She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 154

Chapter 154 She Didn't Used To Be Like This

Gerard stayed silent, his mind racing.

directly?

Why didn't Melvin confront Kristian directly?

Melvin had put him in a precarious position!

"And honestly, if he had any decency as an ex-husband, he'd stop hovering

around his ex-wife all the time,"

Melvin remarked, his voice laced with annoyance. "Freya won't be fooled by a few days of attention; he can't

just swoop in and win her back like that."

Gerard's heart slammed against his ribcage.

Something about Kristian's frosty attitude truly scared him.

"And another thing," Melvin added, eyes narrowing.

Gerard felt the edges of panic gnawing at him. There was more? Wasn't it bad enough that he'd already thrown

him under the bus?

"Freya is my girlfriend now. If he has any dignity, he'll back off," Melvin declared with a cold finality.

Without waiting for a response, he ended the call with a heartless click.

His words kept replaying in Gerard's mind, slicing deeper each time. Attempting to defuse the tension, Gerard

managed a weak smile and said, "Melvin has a strange sense of humor, huh? Just try not to take it to heart."

"He's never joking!" Freya shot back sharply, her voice tinged with certainty. Gerard was on the brink of tears,

his emotions teetering as if on a cliff's edge. Freya's actions only compounded his distress, twisting the knife

deeper into his already aching heart.

"Tell him after you get out of the car-" Kristian seemed unaffected by the earlier conversation, displaying a calm

that bordered on indifference. He didn't pick up any hint of possessiveness or romantic affection from Melvin

towards Freya, nor did he sense any animosity that might cfrom a love rival.

To him, Melvin's stance was that of a person merely defending a friend.

Gerard, caught off-guard, faltered. "What?"

Kristian's voice was steady, almost detached. "If he's never even been in a relationship, then why is he trying to

fake one with someone else?" Lifting his eyelids slowly, his gaze was deep, his eyes a well of secrets. "Imagine

how awkward it would be if his act were to fall apart."

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Chapter 154 She Didn't Used To Be Like This

Freya didn't say a word, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Suddenly, a realization dawned on Gerard. "You're implying that Melvin and Ms. Briggs..." His voice trailed off as

he stole a glance at Freya through the rearview mirror.

His suspicion seemed confirmed by her demeanor-she was the epitof calm.

Kristian's next words were directed squarely at Freya, his tone firm yet nebunkind. "You don't need to fake a

relationship with anyone. If this is merely a ruse to deter my affections, then even if you pretended with ten

people, it wouldn't be enough to dissuade me."

Freya's brow creased subtly, her confusion mounting as she struggled to decipher his thoughts.

"What exactly do you want from me?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and curiosity.

"I want us to remarry," Kristian replied, his gaze intense and unwavering as he locked eyes with her, searching

for a flicker of hope.

Freya remained silent, her mind reeling. She had given him opportunities in the past to mend their fractures, but

schances, once squandered, were lost forever.

For the remainder of their journey, a heavy silence hung between them.

Freya glanced at the GPS, then quietly grabbed her phone and typed out a quick message to Ethel, sharing

Kristian's haddress.

As soon as she received the message, Ethel promptly directed the bodyguards to gather all the lavish gifts

Kristian had sent and load them into the car.

Hugh, watching her move briskly through the room with determined steps, blinked in confusion. "Sheila, what

are you doing now?"

"Returning everything Kristian Shaw sent over," Ethel blurted out, his tone sharp and to the point.

As they spoke, Hugh's expression clouded with concern, prompting Ethel to notice his troubled look.

With a nonchalant tone, she asked while watching the bodyguards work, "What's on your mind?"

Hugh hesitated, his lips tightening before he finally broached the subject. "Did Mina ever tell you why she can't

stand Cheryl?""

His question hung in the air, heavy with implications, as Ethel paused mid- thought. Her once bright expression

dimmed, reflecting the storm brewing within.

She never could hide her emotions; they painted her face like vivid strokes on a canvas. Now, shadows of

concern etched her features. "You seem indifferent about Mina's absence, yet fuss over trivialities."

Hugh, caught off guard by the sudden shift, responded, "What happened to her?" "Kristian took her away," she

replied, her voice tinged with resignation.

