"Miss Lloyd!" the dealership manager shouted when he saw Elyse collapse to the floor.

Before anyone else could react, Colton was already in motion. He rushed straight to her, lifted her into his arms, and carried her out without hesitation.

A trace of ridicule slowly spread across Kristine's lips.

After Colton drove away, she was left with no option except to find a cab on her own.

Unfortunately, getting a taxi near the dealership proved to be nearly impossible.

Wearing her high heels, Kristine walked for an entire hour before she flagged down a taxi.

Seated inside the car, she looked down at her sore, blistered feet and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At least the pain stayed in her feet, because her heart remained untouched.

...

Since the incident at the dealership, several days passed without Kristine crossing paths with Colton.

There was no reason for her to reach out or ask about him.

Elyse took it upon herself to deliver every detail anyway.

"At 9:05 this morning, Colton sat with me and spoon-fed my soup. He was so careful."

"By 6:23 this evening, Colton peeled an orange just for me. It looks perfect. Do you want a bite? What a shame you will never get the chance."

Under the message, Elyse attached a photo of the neatly peeled orange.

"At 10:35 tonight, Colton is lying beside me and already asleep."

Beneath that text was a photo showing Colton resting on the bed next to Elyse, his arm supporting his weight as he leaned close.

Kristine skimmed through the messages before dropping her phone back into her bag.

Maybe she had already gone numb, because Elyse's constant updates about Colton now felt no different from watching a ridiculous drama.

After opening the car door, she stepped out and headed straight into K&C Entertainment.

K&C Entertainment had once been built by her and Colton side by side.

At the beginning, her reason for doing so was simple: she wanted something that would bind her closer to him.

She truly thought that creating a company together would make it harder for Colton to walk away from their relationship.

What she never expected was that it would eventually become the chain that trapped her instead.

"You're planning to leave for Peudon?" Vance Bailey, the VP, looked at Kristine with open disbelief. "Does Colton know anything about this?"

Without hesitation, Kristine answered, "I haven't told him yet. I need you to keep this confidential."

"Naturally." Vance nodded, though disbelief still lingered on his face. "Weren't you completely devoted to Colton? Are you really able to walk away from him like this?"

For seven long years, Kristine had stayed by Colton's side. She had handed over the most precious years of her life without holding anything back.

"I'm done with him," Kristine said calmly. "Once I leave, I will hand over the remaining work related to the company's equity division to you. I really hate to bring you trouble like this."

"There is no need to sound so distant," Vance replied, lowering his head as a faint look of satisfaction passed through his eyes. "We graduated from the same school, after all. I was able to join the company because you strongly recommended me."

A quiet sense of appreciation rose in Kristine as she faced Vance.

In truth, while the company was registered under her name, the burden of keeping it alive had fallen squarely on his shoulders.

Without his efforts holding everything together, the business would have fallen apart a long time ago.

After making one final round through the office space, Kristine made the decision to leave.

At the entrance of the building, Vance walked her out himself and stood there until her car disappeared from view, only then turning back upstairs with reluctance.

...

During the drive, Kristine unlocked her phone and marked off the second-to-last note on her list, which was the division of the company's equity.

Soon after, her attention shifted to the final task waiting beneath it, which was moving out of Colton's villa in Crestwood.

Once that step was completed, there would be nothing left tying her to Colton.

The drive continued without a single word spoken.

Inside the car, the air slowly became stifling and tense.

As soon as she arrived at his villa, Kristine went straight up to the second floor.

When Kristine stepped inside, the household staff behaved as though she did not exist, and no one came forward to acknowledge her presence.

Everyone in the house was aware that Colton did not love her.

Since the day she moved in, he had rarely returned home.

Instead of heading to the master bedroom, Kristine went straight to the guest room, because she and Colton had been sleeping in separate rooms.

Inside the closet were rows of clothes from well-known luxury brands. Every single piece had been given to her by Colton.

To Kristine, none of it carried any meaning.

Slowly, she crouched down and dragged her suitcase out from beneath the bed.

Just as she began placing items inside, a sharp car horn sounded from outside downstairs.

"Mr. Yates."

Polite voices floated upward from the front entrance.

Colton had come back.

At once, Kristine shoved the suitcase back to where it had been.

She had no intention of letting him find out that she was preparing to leave.

Once she finished what she was doing, Kristine raised her head and found him standing at the doorway, his tall frame filling the space.

