Chapter 10:
Before he could respond, she added, “Oh, and one more thing.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“In cases like this, the logical first step would be to call the police,” she remarked, holding his gaze. “Not to come after someone irrelevant like—”
Kristian’s expression darkened.
Strangely enough, the moment he learned Freya was involved, his first instinct had been to confront her—not to report it to the authorities.
For a moment, silence stretched between them, an unspoken tension lingering in the air.
Kristian found himself locked in her gaze. Her eyes—once perpetually warm—blinked slowly, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Neither of them looked away.
The moment broke when Ashley’s soft voice pulled Kristian back to the present.
“Kristian,” she murmured.
His head turned slightly. “What is it?”
Ashley hesitated for a beat before saying, “I want to rest now.” It was a simple request, but the implication was clear—she wanted them gone.
Freya, however, had no intention of leaving just yet. A subtle smile played at her lips as she took a step closer to the bed. “Before you rest, shouldn’t you apologize to me?”
“What?” Ashley’s eyes widened in feigned confusion.
Kristian caught Freya’s implication instantly. His voice dropped to a warning growl. “Freya.”
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She remained unshaken, her tone glacial. “I won’t blame you for seducing my husband—a relationship takes two. But let’s address your false accusation first.”
“I’m sorry!” Ashley’s apology tumbled out, saccharine with remorse. Her fingers twisted the sheets. “When I saw ‘Mrs. Shaw,’ I just assumed it was you.”
“Oh?” Freya’s smile sharpened. “I assumed you staged this ‘accident’ because you couldn’t bear the thought of Kristian shopping with me.”
“I didn’t!” Ashley’s protest was reflexive.
“Freya.” Kristian’s voice simmered with anger.
She shrugged, deliberately casual. “Can’t take a joke?”
“You call this a joke?” He stepped closer, shielding Ashley with his body. “Target her again, and you’ll deal with me.”
Freya laughed—a sound like shattering ice. “You rage over a joke, yet when she accused me of attempted murder, where was this fury for her?”
Kristian went still. His eyes turned arctic.
“Kristian Shaw.” She said his name like a verdict.
Something in his chest lurched.
He clenched his jaw against the feeling.
“Need I remind you?” Her voice quivered—just once—before steel returned. “We’re still married.”
Pride alone choked back the words.
“Your defense of her cuts deeper than you know.”
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