?<strong>Chapter 249:</strong>


    “Kristopher, you don’t care about me anymore,” Lise’s voice whined through the phone. “You skipped myst check-up, and now you’re refusing to go to Ofrubert. What if I need heart transnt surgery again? Would you ignore me from then on?”


    His tone turned sharp, almost scolding. “Don’t say things like that! You’re not going to need another transnt.”


    Realizing her mistake, Lise’s voice softened into a sugary pout. “Kristopher, that’s not what I meant.”


    Carrie froze mid-chew, Lise’s words hitting her like a gust of icy wind.


    So, Lise had undergone a heart transnt.


    A vague memory stirred—Kristopher once mentioned Lise’s “good heart.” Could he have been referring to the literal organ?


    And if so, what was the connection?


    The pieces of the puzzle danced tantalizingly close, yet one crucial fragment remained missing.


    Kristopher’s voice dropped, his earlier harshness reced with cating warmth. “Don’t overthink it. Transnts aren’t something you go through lightly. It’s not going to happen again. By the way, you liked that pink Porsche, didn’t you? I’ll have Oliver deliver it to you.”


    After a few more exchanges, Lise relented and hung up.


    Kristopher slipped his phone into his pocket and turned back to Carrie. “I’lle with you to visit the grave.”


    She blinked, his words pulling her back to the present.


    “No need,” she replied curtly. “I want to talk to my mom alone.”


    “I’ll drive you,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.


    “Fine,” Carrie muttered, her thoughts still swirling around Lise’s heart.


    Could Kristopher’s relentless devotion to Lise be tied to something deeper?


    She cast a sideways nce at him, her lips parting as if to voice her thoughts.


    But in the end, she lowered her head and continued eating in silence.


    What was the point of knowing? Would it soften the edges of her anger, or would it simply serve as another excuse to forgive him?


    A single highway stretched from Orkset to Carrie’s hometown, Esterhall, a ce notorious for its traffic jams during holiday seasons. Fortunately, with Asher scheduled to attend an award ceremony, the film crew granted an early leave. To avoid the traffic, Carrie suggested they set out a day earlier.


    After finishing her packing, she stashed some bread into her suitcase.


    “No need for that,” Kristopher said. “Esterhall has seen rapid development this year, faster than other counties. They even have a new hot springs hotel with a good restaurant.”


    “I’m not nning on staying at a hotel. I’ll be at my grandmother’s apartment,” Carrie retorted as she retrieved the bread and ced it back into her suitcase before securing it shut.


    Kristopher, caught off guard, asked, “You hadn’t mentioned that before.”


    Carrie gave a slight frown. “Why should I? Traveling together was all I agreed to, not sharing the same roof.”


    .


    .


    .