Chapter 55
Chapter 55:
A surge of anger rushed through Kristine without warning. Even though the tiara in the photo had been intentionally blurred, she recognized it instantly as one of her father’s antiques. Within his vast collection it had always been considered the least valuable piece — but she had overseen the collection for seven years, and identifying it required no effort at all.
Those antiques were supposed to be safely stored inside Marty’s villa. So how had Jemma managed to get her hands on the tiara?
Drawing a slow breath, Kristine called Victor.
Hearing the situation left Victor equally confused, yet he spoke quickly to calm her. “I don’t fully understand what’s happened, but don’t panic. I’ll speak with Marty immediately p>
𝘑𝘰𝗶ո 𝗍𝗁оu𝗌𝗮n𝖽𝘴 о𝘧 𝗳𝖺𝗻𝗌 𝗈𝗻
“Okay,” Kristine answered quietly, pressing her lips together.
It was already past two in the morning when Victor contacted her again.
“I confirmed that the antiques were moved earlier today. Your mother brought Jemma with her, claimed the collection belonged to her, and demanded the staff hand everything over. When they refused, she arranged for several pieces to be taken by force — including the tiara.” He paused before continuing. “Marty was notified in the evening and reported it to the police right away. Even so, your mother is claiming you personally told her to retrieve them, and insists Marty has no right to interfere since he isn’t family. The police say you need to come back and handle this in person. So… what do you plan to do p>
The color slowly shifted in Kristine’s face as each detail sank in.
She was trapped in Gridron, and Monica had taken advantage of that. Very few people knew of her situation — a handful of officers, and Colton. There was no connection between Colton and Monica, which meant the information had to have come from somewhere else.
She lowered her gaze to the phone and noticed another message from Elyse waiting — this one with an image attached. Rather than opening it, Kristine stared at the screen for a long, still moment, and her eyes slowly grew cold.
Just outside the hospital room, Brent peered through the narrow gap in the doorway. Inside, Elyse lay on the bed quietly scrolling through her phone. The moment Brent realized Colton was watching too, he moved quickly and pulled the door shut.
“Colton.” Brent studied his tired face before continuing. “I honestly didn’t have any other choice today but to have Elyse contact you p>
“What caused the nightmares?” Colton asked, a sharp edge in his tone.
“Earlier today, the director told me they still haven’t secured a kidney donor. Elyse overheard the conversation, and it clearly disturbed her enough to affect her sleep p>
A chill settled over Colton’s expression. “There’s still no match p>
“That’s right. The director explained that Elyse’s condition is very particular, which makes finding a compatible donor extremely difficult. Otherwise, back then, Patsy p>
The change in Colton’s expression was visible enough that Brent stopped himself mid-sentence.
Silence pressed down. Colton’s jaw tightened. After a pause, his voice came out flat and distant. “I’m leaving p>
Brent stepped immediately into his path. “You’re really going now? What happens if she has nightmares again tonight p>
A deep crease formed between Colton’s brows. “Isn’t she under your care? If there’s a problem, handle it as her doctor p>