Chapter 13:
“Yes.” Kristian didn’t back down.
“Even if I hadn’t changed,” Freya countered, her confidence unshaken, “the moment you saw those chat logs about Ashley’s accident, you’d have accused me without a second thought. Admit it.”
Kristian opened his mouth to argue—then froze. She wasn’t wrong.
With a flick of her wrist, Freya tossed the card back at him, rubbing her temples as frustration simmered beneath her skin.
What was wrong with her? Since when did she let someone so irrelevant rattle her? Hadn’t she accepted long ago that Ashley would always come first in Kristian’s heart?
The card bounced off Kristian’s chest, leaving him momentarily stunned. Before he could react, Freya’s voice cut through the silence—this time addressing the driver. “Watson, drop me at the next intersection.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
Kristian’s voice turned glacial. “Why?”
“To stay away from you.” Freya’s tone was sweetly mocking, her composure fully restored. “Wouldn’t want your idiocy rubbing off on me like some common cold.”
Kristian’s temper flared. Since when did she wield sarcasm like a scalpel?
“Drive straight home,” he ordered through gritted teeth.
The driver obeyed, the car accelerating toward Regalia Villas. Any lingering guilt Kristian had evaporated under the heat of his irritation.
Thirty minutes later, the car rolled to a stop at a villa’s driveway.
Freya was out before Kristian could move, her purse slung over her shoulder as she vanished inside.
Feel the thrill at gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s﹒𝚌o𝓂
By the time he reached the living room, the bedroom door had already clicked shut behind her.
Knowing she’d change, he forced himself to wait.
Ten minutes later, Freya emerged in soft, loose clothing, her wispy bangs framing a face that looked deceptively fragile.
She didn’t so much as blink at Kristian’s presence. She knew exactly why he’d stayed.
“We’re due at my parents’ at six,” he said the moment she settled on the sofa. “Be ready. The driver will fetch you.”
Freya grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV. “Not going.”
“Freya!” His voice was a warning.
“You broke your promise first.” She didn’t glance up. “Don’t expect me to play along now.”
“There are priorities,” he snapped, studying her like a stranger.
“Shopping with you or Ashley’s life—which matters more?”
The TV blared to life with a variety show’s canned laughter.
Freya’s jaw tightened. Just hearing Ashley’s name made her temples throb.
Once, she’d pictured Kristian’s beloved as gentle, radiant—worthy of the devotion he gave her.
Now? The woman’s two-faced nature was almost disappointing.
.
.
.