Weariness lingered in his eyes, yet the soft glow of the hallway lights sharpened his features and made him undeniably striking.

For a moment, Kristine forgot to breathe.

"What are you doing?" Colton asked, fixing her with a penetrating look that felt impossible to hide from.

Blocking the suitcase with her body, Kristine answered, "I was trying to find something."

Without pressing further, Colton stepped inside the room.

"The past few days have been a mess," he said. "I spoke with Bobby earlier. I'm free on the nineteenth, so we will get married that day."

Once again, he spoke as though he were delivering a decision rather than opening a discussion.

With a slight tilt of her head, Kristine responded, "The nineteenth happens to be my birthday."

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes before disappearing.

"I already made plans for that day," she continued.

"You usually do not celebrate your birthday, right?" he said.

He had simply never marked the occasion with her.

That realization stayed unspoken, yet it kept circling in her thoughts.

"Then we can choose a different date." After saying that, Colton adjusted his tie and walked toward the bathroom.

Roughly half an hour passed before he stepped back out, the warmth of the shower still clinging to him.

A towel was wrapped loosely around his waist.

Beads of water traced a slow path from his chest down over his defined abdomen.

Those contours had once stirred something fierce in Kristine, but now they left her unmoved.

From across the room, Colton watched her sit with her head lowered while she scrolled through her phone.

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

There was a time when showing off his physique would make Kristine hurry over, unable to resist touching him.

"We should sleep." With that, Colton reached over and turned off the lights.

Surrounded by darkness, Kristine rose to her feet. "I should get going."

A frown settled on Colton's face as he watched the door swing open and then shut.

Darkness filled the room once more.

For an instant, unease gripped him, yet he forced it down and convinced himself that everything would remain under control.

...

Over the following days, Kristine did not catch even a glimpse of Colton.

From what Vance told her, Colton had likely left town for a business trip.

Not even Vance had managed to get in touch with him during that time.

If this had happened before, the news would have crushed Kristine.

This time, however, it felt like a small mercy.

Because Colton was away, she finally had the opportunity to visit his villa and gather her things in peace.

Very little there actually belonged to her.

What remained were mostly items she had bought for Colton, including matching watches, clothes, a stuffed bear, and other things like that.

To Colton, all of it had seemed immature, so he had shoved everything into the farthest corner of the wardrobe.

One by one, Kristine pulled those items out and placed them carefully into her suitcase.

With the suitcase packed until it could hold no more, she walked out of the villa for the last time.

A member of the household staff noticed her departure but assumed she was leaving for work and did not stop to ask questions.

Before she realized it, the nineteenth had arrived.

By then, Kristine had already settled everything that needed her attention.

All she had left to do was wait for the twentieth and finally leave Gridron behind.

That night, Kristine went by herself to a cake shop in the city. She carried the small cake to a nearby park, chose a quiet corner, and ate it slowly on her own.

The sweetness lingered on her tongue.

This time, there was no need to worry about Colton leaving halfway through.

Leaning back, she lifted her gaze toward the darkened sky, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

At that moment, a sharp explosion sounded above her as fireworks suddenly bloomed across the sky.

Colors exploded across the sky as fireworks bloomed in dazzling patterns above her.

Kristine remained there for so long that her neck began to ache before the final burst faded into silence.

A sudden vibration broke the stillness.

Reaching into her bag, Kristine pulled out her phone and checked the screen.

A message from Colton appeared. "Did you like the fireworks? Happy birthday."

Tears rushed up without warning, blurring Kristine's vision, because she had never received a birthday wish from Colton before.

She never imagined that the first one would arrive on what was meant to be her very last day in this city.

After opening the message, Kristine had barely finished typing the word "thanks" when a new alert appeared on her screen.

The notification turned out to be a photo sent by Elyse.

With a light tap, Kristine opened it and saw an image of a slice of cake.

"Colton baked this cake for me with his own hands. I heard today is your birthday, so I deliberately asked him to make one just for me. I get to eat birthday cake, and you do not. What a pity for the birthday girl!"

While reading the message, the tears that had filled Kristine's eyes slowly disappeared.

Switching to Colton's chat, she typed out a short reply. "I want you to make a cake for me."

Once the message was sent, silence followed without any reply.

Only after midnight did a response from Colton finally come through. "I do not know how to make a cake. If there is anything you want to eat, I can ask Bobby to buy it for you."

A bitter laugh slipped from Kristine.

Was it truly because he did not know how to bake, or was it simply because he did not want to do it for her?

