Freya sat face to face with Desmond in a fancy restaurant, chewing her food reluctantly as she stared hard at him for an unnerving amount of seconds, scrutinizing him as if placing a laboratory specimen under observation.Desmond, who was “engrossed” in his meal, gave a slight smile as he devoured his chicken, chewing in a way which anyone would term as “adorable” or “endearing”. His expression and demeanor would never give someone, who had never had an encounter with him, the impression that he was indeed a terrible person. He looked entirely innocent and friendly with Freya.“What's wrong, Freya? You don't like the food?” He asked with a concerned expression on his face.“I do. I just love to chew my food slowly”, she said slowly, a feigned smile on her face.“Sure. That's very ladylike. So typical of you to observe good table manners”, he said in a gentle calm voice and a warm smile.Freya's brows furrowed in a slight frown as she regarded him, refraining herself from cringing in s
Freya averted her gaze quickly in discomfort, squeezing her fork tight, suppressing the difficult emotions welling up within her. She swallowed hard as her heart thumped roughly through her chest.“Are you okay, Freya?” Desmond asked, sensing her unusual behavior, his tone laced with concern.“I'm fine”, she replied curtly, stealing a furtive glance at Diego.“Do you need to use the restroom?” He pressed on, leaning forward to take a closer look at her face in concern.“I just want to go. I've lost my appetite”, she said sharply, lowering her gaze.Desmond hesitated for a few seconds, watching her closely before letting out a deep sigh and a slight nod of understanding. He knew fully well that Freya's sudden strange behavior was as a result of Diego's unexpected appearance at the restaurant. What he didn't understand was why she was so tense just by looking at Diego. Diego on the other hand seemed to be mad at her. The usual Diego he was accustomed to would have darted towards them
Freya remained silent, trying to figure out the best method to pour out her heart to Diego, her eyes fixed directly at him in an intense manner.Diego couldn't bear the prolonged uncomfortable silence. He let out a deep sigh, shutting his eyes and rubbing his temples.“Talk to me, Freya”, Diego said with a soft voice as he opened his eyes slowly. “I'm ready to listen”.“The nerve of you to act like you know nothing about what you did to me”, Freya said icily as she fixed him with a glacial stare.Diego stared at her in disbelief. He couldn't fathom where the conversation was heading and what she was going on about.“Fine. I don't know what I did. Which is why I want you to say it”, he said in a low tone and looked away.Just as Freya was about to say something, Diego scoffed, running his fingers through his hair and pushing it backwards.“You know what? I can't believe this, Freya. I did something wrong to you and instead of talking things out with me, you resorted to going out on a d
Diego stared blankly into space for a long while, deeply absorbed in his thoughts.The swivel chair, which he sank into, faced towards the window wall in his office, making him stare blankly at the buildings and city beyond.Nothing made sense to him anymore. He forced himself to believe that Freya was simply playing a prank on him.He wondered why everything seemed to work against him at the same time. He already had to deal with the fake rumors being circulated about him, contemplating whether to address the public on his innocence in the false allegations and clear his name, or remain silent and let anyone believe whatever they wanted to.On a second thought, he wondered if the rumors being circulated was a deliberate act to daint his image. Why would anyone accuse him of things which he had never done and could never do? Plus, why would someone bring up the business conflict he had with Marcus many years ago, twisting the misunderstanding to look like he was fraudulent. After all,
It was Sunday. Freya and Noah were home, Noah playing around with his toys.Two weeks had passed without Freya hearing from Diego. The silence was long and excruciatingly painful, absolutely unbearable for her.Freya stared blankly at her phone beside her in intense anticipation of Diego's name appearing on the screen.That was the first time she had stayed for some days without a phone call or a text from him. She was certain he was probably mad at her.But what did she do wrong? Was she wrong to voice out her thoughts and conclusions? Diego was clearly the one at fault and the reason for their misunderstanding. He betrayed her.Freya sat still on the couch, deeply absorbed in her reverie, thoughts of Diego running through her mind. She recalled seeing him on the news a few days ago, clearing his name and disproving the allegations against him. He explained everything that happened in the past between him and Marcus and made it clear that there was no beef between them. He even went
"Have a seat”, Freya said in a low tone and took a seat on the couch. Diego gazed at her for a few seconds before taking a seat as well, at a considerable distance away from where she sat. Freya stole a furtive glance at the unusual gap between them, something she had never experienced since she met Diego. Hurriedly, he cleared his throat deliberately, a precursor to his speech. “I made a promise to you that I would come back with evidence to clear my name and prove my innocence to you. And I always keep promises, Freya”, Diego said firmly as he opened his suitcase and pulled out a file containing a few documents. Freya's brows knitted in suspense as she stared hard at the file, wondering what they could be about. “Take a look at these. With the help of my men and the private detective I hired, I got to find out what really happened the day you lost the contest and how it is linked to the rumors being circulated about me. Look at them”, Diego handed a few documents over to he
