Chapter 1Freya's POVI stood frozen, my eyes fixed on the grand staircase as my life flashed before me. I had vowed never to get involved with rich and influential men like Michael Smith, the billionaire I had just married. But life had other plans."Miss Rogers, we don't really have to maintain an intimate relationship when we're alone," Michael said, his voice piercing through my thoughts. "The contract doesn't apply except when a third party is involved."I turned to face him, my heart sinking. His words were cold and detached, his eyes devoid of emotion. I forced a reply, trying to keep my tone neutral. "Oh, yes."Michael's gaze swept over me, his eyes lingering on my face before he turned to leave. I watched, feeling a surge of resentment, as he ridiculed me with his towering height."Mr. Smith," I called out, my voice firm but polite. He paused, his back still turned to me."Where's my room?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even. "You didn't show me my room."Michael turned, hi
Chapter 2Freya's pov"I have to apologize for my cousins' unannounced visit which contradicted our initial arrangement," he said. " But don't worry, I'll find a way to let them out and everything can go back to how it was".There was something about his eyes; sad and lonely, but I guess my pain and misery were greater. My gaze rested on the portrait of a beautiful woman in Michael's room. He did have a woman in his heart, I wondered. Why were they apart? Was that the reason behind his loneliness and sadness?." Miss Rogers," he called, bringing me from my trance. " My cousins won't come here without an ulterior motive. I know it's going to be difficult, addressing me like a husband publicly, but we have to stick to it. That way, we both get to save the only thing that mattered to us," he paused , but I was unable to say a word, " so in the meantime, you have to stay in my room. I assure you, they'll both leave when they don't get what they want""Pretending to be a happy couple, you
Chapter 3 Michael's POV [You're a murderer. You think no one knows, but I do. You're a murderer, Michael. You remember five years ago? The world will know about you now!] Horror gripped me, my mind racing with Emma's sudden return and its connection to the ominous message. Memories of that fateful night five years ago flooded back. I knew someone else probably knew about the incident of five years ago. Someone aside Emma and I knew about Bella's death. Bella; my little sister. Who on Earth would send this message? The weight of guilt still crushed me, refusing to lift its oppressive grip. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was responsible for Bella's death. The pain of losing her was worsened by the fact that I never got to say goodbye, never got to hold her one last time. The worst part was not being able to find her body. She was buried before I even regained consciousness, leaving me with a gaping hole in my heart. The thought of her being laid to rest without me being there
Chaoter 4Freya's POV"This isn't good. How did my ex-boss end up as Mr. Smith's stepbrother?" I thought, feeling uneasy. Michael seemed to sense my tension, but before he could say anything, my worst fear stood before me. Ambrose was too engrossed in giving Michael a deep look to notice me."Enough of me, Meet Freya Rogers, my wife," his introduction hung in the air like a challenge, and I felt a surge of anxiety. I coughed suddenly, the sound forced and awkward. It was now or never; I had to face this."Hi, I'm... Freya..." I started, but Ambrose cut me off."What! Is this your wife, Michael?" His eyes widened in shock, clearly stunned to see me among all the women he could have met. He might have controlled me and my body in the past. I might have loved him foolishly. But this time, I was no longer the naive and lovesick Freya. I was a desperate woman fighting to save my mother."C'mon, why the look?" Michael asked, oblivious to the tension. "I should be the one surprised; everyon
Chapter 5Freya's POVWhat has rain got to do with driving? I wondered, watching Emma's hand on Michael's arm. There was no reason to watch from afar; it wouldn't be a problem to walk over. I wiped away the tears that had mingled with the rainfall as I walked over, with Emma noticing my presence and clinging more tightly to Michael's body. I cared less, after all; there was nothing special between us, and Michael loved her."Sweetheart, like I said, I have to drive you," Emma said, reaching for the front seat, when Michael caught her hand, making her stop. "I'm fine... Emma, my wife will drive me," he said with a cold face, staring intensely at her. I closed my eyes, wincing inwardly as I watched them. Michael didn't have to be so hard on himself."Drive? She doesn't even look like one who's ever owned a car. Come on, Michael. You wouldn't want to repeat..." Emma's voice trailed off, but Michael's stern tone cut her off."Emma!" Michael's warning was sharp, and Emma's eyes flashed wit
Chapter 6 Ambrose's POV I gripped the wine cup with ferocious intensity, my teeth clenched in rage. The cup shattered in my hand, shards piercing my skin. The pain was nothing compared to the fury burning within me. Freya's audacity to raise her hand at me, simply because she was with Michael, was infuriating.A sly smile spread across my face as I wondered how they had met. "I'll crush you both," I whispered, my voice barely audible.Just then, I heard the soft sound of footsteps. Composing myself, I plastered a smile on my face. After all, the host of a party shouldn't appear irritated. "Ambrose," a familiar voice called out. I turned to see Emma, her eyes red and puffy from crying. I had never liked Emma, but at that moment, I preferred to see her with Michael than Freya. "The party's over, Emma. Why are you still here?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Emma approached me, her mascara-smudged face showing how much she had cried. "Have you been crying?" I asked, already
Chapter 7 Freya's POV I opened my eyes, hoping that everything that had happened would be just a dream, and I'd find myself back home. I missed my mom terribly and couldn't wait to visit her again. "Waylen," I called, a smile spreading across my face. My son was adorable, inheriting his blonde hair from his father. I still couldn't pinpoint which trait he got from me. As I stood up, I realized I was wearing a completely different outfit. Confused, I glanced around the room. My gaze landed on the familiar portrait, confirming that I was indeed in Michael's room. But I wondered, had he changed my clothes? I pushed the thought aside, knowing he wasn't capable of such behavior. "Finally, she wakes," Michael said, emerging from the bathroom. My gaze, settlling on the droplet of water clinging to his chest. I felt a flutter, which I quickly suppressed, reminding myself that Ambrose was the only man who had ever held my attention. I looked away, my eyes fixed on the floor. "Did..