Her eyes drifted to the scar on her wrist, which had already begun to fade, and her smile slowly grew heavier.

Back when she was at home, cooking had never been something she needed to do.

However, to make Colton happy, she had taught herself to prepare all of his favorite dishes.

Even when her fingers were cut or blisters formed from burns, she endured it and refused to stop.

"No need," Kristine texted.

From that moment on, she no longer needed anything from him.

...

The morning after, Kristine walked downstairs and froze when she noticed Colton already there.

A sudden unease tightened in her chest.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"In case you forgot, yesterday was your birthday. I had something important to handle, so I could not stay with you," Colton replied in an even tone. "That is why I am making it up to you today."

A muted scoff echoed in Kristine's mind.

To him, being with Elyse was clearly what mattered most.

"There is no need for that," she said. "I already made plans for today."

Colton rose to his feet, his tall figure seeming to press down on the space around them. "Are you keeping something from me?"

Lately, Kristine had been far too composed. That calmness made him uneasy.

They used to argue over Elyse all the time, sometimes every few days without fail.

Kristine held his gaze and speaking without hesitation. "No."

Colton examined the stubborn look in her eyes, and a sense of unease slowly tightened his chest, making him feel as though something unpleasant was about to unfold.

"Come with me," he said. "You can decide where we go."

Before Kristine could turn him down, the moment slipped away.

Without warning, Colton seized her arm and ushered her straight into the car.

Her flight was set for eight that evening.

There was still enough time left.

More importantly, there was one place she wanted to see again before everything ended.

Following Kristine's directions, the car eventually stopped at the main entrance of Gridron University.

Surprise flickered across Colton's face as he took in the familiar buildings. "Why did you bring me here?"

"This is where I once confessed my feelings to you." Kristine spoke as she gestured toward a large stone nearby.

On campus, that stone was known as the wishing stone.

People believed that standing beside it and making a wish would ensure it came true.

At that time, her only wish had been to become Colton's girlfriend. In the end, that wish was fulfilled.

What never followed was his love.

Colton's eyes shifted in the same direction as hers, and the memory slowly resurfaced.

On that day, Kristine had been a little drunk. She burst out from behind the stone, clutched his collar, and declared without hesitation, "Colton, I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Back then, Colton was one of the most sought-after people on campus.

Whether in Gridron or Peudon, there was never a lack of people chasing after him.

However, having a tipsy girl confess so boldly was a first for him.

Finding it entertaining, he replied on purpose, "Sure."

Clarity returned to Kristine's eyes at once, but shock rooted her to the spot.

Before he had the chance to tease her any further, Elyse called him.

When he came back later, he finally realized what it felt like to have a girlfriend.

In the beginning, Colton had found Kristine's nonstop talking irritating.

Over time, however, her constant presence slowly became something he was used to.

There was even a moment when she fell ill and did not seek him out, and he felt an unexpected sense of emptiness.

A sharp stir of emotion hit Colton.

Turning his head, he looked at Kristine sitting beside him.

Since when had she grown so silent?

Looking back, it seemed to start after he repeatedly insisted on flying to Eyling, no matter how strongly she objected.

Initially, she had argued with him heatedly. Later, her resistance faded. Eventually, she stopped arguing with him about Elyse at all.

That realization struck his chest once more.

"Kristine, Elyse's return was because—" he said.

"This place is where we went on our first date," Kristine interjected. She opened the car door and stepped out. She didn't want to hear Elyse's name.

A moment later, Colton got out and followed her.

Pausing her steps, Kristine came to a halt in front of a small stall that sold chili dogs.

As the heir to the wealthiest family in Gridron, Colton had grown up under strict expectations and careful supervision.

Food from the streets had never been something he would willingly touch.

Kristine, however, loved pulling him through cramped alleys and sampling local snacks with him.

This stall had been the very first place she ever brought him to eat.

The memory of Colton's expression twisting in obvious disgust when the chili dog was handed to him still lingered vividly in her mind.

"Two chili dogs, please," Kristine said, snapping back to the present and placing the order just as she had done years ago.

"All right. It will only take a moment," the owner answered.

Seeing such an eye-catching pair together was a first for him, so he stared briefly before remembering to move.

Even though four years had gone by, Kristine could still recall this place with striking clarity.

Colton's gaze stayed on Kristine, his throat bobbing slightly as he spoke. "We could go back to how things were at the beginning."

