Chapter 134:
She pushed open the door with quiet resolve. Inside, Trent sat alone, wearing his usual relaxed grin, his gold-rimmed glasses lending him an intellectual air.
Upon seeing Freya, he greeted her warmly, “Ah, you’ve arrived.”
“Mmhmm,” she replied steadily.
Trent’s eyes gleamed with a hint of mystery as he said, “I have something intriguing to show you.” He reached into his pocket and produced a bundle of photographs.
Freya raised her eyebrows, surprised by the gesture.
With a flourish, Trent presented the photos, his demeanor calm and dignified. “These are genuine—take a closer look.”
Curious, Freya began sifting through the images. Each one revealed candid moments of Ashley entangled romantically with a man.
Among the photos were intimate shots of kisses, casual exchanges at social events, and everyday moments from their lives.
“Where did these come from?” Freya asked, her eyes fixed on the photos Trent had placed before her.
Though she had no genuine interest in Ashley’s personal life, Trent’s deliberate decision to show her these pictures suggested he had something important to say.
“A business partner gave them to me,” Trent replied honestly, making no effort to hide the truth. “He mentioned someone approached him to issue a press statement and fabricate stories based on these images.”
Freya’s brow furrowed slightly as she considered the implications.
She knew Ashley worked as a model. Unfortunately, Ashley lacked proper motivation and always chose the easiest path in her career. This had limited her fame within the industry.
Freya understood that obscurity offered no protection from public scrutiny. Even relatively unknown people could suddenly become the center of a social media storm. When that happened, internet users would methodically dig up every personal detail, down to their home address.
𝗀Ɐ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝒸𝗈𝗺, 𝓶𝗈𝗋𝑒 𝓬𝒉𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝗈𝗇
“Do you want to return to Alerith?” Trent asked, noticing she had absorbed the situation. “There’s a midnight flight with seats still available.”
Freya looked at him with genuine confusion. “Why would I?”
“If I’m right, Kristian already knows about your hacking skills,” Trent explained after carefully analyzing Freya’s predicament. “The moment Ashley’s scandal breaks, you’ll become his primary suspect.”
“If I leave suddenly, his suspicions would only grow stronger,” Freya replied, showing a clear understanding of the situation.
Trent studied her face carefully.
Freya gave her definitive answer. “He has falsely accused me many times already. Whether I stay here or flee to Alerith, as long as he has doubts, he will create problems for me.”
Besides, she was still waiting for her divorce proceedings to be finalized.
Time had once seemed to rush by, with entire years disappearing in what felt like moments.
Now, paradoxically, each day stretched endlessly, making thirty days of waiting feel like several arduous years.
“Would you like me to track down whoever is behind this?” Trent offered, possessing both the connections and resources to do so.
“That won’t be necessary,” Freya replied, having spent the afternoon investigating Ashley’s previous car accident. “Even if you identified them, they might simply be pawns rather than the true orchestrator.”
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