silent.
The comment jogged the others’ memories, and several pairs of eyes shifted toward Kristine, studying her quietly and piecing together old rumors.
Elyse, completely unfazed by the tension, offered a sweet smile. “You’re right — it is Colton from Gridron. But you’ve all got the wrong idea about Kristine. She’s no intruder. While I was overseas for treatment, she looked after Colton for me. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to focus on getting better p>
It was a flawlessly delivered explanation — disarming and calculated at the same time. On the surface, Elyse sounded as though she were defending Kristine, yet beneath that polished tone, she was quietly stamping a label on her.
Public moments like this were Elyse’s specialty. Kristine had no intention of staying silent any longer.
She lowered her gaze and let a soft, unhurried smile settle on her lips. “You truly are the most magnanimous official girlfriend I’ve ever encountered. Every time someone calls me a side chick, you’re always the first to step in and clear things up. I’m sorry — I genuinely never intended to be involved in any of this. Colton told me he didn’t have a girlfriend. I honestly didn’t know there was someone overseas. I suppose trusting him so easily was my mistake p>
The room sank into an uncomfortable hush. So Kristine hadn’t deliberately inserted herself into anything — which meant, logically, the real problem lay with Colton.
As the admiration in the crowd slowly shifted into uncertainty, Elyse rushed to respond. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Colton and I weren’t together back then. We only started seeing each other recently. That means you weren’t involved with someone who was already taken, and Colton wasn’t juggling two women at once p>