He stared at her, the injured pupils revealing traces of sadness, but quickly followed by a hint of paranoia. He then forcefully grasped her chin, compelling her to turn her head and look at him.

If you're not coming back with me, where are you planning to go? Are you intending to meet that man?"

That man?

Freya looked at him blankly, feeling extremely annoyed. "Bradley, have you lost your mind?"

"Where did you go in the evening, who did you have dinner with, and who else did you meet?" The man's originally gentle eyes were now bloodshot, resembling a wild beast on the verge of losing control.

Recalling the events at the restaurant, Freya squinted her eyes and looked at him with an incredulous expression.

"You had someone follow me?"

"With all the commotion at the restaurant, which was captured and posted online, do you think I needed to have someone follow you?"

Feeling somewhat aggrieved suddenly, Freya wondered where he was when Ethan was pestering her.

How did he have the audacity to come and interrogate her like this, with such suspicious eyes, making her very uncomfortable?

"Since you saw everything, why bother asking me?" Freya bit her lip, defiantly refusing to explain.

Despite him being right beside her now, she felt an inexplicable sense of distance. His brows furrowed with coldness and distrust, causing her heart to ache with every breath.

She wanted to push him away, but her strength was no match for his, and she couldn't break free.

Seeing her slightly reddened eyes, stubbornly biting her lip, Bradley’s heart bled. He domineeringly embraced her waist, his voice low.

"As long as you come home with me now, I won't dwell on the past. We can pretend as if nothing happened."

His mind was filled with the scene of her calling that stranger 'darling', even tugging at his suit sleeve, which made him feel increasingly restless.

Freya sneered coldly. If he didn't even trust her, why should she go back home with him?

"I think there are many issues between us. Maybe we should take some time apart to think about whether this relationship is just impulsive."

"I'm definitely not impulsive when it comes to you."

Bradley said without hesitation.

Freya stared at his face for a long time. His passionate eyes were filled with sincerity and complex emotions.

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, making it difficult to breathe.

"My mind is in chaos right now, so please leave," she said uncomfortably, averting her gaze.

Then, his hand around her waist slowly loosened, and the man, swaying, stood up and walked away.

Watching the man's retreating figure, Freya felt a pang of sadness, she almost wanted to cry.

Before, she was alone. Apart from hatred, she never invested much thought into relationships. But ever since Bradley barged into her world, she felt like her heart had been hollowed out.

His shadow occupied her entire heart, and if it were to be removed, it would require tearing out her whole heart.

Freya sniffled and took out her phone to check the news. Just as Bradley mentioned, the incident at the restaurant was being reported online, and she wanted to see for herself.

As soon as she entered the webpage, a hot search popped up. Though the person in the image was pixelated, Freya still recognized herself.

She clicked on it, only to be met with a prompt saying the video couldn't be played.

Her hand trembled. If she guessed correctly, this was probably Bradley's doing.

Afraid of the video leaking out and becoming the focus of public opinion, she chose this method to protect herself.

Freya pursed her lips and was about to call Ella when a compelling breath surged from behind her. Then, she felt a tightness around her waist, and she was pulled into a warm embrace.

The refreshing scent of mint filled her nose, and Freya turned anxiously, meeting Bradley's crimson-black cold eyes, causing her heart to skip a beat.

Before she could react, the man domineeringly lifted her sideways into his arms. Freya exclaimed in surprise, and her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck.

"Bradley, you…"

Before she could finish her sentence, his warm breath surrounded her, and she stared at his exquisitely sculpted face, forgetting to struggle in his embrace.

"I won't let you leave me, not even for a day." His kiss was dominant and forceful, like a punishment.

Freya's mind went blank until she felt a sharp pain on her lips, accompanied by a rusty taste. That's when her rationality gradually returned to her.

Her first reaction was to push him away, but the man pinned her hands behind her back, rendering her unable to move.

Her breath was completely stolen away, and she felt like she was being kissed to death.

"Fre…"

Just then, Ella's voice came from the doorway, and she stared dumbfounded at the scene, feeling embarrassed and blushing.

"Cough, you guys carry on. Pretend I'm not here."

Ella chuckled awkwardly and walked away.

Feeling embarrassed, Freya bit him hard. The man grunted, gradually returning to his senses from this madness. His black cold eyes were deep, like an endless sea.

Freya was about to scold him but noticed that the man was in an abnormal state. His body was burning up like he had a fever, and even though he was smiling at her, his pupils were dilated.

Especially his embrace, through the fabric of his shirt, the boiling temperature kept penetrating her body.

"Bradley, you're burning up with a fever!" Recognizing the situation, Freya fought to break free, but Bradley's grip was unyielding, holding her in place like iron restraints.

Bradley's voice was low and magnetic. He was intoxicated by the fragrance on her body, and his hot breath sprayed onto Freya's face.

"Let me down quickly, I'll help you check."

Freya couldn't push him away and felt extremely anxious. Why was this man as immovable as a mountain? She couldn't push him no matter what.

He's really strong!

"If I release you, you'll flee once more, and I won't be able to keep pace with you at the moment," Bradley whispered, his warm exhales causing Freya to feel heated as well.

"Why should I run when you're in this condition?" Freya felt a mix of anxiety and irritation. She cajoled, "Come on, be obedient, heed my words, let me down first. I'm afraid you'll faint if you keep holding me like this."

Putting all his strength on her, he was standing tall, but swaying dangerously.

If he collapsed, she would suffer too.

Besides, with his nearly two-meter-tall stature, she couldn't support him now.

"You really won't run away?" The man looked into her eyes, his voice low and paranoid.

Freya nodded. She knew this man had a strange temper, and if she didn't comply now, she might have to sleep like this with him tonight.

"I won't run away."

Hearing her words, the man's lips curled slightly, and he lay down on the sofa behind them, holding her as he truly couldn't hold on anymore.