"What's your name?”Freya drew a deep breath, steeling herself before responding to the question. She hesitated for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts.“Freya July… Sorry, Freya Dominic”, Freya stuttered, indecisive on whether to use Desmond's last name or her maiden name.Without any documents bearing her married name at hand, Freya opted to use her maiden name for the interview. Having removed her wedding ring and thrown it away, she had already mentally severed ties with Desmond.The head chef raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Freya as if searching for the slightest weakness in her interview performance.Freya swallowed hard and kept her expression sober, maintaining her composure.“So, why are you here?” The head chef asked.“I came here to look for a job. I want you to hire me as one of your chefs”, she said boldly, successfully concealing her underlying nervousness.“Do you have any certified culinary qualifications? Did you go to any culinary school?” The chef asked, adjusti
Diego held her face in his palms, examining her closely, his eyebrows knitted in concern.“Freya, are you there? What's the matter with you? You almost got yourself killed!” Diego exclaimed, his tone laced with fright.Freya swallowed hard and looked away, humiliated that he had caught her in that vulnerable state. She sniffed nonchalantly and smoothened her dress like nothing had happened, trying to regain her composure.But Diego didn't break eye contact with her even for a second, and finally, she surrendered to Diego's fixed gaze and she melted the moment she looked into his eyes, her tough exterior softening instantly. She watched his worried eyes slowly transform into somewhat angry eyes as he reacted to her strange behavior lately and the fact that she had kept him in the dark for the past few days. He had never looked at her that way before, and she felt the intensity of his mean stare.“Freya, what's been going on with you? Why did you choose to cut me off? Have I done someth
Freya held the refrigerator open and peered inside in search for any food available for her to eat as breakfast. The only food which was previously available was the one Imelda had prepared earlier for herself and Noah, which was his breakfast before Freya had taken him to school. But all that food had finished already.On finding nothing to eat, Freya walked out of the kitchen with a downcast demeanor, heading out for another day's job hunt on an empty stomach. She would rather go hungry for a whole day than ask Imelda for help and get subtle insults in return.Just as she was about to head out, Imelda came down the stairs, walking towards her.“Freya, you're back from dropping Noah off?” She asked, her expression seemingly concerned.Freya nodded in response, too tired to answer the irrelevant question to which the answer was quite obvious.“So any luck yesterday? Talk to me,” Imelda asked softly, with a concerned look on her face.“Nothing yet, Imelda. But I remain positive”, she r
Freya sat idly for hours in her mobile food truck, staring blankly into space, pondering on her miserable life, despair and frustration evident in her facial expression.All day, she had had only five customers, and now it was almost four, edging into evening. She always closed by five, a routine she had stuck to since launching her business three weeks ago. Fortunately, Imelda offered to pick up Noah from school daily on her behalf which was a strange but welcome help.The scarcity of customers gravely affected her income. She wasn't making much profit and that got her so worked up.At first, she had told herself that her newness to the roadside fast food scene was the reason for the slow start, and that customers just needed time to warm up to her gourmet burgers. But now, even that reassuring thought felt like a lie. Maybe success just wasn't her thing.A sudden fear gripped her, and she shuddered at the memory of Imelda's massive loan— $250,000. If her business tanked, her life wo
Freya and Diego sat in silence for a few moments in his car, the evening unfolding outside. Freya gazed blankly out the window, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Diego. Unaware, Diego's eyes remained fixed on her, his gaze intense, admiring her as she stared away. After a brief, wordless pause, Diego sighed softly and cleared his throat, intentionally breaking the silence to grab her attention.“Freya, how have you been all these while?” He asked, watching her closely to see her expression.Freya turned to take a glance at him, trying to come up with a suitable response to his question.“I've been okay”, she replied stiffly.“How is Noah? He's in a new school, I guess”.Freya's eyebrows knitted together in a faint frown, surprised by Diego's knowledge of Noah's new school. Though she was curious about his sources, she didn't press the issue, having grown accustomed to his uncanny awareness of her life's details, which had initially unsettled her but now felt almost like a routin
“Welcome home, Freya”, Imelda said with a calm voice, ignoring Freya's angry question and taking her seat on the couch.Freya's angry eyes blazed at Imelda, demanding a clear answer.“Imelda. What did you do to Noah?” Freya asked once again, stroking Noah's hair as he buried his face in her arms.“Nothing!” Imelda snapped, irritated by Freya's accusing questions.Freya's gaze froze on Imelda in astonishment, recoiling from her sudden outburst. She locked eyes with Noah, who shook his head emphatically, his eyes pleading her to believe that he was innocent.“He said he was hungry and I told him to wait a little bit longer so that I could go get some groceries from the mall and cook something for him. But I couldn't leave him all alone at home so I told him to wait till you get back. He got angry and began to throw tantrums. I couldn't take it anymore so I scolded him. I did nothing wrong to him!”“That's not true! She had her lunch and warned me not to eat anything from her house. She
