Chapter 34 Don't Place Too Much Trust In The Wright Family

Freya's POV

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a ringing phone.

Groggily, I reached out to answer, "Hello?"

"Luna Freya, good morning. It's Jeremy," came Jeremy's voice from the other end of the line.

Jeremy? What was he calling for?

Instantly, I was awake, thinking that Kingsley probably put him up to this call.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It's like this, Alpha Kingsley said he wanted to try your cooking," Jeremy replied.

Since that night, we had both silently chosen not to contact each other. And now, Kingsley had finally remembered me, but only to have me cook for him.

I was immediately a little offended, feeling like Kingsley was acting like a jerk.

Who did he think I was? A babysitter who cooked?

"Tell him I'm not available!!!" I refused with irritation.

"Alpha Kingsley said if you don't show up, the contract between you two will be voided. He'll also be calling to check on your father, Luna Freya."

That jerk! It was obviously a threat.

He was implying that if I didn't show up, he would personally tell my father that he and I were getting rejected by each other.

I ran my hand through my hair in annoyance and reluctantly agreed. "Fine! Go tell your Alpha that I'll be there in a few minutes!"

With that said, I hung up the phone, got up, and freshened up. Then, I started making breakfast, adding a lot of mushrooms, which Kingsley didn't like the most, to express my displeasure in a silent way.

Once I was ready, I drove to Kingsley's office.

Soon, I arrived at the office, and this time, from the moment I entered the building and stepped into the elevator to Kingsley's office door, everything went smoothly—no one tried to stop me.

It was only when I stepped out of the elevator that I unexpectedly ran into Joyce.

She walked slowly toward me, narrowing her eyes, and asked sharply, "Freya, what brings you here?"

I gave her a cold glance.

I suppressed the disgust welling up in my heart and responded politely. Then, the urge to leave tugged at me.

However, Joyce evidently wasn't ready to pass up the chance to provoke me.

Speaking in a casual tone, she let her gaze sweep over my chest. "You truly can't resist seizing every opportunity to catch my brother's eye, can you? Wearing that white shirt in such a seductive manner."

I controlled my anger and lowered my voice. "Joyce, it's better for you to keep your distance from me unless you want a repeat of your brother locking you in the bathroom."

Joyce suddenly burst into mocking laughter. "Do you honestly believe he did that the last time out of concern for you?"

Her remark hit a sensitive spot. I clenched my hands, pursing my lips tightly, refusing to respond.

With a sidelong glance at the lunch box in my hand, Joyce's smile grew wider. "Rumor has it that my brother has been getting close to Tracy these days. And then there's you, a nobody from a small pack! Not even a Lycan. My brother is destined to be the future Lycan King. How can you even think you're worthy of being the future Lycan Queen?"

I replied icily, "Firstly, let me remind you that it was your brother who chose me as his mate. Secondly, it is true that I'm just from a small pack, but it's better than being passed for a pampered doll without a soul on display like you who's never had to work a day in her life."

Joyce's face reddened as she clenched her fists, staring at me with a grim expression.

Turning away, I prepared to leave.

But Joyce's faint voice reached me from behind, "Freya, remember what I told you? Don't place too much trust in the Wright family."

My steps faltered as thoughts of Kingsley's mother giving me wolfsbane rushed back. I turned to face her. "What are you trying to say?"

Joyce's lips curled. "Nothing. You'll find out soon enough."

Without waiting for me to continue asking, Joyce walked away, while Kingsley's voice came from behind her, "What were you talking to her about?"

I twisted my head to look at Kingsley and composed myself, saying, "Nothing."

With that, I handed Kingsley the meal box I was holding. "This is for you. I'll be leaving now."

My demeanor was cold; I didn't even want to exchange another word with him.

My mind was still occupied with what Joyce had just revealed.

Jeremy approached and whispered, "Alpha Kingsley, there's an upcoming meeting."

Kingsley pursed his lips, reaching out his hand. However, instead of taking the meal box, he grabbed my wrist. "Go wait for me in the office."

As I looked into his amber-colored eyes, a sudden realization hit me: those were the same eyes that had roamed every inch of my body that night.

I awkwardly withdrew my hand, furrowing my brow. "I'm not going. I have things to take care of."

