Chapter 4
As soon as Freya finished her piece, Kieran’s assistant dashed over, a look of urgency on his face. Kieran was usually as steady as a rock, unflappable even in the face of disaster. Even when Freya had broached the subject of calling off their engagement, he hadn’t batted an eyelid. But then, his pupils shrank, his face filled with tension. Freya knew the news of Eloise’s self-harm must have reached him.
Seeing Kieran was about to storm off, Freya stepped squarely in his path. “Mr. Sutton, we haven’t finished our conversation.”
“Move.” Kieran’s tone was icy, laced with a hint of danger. To him, Freya was just a way to placate the Sutton family and his grandmother. He harbored no affection for her. He could marry Freya, but wouldn’t let it slide easily if something serious happened to Eloise.
Freya stood her ground, asking, “Mr. Sutton, you’re in such a hurry to see Ms. Harwood, are you?”
At her words, Kieran’s voice dripped with scorn. “What do you think? Ellie’s been driven to such lengths by you all. I warn you. You might take Mrs. Sutton’s place, but don’t dream of anything beyond that!”
Listening to Kieran, Freya couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. She had never targeted Eloise or aimed to harm anyone. However, Kieran and Eloise ultimately dealt her a harsh blow, turning her into the sacrificial lamb of their love story.
Raising her voice, Freya declared, “Kieran, it is our engagement party. If you walk out that door to see Eloise, consider our engagement null and void!”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for all the guests to hear. The flash from the media’s cameras flickered incessantly on the duo. Kieran’s eyes narrowed menacingly. “Threatening me with breaking off the engagement? Freya, you’re overestimating yourself!” With that, Kieran brushed past Freya and left. He didn’t believe Freya had the guts to call off the engagement with the Sutton family!
Watching Kieran leave, Freya walked up to the stage with dignity, smiled at the guests, and announced, “Today, the Sutton Group’s CEO has chosen to break off our engagement for Ms. Harwood. I, Freya, am willing to step aside. From here on out, Kieran and I will have nothing to do with each other!”
At that moment, Johanna, chatting with other ladies, went pale, her champagne glass slipping through her fingers. ‘What? She’s breaking off the engagement, huh? Has Freya lost her mind?’
Meanwhile, in the car, the driver asked, “Mr. Sutton, if Ms. Dawson truly means to break off the engagement, what about your grandmother…”
‘Breaking off the engagement?’ Kieran let out a cold laugh. The Dawson family had been eager to have Freya marry into the Sutton family, with Freya herself going so far as to mimic Eloise’s style to win his favor. Now that she was on the verge of reaching her goal, he couldn’t imagine her giving it up, nor could he envision the Dawson family tolerating such foolishness.
“Tell Mrs. Dawson to stop Freya from playing games before me. If Freya doesn’t want her place as Mrs. Sutton, plenty of others do.” If it hadn’t been for Audrey’s urgency to see him wed, Kieran wouldn’t have rushed into an engagement.
“Are we calling off the wedding?”
Kieran replied coldly, “The Dawson family still has their uses to me. The wedding will proceed as planned.”
“Then…”
“The wedding will proceed, but I’ll make sure the Dawson family knows their place.”
“Do we need to send someone to explain to Ms. Dawson?”
“No need.” Mentioning Freya sparked a flicker of disdain and annoyance in Kieran’s eyes. “She’ll come running back, apologizing before the day is over. I’m tired of these tactics.”
Freya had catered to his every whim in the last three months, even ingratiating herself with his grandmother. That was utterly repulsive. If it weren’t for his grandmother’s endorsement of Freya and the strategic value of the Dawson family, Kieran wouldn’t have entertained the idea of an engagement.
Kieran sneered inwardly, ‘If Freya thinks she can play hard to get at the engagement party, she is sorely mistaken.’
By evening, at the Dawson family…