Chapter 6
Chapter 6:
A crease formed between Colton’s brows.
To him, there was no possibility that Kristine could be in Peudon — her relationship with her family had always been strained. He reached for his phone and dialed his villa. “Is Kristine there p>
The call was picked up by Claire Miller, who had served the Yates family for over twenty years. Without even pausing, she answered, “She is p>
Colton’s eyes narrowed slightly. It now seemed that Bobby must have been mistaken after all.
Once the call ended, he replied to Bobby’s message. “Kristine is at my place p>
Almost immediately, Bobby answered, “What?” Disbelief washed over him. That figure had looked exactly like Kristine. Did she have an identical twin?
𝗗оwո𝘭o𝘢𝖽𝘢𝘣𝗹𝖾 рDFѕ 𝗼𝘯
Another message from Colton came through right after. “Did you finish the meeting with Asher? How did it go p>
Bobby quickly slipped back into work mode. “Mr. Edwards is quite pleased. He mentioned there are no problems and that we can proceed with signing the contract on Thursday p>
As Colton read the reply, a rare trace of a smile surfaced on his usually indifferent face.
In Peudon, Asher had once been the rightful heir to Edwards Group. Three years ago, however, a car accident left him unable to walk, and from that point on, many people had dismissed him as useless. Even so, Colton had chosen to work with him because he understood that Asher was far from a failure. Being able to return to the core leadership of Edwards Group in such a short span of time was proof enough of that, and it was clear that his future achievements would be even greater.
More than anything else, once this partnership was settled, he could finally slow down and spend time with Kristine.
“I will go to Peudon on Wednesday p>
After sending that message, Colton closed his eyes, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Back in Peudon, news that Kristine and Asher could finalize their marriage on Friday had finally eased Monica’s worries.
At the Green family villa, Monica addressed Kristine carefully. “Now that you are about to get married, the antiques your father left behind p>
While peeling an apple, Kristine heard those words and drove the knife’s sharp point straight into the fruit. “Those items were left to me by my father p>
An awkward look immediately crossed Monica’s face.
Jemma, however, reacted with open anger. “They might have been left by your dad, but they count as marital property. By law, half of that belongs to Mom. Since you are getting married, you should give her share back to our family p>
Kristine’s hand clenched tightly around the knife.
Monica reached out in a hurry and tugged at Jemma’s sleeve. Jemma refused to stop.
“And those antiques are useless to you anyway. You had all that wealth, yet Colton still didn’t want you. In the end, you can only marry a useless man like Asher p>
“Jemma!” Monica cried out in panic.
Kristine relaxed her hold on the knife and turned to Jemma with a smile that carried no warmth at all. “Marrying a useless man like Asher is hardly a challenge. Colton is much more interesting. Maybe I should return to Gridron after all p>
Left speechless, Jemma could not bring herself to say another word.
Kristine rose to her feet at an unhurried pace, looked down at the two of them, and noticed how similar their faces were. “My father left those antiques to me. They are the only things he ever gave me. If anyone dares to covet them, they will end up just like this apple p>
She drove the blade straight through the fruit, and the sharp tip emerged on the other side with a cold glint. Monica and Jemma could only watch, their hearts pounding.
Only after Kristine had been gone for a long while did Jemma finally find her voice. “Mom, look at her p>
Monica reached out and stroked Jemma’s hair gently. Her tone sounded calm, yet a chill hid beneath it. “Do not worry. I will get those antiques back, no matter what it takes p>
Outside, Kristine drove in tight circles around the villa for a long time, but the ache in her chest refused to fade.
Her anger was not truly about Monica and Jemma wanting the antiques. What hurt was thinking about her father. She had never been able to understand how he had ever fallen in love with Monica.
Once upon a time, her father had worked at a conservation institute as a conservator, specializing in the restoration of antique books, paintings, watches, and countless historical artifacts. He was skilled in every sense of the word. A person like him might never have become outrageously rich, yet he could have lived a stable life filled with dignity and comfort.
Monica, however, had never respected his profession. In her eyes, he was merely someone who repaired old things, and she pushed him to abandon that work and step into business instead. Although he disliked social maneuvering, he resigned from his position for Monica’s sake and entered the business world. With his intelligence and careful nature, it did not take long for him to build a name for himself. As the family business expanded, the time he spent at home grew less and less.
The final image Kristine had of him was a hospital room filled with white, where he lay quietly on the bed. Holding her hand with fingers that were thin and weak, he had said, “Kristine, all those antiques belong to you. Remember that. They are yours alone. You must never — never give them to anyone. Not even your mother p>
Back then, Kristine had not grasped the meaning behind his words. It was only during the family gathering held in his memory that she saw Steven and Jemma for the first time. At that moment, the truth finally became clear. While her father had been exhausting himself with work, Monica had already been having an affair with Steven and had even given birth to his child.
Nearly everything her father had built ended up in Monica’s hands. What he managed to leave behind were only those antiques, and Kristine clung to them with all her strength. She had carried them to Gridron, and later brought them back again. They were the sole things her father had left her, and she would protect them even if it meant losing everything else.
Her phone chimed. A new message appeared on the screen from Asher.
Pulling herself out of her memories, Kristine read it. “Let’s meet on Wednesday evening at the entrance of Helcrest Hotel p>
Helcrest Hotel happened to be where Kristine was currently staying. A crease formed between her brows as she replied, “Aren’t we supposed to get married on Friday p>
Just from reading the message, Asher could picture the irritation on her face, and the smile at the corner of his lips deepened.
“Even if this is an arranged marriage with no feelings involved, we are still expected to spend a lifetime together. I do not want reporters capturing photos of us looking stiff and distant at the courthouse entrance. Meeting beforehand is necessary so we can at least practice how we should appear together p>
“Okay,” Kristine responded right away.
Her easy agreement caught Asher slightly off guard. Compared to Colton, his request barely counted as an inconvenience — she saw no reason to argue over something so insignificant. And more importantly, if she truly wanted to protect those antiques, relying on herself alone would never be enough. She needed Asher’s support.
Before she realized it, Wednesday arrived.
Inside his car, Colton took Bobby’s update through a video call.
“Mr. Edwards already knows you will be arriving in Peudon tonight and has arranged your lodging,” Bobby said. “It is a luxury suite on the top floor of the hotel I am staying at. I personally checked the room, and everything has been set according to your usual preferences p>
“Alright,” Colton answered, sounding distracted.
Having worked under Colton for many years, Bobby understood that a lack of objection meant there were no problems. He noticed his boss’s absentminded state but chose not to ask about it. Through years of experience, he had learned exactly which questions were appropriate and which were better left unspoken.
Only after the call ended did Colton finally understand what had felt wrong the entire day.
Throughout this business trip, Kristine had not sent a single message wishing him a safe journey. She had not forwarded the local weather forecast. She had not packed his stomach medicine for him.