She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Are You Really Going Through With The...

Kristian, dressed in pajamas that mirrored Freya's in both hue and style, stood before her with his collar nonchalantly unbuttoned and his hair charmingly tousled. This casual disarray lent him a rugged allure, softening the usual severity that cloaked his features and injecting a spontaneous charm into his presence.

Lost in the nostalgia of the scene, Freya felt a wave of emotions transporting her back to the blissful dawn of their marriage.

Catching her gaze drifting, Kristian's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the shimmer of tears that clung delicately to her lashes.

The sight caused a tightness in his throat. "Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice laced with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"I'm not crying!" Freya countered. Despite her attempt to sound strong, her disheveled appearance from being roused from sleep betrayed her true feelings.

Sensing her distress, perhaps about their impending divorce, Kristian suggested, "Now that we're both awake, why don't we talk?" "No," she replied curtly, her voice firm.

All she wanted was a sip of water before crashing back into bed; exhaustion weighed her down. "I'm heading upstairs to get smore sleep." As she turned to leave, Kristian reached out swiftly, capturing her hand in his. He gently relieved her of the glass and guided her towards the dining table.

With a puzzled frown, Freya sat down as he placed the glass before her, his elegant fingers lingering momentarily on the tabletop. His deep, resonant voice broke the silence again. "Why are you up?" Freya took a deliberate sip of water, her eyes avoiding his probing gaze, leaving his question hanging in the air, unanswered.

"Does this have something to do with the divorce tomorrow?" Kristian pressed on.

Freya paused mid-sip, a furrow of confusion knitting her brows as she tried to grasp his sudden question. "When I asked you to marry me, it was real-I wanted to build a life with you," Kristian admitted, breaking the silence that had stretched between them.

His gaze, usually distant and unattached upon waking, was now intense and focused solely on her. "I honestly wanted forever with you. I just never anticipated that Ashley had her own hidden motives for leaving." Setting down her now-empty glass with a soft clink, Freya's voice carried a note of cool detachment. "Yes, I 0.0% X+ m2 13 15:34 O < < Chapter 17 Are You Really Going Through With The Divorce know." Before Ashley's unsettling phone call, Kristian had been nothing short of considerate. He had honored Freya's desire to avoid a lavish wedding and the scrutiny of a public announcement, seamlessly handling the intricacies of their quiet union.

He had always found ways to uplift her, ensuring she never felt overshadowed by the glaring differences in their social standings.

Freya had been convinced she'd made the right choice in him.

But Ashley's call had shattered her happy life.

"Freya." Kristian's voice softened, a familiar warmth weaving through his words as he spoke her name.

She didn't challenge him, her thoughts perhaps wandering to dreams of her mother, or lost in the nostalgia of their earlier days, or maybe it was just the late hour clouding her judgment.

She responded instinctively, her tone laden with the weight of unspoken thoughts, "Hmm?" "I apologize." The words were simple, but Kristian felt each one acutely, as if the very sight of her tears was a knife twisting in his heart.

Freya's eyes met Kristian's as she muttered three words, "I accept it." Kristian's heart sank, a void opening within him as the stark reality settled.

Her words, so clinical and detached, brought a resurgence of profound loss that he thought he had managed to keep at bay.

"Once the divorce is final, I hope we can go back to being strangers," Freya went on, her gaze unwavering. "Even if fate throws us together, let's just pass by like we've never known each other." As she spoke, her mind wandered to the future of the company she was bound to inherit.

The Briggs Group wasn't just her father's legacy; her mother had poured her soul into it as well.

With both the Briggs and Shaw Groups being titans in their fields, she was adamant that their personal history shouldn't taint potential collaborations.

Kristian's eyes darkened, a mix of pain and concern flickering through them as he nodded slowly. "Fine, I'll go along with that," he conceded, his voice thick with emotion. "But you need to promisesomething first." Freya's brow furrowed slightly. "What is it?" He hesitated, his heart heavy at the mere thought. "If you find someone new...' The words choked in his throat, the images of her smiling softly in another's embrace, perhaps even starting a family, weighed him down.

unbearably.

Freya inquired softly, yet firmly, "What?" "If you find someone else," Kristian replied, his tone laced with concern, "make sure to register your before marriage." His eyes searched hers earnestly. "And keep your wealth under wraps. Don't let anyone know how much you really have." 27.2% 15:34 +4 X+ x4 mo 13 0< To him, Freya cfrom an ordinary background.

Yet, if the world ever discovered the billions sitting in her bank account, she would no doubt turn into a prtarget for schemes and manipulations.

"Don't worry, I know what to do," Freya assured him with genuine warmth in her tone.

Kristian's expression grew somber. His emotions had been a whirlwind today, especially with his frustrations regarding Freya and Trent.

But now, as night cloaked their home, his voice carried an unexpected serenity as they delved into deeper conversations.

It was the sight of tears tracing Freya's cheeks that altered his perspective, prompting him to see this moment as perhaps his final gesture of kindness before their impending divorce.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head upstairs to sleep," Freya announced, her fatigue evident in her slumped shoulders and weary eyes.

"Wait." Kristian's voice halted her retreat.

With a puzzled frown, she turned back towards him.

Before she could articulate her confusion, he stepped closer, his actions gentle.

He tenderly wiped away her tears with his thumb, his voice a soft whisper. "Don't cry." Freya touched the other side of her face, her fingers brushing against dampness she hadn't noticed before.

She paused, a memory of the dream that had roused her from sleep earlier surfacing in her mind.

Then, locking eyes with him, she asserted, "I wasn't crying." His expression softened, a hint of concern in his voice. "Don't force yourself to be the strong one all the time." He pulled his hand away, his deep-set eyes mirroring her visage in the dim light.

"I swear, I wasn't crying," Freya responded, her fingers brushing her cheeks as if to erase any trace of tears. She clutched her glass a little tighter and offered a plausible explanation. "Those weren't tears, okay? Just swater that splashed when I bumped into you." Kristian was momentarily lost for words.

Freya's gaze drifted to his damp clothes. With a gentle reminder, she noted, "It's a bit chilly on this cool we. autumn evening. You should change your clothes before you catch a cold. I'm heading up now-sorry about getting your clothes wet." Silence enveloped Kristian as he processed her words.

With a resigned sigh, Freya set her tom glass down on the shelf and ascended the stairs leaving Kristian with alone with his frustrations in the quiet of the night. The mood was irreparably shattered by her words.

A frosty aura enveloped Kristian, thickening with every second as he replayed the eveningsembarrassments. He had sincerely believed Freya's tears were genuine, but understanding he'd jumped to the wrong conclusion left him feeling like a complete fool.

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