Chapter 57 57
Freya POV
I sat back on the bed, still unable to believe how perfectly Ben and Steve had played me. They had coordinated that whole scene just to get me to come upstairs and rest. I looked into the mirror and a small smile appeared on my face.
"He’s kind of sweet and thoughtful," I murmured to my reflection.
I pulled off my clothes and lay down on the bed. My body felt heavy with exhaustion. I thought about the sex we just had—it was a "bad" one, meaning it was so good and crazy that it made me forget every worry I had. Usually, my mind would be spinning with the shock of Mark stabbing Lila, but that felt far away now. The thoughts of Mark, Lila, and even the party just fade, and somehow my mind prepares for the worst, if it’s happening..
I slept off.
I woke up and squinted at the digital clock on the bedside table. It was 5:00 PM.
"Wow," I whispered, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. "I can't believe I slept that long."
Before standing up, I instinctively reached out to look for my phone, but then I remembered—I hadn’t gotten a new one yet and sadly, Steve hadn’t thought of getting me a replacement either.
I stepped out of the room, and the house was quiet. No one seemed to be around. I knew Nana was definitely somewhere in this building, but I couldn't figure out where. She was like a shadow; she only showed up when she wanted to be seen.
I walked toward the back of the house and found Ben in the garden. He wasn't in the kitchen; he was set up outside, busy with fresh ingredients. He claimed to be preparing a local Thailand dish, the spicy aroma cutting through the whole air.
"Where's Luna?" I asked.
"With Boss," he replied without looking up from his prep. "They're exploring the grounds."
I nodded, but a sudden restless energy took over me. I thought about my store. I hadn't been there once since I moved into this house. I needed to see it. I needed to feel like the woman who ran a business again, not just a woman hiding in a mansion.
I went to the key rack, grabbed one of the car keys at random, and drove out.
The drive felt good—the wind in my hair and the road ahead of me. When I pulled up to the store, my heart raced.
I walked through the glass doors. Gladys was standing at the front, deep in conversation with Esther, the girl who worked the front desk.
"Ma’am?" Esther said, her eyes widening as she looked in my direction.
The sound of her voice made Gladys turn around quickly. Both of them stared at me like they were seeing a ghost.
The silence in the shop was heavy as they both stared at me.
It felt like I had been gone for a lifetime, even though it had only been a matter of days.
"Freya?" Gladys breathed, her eyes darting over my face and then down to my clothes. I was still wearing the simple dress I’d thrown on, my hair, probably a little windblown from the drive.
"We didn't ... like..we weren't sure when you'd be back…."
Esther looked relieved, but also nervous. She kept looking at me as if I’m new.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, walking further into the store.
I didn't even have a chance to step fully into the room before Gladys ran toward me, her face was a mask of pure relief, She threw her arms around me in a tight squeeze.
"Thank God you are fine," she whispered into my ear, her voice shaking.
She pulled back just enough to look me over, her hands still gripping my shoulders. "I was so worried, Freya. You have no idea. Mark has been coming around here causing a lot and not seeing you... I just knew something was strange. I’m just so glad you’re okay."
The shop felt the same as always. The rich smell of fabrics .
"I know I’ve been away, but I'm here now," I said, trying to lighten the mood as she kept staring at me. "So stop acting like I survived a death test."
Gladys let out a small, watery smile. She wasn't just my lead worker; she was the closest thing I had to a sister. She knew my secrets, my struggles.
"You look good," Gladys said, her eyes scanning me again, but this time with a hint of surprise. "I mean, you’ve actually added some weight. The nice kind, I mean. Not excess—you just look... healthy. Radiant."
I felt a flush creep up my neck, But Gladys’s gaze had moved. Her eyes dropped to my hand, and her entire expression froze.
“Is that a diamond ring?” she gasped, her voice reaching a pitch that made Esther look up from the front desk again.
She snatched my hand, pulling it up toward the light to get a better look at the massive, sparkling stone Steve had placed there. It was impossible to miss. It was heavy, cold, and clearly worth more than the entire building we were standing in.
