Freya's POV
At the Café.
I sat across from Finley, watching as he sipped his coffee.
After a moment of hesitation, I spoke up, "By the way, about me approaching you regarding the lawsuit... I think it's better to just forget about it."
Finley looked up and asked, "What made you change your mind?"
For a moment, I struggled to find an explanation.
"Do you remember this Twitter account?" Finley suddenly brought his phone closer and pointed to a screenshot on it, asking me.
I glanced at it briefly and replied, "Of course I remember. Among the people who sent me hateful private messages, she was the most aggressive one."
There was a brief silence from Finley before he spoke again, "Do you have a personal issue with Tracy?"
My posture shifted and I pursed my lips. "Why do you ask?"
Finley zoomed in on the screenshot he had just taken. "The hand in this avatar belongs to Tracy."
I was still missing the connection. Since many of Tracy's fans had targeted her, it wasn't surprising that they used an image of her as the avatar.
"What's the significance of that?"
"I had my friend run a reverse image search using the latest technology. No public platform has this photo, and considering the angle of the shot, it seems like it was taken by the person holding the milk tea, likely a personal snapshot that was never made public."
I quickly caught on. "So you're suggesting that this account might belong to Tracy or someone close to her?"
"It might not be her directly, but it could be someone in her inner circle. After all, it's not easy for an average person to obtain her private photos."
The 'Starry' account was only known by Novia, Finley, and a few others close to me, so Tracy was unlikely to be aware of it. Therefore, personal animosity didn't make sense.
The other possibility was work-related. As a stand-in, my fight scene overshadowed Tracy's performance, stealing her spotlight while adding depth to the character."
"If it is her account, can I win the lawsuit?"
Finley spoke candidly, "Whether she's personally using the account or not, it's highly likely that the registration information isn't hers. If you decide to sue and leverage her PR team, she might be able to find a scapegoat."
I looked disheartened, asking, "So the cost of cyber violence is that minimal?"
"There's no way the law can fully control morality," Finley added after a pause, "but without pushing back, this sort of behavior is bound to worsen."
I remained silent for a moment before asserting, "I'm taking this all the way to court!"
Finley chuckled, "I'll do everything in my power to help."
"Do I need to pay a portion of the attorney's fees upfront?" I suddenly recalled this.
Finley laughed, "That's not pressing at the moment. It can wait until the process advances a bit more."
"By the way," Finley remembered something and retrieved an item from his pocket, handing it over to me, "Is this yours?"
I turned around and saw that Finley was holding the earrings I had worn the previous night.
Finley explained, "I found these in the car this morning. I think I left them behind when I dropped you off last night."
"They're mine. I thought I'd lost them."
I nodded, suddenly recalling the gift I had planned to give Finley. I hastily said, "Wait for me, don't go anywhere!"
With that, I rushed out.
I made my way to my car and spent some time rummaging around before finally locating the bag with the watch.
Returning to the cafe, I handed him the gift, saying, "Finley, I wanted to express my gratitude for your help yesterday. When I passed by the mall today, I saw this and thought of you. I hope you like it."
Finley paused, then smiled, "I have something for you as well."
Saying so, he produced a brand new, unopened cell phone and handed it over. "Yesterday, I noticed that your phone was broken, and coincidentally, I had an extra one at home. I thought I'd bring it over for you to use."
I hurriedly declined, "No, this is too expensive."
"It's still much cheaper than a watch," Finley remarked. "I don't think you have a cell phone with you today either, so I assume you haven't bought one yet, right? Being without a cell phone right now is quite inconvenient, so you can take this one and use it. When you buy a new one, you can return it to me."
"Alright then," I accepted it and handed him the tie. "The next time you're available, let me treat you to dinner."
"Sounds good."
When I returned to the villa, Kingsley was sitting solemnly on the couch, resembling a wolfhound awaiting its master's return.
My heart inexplicably softened.
Upon seeing me come back, he commented somberly, "Still know how to come back, huh?"
I momentarily froze, instantly wanting to ignore him. I simply tossed the things in my hands onto the couch and turned to head upstairs.
Upon entering my room, I undressed and prepared to take a shower.
Just as I was about to step into the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me, the door to my room suddenly swung open and Kingsley walked in.
Before I could react, he approached me with a gift box containing a cell phone. Looking up at me, he asked, "Who gave you this phone?"
I turned my head to look at him, taking in his eyes that had turned slightly red.
"A friend," I answered with a sigh, opting not to mention that Finley had given it to me, fearing his overreaction.
Kingsley clearly doubted my response. "Why would a friend give you a cell phone?"
I rolled my eyes. "Perhaps because we're friends?"
Kingsley's eyelids twitched, and he fell silent.
"Could you please leave now? I need to take a shower." I walked toward the door, gesturing for him to exit.
Kingsley glanced at me and then stepped outside.
As he passed by me, he unexpectedly seized my wrist and pulled me into his arms.
I stiffened in surprise.
When his hand made contact with the mark he had left on the back of my neck, an intense spark shot through my entire body.
His eyes met mine, filled with possessiveness, as he earnestly stated, "Freya, remember that as long as my mark remains, our mate bond will endure, and you will always be my Luna."
Lost in thought for a moment, I snapped back to reality and quickly extricated myself from his embrace.
"Then please hurry up and accept my rejection, so this damned mate bond can disappear. That way, we won't be tied to each other, and I won't have to see you ever again."
With those words, I pushed him out of the room and forcefully closed the door.