Freya's POV
As the days passed, Kingsley attempted to contact me multiple times during this period. However, for some reason, I didn't know how to face him, so I chose to ignore all his calls and messages. Instead, I fully immersed myself in my work to avoid dwelling on those nagging thoughts.
On a particular day, I was in the midst of blending a new perfume when I received a call from an unfamiliar number.
It couldn't have been Kingsley calling from a different phone.
The phone rang, stopped briefly, and then rang shrilly again. Frowning, I hesitated before finally answering.
"Are you Freya, right?"
Before I could respond, a familiar female voice came from the other end of the line.
"Tracy?"
I was somewhat surprised. How did she get my number, and why was she calling me out of the blue?
"Regarding you and Kingsley, I'd like to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"
"Sure."
I hesitated briefly but agreed.
"Then I'll meet you later at the Purple Star Plaza."
Tracy hung up, leaving me in disbelief.
"What's wrong?" Finley asked with concern as he noticed my unease.
"Nothing. A customer dialed the wrong number. By the way, I might need to go out later."
I put away the phone and walked out as if nothing had happened.
Even though I didn't want to rekindle my involvement with Tracy after so long, I realized I wasn't as composed as I had thought when she mentioned Kingsley on the phone.
When I arrived at the Purple Star Plaza, it was already late in the evening. The location was a bit remote, so there were only a few scattered people in the vast plaza. This was probably why Tracy had chosen this spot.
I stood in the center of the square and looked around. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and soon there wasn't a single silhouette in sight. As I attempted to contact Tracy on my phone, the only response was a cold electronic tone.
A sense of uneasiness washed over me, and I started to turn back when suddenly a car rushed in front of me with its headlights on.
"What?!"
I used my hands to shield my eyes, trying to ward off the blinding light that was rapidly approaching.
At that moment, several masked individuals in black robes descended from the car.
Inwardly, I cursed my luck and prepared to turn and escape.
Suddenly, I heard a rushing sound behind my ears, causing me to instinctively turn my head. A black shadow lunged straight at me, and the pain in my head quickly sent me into unconsciousness.
When I woke up, I found myself in an abandoned factory. My hands were tightly bound to the top of an iron pillar, and my mouth was gagged with a foul-smelling rag. The air around me was saturated with a rusty odor, and a few people were scattered nearby.
As they saw me regain consciousness, the leader among the black-robed figures approached me with a sinister grin on his face.
My eyes widened hazily, and my body involuntarily curled up with nervousness.
"It's been a while, Freya," he said with a voice that sounded familiar.
I jerked my head up at the sound of the familiar voice. The man stepped into the light, allowing me to get a good look at his face. I let out a muffled cry of indignation.
Unfortunately, with my mouth still stuffed, all I could manage was a series of stuttering noises.
"You seem to have a lot to say to me," the man remarked, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as he slowly removed the rag from my mouth.
"Robert! What do you want?!" I shouted in anger, ignoring the pain in the corner of my mouth.
An impish grin appeared on Robert's face as he shrugged and crouched down.
"Don't play dumb," he taunted, "You probably understand better than anyone why you're here."
"Kingsley?" My mind reeled, and it took me a moment to comprehend Robert's intentions.
"Just face it," I hissed at Robert, "I ended things with Kingsley a long time ago. There's no reason for him to be here for me!"
"Heh, who knows?" Robert sneered before pulling out his cell phone and dialing Kingsley's number in front of me.
"Robert? I don't know what audacity you have to call me with that arrogant attitude," Kingsley's disdainful voice came through the other end of the line, causing my nervousness to intensify.
"I advise you to wipe that smug look off your face after making me angry, or I can't guarantee I won't do anything unusual," Robert threatened.
Robert approached me slowly with the phone in his hand, his eyes wild and a fiery glare that conveyed both a threat and a warning to Kingsley.
After he finished dialing, he put the phone to my ear, signaling me to make a sound.
"What do you mean?" Kingsley's puzzled voice echoed from across the room. I clenched my teeth, trying not to make a sound.
"Hello?" Sensing something was amiss, Kingsley's tone took on an urgency.
Seeing that I wasn't cooperating, Robert furrowed his brow and then delivered a hard blow to my back.
"Ah!" I couldn't help but cry out in pain, which made Kingsley on the other end of the phone instantly grasp my situation.
"Freya? Robert! I'm warning you, if you dare to lay a hand on Freya for even a second, I'll ensure you meet a gruesome demise!" Kingsley's enraged roar almost threatened to burst my eardrums.
"Kingsley, don't come!" I screamed.
"I think you know our location, and if you don't want to regret it for the rest of your life, I suggest you come alone."
Before I could advise Kingsley, Robert grabbed the phone and spoke with a sinister smile slowly forming on the corners of his mouth.
"Alright, just wait!"
Kingsley's voice, brimming with indignation, emanated from the other end of the phone before he hung up abruptly.
I glared at the treacherous Robert, and anger ignited within me.
"Ms. Freya, don't you want to confirm your place in Kingsley's heart as well?" Robert glanced at me with cold indifference.
I couldn't help but snort and turned my face away. My emotions were conflicted: I worried for Kingsley's safety when she arrived, yet I also yearned to confirm Kingsley's feelings for me.
Just as anxiety began to take hold, distant footsteps gradually approached from outside.
"Robert, if you have an issue with me, take it up with me. It has nothing to do with Freya," Kingsley's voice rang out suddenly, capturing the attention of everyone present.
"Not bad, Kingsley. How dare you come alone?" Robert licked his lips and then approached me, brandishing a gleaming dagger against my throat.
"Let her go!"
Kingsley growled angrily, unable to resist taking a step forward.
"Don't move!" Robert yelled, then the dagger gave a gentle push, the sharp blade slicing through my neck and causing a slight trickle of blood.
"Good! I won't move! Don't you rush!" Kingsley shouted towards Robert in a mild panic, standing still. He looked at me with concern before nodding his head gently, indicating that he still had control of the situation.
"Heh, I can't believe this woman holds such a special place in your heart that you'd risk your life for her to come here, especially when you're the Alpha of the pack," Robert sneered upon seeing Kingsley's reaction.
"Robert, don't do anything foolish." I maintained my composure on the surface, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of alarm deep down.
"None of your business," Robert growled at me before shifting his gaze to Kingsley.
"Robert, what are you trying to accomplish?" Kingsley asked, his voice tense.
"Heh, don't you already know what I want? Why should you have the privilege of being born into this, with the entire pack adoring you, without having to put in any effort to become an Alpha just because of your bloodline? Do you think that's fair?" Robert roared at Kingsley, his frustration evident.
"Kingsley, you have no idea how much effort we've put in to earn recognition from the pack's leadership. You don't need to understand it, but no matter how hard we work, it's ultimately to serve under you. So, what gives you the right to sit back and enjoy it?"