Chapter 2 I Want This One As Well

More than a dozen trucks were needed to clear every antique out of Kristine's house.

Standing inside the nearly vacant space, Kristine felt a strange sense of relief settle over her.

Reaching for her phone, she checked the calendar and only then noticed something she had completely overlooked. The day before her departure happened to be her birthday.

Over time, every holiday had turned painful for her, because each one inevitably came with a call from Elyse to Colton, and that was how she ended up forgetting her own birthday altogether.

Still, once Colton was out of her life, she could finally return to something resembling normalcy.

That night, she went to sleep holding onto that fragile hope. When morning came, she headed to a house. She and Colton had planned to live there after they got married.

Originally, Colton had purchased the house in full, yet she had insisted on paying half.

In her mind, a place could only be called home if both of them contributed to it equally.

Back then, she had little cash available, but she still chose to sell her most treasured pair of antiques. They had been truly irreplaceable.

After she entered the passcode, the lock flashed an error.

A frown immediately crossed her face.

She herself had chosen the passcode. It was made by combining both of their birthdays.

There was no logical reason for it to fail.

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman's voice came from inside the house. "Who is it?"

Seconds later, the door opened slightly, and a confused face appeared.

Caution crept into her tone as Kristine asked, "Who are you?"

Without hesitation, the woman replied, "And who might you be?"

Brushing past her, Kristine stepped inside and caught sight of Elyse emerging from the bedroom in a nightgown.

It became painfully clear that Elyse was already living there.

Annoyance surged through Kristine as she asked, "Who allowed you to move into this house?"

Seeing Kristine did not surprise Elyse in the least.

She had chosen to move in on purpose, fully aware what this place meant to Kristine.

With a calm smile, Elyse replied, "Colton told me to live here. Don't you understand yet? I'm the only one who matters to him."

Elyse waited, expecting Kristine to lose her temper, but instead, Kristine calmly pulled out her phone and dialed property management. "Hello, this is the homeowner. There is an unauthorized occupant in my house. How exactly are you handling your responsibilities?"

Nearly an hour passed before someone finally arrived.

Instead of property management, the person who walked in was Colton.

A cold presence clung to him as he stepped inside, his sharp features hardened by impatience. The moment he noticed Kristine, irritation flashed openly in his eyes. "What are you causing trouble over this time?"

A sudden ache struck Kristine's chest, and the pressure made it hard to breathe.

She had honestly believed she would feel nothing.

With restrained anger, she snapped back, "This is our house. What gives you the right to decide on your own and let her move in?"

The air between them grew heavy with tension.

Watching from the side, Elyse appeared more than pleased with how things were unfolding.

She put on a fragile expression and spoke gently, stirring things further. "Colton, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't realize this was the place you shared with her. I'll move out immediately."

Suddenly, she pressed a hand to her chest and began coughing hard, as though she might faint at any second.

Without hesitation, Colton rushed to her side and held her up. "Kristine, can you try to be reasonable for once?"

The sight of his hand supporting Elyse sent another sharp pain through Kristine. When Kristine spoke again, her voice sounded unexpectedly calm. "She doesn't have to leave. I paid for half of this house. Just return that half to me in cash, and we'll be done."

She had been worried about how to deal with the house.

Now, the problem had resolved itself.

Kristine's sudden rationality was exactly what Colton wanted, yet for some reason, it left him feeling uneasy.

"No problem. I'll have Bobby transfer the money to you once I get back," he said.

"Okay." After that, Kristine turned and left without looking back.

As Colton watched her retreating figure, a flicker of panic rose in his chest, but he quickly pushed it down.

Kristine loved him deeply. Even if she was upset, it was nothing serious. She would work through it on her own.

Later that afternoon, a transfer from Colton appeared in Kristine's account.

The figure totaled ten million, an amount that doubled what she had originally paid for the house.

Despite his many shortcomings, Colton had never been the type to hold back when it came to money.

Not long after the transfer, a message from him came through. "I will pick you up tomorrow."

There was no room for discussion in his words. It was a declaration.

This was how he had always behaved.

The message contained only a few words, offering no hint about their destination or who else might be present.

To him, adding details clearly felt unnecessary.

Without giving it much thought, Kristine dismissed the message. She slipped her phone away and returned to preparing everything she needed for her departure.

At exactly ten the following morning, Colton's car arrived downstairs on schedule.

Genuine surprise crossed his face when he realized Kristine was staying in her own house. "Aren't you living in Crestwood?"

Colton's villa was located in a neighborhood called Crestwood.

Kristine had only been permitted to move in during the third year of their relationship.

In contrast, rumors said that on the very first night Colton met Elyse, he had already brought her there.

That alone showed the gap between being cherished and merely tolerated.

With little emotion, Kristine answered, "I stayed there long enough. I got tired of it."

No further comment came from Colton, and the car filled with silence.

About thirty minutes later, the vehicle finally stopped in front of a high-end car dealership.

A brief emotion flashed through Kristine's gaze.

Just a month ago, an automotive company revealed a brand-new sports car to the public.

She had fallen in love with it instantly and had brought it up to Colton more times than she could count.

Since the model had not yet gone into mass production, only three units existed in the entire world.

Not long ago, this dealership had secured one of them, and the news had quickly spread everywhere.

Excitement surged in Kristine's chest as she stepped out of the car and followed Colton inside.

The instant she entered and noticed Elyse encircled by staff like the focal point of the room, her mood collapsed completely.

Just as Kristine was about to leave, Elyse spoke up in a gentle, deliberately sweet tone. "Colton, Kristine, you're here!"

Gesturing toward the very sports car Kristine adored, Elyse continued, "I've already chosen one, Colton. I want this one. Is that alright?"

Affection colored Colton's voice as he answered, "Sure."

When his gaze shifted to Kristine, the softness disappeared entirely. "You can choose one as well."

Kristine shifted her gaze toward Elyse, whose expression openly carried pride and provocation. Lifting her hand, she responded calmly, "I want this one as well."

A frown appeared on Colton's face. "Pick something else."

Without backing down, Kristine answered with resolve, "This is the one I want."

As she watched Kristine slip back into what she considered her former stubbornness, a faint curve appeared at Elyse's lips.

A glance was enough for Elyse, since she knew Colton would not approve.

As expected, Colton's expression tightened. "Don't be unreasonable, Kristine. There are so many cars here. Why can't you just choose a different one?"

Gently, Kristine echoed his words. "Right. Why can't I just choose another one?"

After that, she raised her head, and a bright smile slowly formed. "Don't be so tense. I was only joking. Of course, I wouldn't compete with your precious sweetheart. I want this one instead."

Following the direction of Kristine's gesture, Elyse turned to look, and her expression immediately darkened.

What Kristine had chosen was another sports car, one with a price tag of one hundred million.