"What things?"

"I'm heading to the hospital to see my mom," I replied.

Kingsley gave me a scrutinizing look. "I'll drive you there later."

A surge of annoyance swept over me.

How could he be so calm, as if nothing had happened?

"No need. I understand you have a lot of business about the pack to attend to. I'd rather not trouble you," I politely stepped back.

Kingsley frowned. "Either go by yourself, or I'll carry you. Choose."

What was wrong with him?

I observed Kingsley's expression closely, realizing he wasn't joking in the slightest.

"I'll take the latter if those are the options."

Kingsley said as he advanced, carrying me in his arms.

Several employees glanced over, and I pushed against his shoulders, gritting my teeth. "What are you doing? Let go!"

Kingsley's lips curved. "As you can see, I'm carrying you to my office."

I gasped, turning my head to bite his chest.

His scent engulfed me as I listened to his heartbeat, and my body softened.

Kingsley playfully tapped my backside, letting out a soft chuckle.

Soon, Kingsley ushered me into his office and helped me lie down on the couch.

He gently ran his hand through my disheveled hair. My pulse quickened under his touch. I gazed up into his eyes, which were now locked onto mine.

Just as my anticipation of something might happen was building, Kingsley suddenly spoke, "Wait here for me and behave."

With that, he got up and left.

I felt frustrated by how my body always reacted to him. It was annoyingly consistent.

At that moment, Jeremy walked into the office, holding the coffee he had prepared for me. Following him was Finley.

I was taken aback by Finley's presence. "Finley, what brings you here?"

"I scheduled a meeting with Kingsley to discuss something related to the pack," Finley replied in his usual gentle manner.

Jeremy glanced at a text message on his phone and then back up at us. "Excuse me, I need to head to the conference room."

Once Jeremy left, I handed Finley his coffee.

He accepted it graciously. "I was actually planning to get in touch with you over the past couple of days. I've gathered identifying information on a few key members of the group that targeted you online. Take a look."

He unlocked his phone, swiped through a few screenshots, and passed them to me. As I examined them, my expression turned increasingly serious with each swipe.

After finishing all the screenshots, I remained silent for a moment, my face tense with concern.

Finley let out a sigh. "I had a feeling this would be your reaction when I saw the information."

"Are they all underage?" I asked incredulously.

"Does that mean there's no possibility of legal action?" I continued.

"It's not that legal action isn't possible, but rather that securing a conviction would be extremely difficult. Even if the case were won, the most likely outcome would be a written apology and a financial settlement paid by their guardians."

My heart sank at the realization.

"So, you're telling me that they can get away with their actions just by apologizing? Can they even comprehend their own wrongdoing?" I questioned, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness.

Finley explained, "Over the past few days, I've been communicating with these individuals using the firm's official channels. I've urged them to delete their harmful comments, issue public apologies to you, and treat this matter as a private resolution. If not, legal action would be pursued. Care to guess their response?"

I gazed at him, refraining from uttering a word.

"Every single person, without exception, assured me that they wouldn't remove it. They maintained this stance even as they posted online that they had received threats, thereby inciting uninformed netizens to rally against me."

Finley paused, his voice faint as he remarked, "They don't even consider themselves at fault, so how can we expect them to genuinely admit their wrongdoing?"

I let out a sigh, ruminating on Finley's words. Softly, laden with regret, I murmured, "This is truly troublesome, and I'm so sorry that you got caught up in their berating as well."

Finley chuckled, his voice hushed, "Being a lawyer, enduring criticism is par for the course. After all, emotional resilience is among our obligatory lessons."

"How does one cultivate that?" I inquired earnestly.

"In reality, there's no secret formula," Finley looked at me solemnly, "the key is having thick skin."

"What kind of solution is that..." I mumbled, unable to suppress a chuckle.

It suddenly occurred to me that Finley was quite an intriguing individual - possessing a sense of humor, a gentle disposition, and an easy-going nature.

How could someone be so seemingly nice befriend someone like Kingsley, who often displayed a volatile temperament?

Lost in my thoughts, I probed, "I really didn't understand why you could be friends with Kingsley."

Finley laughed and sighed, "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I mean you two look so different."