Chapter 54
Chapter 54:
“I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back soon,” Colton said to Kristine before turning away. Phone already in hand, he stepped out of the villa.
Kristine kept eating, not lifting her head — as though the moment had never taken place. When she reached for a napkin, however, a faint tremor passed through her fingers.
Once she finished her meal, she made her way back to her room. She had already resolved to walk away from Colton, but he was still the man she had loved for seven long years. Each time she watched him choose Elyse over her, a quiet pain settled a little deeper into her chest.
She lowered herself into the bathtub, hoping the warmth of the water would bring some comfort and ease the weight pressing on her mind. When she finally stepped out, the clock showed it was already eleven at night. The lower floor remained completely still. Colton had not come back.
Kristine changed into her pajamas, stretched out on the bed, and reached for her phone, intending to scroll for a while before sleep. Then a message from Elyse appeared on the screen.
𝖱𝘦а𝗱 o𝘯 a𝗇y 𝖽𝗲𝗏𝘪𝖼𝖾 𝘰𝗇.с𝘰𝘮
“Stop acting so proud. Even after Colton ruined the Reed family for you, he still values me more than he ever will you p>
Kristine had always ignored Elyse’s messages. Something about tonight made her respond.
“Isn’t Mackenzie supposed to be your closest friend? Her family collapsed, but you don’t look the least bit troubled p>
The reply clearly caught Elyse off guard. After some time revising her words, she sent back: “She ruined herself through stupidity. Why should that concern me p>
A faintly amused smile curved Kristine’s lips as she read it. She found herself imagining Mackenzie’s expression if she ever saw a message like that from the person she called her best friend.
Just as Kristine was about to switch to another app, a new notification came through — this time with an image attached.
“Colton’s tie suits him, don’t you think? I was the one who bought it. How much longer are you going to pretend not to understand? I am the woman Colton loves. If you have any self-respect, you should leave him p>
The smile on Kristine’s face slowly widened.
So the tie had come from Elyse. Now everything made sense.
She typed back calmly. “I would gladly leave Colton right now. If you can convince him to let me go, I will remember the favor p>
Elyse replied almost immediately. “Do you honestly think that sounds believable p>
For a brief moment, Kristine had no response.
After a short pause, another message appeared. “Speaking of which — Jemma is your half-sister, if I remember correctly p>
At the mention of Jemma’s name, an uneasy sensation settled over Kristine.
Almost immediately, a screenshot from Jemma’s Facebook page arrived. The photo showed Jemma smiling brightly while holding a tiara.