Chapter 75
Chapter 75:
Elyse watched him go, and a self-satisfied smile slowly formed on her lips.
If his plan succeeded, Kristine would disappear from their lives entirely. Once she was gone, nothing would stand in the way. She would win Colton and spend the rest of her life with him.
At the villa, a loud sneeze escaped Kristine, and she pushed herself upright in bed.
After getting up, she wandered into the bathroom and examined her reflection. Perhaps it was the deep rest she had finally gotten, or perhaps the relief of having a clear way out — either way, her complexion looked bright and healthy without a trace of makeup. Compared to the past few months, she appeared far more alive.
With quiet satisfaction, Kristine patted her cheeks. All she needed to do was endure until the company celebration dinner. After that, she would finally be free.
A renewed sense of resolve settled in her as she thought about returning to her work at the Arbfact Institute.
Without warning, the sound of heavy footsteps thundered up from downstairs, followed by a sharp, cutting voice. “Where is Kristine? I heard she’s been acting arrogant lately, even daring to talk back to my brother p>
𝖢𝗁і𝗇𝘦𝘴𝗲 𝗇𝗈𝘷𝘦𝗹ѕ 𝗍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝗌𝗅𝘢𝗍еd 𝘰𝘯 g𝗮𝗅𝗇ovеls.с𝗼𝗺
Kristine’s brows drew together briefly.
There was no mistaking that voice. It belonged to Colton’s younger sister, Luna Yates.
“Kristine! I know you’re up there! Stop hiding! You were so brave before — come out here! Or are you suddenly scared now that I’ve shown up p>
Kristine let the shouting run its course until it finally lost momentum. Only then did she step into the upstairs hallway.
“Claire, I’m hungry.” This was no performance — the hunger was genuine.
The moment she appeared, Luna’s eyes fixed on her with sharp intensity. “So there you are! I figured you were going to hide up there all day p>
Without looking her way, Kristine continued calmly. “Claire, something light will do. And add extra cilantro if we have any p>
Being ignored entirely, Luna released a low, mocking laugh. “Kristine, who do you think you’re fooling? Everyone here knows the staff can push you around whenever they feel like it. Do you really think Claire is going to rush to cook for you just because you gave an order p>
“Yes, Ms. Green.” Claire’s reply came almost at the same moment Luna finished speaking.
Caught off guard, Luna stopped short. An awkward silence followed, and Claire said nothing more.
After a beat, Luna spoke again, disbelief heavy in her tone. “Claire, did Kristine threaten you? That’s the only explanation for why you’d listen to her. If she did, tell me, and I’ll deal with it p>
Color rose to Claire’s face. Before all of this, she had taken money from Elyse to keep a close eye on Kristine. Now, her only desire was to do what was right.
Sensing her discomfort, Kristine said gently, “Claire, you can go p>
Once Claire stepped away, Kristine turned her attention to Luna. “What do you need p>