The Bride Who Said No: Escaping the Shadows of Yesterday

"Freya, did he apologize?"Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Audrey's question caught Freya off guard, and with a sly twist of her head, she glanced at Kieran.

Sensing Freya's mischievous intent and fearing she might spew nonsense before Audrey, Kieran walked forward to grab Freya by the arm. "Grandma, excuse me. Ms. Dawson and I need to talk in private. We'll be upstairs." With that, Kieran pulled Freya up the stairs in long strides.

Caught by surprise, Audrey called out, "Kieran! My dear boy, be gentle... She's a lady! If you mistreat Freya, I won't let you off the hook!"

Upstairs, Kieran threw Freya onto the bed and locked the bedroom door.

"Mr. Sutton, what's the meaning of this?" Leaning against the headboard, Freya teased Kieran at the door, "Doing this... what would Ms. Harwood think? She might get jealous, you know."

"Freya!" Kieran approached, his grip tightening around her neck, his voice cold, "Have I been too lenient with you? Who gave you the nerve to show up at my place?"

"Audrey missed me. Of course, I had to come and see her." Freya tilted her head back, meeting Kieran's force without fear. Despite his grip, she knew he wouldn't truly harm her.

Seeing the cunning in Freya's eyes only fueled Kieran's anger. "Are you not afraid I might strangle you?"

"Mr. Sutton, you've been making life hell for the Dawson Group, just to see me beg, haven't you? If you kill me, who will you watch plead?"

After hearing those words, Kieran let out a cold laugh, releasing Freya, "Quite insightful of you. Well then, let's see how you plan to beg for mercy."

Kieran settled on a nearby couch, picking up a glass of red wine and waiting to see Freya grovel.

Sitting up from the bed, Freya slowly began, "The factory in the west end, downtown development projects, the 15th of every month's overseas trade, and I believe the Sutton Group also runs a major auction house, dealing in billions annually. You're familiar with these, aren't you, Mr. Sutton?"

With every mention, Kieran's smirk faded a bit more. These were all part of the Sutton Group's darker ventures, including illicit dealings. Such matters, let alone to someone as supposedly sheltered as Freya, were known only to a few high-level executives within their company but not with the detail Freya possessed.

Seeing Kieran silent, Freya continued, "Mr. Sutton, I expect you to pull back on your schemes against the Dawson Group. Otherwise, I can make these secrets public. If both the Sutton and Dawson Group go down, we wouldn't be at a loss."

"Freya! Are you threatening me?" Kieran's voice was laced with danger. Freya was the first to dare threaten him so brazenly.

"Mr. Sutton, I don't provoke unless provoked. We could part ways amicably. You withdraw your moves against the Dawson Group, and I'll keep these secrets. Fair, isn't it?"

"Freya, on the one hand, you talk about breaking off our engagement, and on the other, you cozy up to Grandma to secure your position. And you dare to talk about parting ways amicably?" Kieran scoffed coldly, "If it weren't for Ellie's generosity in not holding a grudge against you, I wouldn't have settled for a few lost deals for the Dawson Group."

Freya asked calmly, "So, there's no room for negotiation?"

"What do you think?"

Freya knew Kieran wasn't easily intimidated. Her visit was more of a warning, a reminder to keep things in check. Pushed into a corner, even a dog would jump over a wall, let alone her. She wasn't anyone's pushover.

"Mr. Sutton, care to make a wager with me?"

Kieran was curious. "A wager on what?"