?Chapter 349:


    Freya sent another question mark in response.


    “Your ex-husband just showed up at our home with a load of gifts. He’s in the study with Dad right now. No clue what they’re discussing.”


    Freya was speechless. Kristian really was the kind of ex-husband who didn’t know where the line was drawn.


    She rubbed the bridge of her nose, clearly unwilling to get entangled in his web again.


    She knew herself—and him—too well. If they crossed paths again, sparks would fly, and not the romantic kind. It would be fire and ice, striking once more.


    Kristian was meant to be at his branch office today, wasn’t he? So what in the world was he doing at her home now?


    The question gnawed at Freya, growing more insistent with each passing minute. Finally, with a sigh, she picked up her phone and dialed Hugh’s number.


    She needed answers. If Kristian’s presence was just another mundane business matter, she could dismiss it and not bother heading home. But if it was personal—if it concerned her directly—she would return right away.


    The phone rang just as Hugh was in the middle of a discussion with Kristian. Seeing Freya’s name sh on the screen, he excused himself and answered the call with a sense of urgency.


    But before Hugh could even utter a hello, Freya’s anxious voice cut through. “Pretend you’re getting a call from your secretary about some urgent work matter.”


    “What’s going on?” Hugh asked, his voice dipping into a carefully moderated business-like tone.


    Freya exhaled a silent breath of relief at his quick understanding. She dove right into the heart of her query, her words clipped with tension. “Is Kristian there with you?”


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    “Yes,” Hugh answered, his voice a mask of neutrality. He made sure not to even flicker his eyes towards Kristian, fully aware of the young man’s sharp perceptiveness.


    “Find an excuse to step out onto the balcony. I have some important questions,” Freya instructed, her voice steady and clear.


    Hugh turned back to Kristian with a practiced ease born of years navigating the tricky waters of business politics. “I need to handle something quickly. Do you mind waiting here for a moment?”


    “Go ahead,” Kristian responded, his voice smooth and unsuspecting.


    Hugh strolled over,posed and collected, giving nothing away. After he slid the door shut with a soft click, he let out a deep breath, his thoughts swirling with concern for his beloved daughter. “I’m on the balcony now,” he murmured into the phone.


    “She mentioned Kristian brought quite a few things?” Freya’s voice crackled through the speaker, tinged with curiosity.


    “Yes.” Hugh paused, the word hanging heavily in the air.


    She prodded further. “And what exactly did he bring?”


    “Some items of considerable value,” he admitted reluctantly.


    “Why would he bring those?” Freya pressed, her confusion evident even through the phone.


    Hugh’s silence stretched out as he grappled with the decision to divulge the full extent of Kristian’s intentions. He could already see it—the truth was going to hit her hard.


    Freya waited on the line, her patience a steady presence as she sensed his hesitation.


    Finally, Hugh found the courage to exin, his voice dropping to a confessional whisper. “He… he came to seek my blessing to marry you.”


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