No more fights. No more cold silences. How perfect that sounded.

A faint trace of irony curved Kristine's lips. "If Elyse had never existed, then maybe we could have."

Reality, however, never allowed room for such possibilities.

"Elyse's situation will be resolved soon," Colton said with certainty as he held onto Kristine's hands. "We can return to how things were before."

Only at that moment did he notice how cold her hands felt.

The fear rising in his chest made his grip tighten instinctively. "Kristine, believe me. We can make this work."

Something within Kristine wavered.

"There is no chance left anymore. Tonight I—"

Her words were cut off when Colton's phone suddenly rang.

The sound came from Elyse's exclusive ringtone.

A faint smile lingered on Kristine's lips as she quietly mocked herself for believing him even briefly, and for thinking they could ever go back to the past.

Without hesitation, Colton answered the call.

The voice that came through was not Elyse's. It belonged to her attending physician, Brent Walsh. "Colton, you need to come to the hospital immediately. Elyse's heart condition has worsened, and she truly needs you here right now."

Colton's face turned rigid. "I understand."

After that, he turned around and walked away.

Kristine kept her eyes on his departing figure, the same faint smile still resting on her face.

Her emotions did not waver.

No matter whether Colton appeared today or not, she had already decided to walk the entire food street they once visited together, from beginning to end.

At the time, Kristine had been completely unaware of Elyse's existence.

She truly believed that Colton loved her as well, which was why he had indulged all of her playful behavior.

It was only much later that she finally saw the truth clearly.

Leaving the food street behind, Kristine stepped away and paused to cast one final glance at the bustling crowd, then she turned around and headed straight for the airport without looking back.

By seven thirty that evening, Kristine had already arrived at the airport.

While she waited to board, a message from Colton came through. "Are you still at Gridron University? I'm on my way there!"

She did not respond. Instead, she cut off every possible way for Colton to reach her.

After a long stretch without any reply from Kristine, a shadow passed through Colton's usually calm eyes.

Trying again, he sent another message and immediately realized he had been blocked.

A crease formed between Colton's brows.

She was clearly angry.

Even so, this was not the first time Kristine had cut off contact with him.

"Colton," Brent said as he approached quietly from behind, "Elyse has woken up and is asking to see you."

Pressing his fingers to his temples, Colton answered, "Alright."

He believed that Kristine would eventually remove the block, so he chose not to dwell on it.

That being said, he knew he had neglected her lately.

Once everything was resolved, he would make things up to her properly.

...

Once she settled into her seat on the plane, Kristine pulled down her sleep mask and slept through the entire journey without waking.

When she finally landed in Peudon, the clock had already passed one in the morning.

Standing by the exit were her mother, Monica, whom she had not seen in years, along with Monica's second husband, Steven Palmer, and their daughter, Jemma Palmer.

"So cold. Why would you choose such a late flight?" Jemma complained as she stomped her feet impatiently.

Kristine felt no real closeness toward this half-sister, so she stayed silent and got into the car.

Inside the vehicle, Monica reached out and held Kristine's hand with warmth, though the gesture felt less like a mother welcoming her child and more like a hostess receiving a guest. "Kristy, I am really glad you finally came to your senses," she said. "Colton might seem decent, but how could he ever compare to Asher? Asher will take over Edwards Group. Once you marry him, your life will be secure."

Leaning her head against the window, Kristine kept her eyes closed and spoke in an even, emotionless tone. "During the seven years I did not come home, I still heard that three years ago, Asher broke his leg and became disabled."

A brief silence settled inside the car.

After a pause, Monica replied awkwardly, "Well—"

"I only agreed to return for this arranged marriage because I owe Jemma," Kristine interjected. "After I marry Asher in her place, that debt will be settled."

An even heavier silence filled the car.

Quiet glances passed between Monica and the others, yet no one spoke.

After they reached the house, Kristine pulled her suitcase upstairs to the second floor.

Although Monica tried to stop her, she was already too late.

All she could do was stand there and watch Kristine open the bedroom door, then stop short.

Monica said with hesitation, "Kristy, since you are rarely home, we gave your room to Jemma."

Pink filled Kristine's vision as she looked into the room, and anger surged instantly. "Is there a shortage of bedrooms in this house? Why did it have to be mine?" she asked.

Monica found herself at a loss for words.

What they had done was clearly inappropriate, yet it had already been done.

