Chapter 294
Chapter 294:
Since Monica’s visit, she had been haunted by relentless nightmares. Sleep had become a source of dread, the same visions returning every night. At first, she would see her father confined to a hospital bed. Later, the dreams shifted — he appeared broken and lifeless, trapped inside a wrecked car. Eventually, even daytime naps brought flashes of his anguished, accusing stare, his bloodied eyes haunting her every time she closed her own.
Little by little, the line between what was real and what wasn’t began to blur.
What stayed with her was that moment of overwhelming agony — when the urge to follow her father had almost consumed her, and Colton’s voice had suddenly broken through. Gone was his usual cold distance; it had sounded strained, tight with emotion, as though tears were close to spilling.
“Are you starving to the point of losing your mind?” The sharp tone returned, harsh and detached — nothing like the warmth she had heard before.
That was when Kristine understood. Everything earlier had only been a dream.
а𝖽dic𝘵𝗂𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘵𝘰𝗿і𝖾s 𝗈n
Her silence made Colton frown. He lifted his hand and waved it slowly in front of her eyes. Kristine shut them again.
The tension in his jaw eased slightly. “What would you like to eat p>
Her long lashes trembled, but no answer came. She wasn’t ignoring him out of spite; she simply lacked the strength to speak after going so long without food.
Without warning, her body was lifted off the bed. Fear widened Kristine’s eyes as her weakened frame sagged against Colton’s chest. That familiar minty scent drifted toward her — steady, unmistakable. There was a time when she had loved that smell; after nightmares, it had once soothed her back to sleep. Now, instead of comfort, it stirred only irritation. Even so, she had nothing left with which to resist. One blow after another had drained her completely, leaving her hollow and exhausted.
While her mind drifted, she felt a gentle warmth brush against her lips. She glanced down and saw a spoon filled with soup.
“Eat,” Colton instructed, his expression icy even as his hands remained careful. “Open up p>
Kristine sealed her lips in silence.
His frown deepened. “Are you planning to starve yourself p>
She still didn’t answer. Colton gripped the spoon more tightly, then suddenly gave a crooked smile. “Oh, I see. You want me to feed you directly? No problem p>
Kristine’s eyes widened in alarm. She wasn’t sure what he intended, but every instinct braced for the worst.
Without warning, he grasped her jaw. Before she could resist, his mouth covered hers — hard and unyielding, stealing the breath from her lungs. She struggled to catch it back, her hands pushing weakly against his chest, but he didn’t move at all.
“Let me go,” she whispered, barely getting the words out.
They came out softer than she intended — barely a breath. Far from calming him, it only seemed to have the opposite effect. The look in his eyes burned with a hunger he could hardly contain. Yet when he saw the pain in her gaze, he finally pulled back and released her.
A cool glint flashed in his eyes. “Satisfied now p>
Kristine met his stare, lips parted and shining, as though the distance between them were still too small. But her eyes burned with anger.