After seeing Bruce hit Sophie, Lola was too afraid to speak up, fearing she would be the next victim.

However, a thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she whispered, "Dad, don't worry. Ethan Austin is my boyfriend now. Once I marry into the Austin family, we don't have to rely on Freya anymore."

Both Bruce and Sophie were taken aback by Lola's words.

"I just started dating Ethan today, Dad!" Lola exclaimed as she proudly puffed out her chest in a moment of self-assurance. "Plus, you have dealings with Arthur Austin now. If Ethan and I are married, we will become part of their family."

When hearing this, Sophie's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she chimed in, "Bruce, why should we ever worry about money now that Lola and Ethan are together? And it won't be difficult to approach Freya at the Royal Garden Mansion with Ethan on our side. Freya won't be able to resist our manipulation, even if she survives."

Bruce cast a stern look in their direction.

"All right, Lola, take advantage of this chance to get closer to Ethan. You now can decide the Lawson family's future."

Bruce asked Lola to pursue Ethan since he couldn't benefit from Freya, which would guarantee they receive a portion of the Austin family's wealth.

"Don't worry, Dad," Lola said with a smug grin. She knew she would become the future Mrs. Austin as long as she married Ethan.

Bradley threatened her today, but she vowed that one day she would force Freya to bow down and serve as her lackey.

...

Freya was pinned to the car seat by Bradley and unable to move.

She blushed and buried her face in his chest, feeling a sense of suffocation. "Mr. Austin, you're holding me too tightly that I can't breathe," Freya said as she gazed naively at Bradley.

Bradley was about to lower his head when he accidentally grazed her slightly raised nose, causing them both to momentarily freeze in what seemed to be a state of shock.

Freya felt uneasy, and the flush spread from her cheeks to her neck.

She swore she hadn't done it on purpose to herself.

"You just gave me a kiss?" Bradley's voice sounded husky and low. Freya clenched her lips shut and gave a loud head shake.

Observing her confused expression, a faint smile played on Bradley's thin lips. Silently, he thought to himself, "The scent on her nose is quite delightful."

He touched her face, rubbing his rough fingertips against her soft ones as he pinched her nose and moved on to her lips.

Freya was anxious, fearful that he would make another inappropriate sexual advance toward her.

"I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry," Freya explained.

Bradley quickly grabbed her and leaned in to kiss her despite her protests and attempts to push his hand away.

For some inexplicable reason, after tasting her lips, Bradley found himself becoming addicted, his mind consumed by a desire for a deeper intimacy with her.

"It's okay. You can kiss me back," Bradley's voice, low and husky, seemed to resonate from deep within his chest.

Freya wanted to resist, but Bradley's strength was overpowering, making her feeble attempts seem futile.

Unlike their previous kiss, this time, Bradley kissed her with commanding dominance and even elicited a response from her.

Freya felt a wave of shame wash over her; she tightly shut her eyes as she was too embarrassed to look at him.

"Even with the driver right in front, he's still taking advantage of me! Pervert! Crazy pervert! He's always trying to exploit me!" she thought to herself.

To her delight, Bradley let go of her soon.

Looking at the girl with slightly swollen lips and reddened cheeks, all his previous irritation and frustration from the long wait seemed to dissipate.

In a deep voice, he spoke, "Why didn't you call me when you got lost?"

Freya stared at him numbly and replied, "Well, I don't have a phone."

Upon hearing this, Bradley handed her the phone he had prepared earlier for her and said, "Here, this is for you. From now on, call Frederick or me if you need anything."

Looking at the phone in her hands, Freya fiddled with it and eagerly asked, "Which one is Mr. Austin's number?"

Helplessly, Bradley gazed at her, feeling as though he had not married a bride but instead a naive daughter.

His bride seemed so innocent and unaware of so many things. Yet, it didn't bother him. He had let her stay by his side precisely because of her innocence.

Bradley quickly retrieved the phone, pressed a few buttons, and handed it back to her, saying, "The first number on the list is mine."

"I understand!" Freya checked the phone and saw several phone numbers displayed.

"But how did Bradley input the numbers if he's blind?" Freya wondered, staring at him suspiciously, but Bradley's beautiful eyes couldn't seem to settle on anything.

"This is Mr. Austin's number," she said, diverting her gaze and clumsily dialing the number.

Bradley's phone, which was in his suit pocket, started to ring, and a bright yellow light illuminated.

"This is my number," Bradley remarked, observing her happy smile as a warmth radiated from his narrow, cold eyes.

Freya beamed proudly, looking somewhat silly and oblivious.

When she looked out the window, however, her eyes suddenly sharpened.

She was taken aback by Bradley's generosity. He not only bought her a phone but also had Frederick mediate between her and Lola to protect her.

Freya was highly pleased by the thought of Lola's miserable appearance, even though this was not the only result she sought.

Now, she got her room and her necklace back. After that, she would gradually reclaim her mother's property from the Lawson family.

Nestled in Bradley's embrace, Freya closed her eyes and reminisced about the past days, as if she could still hear her mother's voice saying, "Freya, no matter where you are, Mommy's heart is always with you."

Freya thought to herself, "Mommy, are you doing well in heaven?"

There was tears in her eyes, but she squeezed them shut to keep the tears at bay.