“Freya,” Gladys breathed, her eyes wide as she looked from the ring back to my face. “What the fuck is going on?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words died in my throat as I gestured for Gladys to follow me toward the back of the store.
I can’t even explain the way Gladys is looking at me but if look could kill…God
As we walked through the showroom toward my private office, I stopped dead in my tracks. I nearly tripped over my own feet, my gaze locked on the inventory racks near the workshop entrance.
I mean… okay… let explain this
On a normal day, we carried high-end fabrics, but we were a boutique, not a warehouse. We usually ordered three, maybe four rolls of premium silk or hand-woven lace at a time to maintain exclusivity and manage our overhead. But what I was looking at now was a sea of luxury.
There were rolls of fabric stacked high—not just a few, but dozens. I recognized the distinctive sheen of Mikano silk, the intricate weight of French Chantilly lace, and the unmistakable texture of Italian brocade. My eyes scanned the rows: ten, twenty, forty... there had to be at least fifty rolls of the most expensive material on the market just sitting there, under the LED track lights.
I stopped mid-way, my heart hammering against my ribs. I looked back at Gladys, my breath catching in my throat.
“There’s no way this is making any sense, could it be Gladys perform some sales Magic when I’m gone”
Gladys traced my gaze to the massive wall of fabric and let out a bright, satisfied smile. She looked proud, like she had just pulled off the heist of the century.
“Ohhh,” Gladys said, and stepped around me to pat one of the silk rolls affectionately. “Since we never had a long call, and I couldn't reach you again on your old line, I should have explained this to you.”
I couldn't find my voice. I just gestured vaguely at the mountain of wealth sitting in my workroom.
“That’s what we used the last money you sent to get,” she continued casually, as if she were talking about buying a carton of milk. “We practically have almost the entire Mikano summer collection now, plus the limited run laces. I saw the opportunity to buy the bulk stock, and since the funds were there, I just had to do it. I didn’t regret it for a second.”
She started walking toward my office again, waving her hand dismissively. “Trust me, Freya, I will give you the full report and the spreadsheets. You’ll see the profit margins. I didn’t waste a single cent of your money.”
As Gladys spoke so casually, I just stood there, completely dumbfounded. My head was spinning. The room felt like it was tilting on its axis.
“Money?” I finally managed to choke out. “Gladys... What are you talking about? What money?”
Gladys stopped at the office door and turned to look at me. She gave me a puzzled expression, the kind of look that said, 'Do you really have to ask me this right now?'
“The money you’ve been transferring to the business account,” she replied, her tone turning a bit more serious. “The transfers that started right after you... moved.”
I felt a cold sweat break out on the back of my neck. My hands started to tremble. “Gladys, look at me. Are you saying I sent you money? Personally?”
“Sure,” Gladys replied with a shrug. “I mean, it came from an encrypted private account, but the reference note was always your name and the store ID. Who else would it be?”
I felt like I was losing my mind. I took a step toward her, my voice dropping to a panicked whisper. “Like... how much have I sent so far? And how frequent are these transfers?”
Gladys tilted her head, calculating in her mind for a brief second. “Well, the first one was the biggest. It was close to five million dollars. And then the second one came through this morning... just about the same amount.”
Two. Million. Dollars.
Twice.
The numbers echoed in my head. Seven million dollars had been poured into my business in less than a week. Mark had never even given me enough for a new sewing machine without making me beg for it. He had controlled every penny, held the purse strings until they choked me.
But five. Two million dollars? That wasn't just "help." That was an empire.
I leaned against the wall, my eyes wide and stinging. My mind raced through the possibilities, but there was only one person on this entire planet who had that kind of wealth, that kind of shadow-presence, and that specific, dark brand of "sweetness."
He hadn't mentioned it. and we practically live under the same roof. not once. He had sat there at breakfast, watching me eat steak and eggs, knowing he had secretly turned my struggling boutique into a powerhouse.
“Steve,” I breathed.