Chapter 280
Chapter 280:
That only made Colton more uneasy. He moved as if to follow her, but Elyse quickly caught his arm. “Let’s take a picture, Colton p>
By the time he glanced back, Kristine had already slipped inside.
He pulled his arm free from Elyse’s grasp. “Aren’t you supposed to be filming? Why are you still out here p>
Holding her phone, Elyse looked embarrassed for a second. Noticing the people watching, she forced a cheerful smile. “I’m going up now. Since you’re already here, why not come inside and watch p>
Colton paused, lifting his gaze to the tall building ahead. After a brief silence, he stepped inside the TV station behind Elyse.
The moment he entered the studio, he found Kristine in the crowd, quietly reviewing her script. Thanks to her rising popularity, her standing in the production had improved considerably — this time, they had even paired her with a top-tier makeup artist. A touch of delicate makeup enhanced her features, so understated that most people would miss it. Soft wisps of hair framed her forehead, giving her an elegant, unhurried quality.
𝘑𝘰і𝘯 o𝘶r c𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘂𝗇𝗶𝘵𝘆 оո
Colton’s eyes lingered on her, his throat tightening as he stared, completely captivated.
He had once been convinced that Kristine couldn’t move forward without his presence. But now, the opposite seemed true. She shone even brighter without him.
Elyse caught the direction of Colton’s gaze and felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. Regret bubbled up inside — she already regretted letting him come backstage at all.
Meanwhile, Eve began calling everyone to their places, and Elyse had no choice but to head for the stage.
The arrangement on stage hadn’t changed. Kristine was still positioned at the very back. However, today’s format introduced a new twist: contestants would go head-to-head, and whoever lost would be sent home while the winner advanced.
Since Elyse had secured her spot through her connections, Eve worried it would look poorly if she were eliminated too early. To manage the optics, Eve arranged for Kristine to face Nelson first, while Ruth competed against Wilbur. Once those results were in, Elyse would challenge the winner.
This setup left Elyse with little influence over the early rounds. She hated being sidelined — but with Colton watching, she kept her frustration hidden and silently hoped Nelson would take Kristine out early.
Things didn’t go the way she had hoped.
Kristine’s expertise was on full display, leaving Nelson completely outmatched. Cold sweat dotted his forehead as he stammered, “I think I’ll pass on that one p>
The host jumped in with renewed energy. “No problem. Moving right along — Kristine, can you tell us with confidence whether the painting before you is genuine p>
“It isn’t p>
“Absolutely right.” The host swung his attention back to Nelson. “Mr. Dawson, take a look at the monitor. Can you tell us which era this ancient relief belongs to p>
Wiping his brow, Nelson hesitated. “Well, the patterns seem to fit the late Classical period, but I’m also seeing some early Imperial features p>