Chapter 8 Michael's POV "Why the shock?" I asked, observing Jason's dazed expression. I knew the truth was hard to swallow, but it was the only way for me to claim my inheritance ; the last thing I had left, at least until Emma's unexpected return. Jason's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed in concern. "What if Grandpa demands a legitimate heir before handing everything over to you? What if he doesn't approve of your six-month divorce plan?" I let out a low, mirthless chuckle. "Enough of the what ifs," I said, my fingers drumming a restless rhythm on my thigh. "Do you think Grandpa bought the fabricated story about my marriage to Freya? I'm certain he saw right through it, even if he's pretending otherwise." Jason's expression turned thoughtful. "Why be so hard on yourself, then? And who knows, you might actually fall for this woman." He said as I burst out laughing at the absurdity of the suggestion. The idea was almost too ridiculous to consider. "Fall in love? Have I ever
Chapter 135 Freya's POV"What did you say?" Raymond asked, his eyeballs suddenly widening as I took a deep breath with my eyes closed. "Wait, did you both..." He paused as I felt so shy about giving him a response. He turned around, trying to go back to Jason, as I grabbed his hand firmly, preventing him from moving."What the hell are you doing?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Of course, we need to tell it to Jason. I can't keep this from him.""What do you mean? Michael's getting married, and I really don't want this baby to... come into his marriage," I said, and somehow, I could see the resignation in his expression."You could hurt the baby, you know?" He whispered as I shook my head, trying to be strong. "I'll be fine. Just go be with Jason and wait," I said as he nodded. "Be careful," he warned before leaving as I wiped away the little tears that had plastered on my face.A few moments later, I found myself in front of a beautiful yet small house. I doubted this was where Ambros
Chapter 134Freya's POVI began to shake as we drove down a lonely bush path. Raymond held my hands in assurance, but it felt like that wasn't enough. I wanted more than just that... I needed Michael's warm embrace, I needed to feel his warm breath on me whispering to me that everything would be okay."Jason," I called as he replied with his eyes still fixed on the road as he drove with his cellphone mounted in front, which guided him with the direction. "Is... is... Michael coming already?" I asked, my voice so low, but I didn't think I needed to appear like I was fine without him. "Yes, Freya... Michael's coming." I nodded as I fixed my eyes on the wristwatch again as a private number appeared again as the caller ID. I picked it up immediately, fully aware that it was Ambrose."Hey... do you really not care about your mother? How aged she is that she can't even withstand the cold on her?" he mocked as he laughed loudly while my hand shook while holding the cellphone, but I tried
Chapter 133Michael's POVI couldn't stop myself from banging the laptop that was placed in front of me aggressively on the office desk, not caring about anything. The thought of seeing Freya so comfortable without me by her side, her sudden closeness with Raymond, and how she didn't even realize that I had stopped her from going out there because I still cared for her. "You're so stupid, so stupid," I muttered, closing my eyes to take a deep breath when Grandpa's call came into my phone. "Grandpa," I finally said after the third ring, as I heard him clear his throat from the receiver end. I wondered why he had called; it was always about the damn marriage."Haven't you seen the news? Where did Ambrose take the little boy and his grandmother to?" he asked, and I detected panic in his voice. "You should hurry over and do something quick," he said, as I let out a low chuckle. How on Earth did he get to know about it? "Grandpa, why do you suddenly care about the Rogers?" I asked, and
Chapter 132 The weight of my words Freya's POV "Yeah, that won't be necessary. I'm here already, and there's no way I'm going to sit back and watch you all go without me," I said, my eyes locking onto Michael's, who didn't say a word but kept his focus on Raymond. "Raymond, we need to get to Grandpa," I said, almost going closer, as Michael stepped in between. His towering height once more intimidated me as he gave me a long, piercing gaze. "I will not let you go on that road in search of them; I won't ever allow that," Michael said authoritatively, as I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "What on earth does he take me for right now?" I thought. I refused to be stupid, not to him nor Ambrose. "Dare me if you can, Mr. Michael Smith Jenkins," I said in gritted teeth as I moved closer to him, like I was daring him for a challenge. "May I have a moment with her, please?" he said softly, as the two nodded about leaving while I moved closer to Raymond, still locking eyes with him. "We
