She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 36

Chapter 36 If | Were Truly Heartless, I'd Say She...

“Alright,” Kristian murmured, then disconnected the call with a soft click.

He was acutely aware that his family would never embrace Ashley-whether it was the stern disapproval of his

parents or the rigid expectations of his grandfather, their hearts had room only for Freya.

With a heavy sigh, he quelled the rising tide of his emotions and set out to the location Freya had sent him,

slipping behind the wheel of a random car from the company lot.

Upon his arrival, Freya was already there, her presence as commanding as ever.

Seeing her again after several days stirred a complex whirl of emotions within him. Unlike the typical, tear

streaked heroines of cinema, Freya appeared utterly composed and self-sufficient, which only added to the

unsettling, feeling in his gut.

"Besides the news of her pregnancy, what else did Ashley mention to you?" Kristian dove right into the heart of

the matter, forgoing any pleasantries as he settled across from Freya.

Without a word, Freya unlocked her phone, pulled up the recording of her call with Ashley, and passed the device

to Kristian.

He shot her a puzzled look before pressing play.

The moment Ashley's strained voice filled the air, a sharp pang clutched at Kristian's heart. Acting on impulse,

he faced Freya and demanded, "Why didn't you informright away?"

Freya's expression remained undisturbed as she retorted, "And why exactly should | facilitate her communication

with you?"

"If she wasn't in distress, she wouldn't have reached out to you," Kristian snapped back, his voice laced with a

mix of frustration and concern.

Freya stared in disbelief at his brazen nerve. "Are you provoking a confrontation?" Kristian's lips formed a thin

line, and he offered no reply.

Without hesitation, he snatched Freya's phone and hastily dialed Ashley. Noticing Ashley wa:

swiftly unblocked her to ensure the call went through.

cked, he

Freya, too fatigued to engage in further conflict, merely watched his deliberate actions.

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The connection was immediate.

"Ms. Briggs..." Ashley's frail, tremulous voice cfrom the other end.

"It's Kristian," he declared, infusing his tone with a calming assurance, his face softening into a look of concern.

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Chapter 36 If | Were Truly Heartless, I'd Say She Deserved It

Freya's stomach churned with discomfort.

Silently, she refrained from intervening, fully aware that any objection would merely escalate into a heated

dispute.

"Kristian..." Ashley's voice cracked, overtaken by tears, her sobs echoing a deep- seated anguish.

"Please, don't cry, just take a moment,” Kristian said gently. "Why did you Freya you were carrying my child? We

both know the reality behind that claim..."

"| was desperate to reach you, and it seemed my only option," Ashley explained through her tears.

"What exactly happened?" Kristian's voice was gentle yet firm.

"I..." Ashley's response was hesitant, her words tinged with reluctance.

Kristian murmured softly, "Take all the tyou need."

After a heavy silence, Ashley spoke, her voice trembling. "Kristian, something terrible happened to me; | was

violated."

At her words, Kristian felt a jolt of shock, his body rigid with tension.

Tears streamed down Ashley's cheeks, her cries stifling her breaths.

Seeing her distress, Kristian composed himself, realizing she relied on his strength now more than ever. "Who did

this to you?"

"Il... I don't know," Ashley murmured, her voice breaking as she relayed her ordeal. "Last night, | was out

shopping with a friend. Then, | received a message. | thought it was you, saying you missedand were waiting

at a hotel."

Kristian's hand clenched around the phone, his knuckles whitening.

"I missed you terribly. | thought perhaps you were hiding from Ms. Briggs and had changed your number to

secretly reach out, so | went to the hotel. But once | arrived, | was caught off guard and taken down. The next

thing | knew, | woke up and it had already happened..." Ashley's voice faltered, laden with despair. "Kristian, |

was too frightened to contact you, but now, you're my only refuge." Her confession resonated deeply with

Kristian.

Immediately, he asked, "Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the apartment you arranged for me," Ashley replied, her voice a whisper. She lay huddled on the bed, her

eyes red and puffy from weeping.

"Hold tight, I'm on my way," Kristian assured her firmly, his tone resolute. "I'll be there soon. Don't worry about

anything else."

"But... what about you and Ms. Briggs?" Ashley queried, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"I'll manage the situation," Kristian asserted firmly.

After concluding the call, he handed the phone back to Freya, his face betraying a storm of emotions. "Effective

immediately, our prior agreement is terminated. Ashley is facing difficulties, and I'm compelled to intervene."

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Freya remained silent, her eyes fixed on him, absorbing the gravity of his declaration.

It was the first tshe had ever seen him break a promise since they had met.

"If you think of defyingover the divorce because of this, believe me, | have my methods to persuade you."

Kristian threatened, his tone harsh and unyielding. Freya felt no urge to contest his words. She was even more

determined an him to escape their empty and grotesque marriage.

With a single question weighing on her, she quietly said, "Kristian.”

He slowly looked up, as if bracing for what cnext.

"Do you truly hold such affection for Ashley Bradley?" she inquired, her demeanor calm yet piercing

"Yes," he confirmed with a firm nod.

She pressed on, her voice soft yet laced with contempt, "Enough to keep alienatingtand again?"

Kristian remained silent.

Freya had finished discussing morals with him. She leveled her gaze, her voice firm. "If you decide to go with

Ashley and leave Alerith today, the next twe cross paths, we'll be enemies."

Ideally, they could part ways amicably with a peaceful divorce and then drift apart as strangers.

However, since he was backing out of their agreement, she was ready to make

the separation as challenging for him as possible.

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The sting of betrayal had deeply wounded her.

"Can you stop being so immature?" Kristian, clearly annoyed, retorted, "I wouldn't

have violated our agreement if not for Ashley's grave predicament."

"That's none of my concern," Freya replied, her tone icy.

"Freya!" Kristian exclaimed, his frustration peaking.

"I've made myself clear. The choice is yours," she declared flatly. As she absentmindedly stirred her coffee, her

indifference was palpable. Kristian's expression turned grim. "Do you really want to testright now?" "Your

knack for distorting the truth is quite remarkable." Freya put down her spoon, a cold smile on her lips as she

continued, "You're the one who betrayed me, yet you act like I'm the one in the wrong."

"Ashley was violated." Kristian's tension eased slightly, reluctant to sever ties completely with her.

Freya's response was tinged with indifference. "And how is that my concern?"

He weighed his words, a heaviness settling in his chest. He said, his voice a low murmur of distress, "You're a

woman too; you should understand the horror of that. She was trying to findwhen it happened. | can't just

look the other way."

At his words, a flicker of emotion stirred within Freya.

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She harbored no fondness for Ashley, yet she couldn't stand those who inflicted harm upon women.

Yet, she quelled the rising tide of her feelings, deeming it imprudent to waste her empathy on Ashley. As for the

perpetrator, she trusted Kristian to deal with him. "That's her problem, not mine," Freya declared, her voice icy,

her demeanor controlled.

Kristian blinked, taken aback. "What did you just say?"

Freya's lips twitched, stubbornly sealed-she wasn't about to waste words twice.

His voice grew incredulous. "Since when did you becso heartless?" It was as though he was seeing a

different side of her, his features hardening. "Even if you dislike Ashley, she's still a human being. How can you

remain so detached after what she's endured?"

Freya's emotions surged, igniting a fire in her eyes as they locked with his frosty stare. She shot back, unyielding.

"If | were truly heartless, I'd say she deserved it." "Freya!" Kristian's exclamation echoed, a mix of shock and

anger resonating in his voice.