Chapter 300
Chapter 300:
With the release of the show’s second episode, it had become the talk of the town all over again. This time, the spotlight wasn’t on Kristine alone — Elyse and Ruth were trending right alongside her. Elyse faced backlash after viewers discovered she was Colton’s girlfriend, sparking rumors that she had landed her spot on the show through personal connections. Kristine, meanwhile, had initially drawn attention for her stellar performance, but early that morning a new controversy erupted: someone in the comments accused her of getting every answer right because the director, who was supposedly close to her, had fed her the solutions beforehand. The accusation spread like wildfire. Ruth, untouched by either scandal, emerged as the clear fan favorite, and the internet showered her with praise. Now, nearly every post about the Antique Matchup overflowed with compliments for her alone.
When she finished reading, Kristine returned the phone to Danica, her expression steady.
Danica tried to be reassuring. “Don’t stress about this, Kristine. I’ll go home and ask my dad to help you manage the fallout p>
Asher, who had just finished reading the same news, spoke up. “Let me handle the situation p>
Both Kristine and Danica turned toward him, caught off guard.
Y𝗼𝘶𝗋 𝗱ai𝗅𝗒 𝘥𝘰s𝖾 o𝗳 𝗇о𝘷е𝗅𝘴 𝘰𝗻.сo𝘮
Danica looked genuinely hopeful for a moment. She remembered the night Asher had taken care of Kristine at the hospital, and the memory had left a strong impression on her. The thought of Colton’s reaction to Kristine being close to Asher nearly made her smile. She quickly added, “Perfect. The PR team at your company is far more capable than anything my dad could put together p>
“No, Asher.” Kristine cut him off gently. “Trying to cover things up will only make people more suspicious p>
Danica’s voice rose in protest. “But we can’t just let them slander you without doing anything p>
Kristine rubbed her forehead. “It’s not something we can prove or disprove right now. The more we try to hide, the worse it looks. We have to be patient p>
“Patient?” Danica echoed.
“That’s right. We wait until the third episode airs p>
Danica cast a questioning look at Asher, but his eyes had already lit up — it was clear he understood exactly where Kristine was going. Danica felt a small flicker of jealousy. She edged closer to Kristine, curiosity getting the better of her. “So, what’s your plan p>
Kristine met her gaze and, seeing how worried she was, laid out every detail.
By the time she finished, a quiet sense of relief had settled over her. Danica’s eyes widened with admiration. “That’s honestly brilliant. You’ll prove everyone wrong — though waiting for the next episode must be rough.” A small smile tugged at Kristine’s lips. Compared to the pain Monica had inflicted on her the other day, this scandal felt almost trivial.
Every time Monica crossed her mind, that tight, breathless feeling crept back, forcing Kristine to press a hand to her chest.
“Is something bothering you? Are you feeling alright p>
“It’s nothing. Really.” Kristine tried to wave Danica off, but the color had already drained from her face.
Asher’s brow furrowed. “Let me call the doctor,” he said, already maneuvering his wheelchair toward the hallway.
“I’ve got it,” Danica offered, pressing the nurse button before hurrying off to find a doctor herself.
A doctor arrived quickly, ran a brief examination, and found no underlying issues. With a reminder to rest and take it easy, he left as quietly as he had come. Still worried, Danica insisted on going home to prepare some nutritious meals for Kristine before she finally said goodbye.
The room fell quiet, leaving just Kristine and Asher.
Kristine glanced at the clock. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?” she asked, knowing his mornings were usually spent at the office.