Chapter 138:
At eleven that night, Freya had just returned home from her meeting with Trent and finished showering.
As she prepared for bed, her phone vibrated, catching her attention. She answered on speaker, “Gerard?”
“Yes.” Gerard glanced nervously at his boss in the back seat, steeling himself before continuing, “I need to discuss something with you. Are you at home right now?”
“I am,” Freya confirmed.
She had a good impression of Gerard, appreciating his courage to stand against Kristian.
Gerard felt a surge of remorse, mentally apologizing to Freya repeatedly as he replied, “I’ll come up to see you then.”
“Alright.”
The call disconnected abruptly.
Gerard pressed his lips together anxiously, glancing at Kristian. “I’ve completed the task as requested.”
“I’ll overlook your previous indiscretion, but if it happens again, your position at Shaw Group will be terminated,” Kristian stated firmly, draping his suit jacket over his arm, his crisp white shirt contrasting sharply with his dark trousers.
“Understood completely,” Gerard acknowledged.
Kristian exited the vehicle with purposeful movements, striding toward Freya’s residential building.
“Wait!” Gerard called after him.
Kristian paused, his chiseled features emanating cool detachment, accentuated by the stark white of his shirt against the evening darkness.
“Should I perhaps secure accommodations nearby where you might refresh yourself before meeting Ms. Briggs?” Gerard suggested tactfully, his eyes briefly noting the telltale lipstick smear on Kristian’s collar. When Kristian had summoned him at nine o’clock for transportation, he had responded without hesitation.
However, the sight that greeted him—his immaculate boss marked with lipstick and enveloped in heavy perfume—had been utterly unexpected.
Even during Kristian’s relationship with Ashley, such evidence of intimacy had never been visible. Their physical contact had rarely extended beyond consoling gestures.
Yet tonight, the lipstick stain and overwhelming fragrance suggested considerable proximity with someone.
Kristian responded with biting coldness, “Am I required to bathe and change clothing before I’m permitted in her presence?”
“Not at all, sir. It’s simply that you’re currently displaying a woman’s lipstick mark and carrying a rather potent perfume scent,” Gerard explained carefully, indicating the stain. “Meeting your wife in this state might create an awkward situation.”
“That’s precisely the intention,” Kristian said firmly.
In reality, he couldn’t fully articulate why he was emulating Felipe’s tactics.
Yet after contemplating Zander’s observations, he found himself compelled to discover whether Freya still retained any emotional connection to him.
Human nature contains inherent contradictions—despite his proclaimed indifference toward her, despite his reluctance to see her, he now engaged in this peculiar behavior seeking confirmation. With these conflicting thoughts occupying his mind, he continued forward.
Gerard watched Kristian leave, smacking his forehead in resignation before deciding to let go of his concerns. After all, Freya was proceeding with the divorce from Kristian anyway.
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