Chapter 418
Chapter 418:
She didn’t deliberate. She ran.
The car was faster. It roared past her and screeched to a stop at the corner ahead, cutting off the exit — and then the door flew open.
It was Vinson. “Ms. Green! Get in p>
Hope surged through her and she pushed herself harder.
But Colton moved like a predator who had anticipated exactly this. Before she could reach the door, his hands came down on her shoulders like a vice, arresting her momentum completely.
“Ms. Green — now!” Vinson was leaning out of the car, arm stretched toward her.
Kristine didn’t stop to think. She lurched forward and seized his hand.
Vinson pulled with everything he had, hauling her toward the car in one powerful motion. For a fraction of a second she was airborne — and then she was inside.
But before the relief could register, a hand clamped onto her shoulder again.
She turned. Colton had followed her in, his face a study in barely contained fury. His fingers pressed deep into her shoulder as he said, in that infuriatingly calm, cold voice, “Get out of the car p>
𝗙𝘰𝗹𝗅о𝘄 𝘂s 𝘰ո.с𝘰𝘮
Vinson squared himself against Colton’s gaze. “Mr. Yates. Let her go p>
Colton didn’t look at him. His eyes stayed fixed on Kristine. “I said get out p>
Kristine was half in, half out, jammed in the threshold — and something in her finally broke open.
“Colton, listen to me,” she said, and her voice came out steadier than she expected. “I didn’t come to Raskor to find your father. I didn’t even know he was your father. And I didn’t fake my death — I nearly died that night in the ocean. If Asher hadn’t pulled me out, I would be gone. So tell me — why do you want me back? So you can watch it actually happen next time p>
Colton’s hands tightened on her. His expression cracked. “What are you talking about p>
Kristine gave him a cold, hollow smile. “You’re marrying Elyse. Don’t be greedy on top of everything else. You never loved me — so what exactly is it you’re holding onto p>
She wrenched her shoulder back sharply and broke free of his grip.
Vinson grabbed the door and slammed it shut.
In the driver’s seat, Davin was already moving — he and his brother working in perfect, wordless sync. The instant the lock clicked, he floored the accelerator.
The car launched forward, leaving a trail of dust in the firelit dark.
Kristine turned and looked through the rear window.
Colton was standing alone under a streetlight, the burning wreckage behind him, the night stretching out on all sides. He looked small. Isolated.
A sharp, unexpected pang moved through her chest.
She turned back around and forced the feeling down. He was not the one who deserved pity. She was. She had barely managed a few days of rest before the world caught up with her again.