Chapter 164

“Wait. You didn’t call Preston, so how did he show up to bail you out so quickly?” Kieran asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

Freya was puzzled. “How would I know? Mr. Sutton, shouldn’t you ask Mr. Tyler that question?”

“Fine, let me ask you this,” Kieran pressed on, “when you called me, was it before or after things went south?”

“It was before…”

“And after things went sideways, why didn’t you try calling me? Or find some way to get in touch?”

“My phone wasn’t with me!” Freya couldn’t grasp Kieran’s line of reasoning.

Just moments ago, she had been kidnapped, and managing to escape on her own was no small feat. What was Kieran’s deal?

“Even your good-for-nothing brother knew to drop my name to scare off the bad guys the moment trouble hit. And you, Freya? Your first instinct was to make a run for it! Did it ever cross your mind to reach out to me?”

“Mr. Sutton, my first instinct is to get myself to safety when trouble hits. Why should I put my life in someone else’s hands when I can protect myself? What if you decided not to help me? Would I wait around to die?”

Upon hearing Freya’s words, Kieran’s expression turned grim. “What are you implying? That I would just leave you on your own?”

“It’s definitely possible.” Freya recalled her past life when she naively entrusted her safety to Kieran. When she called him in her hour of need, Kieran refused to pay a ransom of five million, leading to her brutal demise at the hands of her captors.

Having been given a second chance at life, Freya wasn’t about to make the same mistake and put her fate in Kieran’s hands again. Her words struck a nerve with Kieran.

“You’re right. What does your life matter to me? Why should I bother saving you?”

Freya frowned.

Then, turning to Jarrett, Kieran commanded, “Jarrett, let’s head back.”

“What?” Jarrett was momentarily stunned. “Head back?”

Freya was surprised. “Kieran, you’re going to leave me here by myself?”

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? It’s better to rely on yourself than others. So, find your way back.” With that, Kieran turned and got into the car.

Caught in a moment of hesitation, Jarrett knew this wasn’t a good look. It was Echo City University, after all. Though it was part of Echo City, nestled near the mountains, it was far from downtown. Leaving someone there didn’t sit right with him.

“What are you waiting for? Get in the car!” Kieran snapped, still seething with anger, and Jarrett had no choice but to comply.

As they drove off, with Kieran sporting a stormy expression, Jarrett ventured cautiously, “Mr. Sutton, are we just going to leave her?”

“She said she didn’t need me, didn’t she?” Kieran himself couldn’t pinpoint the source of his irritation, but the thought of Preston being so close to Freya was enough to sour his mood.

“But Mr. Sutton,” Jarrett pointed out, “it’s over ten miles back to the city from here, and Ms. Dawson doesn’t have her phone. Walking back at night could be dangerous. What if something happens?”