Chapter 35
Chapter 35:
This was not the first time Elyse had sent photos like these. Each new image used to leave Kristine with a sharp ache in her chest. She had even confronted Colton directly, tried to get answers from him — and he had always brushed her off, making her feel as though she were imagining things. With time, the hurt never truly left, but she had learned to keep her suspicions to herself.
Now, staring at the photo, only one thought echoed in her mind.
What a joke.
She silenced all future messages from Elyse. The SIM card she had removed at the restaurant went straight into the toilet. She watched it swirl away with a flush.
The hostel check-in had required no identification. Hostels were far less particular about documentation than hotels. A few hundred dollars discreetly passed to the staff had been enough to secure a room off the books. Without her ID on file and with her SIM card gone, Colton would have to try a great deal harder if he wanted to find her.
If the police started looking, though…
Kristine felt a headache forming and opened her chat with Vance.
Ne𝗐 𝘤𝘩𝖺𝘱𝘁e𝘳s e𝗏𝖾𝗋𝘺 w𝗲𝖾𝗄 о𝘯 ѕ.𝖼𝗈m
Since learning that he had feelings for her, she had been careful to keep her distance. Right now, however, she was out of options. Everyone around her knew how deeply she had once cared for Colton, and most of them had nothing but contempt for her because of it. Vance was the only person she could rely on in Gridron.
After pausing longer than she wanted to admit, she finally sent a message. “I’ve moved out of Colton’s place. If the police reach out to you, give them this address.” She attached her current location.
Almost immediately, Vance replied. “What happened p>
Her mouth tightened before she typed back. “There’s a lot behind it. I’ll explain when I get the chance p>
“Okay p>
She closed the chat, switched to her browser, and began searching for a private investigator. She knew she had to get out of Gridron quickly. Her father’s collection of rare antiques was still back in Peudon, and neither Monica nor Jemma would simply let the matter drop.
By the time Colton hurried back to the restaurant, the chair Kristine had occupied was already taken by someone else — a woman with an ordinary air about her, wearing heavy makeup. Her bright red lips parted as she cooed at the man across from her. “Feed me. I want you to do it p>
Across the table, the man looked both amused and faintly worn down. “Alright. I’ll do it.” He lifted his fork and guided a bite of steak toward her mouth.
In earlier days, Colton would have dismissed a scene like that as cheap and irritating. Right now, though, it gave him an unexpected sense of unease — and something else he could not quite name.
A memory surfaced from the early days of his relationship with Kristine. She had once made the same playful request, asking him to feed her. His aversion to sharing utensils had always made him refuse. Eventually, she stopped asking.
Something shifted in Colton’s chest.
Bit by bit over the years, Kristine’s warmth and brightness had quietly faded away. The realization settled on him like a weight he had only just noticed was there.
He reached for his phone and dialed her number. No one answered.