Chapter: Chapter 21Freya's POV I heard the front door click shut just as I was pulling the lasagna out of the oven and the cupcakes Lucy and I left for Brandon. The familiar creak of Brandon’s leather shoes across the perfectly polished floors made my heart lift, even if I wouldn’t admit it out loud. I didn’t have to turn around to know he was loosening his tie, shedding the sharp corporate armor he wore every day like second skin.“You’re home earlier than I thought,” I said, glancing over my shoulder. He was in the doorway now, a tired smile tugging at his lips, his hair slightly disheveled from running his hands through it—something he did when he was stressed or lost in thought.“Traffic gods were on my side for once,” he said, stepping into the kitchen. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my temple, his hands brushing lightly over my waist. “Something smells amazing.”“Lasagna,” I said, sliding the dish onto the counter. “With extra cheese. Figured you could use the comfort carbs.”“You figur
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-04-28
Chapter: Chapter 20Brandon's POV The hum of conversation and the steady click of keyboards filled the office, but my mind was only half on the quarterly reports in front of me. The other half was still back home—with Freya, at 5 a.m., sitting in my kitchen with a fork in her hand and a sleepy smile on her lips.“Hey,” Kyle’s voice pulled me back to the present. He leaned casually against the doorframe of my office, a tablet in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. “Everything alright?”I nodded, pushing the papers aside. “Yeah. Just… long night. Or morning, I guess.”Kyle stepped inside, setting the coffee down on my desk. “Then you’ll need this. And before you say anything, yes, it’s the roast you like.”“You’re a lifesaver,” I muttered, taking a sip. “Speaking of which—thanks again for upgrading the security system. That thing came through last minute, two days ago.”Kyle’s brow lifted. “You had a breach?”I leaned back in my chair, letting out a humorless chuckle. “More like a drama-fueled ambu
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-04-26
Chapter: Chapter 19Brandon's POV Waking me up at 4.am became our thing after that first night. This was two nights after and guess who woke me up for eggs and pancakes yet again.Freya.I never really considered myself a morning person—especially not the type to be in the kitchen before sunrise, whisking eggs and flipping pancakes. But Freya had a way of making the strangest things feel normal. Even sacred.The soft light over the stove cast a golden hue across the counters as I stirred the pan, the scent of garlic butter and eggs filling the kitchen. A comfortable silence hung in the air behind me where she sat at the bar, occasionally sipping from the mug of warm tea I had made for her.“You really call this breakfast?” she asked, amusement lacing her voice.I looked over my shoulder with a smirk. “It’s eggs, toast, sautéed tomatoes. That checks the boxes, doesn’t it?”She made a face, one eyebrow raised. “Brandon, it’s 4:45 a.m. This is just a meal. Breakfast comes with sunlight and actual coherence
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-04-25
Chapter: Chapter 18Freya's POV I woke up to the sound of my stomach complaining. Loudly.Groaning, I turned over in bed, burying my face into the pillow in hopes of ignoring the gnawing ache, but there was no use. It was four in the morning, and I was starving—like, irrationally starving, like I hadn’t eaten in days. Which wasn’t true, of course, but maybe skipping dinner after that long altercation had been a mistake.I sat up slowly, the soft glow from the streetlights outside casting shadows across the room. I could’ve called down for something, sure. Brandon’s kitchen was stocked and the fridge full, and there were even those fancy late-night room service options he insisted on keeping around, “just in case.”But none of that sounded good right now.I didn’t want anything from a menu. I wanted warm food. Something made with care. Something familiar.Something... shared.I slipped out of bed and padded barefoot across the cool floor, hugging my arms around myself as I wandered out into the hall. I p
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-04-23
Chapter: Chapter 17Freya's POV The evening had been quiet—too quiet, in hindsight.I was curled up on the couch, the soft chattering of the television filling the silence as I absentmindedly scrolled through my phone. Lucy was nearby, flipping through a fashion magazine, occasionally showing me a dress or a pair of shoes she thought would look amazing on me. It was the kind of peace that felt like it wouldn't last, the kind that whispered a warning I didn’t want to hear.Then the call came.The buzz of the intercom startled me slightly, and I reached for the receiver without much thought."Hello?" I asked, already expecting it to be a delivery or maybe one of the neighbors needing help with something trivial."Security here, Ms. Lefevre," came the familiar voice on the other end, one of the newly hired security. "We have a guest downstairs requesting access to your unit. A Rachelle Lefevre, she says she's your friend and in-law. Should we let her in?"My heart stuttered in my chest. Rachelle?Before I
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-04-21
Chapter: Chapter 16Freya’s POVThe house was unusually quiet when we returned. Lucy and I walked through the front door, and the soft echo of our footsteps on the hardwood floor made it feel like we were stepping into a memory—one of those that clung to the walls long after the people had moved on. The air felt a little too still, a little too expectant.Lucy slipped off her shoes and headed toward the kitchen, muttering something about needing juice. I lingered in my bed room, staring at the half-drawn curtains filtering in the afternoon sun, casting slanted stripes across the rug. I was still trying to breathe through the whirlwind of the past few days when I heard the knock.It wasn’t loud. Just a subtle, polite tap. But I knew who it was before I opened the door.It was Brandon.He stood there, looking far too put together for someone who claimed to be "just dropping by." His dark eyes scanned me, lingering for half a second too long before he spoke.“Freya, can we talk?”I hesitated but stepped asi
Dernière mise à jour: 2025-04-19