Chapter 28

AIDEN

My heart thumped with the promise of severe, unyielding pain.

“No buts, Freya.”

By this time, I had stepped so close that there were only a few inches between us. Our proximity unsettled Freya; it was evident on her face. If I were less of a bastard, I would have stepped back, but I wasn't. Instead, I gripped her elbow and steered her toward the couch. I motioned for her to sit.

“Tell me everything.”

There was no getting out of this. Freya wasn't dumb enough to not understand that. By this time, she had probably realized that I always got what I wanted. She might as well start talking.

“When Noah came back from the office today, he seemed to be in a bad mood. He said he wanted to break up.”

Freya's face scrunched as if every memory of him was repulsive.

“I knew our relationship had been exhausting and strained for some time, so I naturally agreed with him. Noah was probably expecting me to cry and beg him to take me back or something. I don’t know. Because I agreed to the breakup immediately, he took it as a hit to his ego. He cursed and shouted at me. According to him, I was waiting for an opportunity to pursue you. I don’t know why he dragged your name into it.”

She sounded genuinely lost, but it all fell into place for me. I knew exactly why I was in the middle of it. Guilt clashed with the surge of anger I felt toward myself.

It was my fault for letting that lowlife get away with just a threat. I thought I had made myself clear, but somehow, his royal denseness interpreted it as okay to lay a hand on Freya.

Big fucking mistake. One he was going to pay for dearly.

She, on the other hand, was unaware of all the raging emotions inside me. I was itching to get my hands on that fucker.

“So—uhm, that’s when you know…”

Freya trailed off, fidgeting nervously as if she would run at the first opportunity.

That’s when he hit her. It doesn’t take a genius to understand what she meant.

“No, I don’t know. You have to tell me exactly what he did to you, how that bastard hurt you.”

Apparently, I was a masochist. I wanted to torture myself with every detail of the night I failed her.

Freya released a resigned sigh. She looked anywhere but at my face. Her discomfort was visible. I felt like a dick for doing this.

“Noah grabbed me by my arm while snarling all kinds of abuses in my face. I had never seen him like that, that crazed look in his eyes. I told him he was hurting me. When he didn’t let go, I kicked him in the nuts.”

I felt a flicker of pride at her words. That’s my girl! That wasn’t even close to what he deserved, but it was definitely something.

“That felt good, but he got even angrier.” She wetted her lips, breathing shakily. “He twisted my arms behind my back and shoved me against the wall.”

The muscles in my neck and back stiffened one by one until I was absolutely still. I had never felt this before—white-hot rage searing me inside out.

My jaw clenched as I fought to control my emotions. I breathed out.

Freya looked up at me with a careful, assessing gaze. “That’s it. Gia had walked in at that time, or maybe she was standing there; I don’t even know. She called for me, and he let go. After that, I picked up my purse, and we left while he was in the shower.”

Freya shivered as she finished recounting the night, which only fueled my need for revenge. Noah Rivera was a fucking dead man walking.

Chapter 29

The logical thing to do would have been to give Freya some space after I forced her to relive last night. I did the exact opposite. I stepped even closer and touched her face.

“He’ll pay, love. He’ll pay for what he has done.”

She looked into my eyes, and whatever she saw wasn’t reassuring. “Why can’t we just let it go?”

My thumb grazed the corner of her mouth. I wondered if she was even aware that she was leaning into my touch.

“You’re asking me that?”

“Look, he told me his mother is ill. She’s in some mental health facility. I don’t know if it’s true because he didn’t want me to visit her. But if it is, he has to support her, you know?”

So fucking compassionate. This woman!

“His mother’s bills will be taken care of. I’ll do it.”

“But—” Freya cut herself off when my hand on her cheek snaked around to grab the back of her neck. I squeezed her neck, just enough to ensure I had her complete attention.

“Would you have asked me to let it go if, in the future, Gia finds herself in this position?”

The words tasted acidic in my own mouth. But it would never come to that. I would never let Gia face something like that. Even the thought of my baby girl getting hurt sickened me, but it was the only way I could make Freya see my point of view.

Freya flinched in my hold as if I had burned her. I saw the acceptance on her face, and that’s when I knew she would go to any lengths to protect our daughter. We both would.

She sucked in a deep breath. “What are you going to do?”

Still holding the back of her neck, I pulled her closer and pressed my lips against her forehead.

“Nothing he doesn’t deserve.”

(The final lines, "No Ads Comment Send glit AD Chapter 29," seem to be extraneous and have been removed.)