The play had concluded, signaling their departure.

"Mr. Lance, here's your access permit. I just spoke with Miss Ella, she instructed me to return it to you. Regarding the medicinal herbs, please tally up their value. Miss Ella assured me that the payment will be transferred to you."

After the commotion, she resolved not to visit Fenton Pharmaceutical Group again.

Despite the rarity of ginseng grass, Bradley's intervention would secure its acquisition, even at a premium.

Therefore, there was no need for her to source medicinal herbs from Fenton Pharmaceutical Group anymore.

As for her commitment to Lance, she pledged online support in case Cloudstone encountered challenges.

It was a promise she intended to honor.

"You needn't worry about the payment for the herbs. Consider it a gesture of appreciation from Miss Ella for aiding in my recovery. Please accept it as a token of gratitude,"

Lance said, accepting the pass with his customary composure.

"Very well. I'll convey your message to Miss Ella. If there's nothing else, we should take our leave,"

Freya remarked, smiling as she linked arms with Bradley, departing from Fenton Pharmaceutical Group.

As they descended in the elevator, they crossed paths with Lucas on his way down.

His disheveled appearance, pallid complexion, and soaked white shirt rendered him a pitiful sight.

His bodyguards trailed behind, vigilant.

Lucas, on the brink of collapse, was propped up by them.

"I've been blind, I've been blind, I... I've been blind..."

Lucas muttered weakly.

Freya approached him, arms crossed, and towered over him. "Mr. Lucas, how's the view from down there?"

Lucas panted like a beaten dog, his head spinning before he crumpled to the ground.

With a face contorted by hatred, he glared at Freya, wishing he could tear her apart a thousand times over.

However, with Bradley by her side, even if he harbored the intention, he lacked the courage to follow through.

Once the two departed, he unleashed a furious roar,

"You b*tch! The next time I see you, your demise will be excruciating!"

Hardly had he finished his outburst when his assistant rushed over in a fluster.

"Vice President, there's trouble brewing."

"W... What... trouble?"

"There's scandalous news about you circulating online, and the office phones are ringing off the hook with calls from reporters."

The assistant handed him the phone.

At first glance, Lucas nearly swooned.

The stark photographs, one after another, all depicted scenes of him in Shangri-La.

The comments section was a chorus of condemnation, branding him a scoundrel, a sleaze.

"Causing such a scandal, you'd better clean up this mess pronto."

Lucas removed his glasses, wiping the sweat from his brow.

He had fought tooth and nail to reach his current position. Any stain on the company's reputation would not be tolerated by his father.

"Vice... Vice President, there's one more thing."

Lucas snapped impatiently, "Spit it out."

"It's... it's about the incident at Metropolitan Gardens. Initially, all the units had been sold, but suddenly, all the owners are demanding refunds. The construction site is now swarming with furious property owners..."

The assistant trembled as he spoke, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Already drained, Lucas felt as though he'd aged a decade. This sudden revelation nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"Get to the bottom of this, now."

"Yes, Vice President."

The assistant scurried away.

Lucas slumped onto the ground.

His gaze followed two figures disappearing through the revolving door.

He pounded the ground in frustration.

"Bradley, this has to be your doing!"

"Don't let me catch you, or I'll ensure you have nowhere to hide!"

…

Bradley had urgent matters to attend to, so he left after escorting Freya back to the clinic.

Freya wasted no time, immediately heading to the laboratory with her medicinal herbs, diving into her work.

The hours passed swiftly, and soon it was afternoon.

Freya concocted the prescription and, after rigorous experimentation, achieved unexpected results.

She injected the extracted venom into mice, waiting for them to display symptoms before administering the antidote.

Thirty minutes later, the mice stabilized.

For safety measures, she conducted tests on various animals, all yielding successful outcomes.

As evening fell, Freya hurried back to Royal Garden Mansion.

Stepping into her home, she found Bradley seated on the sofa.

His eyes were half-lidded, head resting against the chair, brows furrowed in contemplation or perhaps slumber.

A computer sat on the coffee table, its screen still glowing, evidently not yet shut down.

Freya worried the light might disturb his sleep, so she intended to close the computer.

Just as she approached, the man with closed eyes suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Before she could react, she was pulled into his embrace the next second.

"Bradley, you..." Freya exclaimed in surprise.

The man rose to his feet, still holding her, his narrowed eyes meeting hers.

What about me? he retorted.

"Weren't you asleep?"

"No, I was waiting for you to come home."

His gaze shifted downward, a trace of red tinting his eyes.

Though Freya struggled to free herself, he effortlessly lifted her, carrying her upstairs despite her efforts.

Pushing open the door to the room, he brought her to the bed.

"Do you remember what you said at Fenton Pharmaceutical Group earlier?"

"What?"

Freya's hands pressed against his chest, intending to wriggle out of his embrace, but the man directly immobilized her legs, rendering her unable to move.

"You said, I could make you do anything."

He leaned down and whispered this sentence softly into her ear.

The warm breath lingered around her ear.

It sent shivers down her spine and her entire face flushed involuntarily.

"What do you want to do?"

She bit her lip, her eyes veiled with a mist of emotion.

Bradley raised an eyebrow, a gentle curve forming on his lips. "I... just want to kiss you."

With those words, he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

Lately, she had been too occupied, spending all her time in the laboratory conducting experiments, while Bradley stayed up all night accompanying her.

Both were exhausted and had no time for intimacy.

As his lips met hers, Freya's body trembled slightly.

Whether it was due to recent stress or fatigue, the sudden kiss made her inexplicably nervous, and she reached out and grabbed his collar.

Bradley kissed her tenderly, his hand firmly holding the back of her head, while the other arm wrapped around her waist.

He murmured her name softly, "Freya..."

"Mm."

"I don't like you getting too close to Lance. Promise me, this is the last time."

Freya squinted her eyes, her eyelashes trembling softly, and she responded gently.

She couldn't bear to disappoint him.

She could only remain silent.

Seeing her silence, he kissed her with more intensity.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

He pressed her against the edge, opening his eyes to gaze at her.

"I'll keep my distance from him."

She replied, her eyes gleaming like polished gems, which melted Bradley's heart.

"It's not just about keeping your distance, it's about cutting off all contact completely. I don't like the way he looks at you."

Bradley said dominantly.

Freya's gaze flickered, unable to meet his kiss any longer, and she turned her head away.

The man narrowed his eyes, and he followed suit, chasing after her relentlessly.