Chapter 11
Chapter 11 Clumsy Excuse
"Alright." Freya ended the call and quickly sent Trent the meeting details.
Just as she finished, knuckles tapped against her door, followed by Kristian's voice cutting through the silence "Open up, I need to talk to you.
Freya tossed her phone onto the bed and crossed the room. When she pulled the door open, her voice carried none of its usual warmth-just cool detachment. "What is it?"
Kristian extended his phone toward her. "My grandpa wants to talk to you. Said your line was busy, couldn't get through."
She hesitated, realizing it was probably because she had been on the phone with Trent. Taking the phone, her voice softened. "Hello, Lionel.”
"Calling you this late-hope I'm not being a bother?" Lionel's familiar voice came through.
"Not at all," she replied gently.
"When you and Kristian left earlier, I forgot to mention something. That chess puzzle you left me last time- still haven't cracked it..."
Their conversation flowed easily after that.
Kristian didn't bother listening. Lately, Lionel barely sought him out, spending more time with Freya instead.
Most days, Lionel would simply remark, "Freya surely has more solutions than you," or "Your chess. skills aren't as good as hers," and occasionally, "How did I end up with such a foolish grandson?"
Truth be told, Freya resembled Lionel's grandchild more than Kristian did.
Lost in this thought, Kristian's gaze drifted to the gentle, patient woman speaking with his grandfather. He had basked in that gentleness for two years.
While lost in his memories, Freya's phone vibrated on the bed.
Kristian glanced over instinctively, but before he could glimpse the message, Freya lunged for it and darkened
the screen.
The entire sequence lasted less than a second-too swift for Kristian to react.
"I'm done talking with Lionel." She handed his phone back, her expression calm. "Here."
Kristian didn't take it.
His focus remained locked on her phone.
Though he hadn't fully seen the message, he was almost certain he had caught a name-Trent Seyi
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Chapter 11 Clumsy Excuse
taking it?" Freya kept
slightly, but he still made no move for the phone.
just messaged you?"
my business,"
before he said, "I'm still your
just looked at
shirt with the
usual.
least, was undeniably
at him and pressed forward. "Until
finalized, I have
you're
out a quiet, scoff. "You're clearly not well-versed in the
she added, "Even
have
His voice
in
ruthless and dangerous.
him, she might not even realize the kind of fire she was
your phone," Kristian
"No."
I have to take it myself?"
be willing to hand it over-if you let
anything other than confirming if
with Ashley," she said, her expression
tightened. After a brief
not seeing mine either," she said without missing a
stared at her, as if searching for something-some hesitation, some flicker of uncertainty.
his phone back, his voice
parted on a
it. She simply shut the
exchanged words. At noon, Kristian left after a phone call, and
at a
he
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