Chapter 5

“Check again. We already paid for the reservation,” Freya argued with the hotel staff.

“I’m sorry, Miss King. Two of our studios were under repair, but it wasn’t reflected in our system,” the front desk said.

“We could share a room, Boss,” Geneva said reluctantly. “I could sleep on the sofa.”

“No!” Freya reacted. “I won’t have you sleep on the sofa. Let me call Kenneth.”

“What’s going on?” Kenneth’s voice rang in the lobby of the Diamond Hotel. This was his family’s hotel. If anyone could fix this, it was him.

“Oh, thank God you’re here,” Freya said. “I thought you left after dropping us off.”

“I… live here. I stay at the penthouse during weekdays,” Kenneth said, his gaze shifting to the front desk.

“Well, then. I need your help.” Freya explained the situation.

Kenneth didn’t manage the hotel. His cousin did, but the staff knew his family owned it. The front desk paled and broke into a sweat at the sight of him.

“Mr. Wright, the hotel is fully booked for the next six months,” the front desk said, but her voice was shaking, and Freya felt something was off.

Kenneth might have sensed it, too, because he walked around the front desk and ordered, “Show me.”

“Um—um.” The front desk looked like she was about to cry, but soon, she opened the computer for Kenneth to see. “Mr. Wright.”

The front desk whispered something, but Freya could not hear her words.

In front of the counter, Freya and Geneva studied Kenneth. They were curious about the result of his investigation.

Kenneth kept staring at the screen, his brows drawing closer by the second.

His gaze shifted to the front desk and the screen twice before he straightened his back and turned to Freya. “The hotel is fully booked for the next six months. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. I’ll personally give you the refund for the room.”

Freya’s face became complicated. She asked, “How is that even possible?!”

Inner Devil: ‘So, do we live on the street?’

“I’ll look for a different hotel,” Geneva offered.

“OR… you can stay at my penthouse,” Kenneth suggested, surprising Freya.

From the corner of Freya’s eye, she saw Geneva’s face light up. Her assistant was giving her an approving grin.

Inner Devil 2: ‘Stay at Kenneth’s penthouse? That sounds familiar. Looks like we are going to see abs soon!’

Inner Devil: ‘Go, Freya! Go! Stay with the Hottie!’

“Don’t worry, I can stay at my office. That way, you can use my penthouse for your private space,” Kenneth said. “On the weekends, I usually stay at the old Cromwell Estate, my maternal great-grandparents’ home.”

“You’ll stay at your office?” Freya asked. “That would feel like I’m kicking you out of your own home.”

Kenneth’s handsome face remained unreadable. He said, “If our situations were reversed, what would you do?”

“I would—” Freya hesitated. “I would let you stay at my place.”

“Then it’s settled. As a courtesy to Uncle Adrian and Aunt Riley, I’m willing to lend you my penthouse,” Kenneth said. “I’ll take you to the penthouse.”

“I’ll assist Miss Blaire to her room,” the front desk cheerfully offered.

Soon, Freya walked into Kenneth’s penthouse.

The floor was shiny. There were leather couches and neat shelves. She could smell a faint scent of sandalwood and espresso. Outright, she whistled. “Someone is a neat freak. Haha!”

When Kenneth turned to her, his gaze sharpened.

“Don’t worry. I’m the same. I’ll keep your place clean,” Freya said.

Kenneth walked her to the guest room. After that, he said, “You can get your things settled.”

Then his eyes landed on the trolley she was holding. “That’s all you have for six months?”

“Well, honestly, I thought I could deal with the situation for one day, and that was to buy the shares from you,” Freya revealed.

“Hmmm,” Kenneth said. “Have some rest. I’ll see you at my office tomorrow. Then we can discuss our plans.”

“I’ll just get a few of my things,” he said, walking to the room at the end of the hallway.

Inner Devil: ‘Freya, are you really going to let him leave his own house? You could share this big place!’

Freya bit her lip. It’s not that she didn’t want to share a space with him. It felt more like he wanted a private space!

The second Kenneth walked back out, holding a new suit, she felt a sense of guilt.

Inner Devil 2: ‘This guy is a gem! He is willing to leave his home for you! Do something! Stop him!’

“Wait.” Freya finally spoke. “Do you really need to leave? I mean, I won’t be a bother. I mean, there are different bathrooms, right?”

“No, you might want your personal space,” Kenneth said plainly.

When Freya heard that, she realized she had misunderstood his actions. She smiled and said, “No, actually, I would rather have company in this big penthouse.”

She looked around and realized there were three bedrooms. Plus, they walked past a huge living room with an outdoor balcony. There was more than enough space for two grown adults.

“Each room has its own bathroom, so you don’t have to worry.” He raised his chin and studied her. “Are you sure you won’t mind sharing the space?”

“Pfft!” Freya laughed. “It’s your place. I, on the other hand, owe you for the free accommodation.”

“Okay, if you insist,” Kenneth said. “I’ll return to my room.”

“I won’t be coming out,” he revealed. “I leave early in the morning. Help yourself to the house, or room service.”

“That’s great! Liking this place already,” Freya said with a smile.

“Goodnight, Freya,” Kenneth said.

“Goodnight,” she said back, and watched him walk into his room.

Inner Devil: ‘Did you see that ass? Freya, you have got to get your hands on that ass.’

Inner Devil 2: ‘His back is sexy. His voice is sexy. His face is—ahhhh! Then, he’s mysterious. Freya, I just want to… eat him up.’

For the first time, Freya did not scold her inner thoughts outright. She let it settle. Then, she walked into her room, mumbling, “Stop it. Stop it! Kenneth and I aren’t like that. He is off-limits!”

“Can you imagine, if we do go out, and it fails? What would happen to the partnership our parents have built?” Freya sighed as she left her trolley to open the window to her room. “I don’t want to risk that. I don’t want to hate him, and I don’t want him to hate me. Besides, he isn’t into me. We don’t see each other that way.”

Freya thought she had shut the inner devils up, but to her surprise, they retorted.

Inner Devil: ‘Oh yes, let’s preserve the business alliance while your ovaries cry themselves to sleep. Excellent strategy, General Freya.’

Inner Devil 2: ‘I’d say! Let the partnership burn. Let the family alliance crumble. Let the economy collapse. We want the man. Priorities!’

Freya was shocked. “You guys are getting bolder?!”

Inner Devil: ‘Oh, we’re just getting started—Ahhh!’

Freya locked up her thoughts again. “I think I have given you too much freedom. Back to the cage! I’ll prove to you that there is a perfect man out there for me, and it doesn’t have to be Kenneth! Besides, he isn’t that perfect! He also has flaws!”

Inner Devil 2: ‘I bet his flaws are perfect.’