She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Arranging Dinner With Freya's Father

Kristian strode out of the hospital room with measured steps, Damon's words echoing in his mind.

His eyes darkened as the implications sank in. Could Freya truly be Hugh Briggs's daughter? The possibility

unsettled him.

Outside, he spotted Richie Hewitt, the branch manager, waiting attentively by the door.

"Richie," Kristian summoned him with quiet authority.

Richie snapped to attention, his posture stiffening as he searched Kristian's expression for clues about the meeting with Damon.

"Find an opportunity to arrange dinner with Hugh Briggs of the Briggs Group," Kristian instructed, his voice deliberately measured, masking his true intentions. Confusion flickered across Richie's features. “Hugh Briggs of the Briggs Group?" "Yes," Kristian confirmed casually, continuing his path down the corridor. He paused briefly to glance into Ethel's room as he passed.

Richie hurried after him. "But our projects with the Briggs Group aren't core collaborations." He assumed business motives behind the request. "Wouldn't arranging dinner seem inappropriate under these circumstances?"

"It's perfectly fine," Kristian replied, shifting his gaze forward again. He had already formulated his strategy to probe Hugh. "Simply mention that I find our cooperation with the Briggs Group promising and wish to explore deeper collaboration."

Richie hesitated, his lips twitching with unspoken reluctance.

"What's wrong?" Kristian inquired, noticing the man's discomfort.

"Our cooperation with the Briggs Group hasn't exactly been pleasant..." Richie's face paled as memories surfaced. "During percentage negotiations, both parties maintained superficial politeness while secretly harboring violent thoughts toward each other."

That collaboration had resembled nothing short of a battlefield.

The Briggs Group ranked last on Richie's list of desired business partners-they were impossibly difficult! Kristian fell silent, taken aback. He hadn't anticipated this complication, as Alerith's business dealings were managed externally. "Then devise another pretext for the meeting," he directed.

"Yes, sir," Richie agreed, though reluctance still tinged his voice.

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Meanwhile, Freya remained blissfully unaware that Kristian planned to meet her fatture

At nine that evening, Ethel finally stirred from unconsciousness

her body coding her to wince as she attempted to

reached her ears.

Freya cautioned gently, placing a restraining hand on her

drip."

her eyes as she turned toward the

her voice thick with

minutes just ter sill wil frem "Okay," Ethel complied eagerly, her bright gaze fixed

blanket snugly around her sister's form,

"Mina," Ethel murmured.

"Yes?" Freya responded attentively.

back," Ethel continued,

curved into

"Mina," Ethel called again.

"Yes?"

overjoyed to see you," Ethel whispered, her

nose, affection radiating

beamed with

after the infusion completed,

nurse

to sit upright, desperate to

her a cup of water, and settled beside her,

spirits soaring with each passing moment. "Dad mentioned you married Kristian Shaw and are planning to divorce. Is that true?" she inquired, cannsity

in her eyes.

silent,

her marriage seemed to

gaze settling on the bandages encircling Ethel's

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Dinner With

dimmed noticeably, replaced by a flicker of hesitation that crossed her

her sister the space to gather her thoughts

I tell you,"

Freya conceded with

was beaten, though I'm uncertain about

it.*

suspicions with me," Freya encouraged,

been Cheryl's

bears no connection

father's new

only had a single morning class, so I'd arranged to go shopping with my dormmates that afternoon. Then I received an unexpected text," Ethel elaborated, reconstructing the sequence of events. "It claimed a

Freya probed, seeking

eyes

dawned immediately on Freya. "A