?Chapter 887:


    “What is it?” Freya asked.


    Vivien’s emotions churned beneath the surface, tangled and hard to hide.


    She stood, clutching her bag with both hands, and slowly undid the sp—each movement deliberate and cautious. Freya’s eyes followed her, sharp and steady.


    “This item is… a bit unusual,” Vivien murmured, as if bracing herself. “When you see it, just try not to freak out, okay?”


    Freya didn’t flinch. “You’re the one who looks like you’re about to fall apart.”


    Vivien swallowed hard, nerves unraveling at the edges. After a moment to steady herself, she reached into her bag and pulled out a gleaming paring knife, holding it out toward Freya.


    Freya’s instincts kicked in. She grabbed Vivien’s wrist in one swift motion.


    Vivien froze. Her thoughts raced in panic.


    Her fingers released the knife on reflex. It hit the table with a loud metallic tter, sharp as the spike of fear driving into her chest. “I wasn’t—I—”


    Freya must have misunderstood. What now?


    Freya let go, her gaze dropping to the gleaming de.


    “I swear I wasn’t trying to hurt you!” Vivien’s voice cracked. She looked pale, as if all the blood had drained from her face. “I just wanted to hand it to you! I wasn’t going to do anything!”


    Freya’s tone was cool, almost detached. “Is that so?”


    The calmer Freya appeared, the more unnerved Vivien became. There was something about Freya—some quiet intensity—that made others shrink back without knowing why.


    “I really didn’t mean anything by it,” Vivien insisted. “I swear.”


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    “You could’ve handed it over while sitting. Why get up and walk over?”


    “I didn’t want others to misunderstand me. If someone saw me digging in my bag and pulling out a knife, they’d probably assume the worst. Someone might even tackle me to the floor before I had the chance to exin.”


    Vivien had thought about this. She’d positioned herself carefully to pass the knife without drawing attention. It was calcted, not threatening.


    Freya raised a brow. “You could’ve just given me the bag and told me to look inside.”


    “I was worried you’d think the knife was a setup—like I was tricking you,” Vivien said quickly, her thoughts tumbling over each other. “What if you thought it was a trap, and I’d go for you the moment you opened it?”


    Freya was speechless. That logic… She didn’t even know how to respond to that.


    Vivien, seeing no response, rushed to plead again, “I swear that’s the truth! Please, believe me, okay?”


    “Okay, I believe you,” Freya responded tly.


    Vivien paused, uncertain she’d heard right. Her eyes widened. “You… you believe me?”


    “Sit down and talk.” Freya did believe her.


    The moment she had grabbed Vivien’s wrist, she knew it hadn’t been an attack. There’d been no force, no tension—only the careful movement of someone handing something over, not driving it in. A real killing strike would carry the momentum of a lunge. This had been nothing like that.


    She hadn’t spoken up immediately because she wanted to see where Vivien would take the exnation.


    “Thank you!” Vivien exhaled, relief washing over her as if she’d just stepped off a ledge andnded safely. “You’re such a good person.”


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