All Chapters of He Chose His Childhood Friend, I Married another Don: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Joss looked at me, perfectly calm. "Freya, I didn't have to tell you any of this. I'm telling you because I trust you to be kind and generous about it."I stared at Joss, fury surging through me.The Girard family was powerful, but the nobility was losing ground. As its heir, I had to think about my family's future.I studied financial risk management, information security, law, and data analysis. I learned everything I might need to become the Commission's risk analyst.And now, after all that work, he'd handed it to someone else with one careless sentence.What gives him the right?I glared at him. "Joss, why?"To my surprise, he looked disappointed."Freya, I thought you'd understand."I'm an orphan who clawed his way up from nothing, just like Lydia. It took me eight years to get here. She needs a chance to prove herself too."You have so much. Why do you have to fight her for this job?"I was so angry I laughed."Joss, I'm not fighting her for anything. It was a fair competition!

Joss's eyes darkened, and his expression turned to ice."Freya, I'll say it again. Stop making a joke of what we have."And one more thing. There's a problem at the Girard family's port, and I've kept it quiet for your sake."Watch yourself."My head snapped up. My breath caught.Joss was one step away from becoming the Don. Over eight years, he'd turned into a tyrant who made ruthless decisions without blinking.He knew exactly how to use threats like this against merchants and nobles.I never imagined that one day he'd use them on me.My voice shook. "Are you threatening me?"Regret flickered in Joss's eyes, and his voice softened. "Freya, that's not what I meant. I was wrong. I..."Lydia suddenly burst into tears. "Freya, please don't fight with Joss. I don't want the notes anymore..." She broke off, coughing hard.She doubled over, and the scarf slipped loose.Joss hurried to steady her, and she let herself fall right into his arms. "Joss, it's all my fault. Don't make Freya mad,"

A handsome young man walked in.He had sharp features and light olive skin. His face was calm, but his presence made the air feel heavy.Footsteps clicked outside, then fell silent.Through the door and windows, I saw a row of men in black standing with their backs to us.The young man looked at me.He was Rigel.I'd seen his picture, but I hadn't expected him to be even more handsome in person.And he looked a little familiar.Then it hit me. At the risk analyst selection exam, a young man had kept glancing at me from across the room. It was him!Rigel walked up to me, took my hand, and kissed it. "Hello, my fiancée. Let me introduce myself. I'm Rigel, your fiancé."Joss's pupils constricted."Fiancé? That's impossible."Freya, didn't we agree we'd get married in a month?"I gave him a cold look. "Joss, watch what you say. We broke up two weeks ago."Joss went pale, his jaw trembling. "No, Freya. We've known each other for eight years. How could you..."Rigel glanced at him. "No man w

Lydia smirked. "Freya, you don't actually think you still have a shot at that seat, do you?""Freya."Rigel walked over and held out his hand to me with a smile. "Come sit with me. This spot is too far back for you."Lydia's mouth fell open.Her face went bright red, and for a long time she couldn't say anything.Rigel didn't even glance at her. He gave me his full attention as he led me to the head table.Edmund Holden, the old Don of the Holden family, opened the banquet by raising his glass and saying a few words.The room settled into polite conversation.Lydia sat at her table in the back, chatting quietly with the people beside her.Suddenly, an old man stood up.He approached Lydia with a few sheets of paper. "Lydia, my youngest daughter loves risk analysis. I have a report she wrote. Would you take a look at it for me?"Lydia stood up, pleased. "Oh, I'm hardly an expert. But I'm happy to give you my thoughts."She took the pages and read them one by one. Panic crept into her ey

Rigel took me to a fencing hall on the outskirts of town."Is this Master Dumas's fencing hall?" I asked, surprised."It is. We used to practice here." Rigel took my hand and pointed to the raised platform in the middle. "Remember? You used to practice your sword routines up there."I looked at the platform. Old memories came rushing back, and my hands itched to hold a sword again.These past few years, I'd been so busy with family business that I hadn't touched a sword in ages.Rigel handed me a light, flexible practice sword. "Want to give it another go?"I took the sword, leapt onto the platform, and pointed it down at him with a grin. "Care for a match?"Rigel's eyes lit up. "I'd be honored!"Our blades met. I pressed my attack, while Rigel dodged every strike and countered whenever he saw an opening.It was an exhilarating match.In the end, I saw my chance. The rubber-tipped point of my sword pressed against Rigel's throat, and I leaned in close.We were barely four inches apart.