Chapter 1207:

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A smile spread across Colton’s face, so genuine that it seemed to light up the entire room. “Don’t answer so fast. Think about it carefully. Once I accept you, there’s no turning back. If one day you regret it or decide you don’t want me anymore, I won’t make it easy for you to leave.”

“I’d never do that. I mean it.” Kristine raised her hand as if taking a vow.

Deep down, Colton couldn’t help thinking she was a little liar. But not a trace of that showed on his face. Instead, he nodded calmly. “Good. Then it’s a deal.”

Before either of them could say another word, his phone suddenly rang. The shrill sound made his chest tighten at once.

𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

He pulled it out of his pocket, glanced at the screen, and saw the hospital’s number.

“Mr. Yates, your sister’s condition has suddenly worsened. We’re arranging an immediate transfer overseas. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible.”

The call ended almost immediately, and a wave of shock swept through Colton. Everything was happening exactly as it had before.

Back then, Kristine had confessed at this very same moment, and he had rejected her ruthlessly. Then the hospital had called, and he had left without a single word of explanation.

When he finally came back after taking care of everything with Patsy, he had noticed the distance in Kristine’s attitude almost right away. Looking back now, he remembered being irritated by it. Later, though, Kristine had approached him again, and he had carelessly pushed the whole thing out of his mind.

For the first time, Colton truly understood how awful he had been. He had walked away from her without even the simplest explanation. Then, when Kristine was cold to him after he returned, he had actually felt wronged.

Thinking about it now, he couldn’t help feeling disgusted with himself. There was no kinder way to put it. He had treated her terribly.

“Kristine,” he said, making no move toward the exit this time, “my sister’s condition has gotten serious. I need to get to the hospital right away. Will you wait for me?”

“I’ll go with you.” The words left her mouth before she could second-guess them, and a faint blush immediately spread across her face.

Caught completely off guard, Colton stared at her. “Even if I end up leaving the country?”

A small smile touched Kristine’s lips. “Weren’t you the one talking about forever just a minute ago? If you were going overseas, I’d go. If you were going to the other side of the world, I’d still go.”

The emotion hit Colton so hard that, for a moment, he couldn’t speak.

He had always known Kristine cared about him. What he had never realized was just how deeply. Her devotion ran far deeper than he had ever imagined.

For a moment, it felt as though the walls around his heart were beginning to crack.

Then another thought followed. How heartless had he been to take feelings that sincere and trample on them again and again?

The memory alone made his chest ache. Every recollection forced him to face the kind of person he used to be.

After a long pause, he finally nodded. “All right,” he said quietly. “Then we’ll go together.”

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