As Ella navigated the streets, she stole glances at Freya's reactions, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

"You're quite the contradiction, Freya. Can't seem to let him go, yet you're adamant about avoiding him," she remarked.

Freya acknowledged her own conflicting feelings. She couldn't fathom why she felt so enraged. Even if Bradley had pressing matters, a simple message to let her know would have sufficed, rather than leaving her to stew in her thoughts.

Another glance revealed Bradley's car picking up speed. He was injured, so is he behind the wheel himself, or does he have a driver?

"I don't think this is working for you. I'll pull over, and you can hear him out," Ella suggested, already reaching for the brakes.

As Freya noticed the car slowing down, she hurriedly urged, "Don't stop, let's lose him."

Her mind was in a jumble of emotions, particularly towards one person.

Since falling for Bradley, she found herself easily swayed by her emotions. She knew she needed to sit down and contemplate whether this was the kind of relationship she truly desired.

If Bradley couldn't prioritize her, and if today's misunderstanding remained unresolved, similar issues would likely arise in the future.

She couldn't bear the feeling of being manipulated. Previously, she did anything as she pleased, but now with her heart invested, she felt more insecure.

Especially given Bradley's current status and his striking appearance, she anticipated a growing number of admirers surrounding him. She didn't want to be part of a competition for a man, losing herself in the process.

Seeing her adamant demeanor, Ella sighed and pressed the accelerator again, speeding away.

The Rolls-Royce behind them followed suit, relentless in its pursuit.

The phone rang incessantly, but Freya silenced it and looked out the window, pretending not to notice anything.

Bradley, realizing she didn't want to answer, grew irritated and angrily threw his phone out the window, commanding the driver to speed up.

The driver complied, and the car surged forward like an arrow released from its bow.

Onlookers stopped to watch, wondering if these two cars were engaged in some deep-seated feud, given their intense chase at such high speeds

Ella's driving skills were impressive. She pushed the accelerator to the floor, frequently glancing back at the Rolls-Royce, until its figure disappeared from view, gradually slowing down.

"We've lost them," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. It had been a while since she'd driven so recklessly. It was too wild.

Freya made a noncommittal sound, staring at her phone's dark screen for a long time. Instead of feeling relieved to have shaken him off, she felt a strange heaviness in her heart.

"Don't go back to the hospital. Take me to Madeline's apartment," she said suddenly.

She knew Bradley well. If he hadn't caught up with her this time, he would definitely go to the hospital to wait for her. She was feeling unsettled now and didn't want to see him again.

Besides, her injury wasn't serious. A few days' rest at home would suffice.

"Oh well, let's go to Madeline's place," Bradley decided.

He knew she was close to Madeline. Perhaps she would go there to wait for him.

Just then, Ella's phone rang.

She thought it might be Bradley, but it turned out to be an unfamiliar number. Without hesitation, she answered, "Hello."

"Give the phone to Freya," came Bradley's voice.

Ella hesitated for three seconds, confirming it was indeed Bradley's voice before saying, "She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Put the speakerphone on, I'll speak, she'll hear," he ordered.

Ella glanced at Freya, who remained silent, then turned on the speakerphone.

The phone emitted the man's deep, heavy breaths.

"Freya, I know you're angry, but you can't just ignore me like this. It's driving me crazy."

His voice reached Freya's ears, causing her breath to hitch.

"Last night, I wanted to explain, but my phone got smashed," he continued.

His assistant had stumbled into his arms, and with her sensual attire and her hands clasping his neck, emanating a strong perfume scent, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

An accidental shove pushed her away, causing his phone to fall and shatter, abruptly ending the call.

He had never told Freya about his strong aversion to women, to the extent of experiencing severe allergic reactions because of it.

After he ordered Harry to have the assistant fired, he fell into a state of unconsciousness.

From last night till morning, he had been hooked up to IVs in the hospital. Upon waking up, he tried to call Freya, only to be informed by Harry about an emergency meeting.

With the company's financial network hacked, he had been dealing with the situation, only realizing it was already afternoon when he finished.

Worried about Freya's misunderstanding, he tried calling to explain, but she remained unreachable. He then rushed to the hospital, only to learn she had checked out in the afternoon.

With no other choice, he called Madeline to inquire about Freya's whereabouts, relieved to find out she was with Ella.

He had thought she would be willing to listen to his explanation while waiting downstairs at Lawson Group, but she had turned and left.

"Freya, tell me where you are. I'll come pick you up," his deep, tired voice pleaded, audible even through the phone.

Freya hesitated, her words caught in her throat, unable to find their way out.

"I've replaced all the female assistants with males. There won't be any more incidents like this in the future."

The man's voice sounded strained, his breaths slightly labored.

Ella felt a pang of discomfort listening to him. She stole a glance at Freya but remained silent.

Freya furrowed her brow, deliberating for a long moment before finally speaking up. "You don't have to do this, Bradley."

"So you're finally willing to talk to me," a low chuckle resonated from the phone. "I thought you never wanted to speak to me again. I..."

His voice abruptly trailed off, and Freya heard an urgent tone in the background.

"Bradley, what's happening?" Freya's heart raced, her voice tinged with urgency.

There was a brief silence on the other end before Bradley's voice returned. "I long for you. I crave the warmth of your embrace. Come back to me, please."

This time, it was Freya's turn to fall silent.

Ella couldn't bear it any longer. "Meet us at Culinary Crown Court and take her with you."

With that, she ended the call.

Freya shot Ella a frustrated look. "Ella, you're betraying me."

"Let me make something clear, Freya. You can't let him go. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so nervous earlier, even when he asked you to come back," Ella explained.

"Freya, I know you've been independent since childhood and can't stand others manipulating your emotions. But because of this, you're prone to losing yourself. I can see that Bradley genuinely cares about you. If you push him away now, you'll regret it sooner or later."