?Chapter 886:


    “Freya.”


    “You once said that if Ellis and I were both in danger and you could only save one of us, you’d save me. Was that true?” Kristian asked.


    “Yes,” Freya replied instantly.


    “And if saving me meant you’d have to die?”


    “I’d still do it,” she said without flinching, not even taking a breath.


    Kristian’s hands clenched again, but something inside him began to ease, the fury dulling at the edges. “Would you be willing to leave your family and friends behind?”


    “I wouldn’t want to,” Freya said honestly.


    “If I hadn’t saved you on Butterfly Ind, would you still give the same answer?” Kristian watched her closely.


    Freya didn’t like dealing in hypotheticals. “There’s no ‘if.''”


    If he hadn’t saved her that day, she wouldn’t be here. There’d be no decision left to make.


    Kristian didn’t press her further. He walked beside her in silence, lost in his own thoughts. Even now, when he wanted her to see only him, her honest gaze and earnest words unraveled himpletely. He decided to wait until tomorrow.


    The rest of the morning passed in aimless wandering. As noon approached and Freya was about to take Kristian to lunch, an unexpected figure stepped into their path.


    Vivien stood before them, her palms slick with sweat, eyes darting nervously between the two of them—the image of a perfect couple.


    “Freya, I need to talk to you.”


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    “Go ahead,” Freya replied coolly.


    “I’d prefer if we spoke alone,” Vivien said, biting her lip, her anxiety clear on her face. “It’s… important.”


    “There’s nothing between us that warrants a private conversation,” Freya said, her voice t and emotionless. “If you’ve got something to say, say it here.”


    “Can I ask you something?” Vivien’s voice came tentatively, her words weighed down by hesitation.


    Freya stood there as she always did—effortlessly maic, the kind of presence that turned heads without trying. “Go ahead,” she replied coolly.


    “Are you… on bad terms with Norah Russell?” Vivien’s question was careful, yet it trembled with something unspoken, as though she wanted to say more but couldn’t bring herself to.


    Freya stilled.


    She’d only met Norah a few times—and Vivien had been there once. Norah hade across as warm, even eager, certainly not someone who would harbor a grudge. Odd that Vivien would ask.


    Vivien pressed her lips into a thin line. “What I need to discuss with you is about her.” She paused, gathering courage. “Can we talk in private?”


    Freya studied her face for a moment, sensing the storm beneath the surface before she nodded.


    She asked Kristian to go ahead and order food while she and Vivien moved to a quieter spot.


    “What do you want to talk about?” Freya asked as they settled in. Vivien sat across from her, visibly uneasy.


    “I have something to give you.”


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