Chapter 72
When the Boss’ Lady Became His Sister-in-law
Chapter 72
At Jamesâ Place.
Ever since that incident, Kristin has been holed up at home, too scared to step outside.
The online backlash was intense, and Kristin found herself in the eye of the storm once again.
Too terrified to venture out, she chose to remain hidden.
Although Harriet made several attempts to get in touch, Kristinâs fear held her back from agreeing to meet.
âGrabbed a bite yet?â James was back, carrying dinner.
Kristin stepped out of her room, shaking her head.
She was too scared to even look at her phone, let alone leave the house.
She feared that the online mob would corner her at her doorstep like they did six years ago, hurling trash at her, cursing her to drop dead, saying she had it coming.
âEat something.â James opened up the porridge, urging Kristin to have some.
Kristin sat at the dining table, her hands somewhat numb..
âIâve squashed the buzz online. Itâll all be forgotten soon,â James tried to reassure Kristin.
She said nothing. Would it blow over that quickly? The internet might forget, but she couldnât.
âTry to stay indoors for the next few days. Donât even think about hitting the club. After the chamber of commerce dinner, Iâll take you out to clear your head,â James suggested, knowing that the folks from the Haywood family were on the hunt for a private settlement.
It wasnât just the Haywood family searching. The Turner family and Fitzgerald family were also on the prowl.
Kristin looked up at James, waiting for some sort of assurance, but James couldnât give her a straight answer.
âIf Adrienne gets tangled up in criminal charges, the Haywood family wonât stand for it. Theyâll go to great lengths to find me. After all, sheâs your fiancée. Theyâll track me down sooner or later,â Kristin was aware that there were no secrets that time did not reveal.
Staying at Jamesâ home wasnât a safe haven.
âIâve got your back, James wanted Kristin to feel secure.
Kristin didnât push the conversation and just took a deep breath. She didnât eat much, feeling nauseous, and retreated back to her room, her figure solitary and forlorn.
James often felt the urge to pull her into his arms, but Kristin always seemed aloof.
He was well aware that without breaking off the engagement with the Haywood family, Kristin
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might never fully open up to him.
But he was confident he could keep her by his side. He just needed some timeâ¦.
With Carter not handing over the reins, James couldnât call off the engagement.
The Haywood family had been hounding him, urging him to get Adrienne out of the mess.
James had been dodoing everyone, letting Adrienne stew a bit. After all, actions had consequences. But James knew they couldnât drag this out much longer.
When the phone rang again, he knew it was Berg before he even looked.
Rubbing his temples, James answered the call.
It was Adrienneâs grandfather, Berg. He shared a strong bond with Carter, cemented by their shared experiences as comradesâinâarms.
âJames, Adrienneâs been bullied in Crescendo Town. What are you doing about it?â Berg went straight to the point.
âBerg, Adrienne was the one who messed up first,â James frowned.
âAdrienne is your fiancée, promised by Carter himself. How many women you have on the side. is none of my business. But if Adrienne knows, sheâs entitled to swing at whoever she wants.â
James stayed silent, just rubbing his temples..
âIâm speaking for Carter and Iâve come to Crescendo Town myself. Adrienne has been bullied into jail and I want to see whoâs got the nerve to do that.â
On the other end, Carter chimed in, âBring that woman back.â
âItâs not possible.â James said with a frown. He couldnât bring Kristin back to the Bryce family.
âJames, it seems like youâve grown too big for your britches,â Carter was furious.
7
âIâm coming home now, but⦠donât you dare touch her.â James said, glancing at the clock with a heavy heart.
With Berg personally arriving in Crescendo Town, the whole situation took on a different weight. If Kristin kept this up, it would only work against her.
After hanging up. James instinctively looked back.
Kristin was standing at the doorway, obviously having overheard their conversation.
âKrisâ¦â James wanted to explain.
With eyes reddened, Kristin gripped her skirt tightly. âJust go homeâ¦â she murmured.
James felt a pang in his chest but still spoke up. âAbout Adrienne⦠maybe let her off with a lesson learned and drop the charges. With Berg here in Crescendo Town, dragging this out will
Chapter 72
only hurt you.
Kristin trembled as she took a deep breath, holding back the tears. âI wonâtâ¦â
She wouldnât cave.
âNot even for Summer and Garner?â James didnât want to worry Kristin with this.
âWhat do you mean?â Kristin stepped forward anxiously, fearful of Jamesâ response.
âThe Haywood family have already approached Garner and Summerâs been ostracized by her classmates, even taking a break from school.â
Kristin stumbled back and was lost. She had known the Haywood family wouldnât let Summer and Garner off the hook.
âEven if I give in, they wonât stop coming after me!â Kristin yelled uncontrollably.
âKrisâ¦â James moved to embrace her to calm her down. âDrop the case for now, and Iâll handle the rest. Trust me, okay?â
âJames⦠you wonât call off the engagement, right? You wonât!â Kristin pushed James away in desperation, retreating helplessly.
âTomorrow is the big shindig at the Silvergrove Chamber of Commerce, and your answerâ¦
Canât be clearerâ¦â Kristin was trembling all over, heart racing.
She knew that James wonât call off the engagement with the Haywood family.
As long as James didnât bail on the engagement, there was no way she picked him, not even for a bit of leverage.
Kristin was not about to be the mistress, giving someone the ammo to keep hurting her. No
way.
âKristinâ¦â James was at a loss for words. This was one heck of a tangled web. âCalling off an engagement is not as easy as you think. When businesses and families get hitched, thereâs al whole lot of strings attached.â
Kristin cracked a smile and took a step back.
Truth be told, it was all because she was not important enough.
Kristin knew she was a small fry, insignificant.
âJust give it two years. Once Iâm fully in charge, my marriage to Adrienne will be nothing more than a formality,â James tried to get it through to Kristin that he didnât love Adrienne, marrying her was all about the power play.
Kristin kept backing up, shaking her head nonâstop.
James was not the one she was supposed to go for
The phone rang over and over, and James, clearly irritated, yanked at his tie. âStay home, take it
Chapter 72
easy. Just lay low for a while.â With that, James took off.
Bergâs arrival in Crescendo Town was a sure sign that the whole Haywood family was on the
move.
James needed to keep Carterâs temper under wraps for now.
With Carterâs health being a bit shaky these past few years with high blood pressure, James didnât want him blowing a gasket.
As for Kristin⦠Before leaving. James took one last look back at her.
James believed that he was the only one that Kristin could lean on, her sole source of protection.
He could stash her away for now, and revisit this in a few yearsâ¦
Kristin stood there numbly, watching James leave.
She couldnât stay here any longer.
The Haywood family had called James away to hunt her down, and she wasnât safe around James.
In a frenzy, she dashed back to her room and grabbed her phone. Throwing on her coat, she wrapped up tight and hesitated for a moment before running to the kitchen to grab a fruit knife, and bolted out the door.
But it was too late.
Three black sedans had already pulled up outside just as James left.
Clearly. Jamesâ visit had blown her cover.
$
Out of the cars stepped Vincent and Clarence.
The other cars were packed with the Haywood family members.