?Chapter 427:


    “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.


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    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 as he sat 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.


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