?<strong>Chapter 326:</strong>


    Carrie’s face remained unreadable. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”


    Willow paused, carefully choosing her words. “Ma’am, Mr. Norris has been so kind to you, and you should be grateful. There was a Ms. Nash who used to visit here. Mr. Norris treated her so well, and she always expressed how thankful she was. She said she was lucky to have met him. You should learn from how she treated him. He’s such an exceptional man. If you don’t appreciate him, others will.”


    Her words were tinged with mockery, disguised as concern for Carrie but clearly aimed at belittling her. She was insinuating that Carrie, unlike Lise, failed to appreciate Kristopher’s kindness.


    Carrie raised an eyebrow, offering Willow a half-smile. “Since Ms. Nash is so perfect, why don’t you suggest to Mr. Norris that he find a new wife? Perhaps someone like Ms. Nash, exactly as you describe her?”


    Willow’s eyes went wide, her words catching in her throat.


    Wasn’t Carrie supposed to be concerned about her status as Mrs. Norris? Willow had intentionally brought up Lise to stir up a sense of urgency in Carrie, hoping it would push her to react out of jealousy and make Kristopher turn against her. But unexpectedly, Carrie didn’t bite.


    Instead, she leaned into the suggestion, casually implying Kristopher might prefer Lise as a recement.


    Of course, Willow had hoped for that very oue, but she could never say it so directly. She couldn’t fathom where this so-called Cindere was getting such a bold attitude.


    Was Carrie really so confident, so unafraid of leaving the Norris family? Had she found someone else to rece Kristopher? But when it came to wealth, power, and looks, was there anyone in Orkset who could rival Kristopher?


    The more Willow dwelled on it, the more baffled she felt.


    “In the future, keep your thoughts to yourself,” Kristopher interjected calmly before Carrie could respond, his tone utterly emotionless.


    Feeling intimidated, Willow gave herself a light p and quickly defended herself. “I went too far. I’m sorry. I only wanted Mr. and Mrs. Norris to have a happy marriage…”


    Before she could even finish her sentence, Kristopher fixed his gaze on her and said firmly, “There will only ever be one Mrs. Norris. Don’t drag anyone else into my personal matters.”


    His tone carried an undeniable authority this time, like amand being issued.


    “Understood, Mr. Norris,” Willow muttered, bowing her head and clutching her cleaning cloth tightly, too intimidated to protest further.


    “You can go now,” he said with a dismissive wave.


    Relieved, Willow exhaled quietly and hurried back into the kitchen.


    Carrie, meanwhile, stared at Kristopher in surprise, her disbelief etched clearly on her face. This marked the second time he had stood up for her against Lise. She couldn’t decipher Kristopher’s intentions. Was he finally acknowledging his mistakes, or was this just another ploy to cloud her judgment and stop her from pursuing a divorce?


    On one hand, he wanted her to fulfill the role of a loyal wife, yet on the other, he couldn’t fully cut his ties with Lise.


    While Carrie mulled over her thoughts, her phone buzzed. Soren’s name shed on the screen.


    Kristopher nced at the screen, catching Soren’s name, and smirked. “You two seem awfully close,” he remarked with a teasing lilt. His tone lifted subtly at the end, making it sound more like a question than a statement.


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