Freya attended to the customers at her food truck absentmindedly, her mind racing with several disturbing thoughts.It had been a few days since she last spoke to Diego. He was unusually distant and cold towards her. She sent him a few texts which he didn't reply to; he simply viewed the message and left it on “seen”.She didn't ever believe that Diego, who was madly in love with her, could become so detached. It hurt her in ways she couldn't explain and she felt worse knowing that she couldn't possibly do anything to save their bond. She watched Diego slip through her fingers.Just like he had advised, she went ahead to conduct a further investigation into what happened at the contest and the rumors about Diego. She saw for herself that he was indeed telling the truth and that Desmond had been pulling the strings right from time. He was the devious mastermind behind the chaos and now, his actions cost her Diego.Freya was deeply absorbed in her thoughts when she accidentally touched
Freya stood nervously outside the 25-story Hunter's Global Enterprises building which towered above her, its sleek design and shimmering glass façade intimidating and triggering her anxiety.She knew what she had to do and had thought about it well enough. There was no time to waste. She had to rectify her mistakes.Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her dress and composed herself before pushing open the revolving glass doors into a lobby with gleaming marble floors and a sleek reception desk. Her heart pounded as she approached, her mind racing with the impending confrontation with Diego.As she approached the reception desk, Freya's eyes scanned the area, searching for a glimpse of Diego. The receptionist looked up and smiled at Freya.“How may I assist you?” She asked, polite but detached.Freya began with a nervous stutter, “Uhm… I…” The receptionist raised a brow slightly, urging Freya to go on.Freya couldn't hide her nervousness. She blamed it on the fact that she had never b
Freya sat in the back seat of the car, staring out the window but barely seeing the city passing by. The late-morning sun poured down, its golden light sharp and relentless, as if mocking her awful state of dilemma.Everything outside looked so ordinary—people walking, cars streaming past—but her thoughts were far from ordinary. Her mind was chaos.Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, threatening to pour out. Desmond’s cruel and unbelievable ultimatum swirled in her head over and over, each word cutting deeper the more she thought about it.Each passing thought made her realise how deep Desmond's conditions were. They were deeper than what it sounded like, and a sense of fear enveloped her like a thick blanket.Desmond wasn’t just asking her to return to him. He was asking her to sacrifice herself for the sake of peace. To live a lie, trapped in a cage, while the people she loved moved on without her.Her heart ached, and her mind raced with disturbed thoughts. How far was she w
10:30 AMFreya’s driver parked her car outside the sleek, towering Everston Grande Hotel. The morning sun glinted off the mirrored windows, but the warmth of the day couldn’t melt the cold determination coursing through Freya.Taking a deep breath, Freya grabbed her purse and alighted from the car. Shutting the door with a soft click, she looked up at the gigantic hotel before her.She smoothed her blazers, straightening imaginary wrinkles. Then she began to approach the main entrance door with brisk urgent strides.She pushed open the glass doors and stepped into the lobby, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.Just then, she halted abruptly as she set her eyes on Desmond. There he was, standing near the entrance, impeccably dressed in a designer suit, his confident stance as infuriating as ever. He spotted her immediately, a smirk tugging at his lips."Freya”, he said smoothly, extending his arms in mock welcome. "I've been waiting for you.""Let’s just get this over
Freya rushed out of the hospital, the crisp morning air swirling around her. She didn't know exactly where to find Desmond, but she knew he was never far when chaos unfolded, always watching from the shadows and pulling the strings in secret.Today, she wouldn’t let him hide. Today, it ended—once and for all. And she had to do something quick. What if Desmond decides to strike again and eventually succeeds in killing Diego? What if Diego doesn't survive Desmond's next attack?She strode quickly to the parking lot where her driver had parked her car, waiting patiently for her. Earlier that morning, after Diego woke up, she had summoned her driver to get her car to the hospital where she was.Freya's calm facade crumbled, her jaw tightened, and her eyes burned with determination. She was going to find Desmond wherever he was hiding.She was the reason Diego had nearly died. If it wasn't because of her, Desmond wouldn’t have thought about hurting Diego or Noah. And now, she was going to
