After hiding the card, Freya returned to the room and knocked softly on the door. Alva, who had just finished drying herself and putting on the dress Freya had brought, opened the door. Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying. Freya stepped inside, trying to keep her expression calm. "What happened?" Alva asked, her voice shaky. "Did you return the card?" Freya nodded quickly, forcing a reassuring smile. "Yes, I gave it to the staff at the counter. They said they’ll contact him immediately." "Good," Alva muttered, her fists clenching at her sides. "He can take his dirty money and go to hell." Freya reached out and touched her arm gently. "Come on, let’s get out of here." Just as they turned toward the door, it suddenly burst open, and Diego stormed in, his face twisted with anger. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here," Diego sneered, his eyes narrowing at Alva. "You call me names, act like you’re chaste, and then run straight into another man’s bed. You’re no
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Alva remained at home, crying harder than she ever had in her entire life. Her Granny had been her entire world—the only person she truly considered family, the only one who had ever shown her unconditional love. Her mother and brother? They couldn’t have cared less about her, and she knew it deep in her soul. While Alva grieved, her best friend Freya was out shopping, spending the money from Jonas’s card. Freya bought everything her heart desired—clothes, furniture, and even a house. Each time Freya spent the money, Jonas received an alert. Every time his phone buzzed, he shook his head, muttering to himself. "I’ll wait and see what she does when the money runs out." Freya purchased a new house for her parents and even bought herself a smaller, beautiful home. Despite her spending spree, Freya made time to check on Alva. She called, visited, and tried to comfort her grieving friend. But Freya never told Alva the truth about the card.
After Pete left her alone in the room, Alva struggled against the ropes binding her hands, twisting and pulling with all her strength. The coarse material bit into her skin, leaving red marks, but she couldn’t free herself. Tears welled up in her eyes, frustration and anger bubbling inside her. The door creaked open, and Pete entered, accompanied by a group of maids. Alva’s heart sank as she watched him approach with an infuriatingly smug expression. He walked over and untied her hands. “Here you go,” he said, gesturing to the maids. “These are the women who will be at your beck and call.” Alva glanced at the group of over twelve maids and rolled her eyes. "As if I need all this fuss," she thought bitterly. “And,” Pete continued, “there are also ten bodyguards assigned to you. They’ll keep an eye on you, so don’t try anything funny. You wouldn’t want to get hurt, would you?” He turned to one of the maids and ordered, “Make sure she eats. She looks too pale—it’s making me lose my
Freya smiled warmly at Alva and said, "Come on, have you forgotten how you’ve been cooped up at home all this time? Ever since you lost your Granny, you haven’t really been yourself. How could I have introduced you to him then?" Alva nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. "You’re right. But now, I really want to meet him, okay?" Freya grinned. "Okay. He’s really busy, but I’ll talk to him. Of course, he’ll make time to meet my best friend." As they sat in the cab heading back home, Freya turned to Alva, her face lighting up. "You know, Lance promised to buy me a car soon." Alva’s eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That’s amazing!" Freya nodded, clearly excited. "Yeah, he said it could be any day now. I can’t wait!" "You’re so lucky," Alva said, a hint of awe in her voice. Freya beamed. "I feel like all my dreams are finally coming true. Oh, and guess what? Lance also said he wants to send me to college. What do you think? We could go together—he’ll take care of everything
Freya quickly made a phone call, and as she had promised, Alva was offered a job and asked to report for work the very next day. "I still can’t believe it—I actually got a job! Thank you so much, Freya," Alva said, her face lighting up with excitement. "You’re welcome," Freya replied, smiling. "And the good thing is, this place pays weekly, so you won’t have to wait too long to get your money." "That’s great, but it doesn’t matter much to me," Alva said. "I’m not planning to spend the money—I’ll save every bit of it." When Alva arrived at the supermarket, she was amazed at how luxurious it was. "Freya’s boyfriend must be incredibly wealthy," she thought. "If he can bring her to such a high-end place, he must have more money than I imagined." As she reported for her first day, Alva realized that a different manager was on seat and the latter stared at her with an air of disdain. Alva tried to brush off the unease she felt, smiling politely. She regretted not wearing one o
Alva glared at Jonas, her voice trembling with rage and disgust. “You wish! Why would I ever carry a child for someone as vile as you, Jonas Stanford? I hate you more than anything in this world. I’d rather die than bear your child!” Jonas’s face darkened, his expression turning ice-cold. His voice was sharp as a knife. “Then go die.” Without another word, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing like a drumbeat of rejection. Alva stood frozen, her chest heaving with anger. She clenched her fists, trying to steady her breathing. Her vision blurred with tears she refused to let fall. Just as she was about to leave, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her mother’s name flashing on the screen. She stared at it, hesitating. Her fingers hovered over the reject button, but the phone kept ringing. Her mother didn’t give up, and when Alva didn’t answer, a text came through. "Don’t you want to know about your birth parents?" The words hit her like a jolt of
Meanwhile, from the moment she heard Alva's words, Freya kept calling back her number, but each time, the call went straight to voicemail. Panic clawed at her chest as she paced back and forth, clutching her phone. Her hands trembled, and regret filled her heart. She wished she hadn’t lied to Alva about having a rich boyfriend. If someone like that truly existed, maybe he could have helped her now. Desperation made her thoughts turn to Jonas. Her eyes widened as a glimmer of hope flickered in her mind. "Yes! No matter what kind of man he is, it’s his child. He wouldn’t let them kill his baby." Without wasting another second, Freya left the car dealership where she was about to acquire a new car for herself and hailed a cab to Jonas' company; Stanford Group. When she arrived at the sleek glass entrance, she hesitated, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "How am I supposed to convince the receptionist to let me see him?" She glanced around, unsure of her next move, when her ey
