?Chapter 354:


    Freya didn’t hold back. “What else? Did you really think I had forgiven you and we were going to get back together?”


    Kristian surged to his feet, his frustration erupting like a dormant volcano. He did exactly what Liam had told him to, but Freya still refused to change her mind.


    Freya trailed after him in silence.


    Downstairs, Hugh and Ethel sat tensely, their nerves strung tight with anticipation. Both were on edge, fearing that the situation upstairs might spiral into a heated argument—or worse, an outright confrontation. Seconds stretched into minutes as they waited, the quiet around them growing heavier.


    Then, atst, the sound of footsteps echoed down the stairs.


    Hugh and Ethel snapped their heads up, their eyes wide. The cold aura enveloping Kristian was palpable, even more biting than before. It was clear—whatever conversation had happened upstairs hadn’t gone well.


    “Mr. Briggs,” Kristian said abruptly, stopping in the middle of the living room.


    Hugh turned his head on instinct, ready to answer, but then paused. He quickly recalled Freya’s hostile stance toward Kristian and decided to y it safe—he acted like he hadn’t heard a thing.


    Kristian’s eyes narrowed, perceptive enough to see right through Hugh’s facade.


    Unperturbed, he continued, his voice steady and deliberate, “I’ve just arrived in Alerith today and haven’t found a ce to stay. Would it be too much trouble to ask if I could stay here for the night?”


    All three of them stared in disbelief,pletely thrown off by Kristian’s bold request.


    “Mina and She are young women; it’s simply improper to have a man in the house overnight,” Hugh finally blurted out, his voice shaking slightly with anger. “I must insist you look elsewhere.”


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    Kristian simply gave a small nod. “Alright then,” he said calmly.


    Without another word, he turned to leave.


    Before his divorce, he had never delved into Freya’s family or her connections, never stepping foot in Hugh’s home.


    Now, despite their separation, he felt a strange pull to bridge the gap he had ignored for so long.


    Hugh stood by the doorway, frowning as he watched Kristian disappear into the night. That was it? He left that easily? Was he really thatpliant?


    Snapping back to the present, he caught the intense gazes of Freya and Ethel fixed on him.


    “What’s going on?” Hugh stammered, his voiceced with bewilderment.


    “You should never engage with him,” Ethel dered, her lips curling into a pout as sheunched into her grievances against Kristian. “He’s too maniptive!”


    Freya, who had been eyeing the neatly stacked gifts with a discernible scowl, chimed in, “Have someone return these immediately.” Without hesitation, Hugh set about making the necessary arrangements.


    However, Kristian seemed to have foreseen their n. No sooner had he climbed into the car than he instructed Gerard to drive off, effectively thwarting their attempt to return the gifts.


    A pang of guilt washed over Hugh as he gazed at the unimed presents. “What should we do with these now?”


    Freya’s response was as serene as the quiet before a storm. “Once he’s settled in Alerith, we can send them to his new ce,” she suggested crisply. “If he dares to show up here again, keep the doors shut.”


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