Freya's roadside food truck business had finally found its purpose over the past few weeks. Thanks to Diego, her food truck had skyrocketed to fame, and a loyal customer base had gradually developed a craving for her gourmet burgers.Although she was making a substantial amount of money from the roadside food business, the majority of her income wasn't for personal indulgences. Instead, she diligently saved money daily with the goal of repaying Imelda in the near future. The debt was huge and even though it seemed like an insurmountable task to accumulate such a sum of money, she remained resolute in her determination to pay Imelda back and move out of her house which would be the first step to freedom. Besides, she hadn't squandered all the money Imelda had lent her.Her expression radiated joy, and she hummed a happy tune as she cooked. One could sense that she was ecstatic and eager about something.Her face illuminated with a warm smile as she reminisced about that special day. It
Noah stood frozen in confusion, reluctant to take a step toward his “uncle”.“Noah, go ahead. Say hi to your uncle”, Noah's school teacher said, urging him on with a friendly smile and a slight wave.Adamantly, Noah stood still, not moving an inch, skeptical about talking to the stranger as Freya had previously warned him not to talk to strangers.“It's okay, Miss. I'll take it from here”, The man said politely, his lips curved in a friendly smile.Noah's teacher nodded in response and briskly exited the scene.Majestically, the man walked towards Noah and squatted in front of him in order to maintain close eye contact.“Little man, don't you recognize me? It's me, Diego”, Diego said with a friendly grin, his eyes radiating warmth.Noah's eyes sparkled with recognition, finally pinpointing the man in front of him. Noah could bring up memories of the only man who had once referred to him as "Little man". The man who had ruffled his perfect hair the day they were robbed at the train sta
6:15 PMIt had been days since Desmond last saw Freya, ever since she revealed herself at his company's board meeting as the second-largest shareholder. Since then, he had been more disturbed and afraid.He sat at his desk in his dimly lit private office, the amber glow of his desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. Papers were strewn across the polished mahogany surface—financial reports, property damage assessments, and preliminary investigation notes on the warehouse fire that had been haunting him for weeks. He swirled a glass of whiskey in one hand, staring at the contents as though the answer to his problems might emerge from its depths.The warehouse fire had been a blow to him, but the uncertainty surrounding it had been worse. Despite the fact that his team’s investigation had been ongoing for weeks, the truth hadn't unfolded. And he still refused to believe it was an electrical malfunction.His team’s initial assessments were inconclusive, and the lack of clarity gn
The morning air buzzed with anticipation as Freya’s sleek crimson car rolled to a stop outside her restaurant.As soon as she stepped out of the car, a swarm of paparazzi and reporters rushed at her and flooded the sidewalk, cameras flashing and microphones thrust forward like weapons.The usual hum of the city had been replaced by chaos. The news of her stunning corporate coup had ignited a media frenzy overnight, and Freya was the woman of the hour—a force that had brought Desmond’s empire to its knees.Freya stood with an air of composed authority. Two security guards flanked her, but she didn’t hide behind them. Instead, she faced the crowd head-on, her expression calm and unreadable, like a queen surveying her subjects.Coming along with bodyguards was as though she had anticipated the attention after her stunning move against Desmond by becoming the chairwoman of the board the day before.She was dressed in a fitted white blazer over matching trousers, her chestnut hair swept in
It was another Monday, making it two weeks since Desmond's last board meeting. And yet, the mysterious shareholder eating into his empire hadn't been found. In fact, they were even getting stronger and gaining more ground in the company.Today marked another urgent boardroom meeting, more tense than the last. Desmond sat at the head of the long table, listening attentively to the financial reports of Dexus Innovations which revealed a massive decline in profit. His jaw tightened and his gut twisted in anxiety. He couldn't believe his ears—everything he had ever worked for was slipping beyond his grasp.Just then, without warning, the heavy double doors at the far end of the room creaked open, interrupting the meeting. The room fell silent abruptly, every pair of eyes snapping towards the entrance. Desmond’s brows furrowed, his eyes widened in shock as he set his eyes on the intruder, who was the last person he ever expected.Freya.Freya stood there, framed in the doorway like a stor
