?strongChapter 48:/strong

His agenda for the day included fetching Carrie from her hotel and treating her to lunch, followed by aprehensive medical examination at the hospital.

Carrie had a penchant for ying up her grievances to capture his attention, recently even resorting to threats of divorce to underscore her displeasure. If she bore any visible scars, Kristopher knew she would leverage them to stir up drama for years. Moreover, her delicateplexion made any blemish particrly conspicuous and unappealing. The mere thought exacerbated his headache.

His musings were cut short by the sweet chime of his phone. Answering the call with nonchnce, he was greeted by Elva’s anxious tone. “Mr. Norris! Lise’s heart issue has red up once more!”

“What’s going on?” Kristopher inquired, his voiceden with concern.

Elva paused, searching for the right words. Then she replied, “Last night, there was some confusion—possibly the production team’s oversight—they seemed to have sponsored some hashtags about the audition. When Lise’s fans started attacking Carrie, she retaliated by leaking clips from the audition. You know Lise—her skills might not be top-notch, but her dedication is undeniable. Unfortunately, the leaked footage sparked a fierce online debate, and critics used Lise of underhanded methods to nab roles. It really got to her. Being naturally sensitive, Lise took the criticism to heart. As soon as I heard about the bacsh, I dashed to get her something to help her rx, hoping it would ease her into sleep. But by then, she was already overwhelmed, sobbing uncontrobly under her covers until exhaustion took over, leading her into a fitful sleep gued by nightmares.”

She then exined further, her tone filled with worry, “This morning, she was a mess—panic-stricken, heart pounding. I was so rmed that I called an ambnce. It took some time, but we managed to calm her down. That’s when I contacted you.”

Kristopher pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. “Didn’t I tell Oliver to block all posts rted to this immediately? How on earth did shee across it?”

Elva hesitated, her words halting. “This one’s on me. I was so wrapped up in my worries after the news broke that I lost track of my surroundings. While I was hashing things out with my assistant in the hallway, I didn’t realize Lise was overhearing every word. Despite your quick grasp of the trends, it still hit her hard.”

There were even callsing in for her at midnight—people insulting her harshly. I can’t fathom who would orchestrate such a thing.

Her voice shook with emotion. “You’ve always been there for Lise since the very start of her career. She’s never faced such tant hostility. The barrage of online criticism is enough to unnerve even the most resilient, and she’s particrly fragile. Mr. Norris, I truly didn’t intend to drag you into this mess, but…”

Kristopher cut in, a firm resolve in his tone. “I understand. I’m already on my way to see her.”

A faint smile touched Elva’s lips. “Mr. Norris, Lise will be thrilled to know you’reing. A chat might just be what she needs to break the cycle of her worries. Oh, and perhaps bring along some roses? She loves those flowers dearly, and seeing them could bring a smile to her face.”

No sooner had Kristopher disconnected than Oliver stepped in, carrying an impressivelyrge bouquet of roses.

“Mr. Norris, these just came in by air. I believe Mrs. Norris will be delighted with them.”

Kristopher only flicked a fleeting nce their way. “Lise is struggling with heartplications. We won’t be stopping at the hotel. We’re heading straight to the hospital.”

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