Freya bent down to pick up the rope and tied herself up.

The man smiled triumphantly. "Take her away!"

"Yes!"

One of the masked men approached and grabbed Freya roughly.

True to his word, the man released Matthew.

As they dragged her away, Matthew broke down in tears.

"Bad guys, let go of my mommy!"

Sobbing, he was about to run after her.

Freya quickly stopped him. "Don't worry, Matthew. Mommy will be okay."

Matthew kept crying, but he knew pursuing her would only worsen things.

He stood still, watching Freya being taken away.

There was chaos downstairs as the man brought Freya to the car and pushed her in.

Only then did Freya let out a sigh of relief.

She would have a chance to strike as long as she left the villa.

Before she could escape, she had a few more questions that she had to know from this man.

She turned to him. "Since I've fallen into your hands, at least grant me the courtesy of knowing who you are and your relationship with Quincy."

His gaze lingered on her delicate face.

He chuckled. "I am Steve York, but you can call me 'baby.'"

Baby ...

Freya wanted to spit in his face.

She had seen shameless people, but never someone with such thick skin.

"Steve York. So, you're the bisexual second prince of the York Kingdom, huh?"

"Oh, dear. You've figured out my identity. That's right, I am indeed the Second Prince of the York Kingdom. If you follow me, you will be my princess, and I will love and cherish you dearly, never letting you suffer any grievance."

"I'm afraid to disappoint you, but I am already married. You saw it just now: I have a son. Besides, I am not interested in your kingdom and I have no intention of becoming your princess."

Steve squinted, smiling. "Don't be so quick to refuse. Once you come home with me, you'll change your mind."

"Cut to the crap. You still need to answer my question. Are you and Quincy siblings?"

"Sort of, but we're not related by blood!"

Hearing this, Freya breathed a sigh of relief."

Thankfully, there was no blood relation between them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to accept the idea of them being like that as siblings.

Once she had the information, Freya stopped talking to him. Instead, she loosened the rope and attacked him.

Though she had tied herself, she had concealed a blade in her nails.

While diverting Steve's attention, she had already cut the rope.

Steve never expected her to escape.

She was lightning fast, but he couldn't react quickly. So her punch landed heavily on his face.

He scrambled to open the car door, stumbling back two steps before regaining his balance.

"Honey, you're so rude!"

Steve wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression turning serious. The plum blossom hidden weapon in his hand shimmered with light as he stabbed straight towards Freya.

She opened the other car door and leaped onto the roof, the last silver needle in her hand flying straight towards his neck.

Steve sensed the danger and tried to dodge it, but Freya was too quick. He couldn't avoid it.

The needle pierced his shoulder.

Steve felt his entire body go limp as waves of excruciating pain assaulted him.

After lurking in Solterra for so many years, this was the first time a woman had so thoroughly defeated him.

To top it all off, it was the same woman again.

His gaze turned fiercely menacing, but the overwhelming sensation of pain and itchiness left him powerless to resist.

Grimacing in pain, he dared not linger any longer and turned to flee.

"Try to run away, huh?"

Freya caught up with him swiftly.

Steve couldn't run fast due to needle poisoning and soon Freya blocked his way.

"If you don't like me, then just leave me alone. Why are you still hounding me?"

"Do you think you can just waltz in and out of Leonard's residence whenever you please?" Freya chuckled coldly, striking at him again.

No matter what, she had to catch Steve York tonight.

Steve was dumbfounded after hearing that.

"You're Leonard Newman's woman?"

"That's right."

Freya coldly squinted at the fear evident on his face. "What, scared now?"

"Since you're Leonard's woman, go to hell!" Steve retorted.

Freya seemed like a prim lady to Steve, but he didn't expect her to be associated with Leonard Newman.

He had made a grave mistake.

They searched her residence but failed to investigate her background.

"Maybe you're the one who must go to hell!"

Freya's dagger pierced him once again.

Steve's intense pain overwhelmed him, leading to his ultimate defeat.

Since he was no match for her, his only purpose was to stall and flee.

Fortunately, he had brought plenty of men with him tonight.

Seeing him stranded, his troops climbed over the wall to help him instead of fighting Ella and others.

These assassins, meticulously trained and unwavering in their allegiance, possess exceptional combat prowess.

Even Freya's formidable skills prove inadequate to neutralize them swiftly.

Seizing the opportunity, Steve quickly run away.

"Damn Steve, he's too cunning!"

Freya squinted coldly as she watched him escape.

When Ella came out with the secret guards, everyone except Freya was in the pitch-black night.

"Freya, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Freya shook her head. "It's a pity that Steve got away."

Matthew's soft and sweet voice came behind her as she finished speaking. "Mommy, hug."

Freya turned to see Matthew standing behind her, his little face streaked with tears.

She approached him and hugged him tightly, feeling guilty.

"It's all Mommy's fault, I made you scared."

"Matt is Brave. Matt is a little champ."

Despite his words, his tiny body trembled.

When the bad guy held a knife to his throat, he was terrified.

Freya listened and held him even tighter.

She had been careless tonight. If Matthew got hurt, she would never forgive herself.

The villa was awash in blood.

Ella led his men in cleaning up the scene while Freya carried Matthew to her room to sleep.

Perhaps truly traumatized, Matthew had nightmares all night long, punctuated by occasional screams.

Freya stayed by his side, holding him tightly and comforting him.

Still, Matthew developed a high fever by dawn.

He kept mumbling in his sleep and crying inconsolably. Even fever-reducing medication couldn't help.

Freya could only give him an injection to reduce his fever and wipe his body every half an hour to cool him down.

Meanwhile, Bradley had yet to return since yesterday.

After asking Ella to find out, she discovered they had fought Kevin's people.

Freya's heart ached to help, but Matthew's fever refused to subside. Despite her anxiety, she could only stay at home to care for him.

"If you're worried, you can go. I'll take care of Matthew."

"Mommy, don't go ..."

Matthew muttered in his feverish state, his chubby little hand tightly gripping hers.