Chapter 328
Watching Kieran extend his hand toward her, Freya was anything but eager to take it. Meanwhile, Eloise had begun scrutinizing the handshake with keen interest. It was new for Kieran to make the first move to another woman. The crowd couldn’t help but cast curious glances at Freya. Seeing such a gorgeous woman, even the usually aloof Kieran seemed compelled to reach out to her.
Ultimately, Freya relented and shook hands with Kieran. “Mr. Sutton, my pleasure,” she said, though internally she was cursing Kieran harshly. Whether intentionally or not, Freya felt her hand suddenly gripped tighter by Kieran. Already nursing a wound, her hand throbbed with pain as Kieran’s grip tightened, spreading discomfort throughout her body. But she had to keep her cool in front of everyone else, muscling through the sting on the back of her hand while keeping a slight smile on her face.
Kieran observed the woman’s reaction closely, looking for any slip-up that might reveal more about Freya. Logically, with the severe injury on the back of Freya’s hand, even a gentle squeeze should have been unbearably painful. Yet, the woman before him showed no sign of discomfort. Could he have mistaken her identity?
“Mr. Sutton, that’s enough,” intervened Ronan, pulling Freya’s hand back. “Tonight, Susan is my date, and your date is Ms. Harwood. Your actions might give people the wrong idea, suggesting you have a special interest in my date.”
His words put Eloise in an awkward position. Eloise smiled and took Kieran’s arm, suggesting to Ronan, “Mr. Beckett sure loves his jokes. Let’s not stand around the entrance talking. Let’s go in.”
“That sounds good,” Ronan agreed.
Freya breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t help thinking Kieran had overdone it with the force of his grip, nearly crushing her bones. In a lowered voice, Freya remarked to Ronan, “That should count as a work-related injury.”
Ronan replied nonchalantly, “Don’t worry. I’ll cover it.”
Freya wasn’t seriously expecting Ronan to compensate her. She only hoped to keep her distance from Kieran for the rest of the evening, fearing what other tactics he might employ against her. From the look in Kieran’s eyes earlier, Freya was sure he harbored suspicions about her identity. Her priority was to find a way to dispel Kieran’s doubts, ensuring no trace of linking Freya to her.
“Kieran, don’t you think Miss Susan resembles Ms. Dawson?” Eloise brought up Freya out of the blue.
Indeed, everyone present had noticed the striking resemblance between Susan and Freya. Although they had a similar look, their vibes were like night and day. Susan had this polished and instantly mesmerizing quality about her, while Freya, sure, she was a knockout, but didn’t have the same allure, especially because she usually went light on the makeup, leaving her skin looking a touch on the pale side.
Susan’s presence had visibly unsettled Kieran, whose instincts screamed that Susan was Freya. Yet, Susan’s every move and mannerism seemed entirely different from Freya’s.