"Who would have thought you would turn out this worthless? We really believed that after all these years, you would have secured Colton," Jemma said from downstairs, her expression dripping with disdain. "You chased him for seven years, yet you still lost to a woman who only just returned from overseas. Kristine, you are truly pitiful!"

A dark shadow passed through Kristine's eyes.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward, snatched a notebook from the desk, and flung it toward Jemma on the first floor.

Startled out of her wits, Jemma rushed into Steven's arms. "Dad, look at her. She has completely lost her mind!"

"That is enough," Monica said, casting Steven a sharp look and motioning for him to take Jemma away. Once the house finally fell quiet, she turned back to Kristine, guilt heavy in her voice. "Kristine, I have already arranged the guest room for you. You can stay there for tonight."

Before Monica could say more, Kristine pulled her suitcase along and walked straight out of the villa.

She had reserved a room at a luxury hotel.

The service there was flawless, and a car had been arranged to pick her up.

More than an hour later, Kristine arrived at the hotel. After collecting her key card, she headed directly toward the elevator.

At that moment, Bobby, who had just stepped into the hotel, froze when he noticed a familiar figure disappearing into the closing elevator doors.

From behind him, a colleague asked with curiosity, "What is it?"

Shaken from his thoughts, Bobby replied, "Nothing."

For a moment, he wondered if he had really seen Kristine.

That idea made no sense.

Since his boss was still in Gridron, Kristine should have been there as well.

The pressure from the upcoming collaboration with Edwards Group had made him overly tense, and that the lack of sleep was probably causing him to imagine things.

With a shake of his head, he picked up his pace and headed toward the front desk to check in.

The following day, Kristine received a call from a number she did not recognize.

The person on the line introduced herself as the secretary of Asher Edwards, her arranged-marriage partner, and informed her that she needed to arrive at Edwards Group before three in the afternoon to meet Asher, or the appointment would need to be postponed.

The way it was handled felt very much like Colton's approach, yet Kristine did not feel repelled by it.

Maybe that was because this arrangement was nothing more than a transaction, with no emotions attached.

Right at three in the afternoon, Kristine stepped into Edwards Group.

Inside a richly furnished office, Kristine came face-to-face with Asher.

Seated in a wheelchair, he still carried an air of elegance, and his features were undeniably striking.

Where Colton felt like biting winter ice, Asher instead resembled a gentle breeze in midsummer.

"I was told the one arranged to marry me was Jemma Palmer. Why did your mother send you instead?" Asher spoke up. His voice remained steady and composed, without the slightest hint of pressure, sounding more like small talk between familiar faces.

"Because I'm into you, I offered to take Jemma's place," Kristine answered.

A gentle smile appeared on Asher's face. "It is not just people in Gridron who know you love Colton Yates. Even in Peudon, everyone knows."

"That was in the past," Kristine responded calmly. "I have already changed my mind."

Asher studied her unwavering gaze without blinking, and curiosity stirred within him. "You truly do not like Colton anymore?"

Kristine was about to respond when a knock interrupted them. "Mr. Edwards, the partners have arrived earlier than scheduled."

With a slight lift of his brows, Asher gave Kristine a look filled with unspoken meaning. "Stay here for now. I will return soon."

That promise of being quick stretched into more than an hour.

By the time Asher came back, the shift in his demeanor was unmistakable.

"As for the marriage arrangement, I have no objections," he said. "When would it suit you for us to get married?"

Although she was confused by the sudden turn, Kristine still answered, "The sooner it happens, the better."

"Very well," Asher said. "After I sign the partnership this Friday, we will register the marriage." He then summoned his secretary to see Kristine out.

A slight frown appeared on Kristine's face.

She sensed that something about Asher had changed after that meeting, yet she could not identify exactly what it was. In the end, she chose not to dwell on it and followed the secretary out of the office.

Once the door shut behind them, a meaningful smile slowly spread across Asher's face.

The group he had just finished meeting with turned out to be under Bobby, Colton's assistant.

So Colton had no idea that Kristine had already returned to Peudon. He also had no clue that she was about to marry him.

That realization made the situation far more intriguing.

At the same time, downstairs, Bobby caught sight of Kristine as she walked out of Edwards Group. He rubbed his eyes again and again before finally accepting what he was seeing. It really was Kristine.

The fact that she had come back to Peudon left him completely stunned.

For seven whole years, she had remained in Gridron without leaving even once.

Without wasting a second, Bobby sent Colton a message. "Mr. Yates, I just saw Miss Green in Peudon!"