She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 163

Chapter 163 Can Anyone

Ever Take Mina's Place I...

"Are we still going for dinner later?" Gerard asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

In his view, Kristian, who had once deeply hurt Alan's cousin, should feel the weight of this dinner invitation like a trap set by fate. It could be akin to walking into the lion's den.

When Kristian finally spoke, his gaze was a turbulent sea of emotions, barely veiled beneath a calm exterior. "Why not?" he replied, his voice steady.

Despite knowing he was stepping into hostile territory, where Alan's grudge simmered just below the surface, Kristian had compelling reasons to face this ordeal.

Alan wasn't just anyone; he was a relative of Freya, the one person Kristian couldn't risk upsetting.

Half an hour later, Alan's secretary finalized the dinner arrangements and escorted Kristian to the restaurant.

Freya stood quietly by the doorway, her eyes following them as they disappeared into the distance.

As the day dwindled into evening, Freya's plans took an unexpected turn. Just as she was preparing to leave for home, her phone rang. It was Winslow Alvarez, her maternal grandfather, inviting her to visit.

Winslow, a man of profound influence and complex history, had always cast a long shadow over her life.

Ever since they were kids, he had shown nothing but kindness to both her and Ethel-always patient, always attentive, like a doting grandfather you'd see in storybooks. If she hadn't uncovered the truth-that he had once pressured her mother into a cold, loveless arranged marriage-she would have continued holding onto the image of him as a warm, gentle elder who meant no harm.

With a brief message to Ethel informing her of the change in plans, Freya was picked up by a driver sent personally by Winslow.

When she finally got there, the sky had already turned a deep shade of indigo-it was seven in the evening. Their evening unfolded in the familiar, intimate setting of Winslow's dining room, where history and present mingled over a quiet meal shared between just the two of them.

When the meal had ended, Winslow invited her for a stroll through the garden, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked at an unhurried pace.

Freya could tell he wasn't just out for fresh air-he had something on his mind.

As they wandered along, Winslow, well into his eighties, broke the silence, his voice gentle and infused with warmth. "I heard you've been away from Alerith these past two years, living in Jeucwell and getting married?" His eyes, crinkled at the corners, conveyed genuine curiosity and concern.

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Chapter 163 Can Anyone Ever Take Mina's Place in Your Heart

Freya responded openly, her tone light and unguarded, "Yes, that's right."

"And how did he treat you?" Winslow inquired, his expression softening.

"Not bad," Freya replied succinctly.

"Not bad, yet you divorced him?" Winslow probed further, his eyebrows arching slightly.

"We just weren't a good match," Freya explained, her voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.

they walked was lined with softly swaying

she never took marriage lightly. He respected her privacy and didn't press further about her past. Instead, he shifted

to settle down." His voice carried a hint of amusement.

caught on. Her gaze shifted slightly as

meet him," Winslow

"What do you think? Are you

Freya replied, her

idea of being matched up by someone

for her evident

paused, a flicker of surprise crossing

expression, his own demeanor growing more somber. "You know, if I were younger, I might have insisted you meet him. But over the years, I've come to realize

a question she yearned to ask-why he had coerced her mother into an arranged marriage all those years ago. Yet, she hesitated, knowing that dredging

standing by the edge of a serene pond. His voice

turned to him, her heart skipping a beat as

marriage with your father, maybe she would still be

clear in

His words hung

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Ever

since the day Anita Alvarez-his daughter-drew her final breath, he had been haunted by a relentless ache of regret, gnawing at him

he firfally understood- some things he once thought mattered,

began gently, her voice laced with honesty and hesitation, unsure if her words would bring comfort or stir deeper pain. "She told Sheila and me one thing... She said

unexpectedly, never following a straight line-each choice carving out a

could ever be certain if the road they took was the right

knowing whether Anita held any

with a quiet peace-no bitterness, no regrets

a release of two years' worth of pent- up emotions, accumulated over

towards a lighter topic. "The other grandpa of yours might be planning to arrange a marriage for you soon," he said, a note of caution in his voice. "If you need any

"Alright," Freya responded calmly.

wasn't particularly concerned

Briggs Group

resolve: no one could force her

she would staunchly oppose such

Winslow called out,

replied,

always stand behind you. Just

his voice laden

Anita once and was resolute in his determination not to

repeat itself with Freya.

turn him down. "Alright," she said with

up staying at

getting drunk elsewhere-so drunk, in fact, that

a dimly lit private room, Gerard and Toby sat rigidly, backs straight as boards, barely daring to breathe. Their eyes kept shifting

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