The Bride Who Said No: Escaping the Shadows of Yesterday

"Freya! Hold up right there!"

During the intermission, Freya had excused herself to the restroom, only to hear Kieran's voice trailing behind her.

"Mr. Sutton? What's the matter?" Freya turned around, her tone suggesting a polite distance between them as if they were barely acquaintances.

"Freya, seriously, you outdid yourself this time. You knew I wanted that property for the Sutton Group, yet you went out of your way to snatch it, even if it meant taking a loss. What's the game? Trying to get under my skin or just desperate for my attention?"

"Mr. Sutton, you've got it all wrong. I genuinely liked that property. It has nothing to do with you." Freya's sincerity didn't dent in Kieran's disbelief.

Eloise hurried over, following close behind Kieran.

"Ms. Dawson, you were too rash. That property's going to cost you a fortune!" Eloise said, glancing at Kieran. "Kieran brought me here today, which must've embarrassed you. I get it. You want to stand up to Mr. Sutton, but there's no need for recklessness. If you end up in a financial hole, Mr. Sutton will still feel obliged to bail out the Dawson family. Why put yourself in that position?" Hearing this, Kieran scoffed, "Freya, you set the price, so you'll foot the bill."

"Mr. Sutton, you must be kidding. Since I made the bid, I'll pay for it. Haven't we already called off our engagement? My finances have nothing to do with you anymore." "You..."

Kieran's face darkened, but Ronan emerged from the auction hall then. Catching sight of him, Freya raised her voice deliberately, a smile playing on her lips. "Ronan!"

Her call was laden with intimacy, worsening Kieran's mood.

Freya walked over to Ronan, linking her arm through his. "Intermission's almost over, right? We should head back. After all, I've had my heart set on that piece of Echo City for a long time. Mr. Sutton, Ms. Harwood, we'll be taking our leave."ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Freya nodded politely at Kieran and Eloise. Her demeanor was unflappable.

Eloise felt the icy chill emanating from Kieran as he stood beside her. "Kieran..."

Eloise couldn't help but look at him, surprised at Freya's boldness in flaunting her closeness with Ronan right before Kieran. Ronan was Kieran's arch-nemesis.

"Quite the move of Freya. I've underestimated her," Kieran muttered, his fists clenched. He'd never been so blatantly disrespected.

Seeing Freya walk away arm in arm with Ronan felt like a direct challenge. Did Freya think he, Kieran, couldn't move on from her?

"Jarrett."

"Mr. Sutton."

"Elevate the bid for that Echo City's property to five billion. Freya wants Ronan to have it, doesn't she? I'll make it a costly wish."

"Mr. Sutton... but if Ronan doesn't bite, then..."

Kieran's response was cold. "With all the hype we've built, he'll bite. Let him spend an extra billion. It'll be like his efforts this year were for nothing." "Yes, Mr. Sutton."

Back in the auction hall, Freya and Ronan had taken their seats.

Ronan began with his dry wit, "So, I stepped out for a moment and have become your human shield?"

"Mr. Beckett, seeing Kieran with that sour look, it's pretty satisfying, right?"

"It is, indeed."

Freya continued, "Just watch. Kieran is petty enough to drive up the price just to make you lose more."

"Ms. Dawson, it seems you are quite familiar with your ex-fiancé."

More than familiar, okay? Looking back on those hard three years, Freya realized she had been utterly devoted to Kieran.

A single look from Kieran, and she would think he was warming up to her. And with a word from him, she would feel like she had finally thawed his heart.