Chapter 63
Chapter 63:
Had Colton really crossed cities simply to recover Kristine’s antiques? In truth, the entire matter could have been resolved with nothing more than a phone call. With the current alliance between Yates Group and Edwards Group, neither Monica nor Jemma would have dared to cross any lines. There had been no genuine necessity for Colton to travel there in person.
Noticing the assistant’s evident confusion, Asher understood his thoughts perfectly and chose to say nothing.
Colton’s visit to Peudon had served more than one purpose. Beyond pressuring Monica and Jemma, it had acted as a clear warning to anyone else who might harbor ambitions toward the collection. The antiques Kristine had inherited from her father were worth enough to purchase more than a dozen mansions in Peudon — yet she had never once considered parting with them. Now that Colton had stepped in, anyone contemplating underhanded methods would have no choice but to reconsider.
How intriguing.
At last, the question that had been lingering in Asher’s mind seemed to have found its answer. It was not that Colton felt nothing for Kristine — he simply loved her without ever having realized it himself. But even if he came to that realization now, it might already be too late.
With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Asher turned his attention to the message Kristine had sent him. It had been buried beneath an avalanche of updates from influential figures in business and had nearly slipped past him entirely — only by chance had he spotted it that morning. He had initially intended to visit Monica once his meeting concluded, but by the time it ended, the antiques had already found their way back to their rightful place.
Out of curiosity, he tapped on Kristine’s profile and opened their conversation. When he returned to the chat list, her name now sat neatly at the very top.
𝘋𝗂scоve𝗿 𝘯e𝘄 𝘴𝘁о𝗿і𝘦ѕ 𝗈𝗇
A quiet smile surfaced as he pictured meeting her again at the celebration banquet scheduled for next Friday.
By the time Kristine woke in Gridron, the clock had already slipped past ten.
She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her messages — no reply from Asher. Disappointment swept over her, though she supposed it was only natural. Without the arranged engagement between their families, she and Asher would have remained strangers. There was no real reason for him to get involved in her problems.
She dragged herself out of bed, wandered to the window, and pulled the curtains open. She stopped short.
Where only two security guards had stood before, four bodyguards now lingered outside, all on high alert and glancing frequently up toward her window.
Kristine made her way down to the kitchen, where she found Claire busy at work.
“Since when did we need that many bodyguards?” she asked.
Remembering Colton’s instructions, Claire answered reluctantly. “Mr. Yates asked them to stay and make sure you’re safe p>
Colton had clearly sent more guards to keep her from leaving.
Kristine kept her tone even. “Where did Colton go p>
“He stepped out p>
A thoughtful look crossed Kristine’s face. After a brief silence, she turned to Claire with quiet determination. “I need to leave p>
Claire looked back at her, confusion flickering in her eyes.
“I’m aware you’re working for Elyse,” Kristine continued, perfectly calm.