Chapter 5

Freya's POV

I had to walk for ten minutes to reach the main road. I wondered where that man got the information of such a luxurious, expensive villa.

I hailed a cab and got in.

"Where to?" the driver asked, turning to look at me.

I was worried about my best friend. So I gave the driver Mila's house's address. I wondered if she went home safely last night.

When I arrived at her home, I saw her using an ice bag on her head.

"Mila!"

She turned to me with wide eyes. "Freya, are you okay?" she asked.

"I am fine," I replied, hugging her.

She hugged me back. "I just woke up and felt worried for you," she said, holding my hand.

"How did you get home?" I asked her, breaking the embrace.

"Vixen said a few men dropped me home safely last night," she replied with confusion.

Vixen was Mila's brother. He was going to be our new delta, a respected member of the pack.

"Thank God," I exhaled.

"What about you?" she asked, titling her head.

I told her everything I remembered.

She was in disbelief. "Really? He didn't do anything? Like not a single thing?"

I hit her arm. "Shut up!"

She laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever, you are free now. That handsome escort wasted Logan's money; that's the main interesting fact."

I realized I had no life like before. I would have to change myself and stop believing in everyone. I would try to be stronger.

After taking my leave from her, I went to my house.

As soon as I arrived there, I noticed my parents were in the living room, talking about something important.

When they noticed me, they immediately stopped talking. I did not care about their secretive conversation.

As I was about to walk toward the stairs, my father, Killian, spoke out.

"Where were you last night?"

I paused my steps and turned my head to him. I saw my mother, Lima, was glaring at me. Of course I was the poison in her eyes.

"I was at Mila's home," I mumbled, lying about it.

I did not think they should know where I was. They didn't care when I was dying of fever; why would they care now?

"Freya, you stole the family's heirloom. We let it slide. But you hurt Evica again. I am not going to slide it again," Killian said with a dangerous tone.

I stared at him. How could these people be so heartless? How did they want me to treat their daughter, who had been cheating with my fiancé behind my back?

"Dad, I am not feeling well. We'll discuss it later.”

I ignored his words, bolting up the stairs, leaving him and Lima stunned.

I never snapped back to him or Lima. Every time they spoke to me, my only duty was to keep listening to them without any voice.

I walked into my room and closed the door. I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

My head was still aching, but reality slowly began to eat me alive.

How could I forget so easily how the man I used to love so much suddenly turned his back to me and slept with my sister?

The pain was engraved in my heart like a slow poison. I really hated Logan. The slap echoed in my ear that I gave him last night.

Yet my pain was unmeasurable.

The whole day I thought about how my life had been ruined by loving Logan.

-

The next day,

My phone started to ring nonstop, breaking my sleep early in the morning.

I sat up in bed and picked up the call. It was one of my colleagues who called me.

"Freya, where are you?" Zoey asked from the other end.

"I am at home," I replied.

"It's been four days. What happened to you? Are you okay?"

I was a senior analyst in the pack company, Vance Group. Though Logan had consistently overlooked my hard work, I knew the deepest secrets and held valuable knowledge about the company.

I sighed and was going to tell her that I was sick.

"I am—"

She interrupted me, "The real boss, Alpha Aleric, is back. Alpha David announced him as now our new CEO yesterday. I am afraid if you won't come, Mr. Hayes can't save you from him."

Hearing about Alpha Aleric, I felt really strange. He was someone very dangerous I should always avoid.

I almost forgot that he had returned to the pack.

For years, Logan reigned as the acting president in the position of vice president, trying to hold everything as if the empire belonged to him alone.

Everyone knew he was just a placeholder; still, they bowed to him for working for all of these years. But what would Logan do now when the real owner was back?

I cleared my throat and replied, "Actually, I was very sick. That's why I could not come."

Zoey was silent when she heard I was unwell. After a moment she uttered,

"I am sorry; I didn't know you were sick. Manager Wang told me to inform you. Alpha Aleric is very cold. If anyone offends him at work, who knows what will happen."

I could feel her fear from her voice. I gulped when I thought how Alpha Aleric would scold me. Maybe he would fire me for being absent for four straight days without any notice.

"I-I am coming right now," I said, immediately checking the clock.

It was already 11 o'clock. I rushed to the closet and hung up the phone.

I took a quick shower and changed into a formal dress. I walked out the door, not even looking back at my parents, who were inside.

My hair was still wet. I could only comb my wet hair on the way to my office.

"I hope the new boss won't fire me," I prayed in my heart.

When I arrived at the Vance Group, I raised my head and looked at the skyscraper. The building was tall, and the sunlight reflected on the blue glasses.

It shone differently today.

I took a deep breath and entered the company.

The first thing I noticed inside was how the color of the employees’ faces was drained out as if they were in trouble.

I looked around while walking toward the reception desk and asked the receptionist,

"What happened to everyone?"

She gave me a nervous smile and replied,

"Don't you know? Alpha Aleric is here in the office."

I took a shaky breath. "Thank you for the information," I replied and rushed to my floor.

When I got to my desk, ​I buried myself in paperwork, trying to get the whole week ready for my team.

Hours passed, and by the time I looked up, my head was pounding.

Zoey touched my forehead and gasped. "You still have a fever! You should take a few days off.”

​I nodded, my mind made up. I applied for a week off. I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing Logan’s face anyway.

Grabbing Zoey's hand, I looked at her with a pleading expression. "Could you please help me submit the application?"

​She squeezed my hand and nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it for you.”

“Thank you so much!”

I left my floor with a relaxed face. Although my head was aching, I was relieved I would not get fired from my job.

My phone rang inside my bag. I pulled my phone out and saw the name I did not want to see again.

'Logan'

I didn't pick up his calls and got into the elevator. He kept calling me again and again.

I felt annoyed as I decided to receive the call.

"What now, Logan?"

Almost immediately his screaming voice pierced my ear. "Where the hell are you? Come back to your house right now! Grandma invited you for the coronation celebration."

​I frowned, completely lost in my own thoughts. The elevator door opened, and I thought the ground floor had come.

I walked out while muttering, “I have no connection with your family. I will not go there.”

When I glanced around, I realized I was on the wrong floor. The elevator door had already closed, so I took a way toward the staircase, thinking I could go to grab the elevator again.

Logan's angry growl on the phone flinched me. “Stop pretending, Freya. I know you want to say sorry to me for that fucking slap. Come home right now, or I will punish you harder this time.”

Then he hung up the phone.

I was so in disbelief at his words that I couldn't see someone was coming in my direction.

Until I bumped into something solid.

A chest…

I stumbled back, my phone still pressed to my ear.

I slowly looked up, ready to apologize, but I froze. The words died in my throat.

My breath hitched.

​The man was staring down at me, his brows knit in that familiar, annoyed line.

My eyes widened.

"Wait," I mumbled, my pulse spiking as I realized exactly who was standing in front of me.

"Y-You! Mr. Escort?"