The bodyguards stationed outside heard the disturbance and instinctively concluded something serious was happening, pounding frantically on the door.
One guard immediately sent an urgent message to Kristian.
Freya registered the commotion at the door but paid it no mind. As Edwin attempted to call for assistance, she swiftly grabbed a nearby towel and stuffed it into his mouth.
.
.
.
Terror flooded Edwin’s eyes. He remained bewildered about how he had provoked this woman; he had never heard of anyone like Freya in Ethel’s circle.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Freya Briggs,” she announced with unsettling calm, her commanding presence filling the room. “I previously served as Ethel Briggs’s bodyguard. My absence gave you the opportunity to act. Now the time has come to settle accounts.”
Edwin grew increasingly agitated. He hadn’t been the one to harm Ethel.
“She isn’t someone you can intimidate with impunity,” Freya remarked, glancing toward the bathtub as water steadily filled it. She dragged Edwin into the bathroom and hurled him into the tub with surprising strength. “Should you dare hint or incite anyone to harm her again, I’ll return the suffering tenfold.”
Edwin was utterly shocked. How could this woman possess such formidable strength? He thrashed desperately in the water, struggling to break free, but his efforts were futile.
His hands had been securely bound with a necktie, leaving only his feet free to move. With his mouth obstructed and nose submerged, he began to choke helplessly.
For the first time in his life, he experienced genuine despair.
“Did you hear me?” Freya inquired coldly.
Despite the hatred seething within him, he nodded quickly, driven by primal fear.
Freya finally pulled him from the water, allowing him to breathe.
Meanwhile, outside, Kristian rushed to the scene upon learning the room was locked. His eyes had reddened with urgent concern. The mere thought of that despicable man potentially harming Freya ignited murderous rage within him.
He had completely forgotten Ethel’s mention of Freya serving as her bodyguard.
All he could envision was the gentle Freya who seemed to need his protection and intervention in everything.
He had already resolved that if Edwin dared lay a finger on her, the consequences would be devastating.
Gerard approached with urgent steps.
“Break down the door immediately!” Kristian commanded, his voice sharp with concern.
“We simply can’t…” the bodyguards admitted with evident embarrassment, having already tried and failed.
Kristian’s fists tightened until his knuckles whitened, then he delivered a powerful kick against the door’s surface.
Bang!
The entire door violently shuddered, its wooden frame threatening to splinter under the force.
Gerard observed silently, releasing an inward sigh of resignation. It was obvious that Kristian had fallen deeply in love yet remained utterly oblivious to his own feelings. He professed interest in Ashley, yet whenever she called, he promptly instructed Gerard to handle it, conveniently citing his arrangement with Freya as justification. He claimed no affection for Freya, yet monitored everything connected to her with meticulous attention, becoming consumed with anxiety at the slightest hint of danger. It seemed he would need to experience her absence to truly appreciate her presence.
Bang! Kristian unleashed another forceful kick, and this time, the door surrendered to his determination, flying open.
He strode purposefully inside, crossing the suite’s spacious living room toward the bedroom. The dreaded scenario he had imagined failed to materialize; instead, he found Freya perfectly composed, while Edwin appeared thoroughly drenched and utterly humiliated.
His heart, which had been pounding with dread, gradually calmed upon confirming Freya remained unharmed, his tensed muscles visibly relaxing.
He finally recalled Ethel’s revelation about Freya serving as her former bodyguard.
“Mr. Shaw…” Edwin had been released, but Kristian’s arrival filled him with paralyzing terror.
He recognized his catastrophic failure and couldn’t bear to contemplate the inevitable repercussions.
“Get out!” Kristian’s command cut through the air with glacial hostility. Edwin hastily wiped the water from his face and retreated with remarkable speed.
Freya tracked his departing figure and delivered a final warning.
“Remember exactly what I said. Don’t let it slip your mind.”
Edwin hesitated momentarily, barely containing his seething rage.
He departed without uttering a response, already formulating plans to enlist someone who would effectively handle Freya once he escaped this situation.
He longed to witness her begging desperately for mercy.
