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.

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"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.

The path they walked was lined with softly swaying flowers, mirroring the ebb and flow of their conversation.

As they continued, Winslow nodded understandingly. He knew Freya well enough to understand that she never

took marriage lightly. He respected her privacy and didn't press further about her past. Instead, he shifted the

conversation to a more intriguing topic.

"An old friend of mine brought something up the other day," Winslow said as he walked beside her. "He

mentioned he has a grandson who's the right age to settle down." His voice carried a hint of amusement.

"According to him, the boy's not only ridiculously good-looking, but also comes from an excellent family and has

a bright future ahead of him."

At that, Freya immediately caught on. Her gaze shifted slightly as realization dawned-this was about a potential

arranged marriage.

"He wants you to meet him," Winslow remarked, turning his head to study her

reaction. "What do you think? Are you open to it?"

"No," Freya replied, her tone firm and unwavering.

She had never liked the idea of being matched up by someone else-it grated against her sense of independence.

"| suspected as much," Winslow responded with a gentle chuckle, his affection for her evident in his warm smile.

"Don't worry, I've already declined on your behalf."

Freya paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her features.

Winslow noticed the subtle change in her expression, his own demeanor growing more somber. "You know, if |

were younger, | might have insisted you meet him. But over the years, I've cto realize there are sthings

better left unforced."

Freya remained silent, her thoughts drifting to 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 up such memories

would only serve to reopen old, painful wounds.

"Mina," Winslow called out softly, standing by the edge of a serene pond. His voice carried a weight of age and

regret. "I owe your mother an apology."

Freya turned to him, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the genuine remorse in his eyes.

"If I hadn't pushed her into that marriage with your father, maybe she would still be with us," he admitted, the

sorrow clear in his voice.

"It was my mistake." His words hung heavily between them.

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Chapter 163 Can Anyone Ever Take Minas Face Il

For the past two years, 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 every single day over the choice he had made.

It wasn't until the weight of age settled into his bones that he firfally understood- sthings he once thought

mattered, really didn't. Nothing compared to family.

"When Mom passed away," Freya began gently, her voice laced with honesty and hesitation, unsure if her words

would bring comfort or stir deeper pain. "She told Sheila andone thing... She said we made her happy. Just

having us was enough."

Life had a way of twisting unexpectedly, never following a straight line-each choice carving out a new path, a

different ending.

No one could ever be certain if the road they took was the right one, or just the one that hurt less.

Freya had no way of knowing whether Anita held any resentment toward Winslow in the end.

But when Anita left this world, she did so with a quiet peace-no bitterness, no regrets in her heart.

Winslow exhaled deeply, his sigh echoing a release of two years' worth of pent- up emotions, accumulated over

the course of their conversation.

Looking to shift the atmosphere, he turned the conversation 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

help navigating that, don't hesitate to call me."

"Alright," Freya responded calmly.

She wasn't particularly concerned about the matter.

Her paternal grandfather had no secrets or leverage against her, and the Briggs Group wasn't in a position where

a business marriage would provide any substantial benefit.

She was firm in her resolve: no one could force her into an arranged marriage,

and she would staunchly oppose such a situation.

"Mina," Winslow called out, seeking her attention.

"Yes?" she replied, turning towards him.

"No matter what, remember that | will always stand behind you. Just be true to

yourself," Winslow declared, his voice laden with sincerity.

He had failed Anita once and was resolute in his determination not to let history

repeat itself with Freya.

Freya didn't turn him down. "Alright," she said with a soft nod.

That night, she ended up staying at Winslow's place.

Unbeknownst to her, Alan and Kristian were getting drunk elsewhere-so drunk, in fact, that they somehow

becfast friends over the course of the evening.

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

Their eyes kept shifting toward the two men sprawled on the couch-now sitting shoulder to shoulder, arms

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

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slung around each other like old drinking buddies. Both of their hearts thudded with tension.

"Kristian," Alan slurred, cheeks flushed bright red from too many drinks. "You did Mina wrong. And as her cousin,

I'm seriously not okay with that." He paused, squinting at Kristian with an unsteady finger pointed in his face.

"But... you're good-looking, man. And Mina's into guys like you.

The room fell into awkward silence.

"Be honest with me-do you have feelings for Mina?" Alan pressed, his voice thick

and his gaze bleary. He'd initially planned to get Kristian drunk first, loosen his lips, and then grill him about

Mina.

But the tables had turned quicker than expected; Alan had succumbed to the spirits far sooner than Kristian.

Despite his professional demeanor at work, Alan's true, talkative nature emerged in the warmth of

companionship, transforming him into a relentless chatterbox. Kristian's gaze deepened into a tangled mix of

emotions, and after a thoughtful pause, he murmured, "I'm not sure."

His uncertainty wasn't just a passing cloud; it was a storm that lingered over his feelings for Freya.

He'd been thinking about the idea of remarrying her. The thought crossed his mind more often than he cared. to

admit.

But whenever her ncup in his head, there wasn't a smile waiting for him.

Instead, it stirred up a tight knot of anxiety and heavy questions he couldn't quite

answer.

"You don't even know if you like her? What's going on in your head?" Alan teased as he draped an arm around

Kristian's shoulders, pulling him in close with a conspiratorial lean. "Tellthis-if she were with someone else,

would you feel upset?"

A firm yes echoed in Kristian's mind, immediate and resolute.

Not only would he be upset, but he'd feel compelled to intervene. The mere thought made his jaw tighten.

"And if Mina were wronged, would you stand up for her, help her get back at them?" Alan probed further, his

curiosity piqued.

Yes.

The response sprang to Kristian's thoughts unbidden, clear and sharp.

"All right, the real kicker," Alan murmured, his voice dropping to a whisper as he brought his finger to his lips.

and leaned closer to Kristian's ear. "Can anyone ever take Mina's place in your heart?”

Kristian mulled over it, his mind a battlefield of emotion and logic.

Ultimately, he reached a definitive conclusion-No.

In that moment, as the realization washed over him, Gerard's words cback

to him, echoing in his mind. True affection often cintertwined with sexual

desire.

She Took The House, The Car And My Heart

Chapter 164 Would