Chapter 289

It was past midnight, yet the light in the study was still on. Tossing and turning in bed, Neil couldn’t sleep. When he finally gave up and exited his room, he spotted the beacon of light coming from the study door. He approached and knocked before pushing the door open.

There, sprawled on the couch amidst a sea of papers, was Preston, chuckling over a document in his hand. “Look who’s burning the midnight oil,” Neil remarked as he entered, balancing two glasses of whiskey in his hands—one for Preston and the other for himself.

Preston barely sipped his drink before revealing, “Gave my room away.” “To whom? Hans?” Neil probed, getting no response. He ventured a guess, “Freya?”

Preston nodded. “Yes.”

Neil was visibly stunned. “Freya? But aren’t you the guy with a no-entry policy for your room? I’ve never even stepped foot in there.”

Preston remained silent, his well-known dislike for others touching his belongings evident. However, it seemed that Freya was an exception to his rule.

“I’ve got to say, though, that girl’s quite the character. She reminds me of this feisty kitten I had overseas, always puffing up and showing her claws, but in a playful way. She’s got personality. She suits you,” Neil leaned back onto the couch and continued, “So, are you shifting your sights?”

Preston had seen Eloise. To him, she was neither particularly intelligent nor remarkable. And Kieran seemed indifferent to her. But Freya was a different story. She mattered to Kieran.

“But with the Dawson family being out of favor, I doubt you’d gain much from aligning with them. If Kieran doesn’t care for Freya, you’re not trapping anyone.”

Preston had come to Echo City not to contest with the Beckett family but to play them against each other for his gain. Yet, he needed a lever to engage Kieran’s more formidable side, and Freya seemed to be it.

“About her hand, are you confident you can heal it?” Preston changed the subject.

“It’s partly skill, partly her determination to recover. A lot of patients don’t heal because they don’t have the courage to push through or they’re trapped by their mindset. But Ms. Dawson seems tough. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

Neil paused and added, “You knew what you were doing when you had Eloise’s place trashed—to see whom Kieran would prioritize. And it’s Freya. Hence your sudden interest in roping her into your schemes.”

“You’ve said enough,” Preston replied calmly.

“Okay, I’ve overstepped. But you know it’s true.” Setting down his glass, Neil stood up and concluded, “Sweet dreams, then. Goodnight.”