?<strong>Chapter 403:</strong>


    Carrie’s smile faded. She sat up straight, turning to face him. “So, when I was a housewife for those two years… was that how you felt? That it didn’t matter?”


    Kristopher hesitated, his eyes meeting hers. “In some ways, yes,” he admitted, choosing his words carefully.


    Carrie let out a small sigh, her gaze thoughtful rather than angry. “It wasn’t all hardship, you know. Back then, I thought it was meaningful to clean our home and cook for the person I loved. But…”


    She paused, choosing her next words deliberately. “When you ce too much importance on someone else, you start to lose yourself. You still need your own space, your own identity.”


    Kristopher’s expression softened as he nodded.


    Carrie reached for his hand, her smaller palm covering his. She looked him in the eye, her voice firm but tender. “In the future, just say what’s on your mind, okay? Don’t make me guess. Communication is key in a rtionship.”


    Kristopher studied her for a moment before a smile curved his lips. “Alright,” he murmured. He leaned in, brushing her bangs aside with his fingers before cing a feather-light kiss on her forehead.


    Time passed quickly, and before long, the filming of “Agarwood” was nearlyplete. Carrie’s personal life was going well, and her career was thriving just as smoothly.


    The inte was constantly updated, and with the Norris Group’s meticulous efforts to clear her name, it became nearly impossible to find any negative press about Carrie. Those who had stumbled across the gossip began to question if they were somehow experiencing the Mand Effect.


    The variety show “Weekend Party,” which had been dyed due to the negative publicity surrounding Carrie, was now back on the schedule. Due to the lengthy postponement, much of the show’s content had already leaked to the public. Carrie discovered that Lise would be joining the show as well.


    Kristopher had been chauffeuring her to and from work nearly every day, but today, with him workingte, Camille took the opportunity to step in.


    As Camille arrived to pick her up, Carrie casually mentioned that she would be sharing the stage with Lise on the same show. Camille nearly hit the brakes out of shock.


    “Wait, seriously? They’re putting you two together? Isn’t that just setting the stage for drama?”


    With aposed tone, Carrie replied, “The production team wouldn’t mind if we’re awkward. In fact, the more awkward we are, the more attention it’ll get.”


    Frustrated, Camille smacked her steering wheel and eximed, “They’re so desperate for ratings. This kind of stunt is just ridiculous.”


    Feeling the weight of her outburst, she softly ran her fingers over the steering wheel of her pink Maserati—a gorgeous gift from Albin. The frustration began to fade, reced by a pang of guilt.


    Fate had a funny way of working, bringing Camille and Albin—two people frompletely different worlds—together. And somehow, their bond only deepened with time.


    Bringing herself back to the moment, Carrie said, “It’s probably just a coincidence. The filming and release schedules for ‘zing Sun’ and ‘Agarwood’ are pretty simr, so they likely both want to promote their shows on ‘Weekend Party.''”


    .


    .


    .