Chapter 52:
Their communication was infrequent, but when either faced challenges, they unhesitatingly provided assistance. Considerable time had passed since their last exchange.
Meanwhile, Freya occupied the passenger seat of a pristine white sports car, enduring an unceasing stream of chatter from the driver beside her, as if he sought to compensate for two years of unspoken words.
“Freya, are you actually listening to what I’m saying?” Frederick asked. Dressed in youthful, vibrant casual attire, his cherubic face radiated boyish charm.
Freya responded with characteristic bluntness. “You’re making excessive noise.”
Frederick deflated instantly. “Have your feelings for me diminished?”
“Continue speaking, and you’ll complete this journey on foot,” Freya stated with surgical precision.
Frederick fell silent immediately. He understood that truly provoking her would yield severe consequences.
As they approached the hospital, anxiety gripped Freya once more. “Is Sheila genuinely stable?”
“You’re familiar with my sister’s medical expertise, aren’t you?” Frederick reassured her, recognizing her concern. “When news of Sheila’s accident reached her, she volunteered to treat her personally. She understands Sheila’s significance in your life.”
Freya experienced marginal relief.
Before disembarking from the plane, she hadn’t anticipated Frederick waiting for her at the airport.
When his message appeared after landing, surprise washed over her. Only after entering his vehicle did she learn that her father had arranged for someone to meet her following their conversation. Frederick had coincidentally been at the hospital with Hugh and assumed the responsibility of collecting her.
gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cóm is your escape
These thoughtless individuals—hadn’t they considered she might not be able to get a ticket?
Her phone suddenly vibrated against her palm.
Freya absently unlocked the screen to discover an email from an account she had seldom used during the past two years.
Freya opened the email containing the startling request to investigate herself.
Her eyes darted to the sender address. This wasn’t just any contact—this was someone she had collaborated with extensively years ago. Back then, she had valued their expertise and shared objectives, which had fostered a period of productive partnership. But as circumstances calmed, their communication had dwindled to silence.
Why the sudden interest in investigating her now?
Her fingers hovered briefly before typing a response. “Did she offend you?”
The message had barely left her outbox when Kristian received it. He had anticipated the possibility that after years without contact, the hacker might have abandoned this account. He had been prepared for his request to vanish unanswered into digital oblivion. The immediate reply caught him off guard.
Sitting in the car’s back seat, he tapped thoughtfully on his keyboard before responding, “No, helping a friend investigate. Can’t say more. Can you look into her?”
Freya examined his response, her forehead creasing with concentration. Suddenly, something clicked. She opened the attached image and scrutinized it carefully.
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