The hospital room fell silent, the faint beep of machines and the occasional footsteps of nurses across the hallway the only sounds heard. Freya sat beside Diego’s bed, carefully cutting a piece of toast into small, manageable bites. She had pulled a tray of hospital food, which contained a mix of bland oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and the toast, and balanced on a table close to his bed.Diego watched her closely with a small, amused smile, though his face was still pale from the injuries he was healing from."You don’t have to do this, Freya", he whispered, his voice soft but husky.Freya looked up from the food tray, her gaze meeting his tired eyes. "Of course, I do. Why not?" she said gently, spearing a piece of egg with the fork. "You’re still weak, and I’m not about to let you starve because hospital food isn’t exactly gourmet."He chuckled weakly, the sound more of a breath than a laugh. "Yeah, I’d rather be fed by you than eat this myself. Makes it taste good”, he said, his gaze s
7:23 AMFreya stirred slightly, her neck stiff and aching from where she had fallen asleep. She had slumped over in the hard chair with her head resting on the edge of Diego's hospital bed, her fingers curled loosely around his hand.The faintest movement beneath her palm made her brow furrow in confusion. Being half-awake, she shifted slightly, brushing it off as a trick of her tired mind. Then drowsily, her eyes sank downwards as she began to drift off to sleep once again.But then it happened again—a soft, deliberate squeeze on her fingers. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and her mind, still heavy with exhaustion, struggled to make sense of what she was feeling at the moment.The sterile white of the hospital room came into focus, and her heart thumped hard as she lifted her head, her disheveled chestnut hair falling around her face. Her gaze fell on the source of the touch — Diego's hand which was intertwined with hers. Just then, Diego’s fingers moved again, wrapping weakly ar
4:17 AMFreya gently twisted the door knob and cracked the door open. Before stepping in, she scanned the hospital room where Diego lay. Letting out a silent sigh, she stepped into the room, ushering Noah in. Then she gave a slight nod to the nurse who accompanied her as if asking for privacy. The nurse got the message and left, shutting the door behind her. The hospital room was quiet except for the rhythmic beeping of the monitors. Freya's eyes misted, her hand steadying Noah's as they approached the bed. Diego lay unconscious, his skin pale against the stark white sheets. An IV drip snaked down to his arm, and there was a pulse oximeter sensor clipped on his index finger. She had prepared herself for this moment, but the reality of seeing Diego like this was far more painful than words could convey.Freya's heart sank, and her face reddened in anguish. The sight of Diego's helpless state stole Freya’s breath, but it was Noah who let out a soft, broken cry.His grip on her hand
As Freya settled back into her seat, trying to focus on the relief of Diego’s survival, Desmond’s phone suddenly buzzed, shattering the deafening silence.Desmond pulled his phone out, glanced at the screen, and furrowed his brow, making a show of standing up and stepping away.“Yeah?” he answered, his voice pitched just loud enough for them to hear. Freya and Noah exchanged uncertain glances before returning their gazes to Desmond once again.A short moment passed before Desmond nodded, his expression shifting to what Freya recognized as his version of “concern.” “What? Now? Alright, I’ll handle it.”He ended the call abruptly and slipped the phone into his pocket, turning back toward Freya and Noah. Then he gave a small, almost theatrical sigh.“I’ve got to go. Work emergency,” he said, the words almost too casual for the supposed urgency in his tone. “I’ll have to leave. Keep me posted on Diego.”His voice carried that familiar blend of arrogance and feigned importance, which trig
The waiting room was quiet except for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights and the occasional rustle of papers at the reception desk. The atmosphere was still, the kind of quiet that felt heavy and unnatural.Freya sat stiffly in one of the hard plastic chairs, her hands gripping the edge of her seat. Her eyes kept darting to the double doors of the emergency unit at the far end of the room, every nerve in her body tense. Diego’s life was behind those doors, and the uncertainty was suffocating.She felt like she was holding her breath, afraid to let it out in case it broke the fragile silence. Her emotions were spilled all over, tears welling up in her eyes. She had promised herself she wouldn't shed tears anymore and that Diego was going to survive. However, the feeling of self-pity washed over her as she reflected on all she had faced alongside her loved ones in just one day.Noah sat beside her, his small legs swinging just above the floor. His face was pale, his usual spark di
Freya dug her fingers into Noah's hair, clutching his head as their embrace grew deeper and more desperate. She crouched down, pulling him even closer to her.As Noah buried his face in her chest, Freya felt a dampness seeping through her clothes from his eyes. “Don't cry, my love. I'm here now. Mommy's here. There's no need to be scared, okay?” Freya said in a soft whisper, stroking his back gently.Noah responded with a sniffle, his chest heaving intensely as he tried to fight back his tears. Desmond, on the other hand, stood still behind Noah, his hands still in his pockets.His expression was neutral, yet his eyes revealed he was weary of their overt display of a soul bond, like they were the only mother and son in the whole world. He constantly rolled his eyes subtly, waiting patiently for Freya to finally notice him.Freya planted a final kiss on Noah's cheek before releasing him from her embrace. Gently, she cradled his face in her palms and looked directly at his face, her ey