Chapter 131Freya's POV"Raymond," I called, my voice shaking as I staggered on my feet before I felt his hand holding me from falling. "Ambrose is a psychopath. We need to chase him...we need to go over to Grandpa and...""Freya, I'll do everything I can to make sure your mother and son are safe. Trust me on this," he assured as I paced around restlessly before going to check my phone, which lay motionless on the floor. "Oh, thank God. It isn't broken," I whispered, trying to call the same number as Raymond watched me with anger in his eyes. "Damn!! The number isn't going through.""We have to take this to Jason; he should find a way to track his location," he said as I paused for a while. "Will you be fine? I mean, some publication was made to show that...some..." I stammered on my words, not knowing how he was going to take it. "That I once worked with Ambrose," he said, nodding his head slowly. "It's just that...I don't want you out there for me, Raymond.""They're right. The med
Chapter 130Michael's POVI walked into my office for the first time in a while, smiling as I took a deep breath of the familiar air that greeted me. I wasted no time watering my very own plant that was placed beside my chair. Here I was, complete, as I closed my eyes for a while before retiring to the chair."Boss," Jason called as soon as he placed a knock on the door, and my expression turned sour. The word 'boss' was very foreign, hearing it from a friend I took more than a brother."Where is he? Have you found him?" I asked, my palm on my face as I took a deep breath."Have you reported the message he sent to you to the cops? I've tried tracking down the message, but somehow, I can't get any signal," he said as I stood, narrowing my eyes as I kept staring outside the window, like I could get a hint from there."And Raymond? Have you found him?""Since your release, we don't know where he is either. Somehow, dude hasn't forgiven himself about everything that had happened. He think
Chapter 129Alexis' POVIt's been two days since Michael's freedom, and the whole city was speaking about him. I couldn't stop thinking about Raymond's words to me; I found them ridiculous. There was no way I was going to surrender. Either way, I needed to speak with Ambrose; we needed to have a better plan. Michael's wedding was the talk of the town; we couldn't let him get married and reclaim the inheritance........................."What did you say? Do you mean Ambrose fled without informing me?" I asked as Mrs. Cooke nodded her head slowly few moments after I made ways into Ambrose's home. I tried everything I could to control myself."And Emma? I guess that bitch had probably flown to Hungary...""Mr. Ambrose left with his son. I haven't heard from him since the final trial. What do we do? I'm so scared," Mrs. Cooke shivered as I closed my eyes for a moment."We have no time left. Ambrose is gone. Have you tried calling Emma?" I asked, trying to act strong as Mrs. Cooke tried c
Chapter 128Michael's POVI was uneasy, my hands drumming unstoppably on my thigh as I kept adjusting my tie every few seconds. Like I'd told her, Freya wasn't present. Not only was she not present, I couldn't find Ambrose either. But then, I locked eyes with Emma, who took them away as soon as they collided; perhaps guilty."Shall we begin the final trial of Mr. Michael Smith?" the judge announced a few minutes after everyone had stood to acknowledge his presence. I rested my gaze on Jason, who shook his head in a way that told me not to push through with the plans I had in mind. I waved it off with a smile as I focused on the judge, who began to arrange and review documents."So..." the judge began, clearing his throat while I watched Grandpa dying of anxiety. Natasha Choi gave me a slight nod."Your Honor," a voice called out as everyone turned around to see who had interrupted the judge at this crucial point. "Your Honor, the witness wants to retell her testimony." The court offic
Chapter 127Michael's POV"The final trial comes up tomorrow...if anything goes wrong tomorrow, I'll fight for my freedom," I said, locking eyes with Jason, who stood staring into space before he finally came to sit beside the sofa where I sat."You're not planning something, right?" "Bella's alive. Would you let me fold my hands and listen to the judge's verdict that I have been found guilty? Bella's alive now, and I have things to protect from Ambrose.""There's no way you'll be pronounced guilty just because Bella testified against you. And then there's something Raymond said to me, and somehow he's smart, and he might be right" I suddenly glued my eyes to Jason's eyes, curious to know what Raymond might have told him."And what exactly did he say to you?" "Listen...he said somehow, the judge probably knew what he was up to, and him isolating Bella to only God knows where until the trial should also be part of his smart move." "So?" I asked, still not getting what I was expecting