A wave of relief momentarily washed over Hugh, his thoughts momentarily drifting back to the day's lunch

gathering that had preoccupied him all afternoon. "Don't fret too much. If Kristian dares harm Freya, he'll answer

to me," he assured her, trying to inject a note of certainty into his voice.

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Chapter 154 She Didn't Used To Be Like This

Ethel frowned, her gaze piercing as if she was seeing Hugh for the first time. "Dad."

"What is it?" Hugh looked up, his voice laden with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Do you love Mina less after what happened today?" Ethel's youthful sensitivity often led her to read deeply

into situations.

Hugh's face hardened, a stern visage replacing his earlier relaxed demean "That's the most ridiculous thing I've

heard all day!"

"If this were any other day, the mere mention of Mina being taken by Kristian would have sent you into a frenzy,

eager to retrieve her or at least make a call." Her emotions were palpable, her heart a tumultuous sea that

refused to calm.

Hugh found himself at a loss for words, her questioning striking deeper than expected. He turned away, his steps

faltering as he headed inside, his usual poised demeanor unraveling.

Ethel trailed after him, persistence coloring her tone. "Is there an issue with Mina?"

"It's not an issue with her per se," Hugh began, his voice softening as he grappled with his feelings. "I just can't

fathom why she, who is usually so compassionate, would act so harshly towards Cheryl at lunch today."

He was, after all, only human, subject to the whims of his own emotions.

Seeing Ethel's anger simmering beneath the surface, Hugh added in a soft tone, "As soon as you stormed off,

Cheryl confided in me. She said she understood why you both were upset. She even admitted that if she were in

your shoes, with her father planning to remarry, she'd be just as troubled."

Hugh sighed, his thoughts drifting. Before today, he hadn't anticipated such resistance. He had always hoped

Freya would confront him directly if she opposed his marriage plans. That way, he could have respected her

wishes

openly.

However, her expressing those doubts in front of Cheryl-that had stung more than he wanted to admit.

"You're just trying to blthis on Mina," Ethel spat, her voice sharp with accusation.

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Hugh's brows furrowed, but he kept quiet.

He wasn't blaming Freya-just wishing, deep down, that she could understand him better. Especially now, when

Cheryl was doing her best to comfort him through her own heartbreak.

"I'm not blaming her," Hugh finally said. "I just think it's a little harsh to say you don't like someone right to their

face. She didn't used to be like this."

Ethel's eyes flared, her gaze burning with rising anger.

She clenched her fists, unable to shake the thought of how devastated her sister

would be if she ever found out what their father truly felt.

"You wanna know why she doesn't like Cheryl Newman?" Ethel shot back, her voice sharp as a whip. "It's

because Cheryl tries to copy Mom-down to the clothes, the way she talks, even the earrings she wears!"

She turned on her heel, her voice growing louder as she stormed off. "It's not just Freya. If I'd seen it sooner, |

wouldn't be able to stand her either!"

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Reflecting on it now, it seemed almost surreal.

Cheryl's change had been so subtle and gradual, a creeping transformation. Without her sister's pointed

reminders, it would have slipped right by unnoticed.

As he watched Ethel's figure disappearing into the distance, Hugh stood frozen, a

mix of disbelief and weariness shadowing his features. He rubbed his brow, a tired sigh escaping him.

How did everything end up like this?

After a moment of heavy silence, he finally pulled out his phone and composed a message to Cheryl, his fingers

hesitating over the screen.

Meanwhile, Ethel sat in the back of the car, her eyes rimmed red with unshed tears. Despite the strained

relationship with Hugh, she didn't mind-as long as she had Freya by her side.

But witnessing Freya being mistreated was more than she could bear.

For skids, their heroes were their fathers, towering figures of strength and protection. For Ethel, however,

Freya was her champion-the unwavering guardian who appeared the instant danger loomed, the magician who

turned her deepest wishes into reality.

Holding onto that thought, she took a deep breath and pushed down the rush of emotion, then spoke calmly to

the driver and bodyguard seated up front. "Don't let Mina hear about any of this, alright?"

"Understood," they answered together, their voices steady and respectful.

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