Freya's POV
I was still reeling from the encounter with Brian and Rachelle, my mind racing with anger and humiliation. And to make matters worse, Brandon had taken me there completely unprepared.
As soon as we got back to the house, I turned on him, my voice shaking with annoyance. "Why did you take me there?" I demanded. "You knew it would be awkward, and yet you didn't even warn me."
Brandon shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "If I had told you about it, you wouldn't have come with me," he said, his voice matter-of-fact.
I felt a surge of frustration. "That's not the point," I said, trying to keep my cool. "The point is that you should have prepared me for what to expect."
But Brandon just raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You're not exactly the easiest person to prepare for something like that," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're a bit of a wild card, Freya and you did amazing tonight, besides how long were we going to keep this entire news from everyone else, it was now or never and later is not an option."
I felt my face heat up with anger, but I knew I was defeated in the argument. Brandon had a point, and I couldn't deny it. I was a bit of a wild card, and I had a tendency to react impulsively.
With a huff, I turned on my heel and stalked off to my room, slamming the door behind me. I was still fuming, but I knew I needed some time to calm down and process everything that had happened.
As I flopped down onto the bed, I couldn't help but wonder what other surprises Brandon had in store for me.
I paced back and forth in my room, phone pressed to my ear as I filled my mother in on all the drama that had been unfolding. From the sudden barging of Brian into Brandon's home, to the confrontation with Brian and Rachelle, I didn't leave out a single detail.
My mother listened patiently, making supportive noises and murmuring words of encouragement. But when I finally paused for breath, she simply told me to calm down and take things easy.
"Remember, sweetie, you're pregnant," she reminded me. "You need to take care of yourself and the baby, most especially the baby . And don't forget, your inheritance is just around the corner. In a month's time, you'll have access to all of your father's assets he left you, so think of this as a win-win situation."
My demeanor immediately shifted from anxious to excited. "A hundred billion dollars, Mom!" I squealed, hardly able to believe my luck. "Can you believe it? I'll be one of the richest women in the world!"
I couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude towards Brandon after the subtle remainder. If he hadn't married me, I wouldn't have had access to my father's money. "Thank you, Brandon," I said out loud, not realizing that he was standing right behind me.
But as I turned around, I saw him leaning against the doorframe, a curious expression on his face. "Which money?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
I felt my face heat up with embarrassment as I realized my mistake. "Uh, nothing," I stuttered, trying to play it cool. "Just...just talking to my mom."
But Brandon's eyes lingered on me, his gaze piercing. I had a feeling that he wasn't buying my explanation, and I wondered what he would do if he found out my major aim of informing him about my pregnancy was my inheritance
He adjusted his stance again."What hundred billion dollars?"
FREYA I hadn’t expected the elevator ride to feel like this.The mirrored walls reflected too many versions of myself—composed but wide-eyed, curious but tense, bracing for something I hadn’t entirely imagined becoming real.When the doors slid open on the executive floor, the hum of quiet efficiency hit me first—phones clicking, heels tapping on marble, voices low and clipped. The Lefevre Corporation’s upper echelon was a world apart from everything I’d known before. Sleek, modern, immaculate. And now… somehow mine to walk through.Brandon was at my side, his hand resting briefly on the small of my back—steady, warm. Just that touch reminded me I wasn’t alone in this.“I figured we’d get you settled before your first orientation meeting this afternoon,” he said.I nodded, my throat dry. “Okay.”As we turned a corner, a man in a dark suit and an eager smile approached—older, somewhere in his early fifties, with a trimmed silver beard and the type of presence that suggested boardroom
