Chapter 169 A Panic-


    Stricken n


    Kristian didn''t need words to know what Gerard was thinking-his face said it all. With a slight curl of his lips, Kristian offered a calm exnation, saying, "The phone identally slipped from n''s hand after he''d had a few drinks."


    "That''s it?" Gerard raised an eyebrow, his disbelief painting every feature of his face. The phone wasn''t just broken-it was demolished beyond all hope of repair. No ordinary fall could''ve done that kind of damage. This was no ident. It reeked of a scuffle.


    "And I stepped on it by mistake after it fell," Kristian lied smoothly, his expression as unreadable as ever. There was a reason behind his fib. n was Freya''s cousin, and if there was one thing certain about Freya, it was her fierce loyalty. She was like a lioness when it came to protecting her own.


    She wouldn''t want the world to know her cousin turned into a one-man wrecking crew when he drank. So, Kristian instinctively chose to shield the truth.


    Gerard, however, wasn''t buying a word of it. He began to roam around the room, inspecting the damage like a detective on the verge of cracking the case.


    Kristian''s brows drew together as his usual frosty demeanor returned. "What are you doing?"


    "Your tiles seem to be a bit... fragile," Gerard said, eyeing a scuff on the floor. "The phone falls once and leaves a mark on the floor. Strange, isn''t it?"


    Kristian was silent, resisting the urge to sigh. Gerard was growing more annoying by the minute.


    After checking the mark and confirming it wasn''t going anywhere, Gerard stood, ready to confront his boss with the truth.


    But the moment his eyes met Kristian''s cold stare, his courage vanished like smoke in the wind.


    His tone shifted abruptly, and with a nervous smile, he backpedaled. "It''s gettingte. I''ll bring you a new phone tomorrow. Sleep well."


    “Alright,” Kristian replied tly, not bothering to mask his indifference.


    Gerard wisely retreated without another word.


    That night, Kristian slept more soundly than he had in days.


    Freya, on the other hand, wasn''t particr about her sleeping arrangements. A change in surroundings didn''t


    throw her off.


    She was up before n the next morning.


    0.0%


    21:25


    After rising, she freshened up, ordered breakfast, and only then returned to the bedroom to tidy up.


    By then, n had begun to stir.


    He groaned, rubbing his aching head, sitting up groggily on the sofa. His hair


    stuck out in every direction as he blinked at his surroundings.


    Realizing he was in his own apartment, he rxed and rubbed his head again, shrugging it off.


    He assumed Toby had brought him back as usual.


    Grabbing clean clothes from his room, he headed to the bathroom. Music started ying as he stepped into the hot shower, hoping to wash away the fog in his brain.


    Meanwhile, Freya noticed he was awake and sat waiting for breakfast to arrive. Her cousin''s lifestyle mirrored hers. After college, both had opted to live alone. She nced at the slightly chaotic living room and couldn''t help but think of Kristian-his ce was always neat, practically untouched.


    Whether they were together or not, she had never seen his space in disarray. Last night had been the only exception.


    While she was lost in thought, n was having a full-blown crisis in the bathroom.


    Mid-shower, he spotted a long hair clinging to the wall-a woman''s hair.


    His mind went nk.


    The bathroom floor had been damp when he walked in, which now struck him like a bolt of lightning: someone else had been there. And not just anyone-a woman.


    The implications hit him like a ton of bricks. Toby usually carried him home after a night of drinking. But this time, he had woken up on the sofa.


    Had a woman brought him home? The idea rattled him to his core.


    What had happenedst night? Why would Toby let a woman take him home? How would she even know where he lived? Or worse-had he brought her himself, in a drunken haze?


    The more he thought, the deeper he sank into panic.


    He prided himself on keeping a clean reputation, and this situation was like a stain he couldn''t scrub out.


    Outside, Freya waited patiently, though nearly half an hour had passed. Still no sign of n. Frowning, she approached the bathroom door. The water was still running, but there was no other sound. Worry crept in.


    Had he fainted? Slipped and fallen?


    "n?" she called, concern sharpening her tone.


    The moment her voice filtered through the music, n nearly jumped out of his


    skin. He screamed, startled by


    the sudden female voice.


    Freya blinked in confusion. What in the world was that about?


    31.5%


    Fearing he had cked out again, she pressed gently, "Are you okay?"


    n froze.


    That voice-it sounded like Freya''s. Could it be?


    He called out hesitantly, "Mina?”


    "Yes, I''m here," Freya answered clearly, choosing precision over assumption.


    n exhaled with relief, the weight lifting from his chest.


    Thank goodness. It was Freya!


    For a moment, he''d feared he had brought a stranger home and sealed his fate in drunken disgrace.


    With that crisis averted, he finished his shower with a spring in his step, the questions still lingering but no longer urgent.


    Five minutester, he emerged from the bathroom, fresh-faced and dressed in casual clothes.


    Breakfast had arrived. Freya divided the food neatly, setting a ss of milk before him. She began to eat quietly. But something weighed on her. She watched n carefully, trying to find the right moment to speak.


    Telling him what had happened at Kristian''s wasn''t going to be easy. n''s pride had a long fuse-but once lit, the explosion could be dramatic.


    Still, the truth had toe out.


    n noticed her gaze mid-sip. His hand paused, cup halfway to his lips. “Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, tension creeping into his voice.


    A dreadful thought crossed his mind-had he done something embarrassing in front of her?


    Wait a second.


    His expression shifted as rity dawned. Something crucial clicked into ce. Last night, he was quite drunk.


    "You''ve figured it out," Freya said softly, relieved that he was putting two and two together.


    n lowered his ss slowly, as if time itself had slowed. "Was I... drunkst night?"


    Freya nodded. "Yes."


    "Really drunk?"


    "Yes," she confirmed again.


    n pressed both hands to his head, teetering on the edge of a breakdown. Why was the universe conspiring against him?


    "Did L... get too energetic? Likest time?" He couldn''t bring himself to say drunk disaster. "Please tell me no." Freya hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Yes."


    66.3%


    n ran a hand through his already messy hair, the weight of humiliation settling on his shoulders.


    Looking deeply apologetic, he said, "I''m sorry, Mina. I caused trouble again, didn''t


    1?"


    He didn''t even question the situation further. In his mind, the damage was done,


    and Freya had been the only witness to his wild side.


    100.0%