Freya discerned his unspoken intentions perfectly. She had deliberately tormented him to provoke precisely this reaction, enabling her to gather conclusive evidence that would secure his imprisonment.
“Sir, is Mrs. Shaw all right?” Gerard inquired cautiously from the doorway after Edwin had left in such a distressed state.
Kristian remained silent, striding purposefully into the bedroom before slamming the door with resounding finality.
Gerard comprehended the situation immediately, closing the entrance door his boss had forcefully compromised, manually securing it despite the substantial damage.
Inside the room, the subdued lighting persisted, and the subtle fragrance continued to permeate the air.
Freya had maintained her composure throughout; now that Edwin had been dismissed, she urgently needed to check on Sheila.
“Please step aside.”
“Step aside for what purpose?” Kristian’s words emerged through clenched teeth, his profound concern manifesting as icy displeasure.
“Have you forgotten your position as Edwin’s offering to me?”
Freya’s expression shifted to genuine bewilderment. Had he completely lost his senses?
“If you’re presented as a gift, then fulfill your designated role.” Kristian’s anger was authentic and profound.
The thought of her potentially encountering similar situations after their divorce weighed heavily on his conscience. He believed she needed a meaningful lesson in reality.
Freya locked eyes with Kristian, defiance blazing in her gaze. “Want me to knock some sense into you?” The challenge hung in the air between them.
Kristian fell silent, his thoughts swirling in the stillness that followed. Something had shifted – perhaps the tension had eased slightly, or maybe the room’s soft, muted lighting cast an enchanting spell – but he found himself irresistibly drawn to her.
Their six-month separation in different beds had created a chasm between them, eliminating both physical closeness and intimacy. He approached her deliberately, each step closing the distance as an invisible aura seemed to shimmer around her form.
Freya’s brow creased with subtle disapproval, discomfort evident in her posture.
“I have things to do,” she announced, attempting to break the building tension.
“Don’t tell me you don’t understand what it means that Edwin arranged for you to be here with me.” Kristian’s voice deepened as his breathing grew heavier, his eyes darkening with intensity. “Do you think I’ll let you leave now?”
Freya met his stare head-on. “Are you saying you want to sleep with me?”
Kristian edged closer, catching the fresh scent that emanated from her skin. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Yes.”
Freya remained wordless, her silence heavy with meaning.
Just as she prepared to dismiss him, strong arms suddenly lifted her, depositing her onto the soft surface of the bed.
“Kristian…” His name escaped her lips as a warning.
“Don’t speak.” Kristian’s towering figure loomed above her, his arms creating a cage around her slender frame.
Their faces hovered mere inches apart, their breaths mingling in the charged space between them.
Freya sensed the heat radiating from his body, growing by the second. Having shared eighteen months of marriage and a bed with him, she recognized this particular response all too well.
“You’ve been quite the troublemaker lately, haven’t you?” Kristian murmured, his breath brushing against her cheek. “There were times I wanted to drag you home and set you straight.”
Freya didn’t flinch or look away.
Kristian’s gaze dropped to her lips, lingering. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, the temperature between them rising. His eyes darkened as he leaned in. Freya turned her head aside.
Kristian had always been the one in control – leading, overwhelming, making her feel both pleasure and madness. But he was no longer hers.
“Why are you avoiding me?” His voice was husky, the kind that could unnerve even the steadiest resolve.
Freya’s reply was blunt. “I don’t sleep with just any man.”
Kristian stilled. For a second, he just stared at her, as if her words didn’t compute. “What?”
“You heard me.” Freya held his gaze. “Don’t pretend you don’t get it.”
Kristian’s jaw tightened. “We haven’t finalized the divorce.” Something flickered in his eyes as he recalled what Gerard had mentioned earlier. “We’re still married.”
Freya’s voice was steady, unwavering. “Did you forget about Ashley? Aren’t you worried she’ll find out you’re sharing a bed with me behind her back?”
It was as if she had doused him in ice water. The heat between them evaporated in an instant.
“Move,” she said, her voice calm, almost indifferent.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.