Chapter 338
Chapter 338:
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the silence settle. At first, she had simply wanted to teach him a lesson for disrespecting Asher. But as the beating wore on, her thoughts kept drifting back to Monica. The thought of her sent Kristine spiraling.
She couldn’t shake the belief that her own actions had led to her father’s death — that she deserved to carry that blame forever. Yet Monica, intent on winning her lawsuit, had weaponized that guilt deliberately. She had torn open old wounds just to gain the upper hand. Kristine struggled to make sense of it.
What kind of mother could do something like that?
Perhaps Monica had never truly been her mother in any meaningful sense. How else could she pour such warmth onto Jemma while treating Kristine with such cruelty?
Only Asher’s words — If your father’s death is tied to you, then at the very least, protect what he left behind — had jolted her back to reality. Without them, she might have surrendered the antiques entirely.
That memory made Kristine glance at Asher, gratitude shining in her eyes.
At that same moment, Asher looked her way — then turned his attention to the man slumped on the floor. “Take him out of here,” he instructed. After a brief pause, he added, “And see that he gets proper medical care p>
The bodyguards dragged the man away without a word.
Everyone else instinctively kept their distance from Asher.
The man in the pink suit sauntered over, swinging his hips, and asked, “So — is this the friend you mentioned p>
𝘈𝖼𝘵𝗂𝘷𝗲 c𝗈𝘮𝘮𝘂𝗻і𝘵y 𝘰𝘯
He gave Kristine an unhurried once-over, then offered a faint smile. “Not bad at all. She may not be on my level, but she’s certainly attractive p>
Asher cast him a sideways look. “This is Cameron Tucker — a friend of mine. He owns the place p>
Kristine gave a polite nod. “Mr. Tucker p>
Cameron’s grin widened. “No need for formalities. Any friend of Asher’s is a friend of mine. Just call me p>
Kristine hesitated, a familiar unease stirring inside her.
The introduction reminded her of Colton, who had never properly introduced her to anyone — not even to Devin. As a result, his acquaintances had treated her with open contempt. Whenever Colton wasn’t around at gatherings, they would mock her, leaving wounds that went deeper than she ever let on. She had tried to explain it to him, but he always brushed it off, saying they were only joking and didn’t know when to stop. Whenever she brought it up too often, he would lose patience. “Nobody else seems to have a problem,” he would say. “Maybe you should figure out what you’re doing wrong p>
For a long time, Kristine had genuinely believed it was her fault. Only after sessions with a psychologist did she come to understand that the problem lay with those people — not her. She also came to see that Colton’s indifference had been the real root of it. If he had truly cared for her, no one in Gridron would have dared treat her that way.
A quiet, measured voice pulled her back to the present.
“What’s on your mind?” Asher asked.
Kristine blinked. Somehow, Cameron had slipped away without her noticing.