Chapter 77:
Still, Hugh stayed silent.
They shared an unspoken pact to protect this secret until Ethel found happiness.
Frustration bubbled within Ethel. Her sister wouldn’t speak, her father remained silent. Were they conspiring to keep her in the dark forever?
Her phone vibrated repeatedly with incoming messages.
She unlocked her phone and found several images from Frederick.
“Freya and Kristian are locked in a confrontation!” Jackson’s message read. “He’s deliberately humiliating her, making a scene. Hurry—she needs backup.”
Ethel studied the photos, which showed an opulent private room where her sister and Kristian were engaged in a tense standoff. Even through the digital images, the threat of violence was palpable.
“Johnny, take us to Savory Haven immediately,” Ethel ordered the driver urgently.
Savory Haven was an exclusive venue catering to celebrities and business elites—ordinary people had no chance of getting in.
From Frederick’s photos, it appeared to be a business dinner. Present were Freya, Kristian, and several recognizable figures.
Hugh noticed her sudden distress. “What’s happening?”
“Mina and Kristian are in a confrontation,” Ethel explained, her voice tight with worry. “Frederick didn’t share all the details, but apparently Kristian is deliberately making things difficult for her.”
“Johnny, take the shortcut,” Hugh commanded, parental concern rising at the mention of Freya’s situation.
Frederick sat tensely, anxiety gripping him.
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His father had insisted he attend, calling it a valuable networking opportunity with a business legend. The invitation was impossible to refuse.
But he hadn’t expected the legend to be Kristian himself.
And to complicate things further, Freya was there as well.
“Unable to handle a few drinks, yet presuming to discuss business?” Kristian remarked from his place at the head of the table. Impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, he regarded her with cold indifference. “Do you really believe your appearance alone earns you access to financial opportunities in this place?”
Freya felt a migraine building behind her temples. She had come with the express purpose of confronting Edwin Newman, Cheryl’s older brother.
Though evidence implicated Emil Newman, Cheryl’s younger brother, as directly responsible for Ethel’s attack, Freya understood the manipulative influence of Edwin—widely known for his cunning—was likely orchestrating events behind the scenes.
With legal avenues exhausted against Edwin, Freya knew she had to confront the matter herself. Anyone who threatened Ethel’s wellbeing would face her unwavering opposition.
Kristian’s unexpected presence caught her completely off guard. “I have no interest in arguing with you today,” she replied with deliberate detachment.
Kristian’s entourage quickly stepped in with their flattery. “Mr. Shaw extends you the courtesy of a drink. Why do you remain standing there, unresponsive?”
“How did this establishment even allow such a woman inside?”
“One cannot deny her striking appearance, though.”
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