"Freya, don''t push it." Kieran frowned, his voice irritable. "Do you think I can''t live without your cooking?"


    "Then, Mr. Sutton, suit yourself." With a provocative glint in her eyes, Freya took a pointed bite of her dinner right before Kieran. She knew Kieran had been pampered from birth, never so much as boiling water for himself.


    Seeing Freya deliberately provoking him, Kieran''s annoyance flipped into amusement. This woman was getting bolder by the day!


    Kieran got up and walked over to the kitchen. He saw a box of oatmeal in the cupboard and decided to make himself something to eat.


    Observing that, Freya couldn''t hide her smirk. She was curious what culinary "delights" Kieran could conjure.


    Sure enough, the kitchen was a hive of activity. In the end, Kieran could only emerge with a bowl of oatmeal.


    By then, Freya had finished her dinner. She was carrying her empty te to the kitchen and ncing at Kieran''s oatmeal disdainfully before letting out a scornfulugh. Thatugh was thest straw for Kieran. "Freya, what''s that supposed to mean?"


    "It means nothing, Mr. Sutton. You''re overthinking it."


    Freya smiled, adding, "I''m here to do the dishes."


    Though her words were innocent, the curl of her lips mocked him for his terrible cooking.


    Kieran''s appetite vanished on the spot. He moved to the liquor cab, pulled out a bottle of red wine, and poured himself a ss, drinking it in one gulp.


    Freya knew about Kieran''s habit of skipping dinner due to stomach issues, but he would still drink a ss of wine every evening to unwind.


    Watching him, Freya thought she


    must have been crazy in her past life


    to try and get Kieran to stop


    drinking. But now, she figured she was better off looking after herself instead of worrying about him.


    Freya withdrew her gaze from Kieran.


    She thought, ''Drink up. After all, it''s none of my business even if he drinks himself to death.''


    Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the living room grew tense.


    Freya was watching the clock, but when 11 pm rolled around, and there was still no sign of Audrey, she began to feel unsettled.


    Meanwhile, Kieran was lounging on the sofa, seemingly engrossed in a newspaper.


    Finally, unable to stand the silence any longer, Freya said, "I''ll check if the door is open."


    Without looking up from his paper, Kieran replied indifferently, "I tried ten minutes ago. It''s locked."N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Freya announced, "Then I''m going upstairs to sleep."


    "Freya, you think of this ce as your home, huh?"


    "Kieran, do you really think I want to stay at your ce?" Freya was puzzled. "Didn''t you see who dropped me off?"


    "So, this is all my fault?" Kieran


    scoffed coldly. "You said you


    couldn''te during the day, and


    yet, here you are at night, Freya.


    You''re ying the innocent quite well."


    en


    "Mr. Sutton, you went out of your


    way to call my house, personally et


    asking Jarrett to pick me up.


    Wasn''t


    that practically forcing me toe?"