Chapter 18:
She tapped out a quick text to Trent. “Once you’ve arrived in Jeucwell, give me a heads-up. We can meet tomorrow.”
She felt it was wiser to manage the situation herself rather than let Trent surprise her and potentially catch her off guard.
Exhaling a weary sigh, she mulled over her predicaments. Turning down her father’s requests was one thing; dealing with Trent was an entirely different challenge.
As the clock ticked towards six, she hurriedly changed her outfit and was about to step out when Kristian’s driver called her. She answered swiftly and then rushed out to the waiting car.
To her surprise, Kristian was already inside, looking slightly worn from the day but still undeniably handsome. His suit was the same one he had worn since noon, now creased, and his hair fell carelessly over his forehead, lending him an effortlessly charming, yet somewhat untamed look.
Freya chose silence as the car glided towards the opulent family estate. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken thoughts until they neared the grand gates of his family residence.
Breaking the silence, Kristian’s voice cut through the tension, contemplative and a bit uneasy. “If my mom asks why you don’t like me, what will you say?”
Freya met his gaze and replied without flinching, “The truth.”
“Freya,” he called her name, a note of caution in his tone.
“Hmm?”
“If you bring up Ashley, my parents and grandpa will never agree to our divorce.”
Kristian’s sharply defined features hardened, his eyes shadowed with a frosty glint.
𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: ⳑ𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⸬𝖼𝗈𝗺
Freya regarded his sudden concern with a mix of amusement and confusion. “Who said I was going to bring her up?” she asked, her voice laced with intrigue.
Kristian hesitated, a flicker of suspicion crossing his face. “What do you mean by that?”
“I simply don’t like you,” Freya stated with disarming frankness, her tone light but cutting. “Spending time on you feels pointless—I’m just not interested.”
While her mind lingered on thoughts of Trent, Freya had little interest in dragging out a nonsense debate with Kristian.
Despite Kristian’s efforts to brush off her words as mere spur-of-the-moment anger, her earnest expression conveyed her true feelings—she genuinely disliked him now. This harsh truth gnawed at him, stirring a blend of irritation and a profound, aching feeling he couldn’t quite define.
“We’ve reached our destination,” the driver announced as he swung open the car door.
Stepping out into the crisp evening, Kristian was about to remind Freya of their facade to avoid any talk of divorce when she smoothly took his arm, her actions belying her earlier detachment. “Let’s go,” she said flatly.
Kristian was momentarily dumbstruck.
As they walked towards their destination, he couldn’t help but feel that Freya had been playing the fool, expertly masking her true intentions from him all this time.
The expansive grounds of the Shaw estate unfurled like a regal tapestry, leading them through a lush courtyard and up to the imposing facade of the main building.
By the time they arrived, it was apparent they were the last to enter; the rest of the family had already gathered.
.
.
.