Chapter 432
Chapter 432:
“Not too long, honestly.” She gave a small, dry laugh. “He can’t stay focused on me forever. He’s chasing me because I humiliated him — faking my death made a fool of him, and his pride can’t stand that. Once there’s no trace of me anywhere, he’ll eventually let it go p>
Alma shook her head slowly. “I see it differently. If you disappear completely, he’ll search harder, not less. I may not fully understand all the emotional complications between you two, but I’m fairly certain Colton has genuine feelings for you. Whatever his reasons, he’s been refusing to acknowledge them — but I don’t think he’s looking for you purely out of wounded pride. I think he’s still attached to you p>
Kristine smiled faintly, without warmth. After everything she had lived through, she found she genuinely couldn’t bring herself to care whether Colton still had feelings for her or not.
“If he truly loved me,” she said, “he wouldn’t have decided to marry someone else p>
Alma frowned, visibly unable to argue with that.
Then she shifted direction. “Forget that for now. My point is this — you shouldn’t let your future hinge on what Colton decides to do. You need to take charge of your own life p>
R𝘦а𝗱 𝖿𝘳o𝗺 y𝘰𝗎𝘳 р𝗵oո𝖾 о𝗻
Kristine looked at her, not quite following.
“Running solves things for a while,” Alma said. “But can you really keep running for the rest of your life p>
Kristine didn’t answer.
She understood what Alma was suggesting — face him. But facing Colton felt like throwing an egg against a wall of stone. She was fragile in ways he wasn’t, and she knew it. Right now, all she wanted was distance. The kind of distance that, with any luck, would eventually become permanent.
“Which is why,” Alma said firmly, delivering a decisive pat to Kristine’s shoulder, “the first thing you need to do right now is come out with me and get those parts for the watch p>
Kristine burst out laughing.
After all that — after the heartfelt speech and the philosophical detour — Alma’s actual goal had been to get her out of the hotel and into a shop.
She had to admit, though, that after days cooped up in the same room, she genuinely needed air. Much longer and she would become part of the furniture.
“All right,” she said, standing up. “Let’s go get the materials p>
Alma’s face immediately brightened. “And you’re not worried about Colton finding you p>
Kristine held up a face mask and a cap, letting the small smile speak for itself. “I’ve got these, haven’t I p>
Alma was briefly speechless.
Alma traveled frequently between countries and knew Evira well. It didn’t take her long to locate a shop selling exactly what they needed — a narrow, older establishment run by a man who appeared to be in his fifties. Business was evidently slow; he had been dozing behind the counter and lifted his head only gradually when he heard footsteps approaching.
But the moment his eyes settled on Kristine, his expression shifted to something puzzled. “Did you forget something?” he asked.
Kristine looked at him with equal confusion. “Have we met before p>
He frowned. “Weren’t you with the group that came in earlier p>