?Chapter 268:


    If he chose, he could answer any call and speak with any of her friends or rtives. Yet now, as he tried to answer a call while she watched, she reacted with obvious nervousness. Did Fred mean that much to her?


    “But the past is the past!” Belinda struggled to free her hands from his firm grip, but she couldn’t.


    Overwhelmed by frustration, she finally eximed, “Kristopher, must I remind you again? We are divorced! Our marriage is a thing of the past, and I am now your ex-wife!”


    At this, Kristopher let out a cold scoff. “What if I want to answer this call for my ex-wife?”


    As he spoke, his hand moved again toward the answer button.


    “Kristopher!” At the critical moment, Belinda raised her voice, her tone grave, her face pale. “Don’t force me to hate you!”


    Kristopher’s hand, poised to press the button, halted abruptly. His expression soured as he looked from her to the phone in his grasp. After a tense moment, his face set in an icy mask, and he tossed the phone back to Belinda. “Boring.”<fnd76c> Content originallyes from FιndNovel</fnd76c>


    With those two words, he turned and took a few steps up to thending above. Leaning against the wall, he pulled out a cigarette. With a sharp “snap,” he lit it. The smell of tobo quickly permeated the stairwell.


    Belinda frowned at him, then gently covered the phone’s receiver and answered the call. “Fred?”


    “Belinda, bad news!” Fred’s voice came through the phone, tinged with urgency. “I just went out and saw a group of people in ck going door to door in the dormitory, asking everyone if they know which room I live in… Do you think Kristopher sent them?”


    The voice on the phone caused Belinda to instinctively furrow her brow. She swiveled her head, catching a glimpse of Kristopher huddled in the corner with a cigarette. The stairwell, dim and filled with a haze of smoke, obscured her view of his face.


    Belinda’s frown deepened. “Stay out of sight. I’ll see what I can do.”


    Discover new books gα?ησν???s


    “Okay.” For the first time, a hint of panic crept into Fred’s voice. “People are knocking on doors up here, and I counted five vans when I looked out the window. Looks like there’s a whole group, maybe a dozen or so, gathered downstairs…”


    He hesitated, worry lining his voice. “Belinda, do you think they’re out to get me? I managed to pull most of the info I posted, hoping it’d just fade away. It was all over in less than an hour. It couldn’t have affected Miss Miller too much, right? I figured the worst they’d do was call the police, I’d face a stern talk, maybe a short detention, and end with a public apology… But seeing all these people turn up at the university in the dead of night, I didn’t see thising…”


    His voice dropped to a whisper. “Belinda, except for you and Madisyn, I don’t have any other friends in Nawrin, and I don’t want to impose on you two sote. Do you have any male friends who coulde over to the dorm and help me find a ce to stay?” He hesitated before adding, “I stepped out to grab some water, and now I’m too scared to go back. All I have is my phone. My clothes and wallet are still in my room. I’m hiding in the stairwell right now…”


    As she listened to his anxious tone, Belinda’s expression turned into a frown, and she cast a quick look toward Kristopher. He was still there, casually leaning against the wall and smoking, seemingly in no rush, waiting patiently for her to end the conversation. She remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a subdued voice. “Stay hidden for now. Make sure they don’t find you. Put your phone on silent and avoid making any calls. We need to conserve your battery. I’ll work something out.”


    .


    .


    .