?<strong>Chapter 328:</strong>


    “Didn’t you?” Carrie shot back, looking away as she stood and made her way to the dining table. “You’ve never supported my choice to get into the entertainment industry.”


    Kristopher stayed where he was, sprawled on the sofa with his legs stretched out, his eyes fixed on her as she walked away. “If you want to make it in something, you can’t just bury your head in the sand like an ostrich.”


    “The inte forgets easily. For someone like me, insignificant and unimportant, any controversy will blow over if I just stay quiet. Why stir up trouble now?” Carrie sat down at the table and casually picked up a shrimp.


    Kristopher lit a cigarette, the dim light casting a glow on his fingers. “If you stay quiet, they’ll think you’re scared, and it’ll only get worse. The only way to handle this is to stand your ground and make them realize they can’t take you lightly.”


    This was a mindset Kristopher clearly applied to his world of business. But would he still feel the same way if he knew it was Lise causing her trouble?


    Carrie took a brief pause, her eyes staying down, not meeting his.


    She quietly continued eating the shrimp, lost in her thoughts, saying nothing.


    Kristopher inhaled deeply from his cigarette, letting the smoke linger in the air as his voice, low and edged with something unspoken, cut through the quiet. “I can help you find some opportunities.”


    Carrie, lost in thought, barely registered the edge in his tone. She shrugged dismissively. “No need.”


    Kristopher’s eyes darkened, and he leaned in slightly, pressing further. “Why? You’re just going to take whatever Soren throws your way? You’re not even signed to hispany. Does he have nothing better to do than chase resources for you that have nothing to do with your acting?”


    A flicker of something—anger or frustration—stirred in his eyes. “No wonder Silver Elephant Media is always stuck in second ce.”


    Carrie remained silent, her gaze distant, as if his words hadn’t reached her at all.


    Kristopher stared at her for a moment longer, his lips pressed in a thin line. He let out a sigh, then, with swift motion, he stubbed out his cigarette, his long fingers pressing the tip into the ashtray with deliberate precision.


    Standing, he grabbed his coat, the fabric brushing the back of his chair as he made his way toward the door.


    Carrie’s eyes followed him for a brief second. Her lips parted, the words she might have spoken hanging unsaid.


    But before she could gather herself, Kristopher had already stepped out, the door closing behind him with a soft click.


    She stared at the closed door for a moment, then slowly returned to her meal, the rhythmic clink of her fork against the te the only sound in the room.


    Lately, she’d been avoiding Kristopher in subtle, almost instinctive ways. Each moment spent with him felt fragile, like the bnce between them might snap at any moment.


    The topic of divorce had started to fade into the background, but in truth, it still loomed over her like a shadow.


    She feared her resolve—the one she’d worked so hard to forge—might slip away before she could regain control.


    Once she’d finished her meal, Carrie remembered the outline she’d justpleted for her new script. She’d decided to visit Silver Elephant Media, hoping to present it directly to the nning department.


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