Desmond sat at the head of the long, polished mahogany table in the opulent boardroom of his company's headquarters. The late morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting sharp reflections off the glassy surface. However, the mood in the room was anything but bright. His board members sat in tense silence, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Their faces were painted with concern, brows furrowed, and lips pressed into thin lines.Desmond was no exception to the tension in the room. His nervous demeanor was carefully masked behind a serene expression, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.The CFO, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a tense demeanor, cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Mr. July, as we discussed in last week’s meeting, there’s been an unexpected decline in profits this quarter. We’ve identified discrepancies in the financial flow, particularly in a few key investments that…"Desmond quickly held up a hand, his expression cal
Freya sat on the plush leather couch in Diego’s apartment, his arms wrapped around her.Her fingers absently traced gentle lines on his thigh as they were glued to the TV screen.The news of Desmond's company being engulfed in a massive fire had spread rapidly. Freya and Diego tuned in to a news channel to witness the news even though they were already aware.The faint sound of the news anchor’s voice filled the room as the screen displayed aerial shots of a smoldering building surrounded by flashing police lights.“...authorities are investigating a massive fire that engulfed Dexus Innovations’ central warehouse late last night. Early reports suggest an electrical malfunction may have triggered the blaze, which destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of high-tech equipment, including robotics, computer gadgets, and proprietary designs. Investigations are ongoing…”A sly smile tugged at the corners of Freya's lips and she stole a glance at Diego, as if checking if the feeling of triumph
Desmond stood at a distance, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he watched the wild flames consume his company’s prized warehouse. The air was thick with smoke, the acrid stench of burning electronics assaulting his senses. The night sky glowed with a haunting orange, smoke rising like a veil into the darkness.Firefighters moved frantically, battling the towering flames with powerful jets of water, but it seemed futile. The fire was relentless, roaring louder than the panicked voices around him.The flashing lights of fire trucks and police cars painted his face in red and blue, highlighting the sheer panic etched in his expression. His chest heaved with each labored breath, the weight of his empire’s potential downfall pressing down on him like an iron fist.His hands trembled as he held the railings in front of him for support, his eyes fixed on the warehouse as it collapsed inward with a deafening crash. The fire was too intense; there was no saving the building."No…no
Desmond sat on the edge of the sleek couch, his eyes fixed on the television as a business update ran across the screen. The quiet hum of the television filled the living room, but his mind was consumed with other thoughts.Freya sat on a couch across from him, focused on her phone. They were supposedly watching the news together, as husband and wife. But neither of them paid attention to what was being displayed on the screen. They didn't even talk to each other.Desmond's mind swirled with the usual concerns—his business empire, his uneventful life, and of course, Freya's defiance towards him. He glanced at Freya, absently scrolling through her phone, completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. Her posture was casual and collected, her expression neutral.The room was silent except for the murmurs of the news anchor’s voice.Then suddenly, Desmond's phone buzzed on the coffee table, breaking his thoughts. His fingers twitched, an instinctive response to the interruption, and he
The dining room was cloaked in a heavy, tense silence. The soft clink of utensils on porcelain and the occasional scrape of a chair were the only sounds that punctuated the stillness. The chandelier above cast a warm, golden glow over the long mahogany table where Freya, Desmond and Noah sat together for dinner.Freya sat across from Desmond, her fingers lightly gripping her fork. She barely touched the food on her plate. Her gaze was fixed on him—unblinking, sharp and searching. He was eating methodically, cutting his steak with precision, his movements calm and deliberate.For days now, Desmond had been silent, almost as if he was avoiding her. It was strange and it bothered Freya so much. What was going through his head?He had changed—or at least, he wanted her to believe he had. Ever since she came back, he had stuck to his promise of becoming a changed man—it was unbelievable.His usual sharp remarks, the arrogant air, and the veiled threats had all disappeared. He had taken on
Freya's driver brought the car to a stop in front of Desmond’s mansion. The towering estate stood firm, silhouetted against the deep orange evening sky, staring back at Freya through the car window.She exhaled slowly, glancing at Noah, who sat stiffly beside her, his wide eyes glued to the mansion and his lips pressed into a thin line. The tension between them was palpable.Though she had grown used to Desmond's outbursts, the thought of his reaction to their 24-hour disappearance unsettled her."You ready?" she asked softly, though she already knew the answer.Noah nodded, his movements jerky and uncertain. "Will Daddy Desmond be...mad?" he whispered.Freya forced a reassuring smile. "I don’t know, sweetheart," she admitted, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "But whatever happens, stay close to me, okay?""Okay," Noah murmured, his voice barely audible.She reached over and squeezed his hand, drawing strength from the bond they shared. Then, steeling herself, she opened the