Chapter 9

Once a towering symbol of affluence and wealth, the Dawson family had crumbled under Leland’s reckless gambit. Before Freya stood her 18-year-old renegade, so-called brother, a blaze of fury in his eyes as she lifted her hand and delivered a resounding slap. The strike sent Leland reeling, with disbelief etched across his face. “You, you hit me?”

The Freya Leland knew was gentle, her voice always laced with a softness, making her an easy target. Yet she stood her ground, her hand still stinging from the contact. Freya fumed. “Damn right, I hit you! What gave you the audacity to barge into my room?”

“Ms. Dawson, I’m so sorry! It was my fault for not stopping Mr. Dawson!” The maid quivered near the doorway, her voice trembling with fear.

“Hut your mouth! This is my house. I go where I please!” Leland’s outburst sent the maid reeling, her body shaking like a leaf in a storm. A glance at the maid’s bruised arms was all Freya needed to understand the depth of Leland’s tyranny in the Dawson family. Her heart had been too entangled with Kieran to see the chaos Johanna and her son had wrought upon their home.

“This house? The Dawson family is hardly yours to claim, Leland.” Freya approached the maid, her movements gentle as she helped her to her feet. The marks of abuse were evident, a silent testament to her suffering.

Freya snapped, “The Dawson name may carry weight, but we’re not above the law. Since when does labor law allow you to assault our staff?” Tears welled up in the maid’s eyes as Freya defended her. She had longed to escape, trapped by Leland’s threats, his misuse of his status as the Dawson heir to silence her, to keep her bound to a life of misery.

“Ms. Dawson, please let me leave!” Her pleas were a heart-wrenching symphony of despair.

Meanwhile, drawn by the commotion, Johanna hurried upstairs. Seeing her son’s swollen face, she instantly surmised what had transpired. Her fury was palpable as she rounded on Freya. “How dare you strike your brother? Have you lost your mind? What’s your point with all this, calling off the engagement and now this mess?”

“Brother? If having a brother means tolerating such disgraceful behavior, I must truly lack upbringing!” Freya’s voice was ice. “Johanna, let’s not mince words. Leland isn’t my father’s biological son. He’s of age, yet he breaks into my room and abuses our staff. See for yourself the kind of son you’ve raised!”

Johanna scoffed at Freya’s words. “Leland has been raised in the Dawson family, treated no less than a true son by your father! And as for a maid, what of it? Are we now to fret over her wages or medical bills?”

Freya’s gaze hardened further. “Today, he abuses a servant. Tomorrow, he’ll exploit our employees in the company. I’m afraid our legacy will be completely destroyed if The Dawson Group falls into Leland’s hands.”

“Freya, you’re being too harsh! Leland’s young. No one’s born knowing how to lead. Besides, haven’t you agreed to hand over the company to Leland? You can’t back out now only because your marriage to Mr. Sutton fell through.” Johanna’s lack of concern was nothing new to Freya.

Freya strode to her desk with a cold laugh, pulling open a drawer to reveal the signed document transferring her share of the company ownership, a decision made before her broken engagement. “Is this what you’re referring to, Johanna?”

Chapter 10