BRUNO

Freya's POV:

I swivelled around and there he was, standing in front of a door I had ignored when I walked in.

My hands pressed against the hamster's table as I stared at the intruder.

Wait… I was the intruder.

The man rubbed a towel through his wet brown hair, his eyes not leaving me for a second as he shuffled around the room.

He was surprisingly relaxed for someone who had a trespasser around.

“You haven't answered,” he stated as he brought a hairdryer connected to a socket near the bed to his head.

I had questions about who he was and why he looked familiar. That was when I remembered the polaroid pictures.

My eyes instinctively went to the green wall then back at him. He was looking at me with a kind of curiosity that made me shift on my feet.

When he cocked his head to the side, he realised that a reply was long overdue.

“I'm Freya,” I introduced like he was meant to know me.

“Lord Lucien's kitchen… staff,” I continued and he nodded vehemently.

He turned off the switch and the room suddenly fell silent with only the hamster wheel cutting through the tension.

I wanted to leave but the way he kept staring made me stay in place stiffly.

“You must know Duncan then,” he said with a smile that surprisingly looked like Duncan's.

My mouth formed an ‘oh’ shape as I stared at him in surprise. They looked nothing alike but it wasn't so much of a big deal.

Duncan never mentioned having a brother but then again, i didn't even know about the existence of Sophie until I saw her.

I couldn't help but wonder if he had a love-hate relationship with his brother like he did with Sophie.

Everywhere went quiet again and since the introduction was over, that was my cue to leave.

I moved my hands from the table and dusted the invisible dirt in my dress, hoping that would be enough sign that I was about to leave his space.

And he took a hint. “Leaving already?”

He didn't want me to go? I couldn't be so sure even though I was trying to assess his expression.

He was hard to read like his brother.

“Yes,” I muttered , glancing once more at the hamster.

“The hamster isn't mine,” he mentioned out of nowhere.

I looked back at him, wondering where the information suddenly came from.

This time, he had his back pressed against the wall with a novel in his hand although his eyes were on me.

A sudden thought crossed through my mind as I stared at him. He was obviously older than Duncan which means he was supposed to be the Alpha.

“It's Duncan’s,” he continued.

My eyes went wide in surprise and I stared at the hamster like it was suddenly supposed to have Duncan’s name branded on it.

I never thought Duncan was the type to keep pets. It also answered the question about his relationship with his brother.

“That's surprising, right?” he asked and let out a chuckle that didn't end well.

He started wheezing and just when I thought it was over, he suddenly bent over as a racking cough convulsed his body.

Panic set into my chest as I actively started looking for water but there was none in sight.

I didn't have any idea about what to do so I went to meet him and tried patting his back but his hand caught mine before I could.

His grip on my hand tightened when I tried to pull away and that was when the real fear set in.

“I'm okay,” he croaked out just when I decided that it was best to scream for help.

He let go of my hand and I took a step back almost immediately. There was obviously something wrong with him and it made me wonder if it was contagious.

The thought of having a disease without cure made the hair on my skin stand.

“I'm so sorry about that,” he apologised and gave me a weak smile.

That was when I noticed how sickly he looked with the dark circles under his eyes.

Did he really have something contagious?

“I rarely get visitors so I get super excited when someone visits.”

His words made my blood go cold and I asked without thinking twice, “Is it contagious?”

He stared at me blankly for a while and I wondered if I had come off as rude.

The thought of having my head cut off at my insolence was interrupted when he said, “You're safe.”

His laughter echoed through the room and even the hamster got startled by it.

“Sit, let's talk.”

I didn't have much of a choice since it sounded like an order so I obediently sat on the chair he pointed at with a bit of hesitation.

“Is there anything you want us to talk about? It might come off as a surprise but I know a lot,” he said with excitement in his eyes.

A part of me wanted to ask him about the dead girl but the other part was anxious.

I played with my cuticles inside and shook my head slowly.

“There has to be something you want to k-

“What's your name?” I asked quietly.

He also seemed taken aback and just stared for a while before getting over it.

“Bruno,” he replied with a wide smile.

I nodded slowly as I drummed my fingers on my thighs, wondering what I should ask him next.

“Any oth-

Bruno got interrupted when the room's door flung open and the only person I knew was capable of doing that stepped in.

“Freya,” Sophie called out coldly.

Her facial expression was something I had never seen before, and her demeanour? It was something else entirely.

I made eye contact with her and looked away when it felt like she was throwing daggers my way.

“Let's go,” she ordered, leaving no room for argument and not like I would have argued even if I had the chance.

I glanced at Bruno in confusion, wondering why both of them were acting as if they were invisible to each other.

“Come on, Freya.”

I stood immediately and followed her outside but not without looking back.

Bruno's eyes were on us and he gave me a little smile that held so much meaning.

“You can't be in there,” she said, huffing out of frustration.

I didn't say a word and kept my head low even when I saw several people gathered around the stairs and giving me a look I didn't like.

What made it worse was how they spoke with only their eyes, leaving me clueless about what exactly I did wrong.

I didn't seem like the only one who wasn't comfortable. Sophie also looked stiff and was constantly glaring at everyone

And just before we left the midst of the crowd that had gathered, I heard someone whisper, “She met the mad brother.”