?<strong>Chapter 407:</strong>


    The yfulness in Lise’s demeanor faltered.


    Her brows knitted together as she picked up her napkin and tossed it onto her te with a huff of frustration. “I don’t want to hear about that ce while we’re eating!”


    Kristopher chose not to press the matter, his voice shifting to a neutral tone as he smoothly changed the subject. “What was it you wanted to talk about earlier? Do you need funding for the show? If so, tell me how much, and I’ll transfer it to you now.”


    He reached into his pocket, fishing for his phone.


    Lise quickly cut in, her voice firm yet tinged with restraint. “It’s not about money.”


    She hesitated for a moment, her earlier irritation melting into something softer. Her tone dropped to a near-whisper as she confessed, “Carrie is going to be on that show too. You know how people are—they’re alwaysparing us. Could you… ask her to withdraw?”


    The private room was steeped in an ufortable silence. Kristopher, seated at the table, pressed his lips into a thin line, ignoring Lise’s question. His fingers idly tapped the edge of his phone as he read Oliver’s message, wondering where he was.


    After typing a brief reply, he turned off the screen and began absently tracing the phone’s edges, his expression unreadable.


    Lise, perched across from him, turned her attention toward the decorative cutout in the wall. Through the gaps, she spotted Oliver approaching with two women. One of them was Carrie, her understated elegance unmistakable. The other woman, wearing a bold and eye-catching outfit, was Carrie’s friend.


    A flicker of cunning lit up in Lise’s eyes. She hadn’t expected luck to align so perfectly. Initially, she had only nned to stop by the Norris Group offices to “identally” run into Kristopher. But when she saw his car parked outside the mall, she couldn’t resist following him inside. And now, not only was Kristopher here, but so was Carrie.


    With Carrie now as her audience, Lise knew her performance would only be more dramatic. She wasn’t just here to tug on Kristopher’s heartstrings; she wanted Carrie to see her as the woman Kristopher would always choose.


    Originally, Lise had nned to use the show as an opportunity to make others believe she and Kristopher had reconciled, securing her position as “Mrs. Norris” in front of Carrie. When Kristopher had announced on the show that he and Carrie were married, it had been a devastating blow.


    Lise had always believed Kristopher to be an untouchable figure, a man above petty emotions like love. She had never dared to dream she could win his heart.


    When Carrie had married Kristopher, Lise hadn’t been worried. With no powerful family or influence to back her, how could Carrie possibly hold her position as Mrs. Norris for long? Lise had even believed Carrie’s arrival worked in her favor, creating a modern Cindere narrative that would make her own future with Kristopher seem inevitable.


    But she never expected Kristopher to fall for Carrie, to the point of giving up on her—abandoning his guilt, his years of dedication to her. Tears glistened in Lise’s eyes as she fixed Kristopher with a gaze full of longing. Her voice trembled,ced with emotion.


    “Kristopher, do you know what’s truly terrifying?” she said, her tone almost a whisper. “It’s not being in the dark. It’s when someone brings you into the light, shows you the colors of the world, and then throws you back into the darkness.”


    Kristopher’s response was calm, detached. “I never said I would abandon you, Lise. I promised I wouldn’t let you go back to your old life, and I intend to keep that promise. I’ll ensure your lifestyle is maintained—or even improved. I can transfer shares from somepanies in Izrosa to your name. That way, you’ll…”


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