Just as Jonas carefully lifted Alva into his arms, Freya following closely behind, Spear stormed out of the house. His face was twisted with anger, and his voice was sharp as he yelled, “Hey! Where are you taking my sister? Put her down and mind your own business!” Jonas turned slowly, his gaze icy. He recognized Spear as the one who had appeared at the balcony the moment Alva jumped, and figured out that she must have been running from him. As Spear approached, reaching out to grab Alva, Jonas’s patience snapped. Without hesitation, he lifted his foot and delivered a powerful kick to Spear’s chest. Spear stumbled backward and hit the ground with a grunt while Jonas continued to his car. At that moment, Tiril, Alva’s adoptive mother, rushed out of the house. Seeing Spear rise angrily, ready to fight Jonas, she grabbed his arm, holding him back. Her expression shifted as she got a good look at the man holding Alva. Her grip on Spear tightened. “Spear, stop!” she hissed. “Do you
"Hi, Nikolai, this is Freya, Alva's best friend. Alva just asked me if you and I have spoken, and I remembered she gave me your number and mentioned you were going to call me. Is everything okay with you?" Freya stared at the message she had just typed into her phone, her thumb hovering over the send button. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she let out a shaky sigh. The thought of sending the message filled her with dread. She knew she could never send such a message. Lying on her bed, she clenched her phone tightly. She could almost hear Alva's voice in her head, teasing her about her feelings for Nikolai. Freya shook her head, trying to dispel the nervous thoughts. Just as she was about to delete the message, her mother’s voice rang out behind her, startling her. “What are you doing, Freya?” Freya bolted upright, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly turned her phone screen downward and tossed it onto the bed before spinning around to face her mom. “Nothing! Just..
Alva stepped back abruptly, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at Jonas, unable to believe her eyes. The world around her seemed to blur, and all she could focus on was him, standing there with that familiar look in his eyes....an expression she had tried to forget but couldn’t. "Jonas..." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her racing heartbeat. Jonas gave her a small, apologetic smile. "Yes, it's me." His voice was warm, yet there was a hint of hesitation. "I’m sorry you haven't heard from me in a while. I thought you needed time to adjust to everything in your new environment. And, honestly, it’s been difficult not talking to you." She blinked, struggling to process his words. "So you followed me all the way here?" Her tone was accusatory, but the fluttering in her chest betrayed her annoyance. Jonas chuckled softly, the sound rich and soothing. "No, not exactly. If I’d known you were in Denmark, I would have been more prepared. This is a surp
Alva stretched her legs cautiously, testing her ankle with a few steps. Then, with a sudden burst of confidence, she strode across her room and twirled around. “Perfect!” she declared to the empty space. “Goodbye, crutches. Hello, independence!” Vidar, walking by her room, poked his head in. “Did you just say goodbye to inanimate objects? Should I be concerned?” Alva grinned. “Laugh all you want, Vidar. You don’t know what it’s like to walk with crutches or limp around.” “True,” Vidar agreed, leaning against the doorframe. “But you’re walking fine now, so no slacking for you, especially during this workshop. You’ll be networking like a pro.” “Networking?” Alva groaned. “Why does that sound like a punishment?” Vidar smirked. “Because it is. But you’ll survive. I’ll make sure of it.” At this time, Thea was pacing her room, muttering under her breath. “If Alva hadn’t come along, I would’ve been the one going on this trip with Vidar,” her voice dripped with resentment as s
Freya sat nervously in the corner of the small eatery. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. The place was warm and simple, with soft chatter and the clinking of plates filling the room. Across from her, Jonas leaned back in his chair, watching her closely. His gaze was sharp but didn’t feel mean. “Relax, Freya,” Jonas said, a small smile on his face. “You look like I called you here to yell at you.” Freya shifted in her seat, trying to smile back. “It’s not that… I just don’t know why you wanted to meet.” “Let’s start with dinner,” he said, pointing at the menu in front of them. Freya shook her head quickly. “I already ate. I’m not hungry.” Jonas raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He set the menu aside and leaned forward, his face turning serious. “Alright, let’s get to the point. Freya, I was angry with you before. Because of what you did, I kept misunderstanding Alva, and things between us got bad.” Freya’s stomach twisted with guilt. She opened her mouth to apol
Freya’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she grabbed Alva’s hand tightly. “You’re incredible. I knew you were destined for greatness, Alva, but CEO? That’s next-level stuff. I’m so proud of you!” “Thank you,” Alva replied, squeezing her friend’s hand. “And when the time comes, you can come work with me in the company. We’ll run it together.” Freya’s lip quivered, and she blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears in check. “Alva, you’re the best friend anyone could ask for. No, scratch that—you’re the best human being alive.” Alva giggled. “Don’t cry, Freya. Save the waterworks for the CEO inauguration.” “I can’t help it!” Freya wailed dramatically before pulling Alva into a bone-crushing hug. “I’m the luckiest person in the world to have you.” As Freya finally released her, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, smiling brightly. “So… can I come on this fancy business trip too? I’ll hide in your suitcase.” Alva shook her head, laughing. “No can do.” “Why not?
