?Chapter 408:


    Zane Castro, his right hand and a man of few wasted words, replied with a knowing smile, “Thetter, without a doubt.”


    “Then have someone steer him toward her,” the man said, his voice as unreadable as fog at midnight. His gaze carried the quiet danger of a de concealed beneath silk. “Better still if she ends up bearing his child.”


    Zane gave a brief nod. “Understood.”


    The room fell silent as the man was left alone with his schemes. Lighting a cigarette, he exhaled smoke like a silent vow, his mind orchestrating a slow, ruthless descent into suffering for Kristian. He wasn’t crafting a n; he was weaving a curse.


    A mere death at the hands of a lover might sting, yes—but for a man ruled by his heart, such an end might taste too bittersweet. No—he preferredyers to his revenge, pain painted in broader strokes. He’d let Kristian win Freya’s heart and let a child be born of their bond. Then—when joy seemed secure—he’d rip it all away, snatch Freya and the child, and wield them like weapons. Now that would be a masterpiece of despair.


    With this malicious tapestry in mind, a sense of ease washed over him. He had time. And he relished the idea of a long, bitter war of attrition. Meanwhile, Ashley remained unaware that his ns had shifted, and that a new game had quietly begun.


    After the call ended, she used her regr phone to reach Freya. It waste. Freya had just finished her nightly routine and was preparing to drift off when Ashley’s call blinked across the screen.


    Guessing the topic, Ashley picked up. “What is it?”


    “He said he won’t make a move,” Ashley replied,pletely at a loss. Confusion and fear tangled in her voice. What worried her most was whether she’d been found out.


    Freya frowned, her mind immediately alert. “He won’t make a move?”


    gα?ησν????s?cо??, your storytelling home


    “Yes, he told me to forget about Kristian for the time being,” Ashley repeated, her anxiety building like storm clouds gathering on the horizon. The fear of exposure gnawed at her relentlessly.


    Freya’s tone sharpened, but she remainedposed. “Did you record the video like I asked?”


    “I did.”


    “Send it to me.”


    “Okay.”


    Ashley obeyed without resistance. She had fully surrendered herself to Freya’s lead. To avoid any missteps or misced words during their conversations, Freya had insisted Ashley record everything using a second device.


    Freya quickly provided an email address.


    Ashley sent the video, but the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen. Just as she was about to speak again, Freya asked, “Besides that, did he say anything else?”


    “He told me to stay in Alerith and make sure I answer his calls without dy,” Ashley confessed,ying bare every word. She never thought she’de to trust someone this much—enough to expose her most vulnerable fears.


    Freya acknowledged her with a soft hum, then said she’d get back to her after reviewing the video, and ended the call.


    The video was short—just a few minutes long. If she’d had even the slightest doubt about the man’s identity, hearing his voice dispelled it like sunlight breaking through mist. The voice, the cadence—it all matched.


    The camera had been pointed at Ashley, so only the man’s voice had been captured, not his image.


    .


    .


    .