Freya hesitated for a moment, unaware of any prior collaboration between their company and Austin Group.

Regaining her composure, she replied, "Will Bradley Austin be attending this company event?"

"I've sent him an invitation, and he'll be there," came the response.

Freya furrowed her brow. She knew from Ella that Austin Group was in dire straits. Riddled with financial discrepancies, mysteriously depleted funds, plunging into an economic crisis. Given the circumstances, refusing cooperation was out of the question.

Moreover, Michael was generous with his offer, so Freya was confident Bradley would attend.

Understanding Bradley's capabilities, Freya knew the crisis wasn't insurmountable for him. Yet, she couldn't help but want to assist in some way.

After some consideration, she replied.

"Okay, I'll attend."

Michael Hayes: I'll send you the employer's information shortly.

Soon after, a document appeared in the chat window.

Freya carefully reviewed it and was surprised to find that the person who hired her to hack into Austin Group's financial system was none other than Arthur Austin.

That pesky bug again!

It seemed her previous lesson hadn't taught him anything!

Expressing her gratitude, Freya closed the chat window and lay on her bed, lost in thought.

Arthur had clandestinely drained Austin Group's funds and tampered with the accounts. Coincidentally, Bradley had been absent from the company for the past three days, leaving James to handle all affairs on his behalf.

Thus, in this predicament, James naturally became the scapegoat.

Arthur's "dog-eat-dog" tactic was truly ruthless!

Freya wasn't worried about Austin Group being affected, but she feared James would become the company's scapegoat!

After much deliberation, Freya decided to help Austin Group.

It was likely that Arthur wanted her to hack into the financial system to continue manipulating the accounts. Well, if that was what he wanted, she would "help" him as he wished!

Freya rubbed her nose and began typing on the keyboard with her slender fingers. Soon, she hacked into Austin Group's financial system.

The night passed quickly as Freya worked tirelessly. Feeling exhausted, she stored her laptop back inside the teddy bear and lay down to sleep.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a video call reminder. Freya glanced at it and was surprised to see it was from Bradley.

Feeling weary but curious about what he was up to, she decided to answer the call.

In the video call, Bradley sat before his curved desk, clad in the same black shirt he had worn when he left, with two buttons casually undone, revealing a suggestive expanse of skin.

Clearly, a computer illuminated his handsome face with a soft glow. Freya couldn't help but notice the fatigue etched across his features, causing a twinge of sympathy in her heart.

"Freya, did I disturb your sleep?"

Freya leaned against the edge of her bed, her bright eyes betraying her own weariness as she rubbed them.

"No, your video call happened to wake me," she replied.

She observed the redness in his eyes, one hand holding his phone while the other seemed to be engaged in typing, indicating his ongoing work.

"Have you been working incessantly since your return?"

Bradley's fingers tapped the keyboard before he lifted his gaze to her. "I did take a short nap just now."

"You're lying. Your eyes are too bloodshot for you to have slept."

Freya blurted out, her tone laden with genuine concern.

Bradley's lips curved into a smile as he leaned closer to the screen. "Freya, are you worrying about me?"

The realization dawned on Freya, flushing her cheeks with embarrassment as she recognized her unintentional tone resembled that of a caring spouse.

"You should get some rest soon. I'm feeling rather tired myself. Goodnight."

Freya attempted to end the video call, yet Bradley halted her swiftly.

"Don't hang up. Let me continue gazing at you like this."

Freya Lawson's fingers paused, her face flushing as she met his gaze. "What's there to admire? Aren't you afraid you'll tire of looking at me?"

Bradley's eyes narrowed slightly, his finger reaching out to touch the screen. "You're so beautiful that I could never tire of gazing upon you for a lifetime."

Freya blushed deeper. His flirtatious remarks caught her off guard once again.

Before she could respond, a knock sounded in the video call, and Bradley's voice assumed a business-like tone as he said, "Come in."

Then, a graceful figure approached, and a woman's soft, melodious voice filled the air, "CEO, here's the coffee you requested!"

Freya was momentarily taken aback.

It was quite late, yet there was a woman present in Bradley's office.

Though her purpose was merely to deliver coffee, Freya couldn't shake off the feeling of annoyance, even a tinge of jealousy creeping into her heart.

As the woman approached with the coffee, Freya couldn't help but notice her exquisite features.

With delicate contours, elegantly arched eyebrows, and lips tinted with a subtle hue of red, what captivated Freya's attention was her attire—a white blouse with two buttons undone at the collar, subtly hinting at a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage.

Freya clenched her fists in frustration.

Why would an assistant dress so provocatively?

Wasn't it clear she was trying to seduce her man?

Freya felt her irritation rising. She was about to inquire about the woman's identity when suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the video call, and the woman fell into Bradley's arms. In that moment, the call abruptly ended.

Freya's breath caught in her throat. She tried reconnecting, but no one answered for a long time.

Frustrated, she tossed her phone onto the bedside table and pulled the blanket over her head, attempting to sleep.

However, even after the commotion subsided, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The image of that woman's provocative attire, coupled with her falling into Bradley's embrace, continued to haunt her.

It felt like a relentless nightmare, persistently swirling in her mind, refusing to fade away.

Freya Lawson felt like she was losing her mind. She tightly shut her eyes and began counting sheep.

One thousand five hundred...

Three thousand...

Five thousand...

But there was no hint of sleepiness. Instead, she felt increasingly alert, consumed by anxiety.

This unease left her feeling restless. She spent the entire night with her eyes wide open, eventually facing the next day with heavy dark circles under her eyes.

When Madeline pushed open the door, she was startled to find Freya staring blankly at the ceiling with wide eyes.

"Darling, what's wrong? Your dark circles are so pronounced!"

Freya regained her composure and looked at her. "Madeline, I have a question for you."

"Of course, go ahead." Madeline placed the soup she had prepared earlier on the bedside table and sat down beside her, attentively watching.

Freya bit her lip and fidgeted with her fingernails. "Do men always have wandering eyes? They say they love you, but they're actually flirting with others outside."

Madeline was momentarily taken aback by her question, then she understood what Freya meant and smiled.

"Are you suspecting Bradley of having another woman?"

Freya nodded slightly. The woman who appeared in the video yesterday made her feel very uncomfortable. She dressed so provocatively, and on top of that, she fell into Bradley's arms.

Merely pondering these two aspects left her feeling thoroughly annoyed.