She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 161

Chapter 161

161 He's Not As Cold As | Thought

Ashley didn't dare probe further. The moment she whispered a meek "yes", the man abruptly cut the video call,

severing the connection like slicing a taut thread.

His gaze drifted toward the glowing computer screen, fingers idly toying with a ring as though it were a puzzle

piece to a larger enigma. He sat still, ensnared in the labyrinth of his own thoughts.

After a pause that hung thick in the air, he turned toward the man seated nearby and posed a chilling question:

"Zane, tellwould Dorothy feel a deeper satisfaction in dismantling Kristian's company and ending his life,

or in helping him conquer Freya's heart, only for her to kill his beloved woman herself?"

Zane Castro, his right hand and a man of few wasted words, replied with a knowing smile, "The latter, without a

doubt."

"Then have someone steer him toward her," the man said, his voice as unreadable as fog at midnight. His gaze

carried the quiet danger of a blade concealed beneath silk. "Better still if she ends up bearing his child."

Zane gave a brief nod. "Understood."

The room fell silent as the man was left alone with his schemes.

Lighting a cigarette, he exhaled smoke like a silent vow, his mind orchestrating a slow, ruthless descent into

suffering for Kristian. He wasn't crafting a plan; he was weaving a curse.

A mere death at the hands of a lover might sting, yes-but for a man ruled by his heart, such an end might taste

too bittersweet.

No-he preferred layers to his revenge, pain painted in broader strokes.

He'd let Kristian win Freya's heart and let a child be born of their bond. Then- when joy seemed secure-he'd rip it

all away, snatch Freya and the child, and wield them like weapons.

Now that would be a masterpiece of despair.

With this malicious tapestry in mind, a sense of ease washed over him.

He had time. And he relished the idea of a long, bitter war of attrition.

Meanwhile, Ashley remained unaware that his plans had shifted, and that a new ghad quietly begun.

After the call ended, she used her regular phone to reach Freya.

It was late. Freya had just finished her nightly routine and was preparing to drift off when Ashley's call blinked

across the screen.

Guessing the topic, she picked up. "What is it?”

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"He said he won't make a move," Ashley said, completely at a loss. Confusion and fear were tangled in her

voice.

What worried her most was whether she'd been found out.

Freya frowned, her mind alert. "He won't make a move?"

"Yes, he toldto forget about Kristian for the tbeing." Ashley repeated, anxiety building in her chest like

storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

The fear of exposure gnawed at her relentlessly.

Freya's tone sharpened, but she remained composed. "Did you record the video like | asked?"

"I did."

"Send it to me."

"Okay."

Ashley obeyed without resistance. She had fully surrendered herself to Freya's lead.

To avoid any missteps or misplaced words during their conversations, Freya had insisted Ashley record

everything using a second device.

Freya quickly provided an email address.

Ashley sent the video, but the knot in her stomach didn't loosen.

Just as she was about to speak again, Freya asked, "Besides that, did he say anything else?"

"He toldto stay in Alerith and make sure | answer his calls without delay," Ashley confessed, laying bare

every word.

She never thought she'd cto trust someone this much-enough to expose her most vulnerable fears.

Freya acknowledged her with a soft hum, then said she'd get back to her after reviewing the video and ended.

the call.

The video was short-just a few minutes long.

If she'd had even a shadow of doubt about the man's identity, hearing his voice dispelled it like sunlight breaking

through mist.

The voice, the cadence-it all matched.

The camera had been pointed at Ashley, so only the man's voice had been captured, not his image.

Ten minutes later, Freya reassured Ashley that she hadn't been exposed and urged her to remain calm and get

srest.

Earlier, the man had asked Ashley about Kristian pursuing her. If Freya's instincts were right, he had simply

changed tactics.

With no clear map of his new strategy, all she could do was take each twist as it came.

With these thoughts crowding her mind, she finally fell into a deep, restless sleep.

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Chapter 161 He's Not As Cold As | Thought

The next morning, she returned to work as if nothing had changed. At Anita International, she was reviewing a

few bid proposals when she caught an unusual expression crossing Melvin's typically unreadable face.

Freya set the documents aside and asked, "What's going on?"

"Do | really seem like someone who can be bought that easily?" Melvin asked, straight-faced and serious.

Freya studied him for a moment. "Yes."

He was too controlled, too perfectly polished.

"Someone tried to bribe you?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes," he replied plainly, not a trace of amusement in his tone. "And insulted me

while he was at it."

Now Freya was genuinely curious.

"He offereda million a year to be a mole beside you. To report everything back

to him," Melvin explained, as if recounting a dull weather forecast.

"And?" Freya asked, leaning in like she was watching a unfold.

"Nothing."

"Why not?"

"The money was too little. | don't have tto waste on amateurs," he said with a shrug. "If he'd offered fifty

million, | might've humored him for a minute."

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Freya picked up the bid proposals again and said casually, "Next the show up, raise the price-and accept." "|

thought the same," Melvin replied, his voice level, as if discussing stock prices.

Freya chuckled quietly and returned to her documents.

Melvin had a singular loyalty-to profit. Whoever had tried to turn him clearly thought his love of money would

make him easy prey.

But no matter how high the offer-be it fifty million, a hundred million, or more-

Freya knew one thing for certain: he'd never betray her.

"Oh, right,” Freya said, suddenly remembering something, "how's the charity foundation coming along?"

"It's completed the final procedures," Melvin replied.

"Good."

She didn't probe further.

The 1.4 billion that Kristian had given her had been channeled into the foundation-her way of opening doors to

education for children born without luck.

Both Anita International and Briggs Group had also launched several charity initiatives.

After finishing her morning work at Anita International's office, she headed over to Briggs Group's office in the

afternoon.

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Alan, seeing her rushing between offices every day like a pendulum on overdrive, couldn't resist poking fun.

"Exactly how much are they paying you at Anita International to work this hard?"

Freya paused for a moment.

Alan didn't know that Anita International was, in fact, her own company.

"Why don't you just work full-tat Briggs Group? I'll throw in a raise, he joked, though his curiosity was

real.

Freya sidestepped the topic with a quick excuse. "I need to get back to work."

"Hold on!" He stopped her. "Someone from Shaw Group is here. Cwithto greet them."

He added with a curious glint in his eye, "I've been keeping an eye on Kristian Shaw these past few days, and

I've realized-he's not as cold as | thought."

Freya exhaled inwardly. She could already see where this was going. "Weren't you the one who said he wasn't

right for me?"