?Chapter 449:


    Surrounded by countryside stillness, far from the noise and rush, he felt something settle in him.


    With that thought, he picked up his phone.


    His eyesnded on Freya’s avatar. More often than not, he had the impulse to text her—ask where she was, what she was doing—but every single time, he put the phone down again without sending a thing.


    The next day came swiftly. Freya told Hugh he should attend the evening banquet, then left the hotel earlier than nned.


    She was headed to the Shaw estate.


    Not wanting to waste the trip or show up unannounced, she called Lionel ahead of time.


    Once he confirmed he was home, she grabbed her gift and made her way over.


    Lionel lit up the moment he heard she wasing, beaming with joy. “Quick! Bring out the best dishes, and have the kitchen whip up some fresh juice!”


    “Yes, sir,” the butler responded at once.


    At that moment, Kristian was out in the backyard, chatting with Lionel.


    Lionel’s excitement didn’t go unnoticed. Kristian already had a pretty good guess about what this was about.


    After barking orders, Lionel turned to Kristian with a snort. “What are you still doing out here? Go freshen up!”


    Kristian blinked. Freshen up?


    “Freya doesn’t drop by often. Do you really want her to see you looking like this?” Lionel snapped, clearly unimpressed. “Go put on something decent and make yourself look a bit more respectable.”


    “I’m fine,” Kristian said, making no move to get up.


    Author’s version avable at g??ln ov els.????


    He was dressed down inid-back casuals, shrugging off the stiff formality of his usual suits for a more rxed, breezy vibe.


    Even so, just sitting there, he was effortlessly striking.


    Lionel wasn’t amused. His tone turned sharp. “It’s my birthday today. Are you seriously going to tick me off?”


    Kristian’s expression shifted, tinged with helplessness. He did respect his grandfather. “She prefers me like this, not in a suit.”


    “You sure about that?” Lionel’s eyes lit up, curious.


    Kristian nodded. “I am.”


    During their time together, he had mostly worn formal clothes, but there were a couple of rare times he’d gone casual.


    He remembered Freya’s reaction—she had genuinely liked it. “Who knew you were hiding this side under all that serious exterior?” Lionel scoffed.


    Then he added with a teasing edge, “Trying to win over my sweet Freya with your looks. How shallow can you get?”


    Kristian had no words. Should he remind the old man that he was the one who just told him to freshen up?


    “Don’t go thinking Freya’s gonna fall for you just ’cause you’ve got a pretty face.” Lionel couldn’t go a single day without tossing a jab at Kristian. “She’s not that shallow.”


    Kristian kept his tone easy. “She’s not shallow—she just happens to have a thing for handsome guys.”


    “Well, that only proves she’s got good taste.”


    “You’re not wrong.”


    And with that, Lionel was momentarily silenced.


    .


    .


    .