My coldhearted ex demands a remarriage

Chapter 44:noveldrama

“What’s the latest on the fire investigation? And how come my grandmother knew about Carrie’s accident before I did?” It dawned on Oliver then. He immediately explained, “Your grandmother called earlier to inquire about Mrs. Norris’s condition. I had no choice but to disclose the truth about her injury.”

As for… “And regarding Carrie’s injury…” Oliver paused, recalling how the conversation had abruptly ended when he brought up Carrie’s name, as Kristopher had cut the call short.

Choosing his words carefully, he began tentatively, “I was about to inform you of Mrs. Norris’s accident, but at that time, Ms. Nash had just suffered a heart issue during her audition, and you rushed her to the hospital.”

The memory hit Kristopher like a flash.

He remembered crossing paths with Carrie as he hurried Lise to emergency care, and their later encounter at the hospital. At that moment, he had assumed Carrie’s fall was a ploy for his attention. Could it be that she had been at the hospital for a genuine follow-up on her own injury? He realized he might have misjudged her intentions.

Kristopher’s features subtly tensed. Oliver, perceptive of the shift in his boss’s expression, cautiously continued, “The fire was quite fierce at that moment, and several media outlets managed to snap photographs at the scene. I spoke with the doctor who treated Mrs. Norris later. He described her wounds as severe, almost revealing the bone beneath. Thankfully, though severe, they missed any critical structures. She’s likely facing a long journey of cosmetic surgeries and various treatments to heal completely. He even said that had the injuries been slightly off, they could have restricted her ability to walk.”

Oliver had brought the relevant documents earlier, secured in a file folder, but only now had Kristopher gotten the chance to ask about them. As he did, Oliver quickly sifted through the stack of documents, pulling out the medical records and photographs and laying them before Kristopher.

Kristopher caught sight of a photo of Carrie being rescued, her face darkened with soot, stripped of her usual poise, her eyes wide with a blend of fear and confusion. His eyes then drifted to her leg, elegant and straight, yet marred by a grievous wound. Considering her delicate nature, it astonished him that she had not spoken of her injuries.

He had always ensured she lived a life of luxury. Yet, seeing her endure such agony now stirred a sharp twinge of heartache in him, mingled with a deep-seated guilt. Kristopher slid the photos face down on the table, his eyes shifting away as he instructed, “Handle this. Control the media narrative—whether it’s Lise or Carrie, keep it under wraps. And clear my schedule for tomorrow morning.”

“I need everything canceled. I’m going to the hotel myself to bring her back.”

“Understood,” Oliver responded with a nod, a wave of relief washing over him. The continual strain of his boss’s marital troubles had worn him thin, but this time, Kristopher seemed genuinely concerned for Carrie, not just for Lise.

Meanwhile, Ruby was making noticeable progress. The cameraman who had been tasked with capturing behind-the-scenes footage had indeed recorded the crucial audition scenes. However, wary of crossing the production team and Kristopher, he hesitated to hand over the footage to Ruby. But Ruby, hailing from a well-connected, affluent family, wasn’t one to give up easily. She dangled a more lucrative job offer and a substantial reward before him, ultimately securing the coveted video.

With adept editing, she uploaded the audition clip to Twitter. The accompanying caption read: “Rumors claim my artist secured a second audition by dubious means. We stand by our integrity and refuse to tolerate slander. Here’s the behind-the-scenes footage for everyone to see. We invite your feedback and oversight on Carrie’s performance. Moreover, we urge those unaware of the full story not to spread rumors, as we’ll protect Carrie’s name through legal means if necessary.”

She slipped into a private chat with Carrie, urging her to share the message on Twitter. Carrie’s account, marked with the platform’s blue check but silent for years aside from one automated tweet, felt like an empty shell. Despite being bolstered by ten thousand fake followers—a scheme concocted by the company—real engagement was virtually non-existent.

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