She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 You Could've

At Least Picked A Believa...

Before Kristian could utter a word, Freya cut him off sharply. "Stop staring."

"I have something to discuss with you," Kristian said, steering the conversation away from the weight of his own guilt.

Still drying her hair, Freya cracked the door open just enough to fix him with a dismissive look. "If this is about Ashley or Trent, save your breath. There's nothing to say."

"It's not," Kristian replied, irritation flickering beneath his calm tone. Her attitude grated on him

What he really wanted was to peel back the layers and see who she truly was.

Freya set the towel aside and sighed. "Go ahead."

"I'd like to visit your family," Kristian said, his voice firm, though the request was little more than a pretext. "My grandpa made a valid point-in two years of marriage, I never once met your parents. That's inexcusable

"There's no need," Freya countered flatly.

"It's just an apology. I won't overstay my welcome." His voice was low, deliberate.

Freya didn't budge. "Seriously, drop it."

"Why the resistance?" Kristian's eyes narrowed. "Are you hiding something?" Gerard's earlier insinuations

resurfaced in his mind.

"Exactly." Freya met his gaze without flinching, her expression dead serious. "My family's'filthy rich. I'm afraid you'll get dollar signs in your eyes, refuse to divorce me, and then siphon off my inheritance to fund Ashley's lifestyle."

Kristian stared at her, momentarily speechless. He didn't buy a word of it—but he humored her anyway. "Name one. I know every major family and corporation. Which one's yours?"

"The Briggs Group," Freya shot back without hesitation.

She had no reason to lie. Her identity wasn't some well-guarded secret.

Hugh Briggs's daughter was common knowledge in elite circles-except the one everyone recognized was her younger sister.

Freya had always preferred solitude over socializing, so few outside her inner circle even knew she existu

"You could've at least picked a believable lie," Kristian scoffed. "I've met Hugh Briggs' daughter. She looks nothing like you."

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Freya's response was

difference between her and

sister dripped in elegance every outfit curâted, every smile polished

perfection.

a day. That's all I'm asking." Kristian pressed. "I won't monopolize their

were married. Why start now?" Freya's tone was light, almost mocking, "People might think

"Because I never-

to meet them, you would've done it years ago," Freya interrupted, her usual composure slipping into blunt impatience. "Last time, Kristian.

only sharpened

the more he wondered

led him to an unremarkable neighborhood in

you so

you waltz in and

words dragged his thoughts back

mentioned her strained family ties, her father's

let me visit your mom,"

the toner bottle hovering as her

flicker of something raw-something she quickly smothered. Just as he opened his mouth to push further, Freya steadied herself, picked up the bottle,

him like

he'd considered, this wasn't

he was at

bottle with deliberate calm, "we're done here.

tomorrow."

gaze sharpened, weighing her mood before settling on

Freya's reply was flat,

hand hovered over the knob.

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Could've At Least

clicking softly behind

Sleep eluded them both.

the impending divorce a leaden weight on his chest. Worse was the gnawing realization:

Freya drowned in nightmares.

her mother's arms around her, the whisper against her hair-"Mina, don't be afraid. I'm here."-before the dream splintered, and