BRANDON If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that power doesn’t shout. It doesn’t need to. It walks into a room, steady and unapologetic, and waits for the world to catch up.It was a new morning brewing in chaos which I could smell from a mile away. I was in my office, wrapping up a call with legal when the knock came. Sharp. Impatient. The kind of knock you don’t ignore.There it was."Come in," I said, even though I already knew who it was.And sure enough, he walked in like he owned the place.My older brother, Alexander Lefevre—PRESIDENT, legacy gatekeeper, and the kind of man who’d rather light the house on fire than let someone move the furniture.He didn’t sit.“I gave you space,” he said flatly. “I stayed out of your way when you wanted to shift things, when you restructured operations, even when you downsized departments I built from the ground up.”I didn’t respond. I let him talk. That’s what people like him want anyway—to be heard, to be obeyed, to be feared.“But no
FREYA I never thought I’d find myself in a boardroom.Not one like this.The long, polished mahogany table stretched out beneath a chandelier that looked like it belonged in a palace. Everything gleamed—the glass walls, the branded folders lined up at each seat, the calm surface of water in crystal pitchers, as if even the beverages had been instructed to behave. It was a stark contrast to the churning in my stomach.I’d dressed with more precision than usual that morning—black wide-legged trousers, a sleek blouse tucked in just right, and a tailored blazer that Brandon had insisted I wear. “You’ll look the part,” he said. “Because you are.”Still, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for what this morning meant. Not until I stepped into that room and saw their faces.Especially Bryan’s.And Rachelle’s.They were already seated when we arrived. Brandon walked in first, a natural in these spaces, his calm authority pressing into the room like gravity. I followed a step behind, chin lifted, ev
BRANDON’S POVI stood outside her door longer than I should have.The hallway was dim, quiet—the house already asleep except for a distant ticking clock and the faint creak of the old wooden floor beneath me. I could’ve turned back. Given her space. Let the night end the way it had, with her asleep on the couch, safe in my arms. But I’d carried her to bed once she dozed off and now, hours later, I couldn’t sleep myself. Not until I heard her say it with her own voice. That she was truly okay. That she didn’t just collapse into me because it was easier than standing.I knocked gently. “Freya?”A few seconds passed. Then, softly: “Come in.”I pushed the door open, slowly. She was sitting up in bed, blanket pulled over her knees, hair still damp from her earlier shower and tumbling over one shoulder. She looked both young and incredibly strong in the low light, like someone recovering from a storm but not broken by it.I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. “Couldn’t sleep.”She
FREYA The car ride home was a quiet one, wrapped in silence that didn’t feel heavy—just fragile. Like if either of us said the wrong thing, it would crack something open that neither of us was ready to touch yet.Brandon’s hand rested on my knee, warm and steady. It wasn’t possessive, not even protective—it was grounding. A quiet reminder that I wasn’t alone. That he was here. And somehow, that was the only thing holding me together.Outside, the city blurred past in streaks of amber and gold. Inside, I sat in the dark cocoon of the backseat, replaying the hallway over and over again in my mind. Bryan’s voice. His grip. My own heartbeat pounding too fast. And then—Brandon. The sound of his voice slicing through it all. The way everything shifted the moment he stepped between us.I hadn't said much since we left. And he hadn’t pushed.When the car finally pulled into the private driveway, Brandon was the first to get out. He walked around to my side and opened the door before the driv
FREYA’S POVThe night had unfolded like a slow burn—elegant, meticulous, and charged with unsaid things. We were hours in now, the orchestra playing softer melodies as the formal parts of the evening gave way to the more relaxed—if not indulgent—afterglow. Laughter echoed near the open bar, the scent of champagne and floral perfume mingling in the air. Conversations had turned more casual, jackets were loosened, and heels were quietly kicked off beneath round tables draped in ivory.I had excused myself, needing a breath. Not because I felt overwhelmed, but because I needed a moment to peel off the pressure. To feel my own skin again without so many eyes.The hallway was dimly lit, golden sconces lining the velvet-papered walls. The noise of the ballroom faded the farther I walked, replaced by the rhythmic clack of my heels against marble tile. I let out a soft breath and closed my eyes, resting one hand against the wall.“You always did know how to disappear.”I didn’t need to turn a