Chapter 473
Colton didn’t blink. Her words moved nothing in him. “You can choose to do it or not. But if you refuse, you’ll have to live with how I treat you going forward.” He turned his back on her and walked away as though she had already ceased to exist.
Victoria stood motionless, trembling, watching him go.
A single tear slid down her cheek.
She had been too proud, too certain of her position. And somewhere along the way, she had lost even the basic authority of a mother in her own son’s eyes.
Inside the bedroom, Faye had just finished administering Kristine’s medicine. She rose quickly when Colton walked in, greeting him with a respectful nod.
Colton looked down at Kristine’s sleeping face. “How is she?”
The doctor standing beside the bed answered, “She has a high fever. We need to watch her carefully through the night. If it breaks by morning, she’ll be all right. If it doesn’t, she’ll need to be taken to the hospital.”
Colton’s expression darkened. “Everyone out.”
“Yes, sir.”
The doctor gathered his things and left without a word. Faye lingered a moment, casting a worried glance at Colton before following. Out in the hallway, she turned to Driscoll White.
“Doctor, Mr. Yates himself is unwell and clearly under enormous strain. Would you be willing to stay the night, in case he’s needed?”
Driscoll hesitated. “He only just regained consciousness. Shouldn’t he be resting?”
Faye answered with nothing more than a heavy sigh. The doctor asked no further questions.
Alone in the room, Colton took Kristine’s hand in his. The worry on his face was unguarded and raw.
Looking at how pale she was, he found himself thinking of his own childhood — of Victoria, unraveling, forcing him into a tub of freezing water while he begged her to stop. The cold of that memory was so vivid it felt physical. Without realizing it, he tightened his grip on Kristine’s wrist.
“That hurts.”
Her groan pulled him sharply back to the present. He looked down and saw her eyes open, and the relief that moved through him was immediate and overwhelming. “You’re finally awake.”
Kristine stared at him for a few seconds as everything came back to her. Then she turned her face away and said nothing.
Colton got to his feet. “I’ll get the doctor.”
At the mention of the doctor, the faintest flicker of interest crossed her face.
Driscoll was waiting just outside. The moment he heard she was awake, he came in directly.
“Ms. Green, I need you to take your temperature,” he said, holding out the thermometer.
Kristine turned her face to the wall and didn’t respond.
Driscoll glanced helplessly at Colton.
Colton reached over, moved her arm, and positioned the thermometer himself.
Kristine snatched it immediately and threw it across the room.
“Kristine, stop it,” Colton said sharply. “You’re sick. You need to let the doctor examine you.”
“If you want me to cooperate, then get out,” she rasped. “If you leave this room, I’ll do whatever he says.”
The frustration on Colton’s face deepened visibly. “I asked for one thing — one simple thing.”
“Stop pretending you care about me,” she shot back, her voice rough and strained. “You’re a liar. You make me sick.”