She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Me With Walls, Wheels, and Wounds 245

Chapter 245 Who is K

"What?" Ashley's voice faltered, her mind drawing a complete blank.

She couldn't tell whether she'd been caught red-handed, or if-as Freya had warned-he was just fishing.

bluffing his way through.

The man's voice slithered through the speaker, low and threatening. "You should know-I'm not exactly the

patient type."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about..." Ashley managed to say, struggling to keep her voice

steady.

"You don't understand? Then, care to explain why there's a system fortified by 'K' embedded in your phone?" There was a heavy malice in his presence-something cold and suffocating. "Since you're staying quiet, maybe your little brother and grandmother can help convince you to talk."

"I really don't know anything!" Ashley's voice cracked, trembling near tears. "Please, don't hurt them!"

His tone turned icy, like steel about to snap. "This is your final shot. Aside from you, who else has touched your phone? Tell me, and I'll reward you. Don't, and you'll find out what happens."

Those last words slithered into her like venom, sending a shiver down her spine. Her limbs went rigid, and even breathing felt like a task too great.

"Still refusing to speak?" The man's voice came again, dark and coiled like a devil in the shadows.

Ashley jerked instinctively, her body reacting with a deep, involuntary fear.

Freya caught that and gently reached for Ashley's free hand, her grip warm, her gaze calm.

In that instant, Ashley's panic began to ease, if only slightly.

Her eyes, swollen with emotion, turned toward Freya. Her lips were pale, as if one more word might make her

cry.

"I haven't given it to anyone, I swear. It's always been with me-except..." Ashley trailed off, her eyes unfocused

like she was sifting through memories.

The man immediately latched onto it.

"Except what?" he pressed.

"I... I lost it once, not long after I got back from overseas," Ashley said slowly, her words soaked in hesitation. "But other than that, it's always been in my hands."

"How'd you lose it?"

"I don't know... I went out for a bit, and when I got back, it was just gone. After I told Kristian, he managed to

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retrieve it for me."

that, the line went dead

taken aback by how quick Ashley had been

waved frantically, like

is the truth, I swear. Just-please don't hurt my

"Whether they stay safe

before Ashley could even utter

phone between his fingers,

in a smooth tone, "Check the surveillance near Ashley's place. I want

phone was rigged with K's system?" the man questioned. "Absolutely," the woman replied, her long hair cascading over one

silent, deep

Ashley's phone. Wherever she goes, whoever she

The woman

Ashley to move their conversation to the

it and followed

word, Ashley blurted, "I brought up Kristian because he'd have the skills to back up the story. That way it'd sound

coolly, a

exhaled, relieved, then recalled something from the call. "Oh, right."

"He mentioned someone."

"Who?"

"K."

her expression

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phone had a fortified system

me your phone," Freya

"Sure. Here you go."

fetched her

after everything was set up, handed it back

about?" Ashley asked

now on, only use that app to reach me," Freya said. "No

Ashley nodded. "Alright."

responded with a simple

app was her own creation, cloaked under layers of encrypted

if someone tried to hack into the

"Freya."

"Yeah?"

he even know about my situation? And how did he know I was on

luck," Freya guessed. "He might've called the moment we

hesitated, then

noticed a missed

in her flustered state, she'd dismissed it as another

new phone.

screen going

"Given the way he operates,