Thea’s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her teeth ground against each other as she watched Alva bask in the warmth of everyone’s affection. The realization hit her like a slap to the face—Alva had planned this. She had the evidence all along and had played the helpless victim, crying her way into everyone’s hearts. And Thea? Thea had walked right into her trap. Her head began to spin as her mind screamed, 'I was outsmarted by her?' “How could I be so foolish?” Thea muttered under her breath, her voice so low only she could hear it. Karina’s voice snapped Thea out of her angry thoughts. “I will think of a befitting punishment for what you’ve done,” Karina said, her gaze icy as she looked down at her daughter sprawled on the floor, still feigning remorse. “Mom, I didn’t....” “You’re grounded for a month, for now, until I think of a much better punishment,” Karina declared firmly, cutting off Thea’s weak protest. Thea’s mouth dropped open. Grounded? She
Alva’s hands trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice barely audible. “Why does this always happen to me?” she whispered, clutching her chest as though trying to hold her breaking heart together. Vidar stepped closer, his voice steady yet soothing. “Don’t cry, Alva. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters here is that the jewelry is yours, and you have every right to take it whenever you want.” Her mother, Karina, nodded firmly, moving to stand beside Vidar. “He’s right, Alva. What’s mine is yours. You’re my daughter—feel free to take anything you need, anytime.” Karina’s voice held a protective tone, though her furrowed brows betrayed her inner conflict. Alva glanced at her mother, her lips quivering. “But I didn’t even know the jewelry existed until now.” Before Karina could respond, Nikolai interjected, his jaw tight with anger. “Alva didn’t put that jewelry there. Someone else did this, and I won’t spare them.” Vidar placed a firm hand on Nikolai’s shoulde
Thea's tears fell freely as she sobbed in the middle of the room, her voice trembling. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve only ever wanted the best for this family.....for us. And now, you’re all treating me like I’m an outsider.” She sniffled, glancing around the room with a pitiful expression. “I was only trying to help. Alva is my sister, and I just wanted to make sure she’s on the right path.” Alva softened her gaze. She stepped forward, her voice calm yet firm. “You’re right, Thea. Maybe you’re only doing this because you care.” The room fell silent, everyone staring at Alva as she faced Thea directly. “If you think this is your way of helping me, then I’ll prove to you that I don’t need saving,” Alva said gently. “What would it take for you to believe that I didn’t take the jewelry?” Thea hesitated, her lips twitching as if she was weighing her next words. Finally, she spoke, her voice tinged with resolve. “If we searched your room and didn’t find the jewelry, I’d bel
The room was tense. The weight of Thea's accusations hung in the air like a storm cloud, thick and suffocating. Alva stood in the middle of the chaos, her face calm. “You’re all acting like I’m the villain here!” Thea’s voice cracked with frustration, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I can’t just sit back and let Mom be wronged. I love Alva, she’s my sister. But it kills me to think that she could do something like this to the person who’s given her everything!”Alva scoffed but she didn’t respond. Thea turned to the others, her voice softening, as if she were pleading for their understanding. “Even if Alva wanted the jewelry, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing. Mom was already planning to give it to her. But stealing it? That’s what hurts. Seeing my sister hurt my mother is unbearable.We all know Alva didn't grow up with us. She had a rough life and no one knows how many times she must have stolen, just to survive. How can we help her if she doesn't acknowledge her pr