Chapter 3

Freya's POV

This little kid is really demanding, I thought to myself.

As I was about to say something, a shadow fell over me.

Before I knew what was happening, David’s cool lips had brushed against mine, leaving as quickly as they had arrived.

"A goodnight kiss." He looked at me with clear, intense eyes while his voice was a bit raspy.

I found myself momentarily lost in his gaze, utterly speechless.

Seeing my dazed expression, he reached his hand through the car window and gently ruffled my hair twice. "Bye-bye, sweetheart!"

After driving for some minutes, I checked my rearview mirror and saw that he was still standing in the exact same spot.

While waiting at a red light, a friend request from David popped up.

His profile picture was a photo of me.

I had no idea when he secretly snapped it but it actually looked pretty good.

I smiled, tapped accept and changed his contact nickname to "Little Brother."

As I was still giggling uncontrollably at the nickname, he sent me a message.

‘Have you made it home?’

I replied, ‘Still on the road.’

Immediately, Little Brother texted again, ‘Then I won't text you for now. Focus on your driving!’

He even attached an emoji.

The good mood that accompanied me all the way back to my neighborhood instantly vanished the moment I spotted Eric.

Eric was standing by the trash cans at my building, smoking a cigarette.

Enveloped in a shroud of smoke, his entire aura looked gloomy.

The moment he saw me, he demanded, "Since when did you get a boyfriend?"

"Not long ago."

"Freya, how many years have we known each other?"

His expression was terrible.

To break the tension, I offered a smile.

Eric let out a bitter laugh. "You've known all these years, haven't you?"

I lifted my head to look him straight in the eyes. "I don't know anything! All I know is that we are friends."

"Who the hell wants to be your friend?!"

Eric suddenly snapped.

His face contorted with rage and an agonizing look of heartbreak. "Freya! Haven't I been good enough to you all these years?

“Why can't we just keep going like this? We were childhood sweethearts. We could have gotten married and spent the rest of our lives together.

“Why did you have to betray our relationship?"

Listening to his hysterical accusations, I suddenly felt like I didn't recognize the man standing before me.

He had always been gentle and elegant. He had never lost his composure like this.

"Eric, that's impossible. Whether I am with David or not, I can never be with you."

I looked at him, my expression entirely open and honest. "It's true that we grew up together. In my heart, you are different from everyone else.

“You are a friend, you are family but you will never be my lover."

Eric stared at me, his eyes filled with stubborn obsession. "I don't believe that!"

"Eric, you know me. If I liked you, I would have been with you a long time ago.

“I wouldn't have dragged it out until now. On the contrary, if I don't like someone..."

"Enough!" Eric’s eyes flashed with a sinister light. "You'll regret this. I'll make you realize that I am the one who loves you the most!"

Watching his furious, retreating figure, I stood frozen for a long time.

The elevator was broken, so I had to climb the stairs alone. My body was exhausted but my mind was growing increasingly clear.

I thought back to the sentence I couldn't finish.

If I don't like someone, what will I do?

I would avoid them. I would delete their contact information and I would never interact with them again.

Once I got inside my apartment, I sent David a message to let him know I arrived safely.

He immediately tried to initiate a video call but I declined it, making the excuse that I was exhausted and wanted to sleep early.

David didn't suspect a thing, he just sent a goodnight emoji.

Looking at the emoji, I couldn't help but laugh.

For a guy, he was so domineering and charming.

Just because he caught a glimpse of the emoji pillow on my office sofa, he had already known exactly what I liked.

This little boyfriend wasn't that bad.

---

Despite the clash with Eric the night before, I forced myself to dive straight into work the moment I opened my eyes the next morning.

If the fabric issue wasn't resolved, nothing down the line could move forward.

I asked around and managed to get introduced to a few new manufacturers.

To maintain the company's professional image, I deliberately put on a full face of makeup and wore high heels.

By the end of the morning, I hadn't found a single reliable manufacturer but I had successfully grown several fresh blisters on my feet.

Back in my car, I crossed off another name from my printed list.

The entire morning had been a disaster.

It was either the fabrics were completely booked out or the delivery times were completely uncertain.

Sometimes, the color and material samples seemed right but the actual goods would not match the samples at all.

One problem kept cropping up after another.

Sighing, I rubbed my growling stomach and prepared to order some food.

As I unlocked my phone, I was greeted by over twenty missed calls and more than ten text messages.

I couldn't help but bury my face in my hands.

I dialed the number back. The moment the call connected, David’s casual charming voice rang out.

"Babe, are you avoiding me because you were too shy about last night?"

My ears burned as memories of his goodnight kiss resurfaced with the phantom sensation still lingering on my lips.

I cleared my throat. "Stop talking nonsense. I've been buried in work all morning. That is why I didn't hear your calls or see your messages."

"What kind of work could possibly be more important than me?" David’s disgruntled voice came through the phone.

I didn't know if it was the static of the phone line, there seemed to be a hint of a pout in his tone.

My voice softened unconsciously. "It's a company matter. Telling you won't do any good anyway."

"How will you know if I can help if you don't tell me?"

Left with no choice, I sighed. "We’re likely being targeted. Someone bought out all the fabric stock we need on the market."

David casually drawled, "If you can't find fabric, you can just come to me!"

"Alright, I appreciate the thought. If a professional like me is stuck, what can a student like you do?"

"What? You don't believe me? Where are you right now?" He asked and added immediately, "Stay where you are, I'm coming to find you."

Checking the time and realizing it was exactly lunch hour, I agreed to meet him at the restaurant right beneath my office building.

From a distance, I saw David waiting for me.

Forcing down the sharp pain in my feet, I walked over and smiled at him. "Have you been waiting for long?"

David frowned at me, looking thoroughly displeased.

Thinking he was annoyed that I had taken too long, I opened my mouth to explain.

Before I could say a word, he marched right up to me and swept me up into his arms, scooping me off my feet.

"Ah!" I cried out in surprise and instantly squirmed to be put down.

"Behave! Keep moving and you’ll fall on your face," he threatened.

I immediately curled up tightly in his embrace.

It wasn't because of his threat, I just kept quiet as this was too embarrassing.

He carefully set me down on a restaurant sofa. "Sit here for a bit. I'm going to grab something."

After David had walked away, I noticed a middle-aged man dressed in a sharp business suit sitting directly across from me.

When did he get there?

Are all the public displays of affection done right in the front of a stranger?

This was excruciatingly awkward!

Wait!

Isn't this the head of DavDaw Fashion, a subsidiary of the Dawson Corporation?

I couldn't help but internally curse David for being so oblivious.

How could he just dump me here when there was clearly someone else at the table?

Sensing my awkwardness, the man sitting across from me offered a polite nod. "Allow me to introduce myself.

“I am the General Manager of DavDaw Fashion under the Dawson Corporation. I am Mr. Pascal."

I extended my hand. "Hello, Mr. Pascal. Your reputation precedes you. I am a shareholder and the chief designer of M&L. My name is Freya."

Mr. Pascal shook my hand. "Miss Michael, you are quite famous too."

Following the introductions, I could sense Mr. Pascal's genial nature.

Getting straight to the point, I asked, "It seems you were waiting for me, Mr. Pascal?"

"Yes. I received a call from my boss just now, that his fiancee is facing some trouble on her end."

Boss?

Who is the boss and who is his fiancee?!

While I was entirely dumbfounded, David returned.

Carrying a bag of items in his hand, he arched an eyebrow. "Looks like you two have already introduced yourselves."

I stared at him in absolute shock. "The 'boss' that Mr. Pascal is talking about, is that you?!”