Freya's heart ached as she clutched his tiny hand. "Don't fret, Matthew. Mommy's not leaving," she soothed him softly.

Over the past few weeks, Matthew had become increasingly attached to her.

Leaving now would be heartbreaking for the little boy.

"Let's wait until his condition stabilizes before making any decisions."

She had faith that after so many years of planning, Bradley would surely overcome the crisis safely.

Though she wasn't by his side, her heart was with him.

By the evening, Matthew's fever had finally subsided.

Sleepless nights left Freya with black bags beneath her eyes and exhaustion.

She rested beside Matthew briefly until a commotion downstairs woke her up.

She rolled out of bed and rushed downstairs to investigate.

However, a dart in the hallway mural caught her eye.

Her expression hardened as she pulled out the dart and unfurled the attached message.

Ella ran in from outside after hearing the commotion to see Freya in a leather jacket and jeans with a silver gun, ready to leave.

"Ella, take care of Matthew. I need to go out for a while."

"What's happening?"

Freya handed her the note. "I've received word from my men. They've found Steve's hideout."

"I'll go with you. At least we can have each other's backs."

"No need. Matthew needs someone to watch him."

After saying that, she took her gun and headed out.

She had to get rid of Steve York.

Ever since the capture of Quincy, Steve had allied himself with the Logans.

Bradley's quest to regain the Solterra will be harder when the Logans and Yorks unite.

They said cut off the head of the snake and the body will die. So, she had to deal with Steve first.

After his escape last night, she had dispatched people to search for his hiding place.

Luckily, they had finally found him.

...

Late at night.

The sky had been dark all day, and there was no moonlight at night, leaving everything in darkness.

Someone discreetly checked for onlookers around a little cottage on the outskirts of town before softly opening the door.

"Your Highness, I've found the doctor."

The newcomer escorted a middle-aged man into the room.

At this moment, Steve was lying on the bed with a pale face.

The excruciating pain he felt since escaping last night made it unbearable for him.

He then took the risk of sending someone out to find a doctor.

"Hurry him up! I'm dying of pain and itching!"

Steve's voice was weak as he continuously scratched his body.

The doctor hurried forward to examine his condition.

It was his first time seeing such a severe case as a barefoot doctor in this town, where he generally saw headaches and fever.

After examining him for a while, he looked somewhat troubled.

"Sorry, you'd better find someone else. I can't treat this illness."

"Aren't you a doctor? If you can't treat it, who can?"

Steve roared in pain, kicking the doctor hard in the stomach.

"Give me some painkillers, antipruritics, and then get out."

The doctor coughed up blood from the kick and nearly lost his life.

He didn't dare to offend these people, so he quickly prescribed the medicine and fled away with the medical kit.

Steve didn't care what kind of medicine it was. He used a shot in the dark and stuffed it into his mouth.

After a day and night of agony, death seemed preferable to the current torment.

After the medicine kicked in, the pain eased considerably. Steve lay on the bed, thinking about his next move.

Quincy's capture had blown his cover, and staying in this place was no longer an option.

He had to leave here as soon as possible but was not reconciled.

After lurking in Solterra for so long, he never expected to achieve anything and be tormented to near death by a mere girl.

He never imagined her poison could put him in such a state.

At first, he hated to kill her, but now he suddenly changed his mind.

He would go to any lengths to possess such a woman, only to slowly torment her, making her life a living hell.

Steve felt much better. He rose from his bed and called out towards the door.

"Hey, someone! I'm starving. Go get me something to eat."

Since he returned yesterday, he had been in excruciating pain and had an intense itch.

Now that his body was recuperating, he was hungry after not eating all day.

Despite his repeated shouts, no one answered.

He impatiently yelled, "Where is everyone? Are they all dead?"

The door crooked open and someone walked in.

He distinctly caught a particular fragrance and alertly looked towards the door. "Who's there?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Your grim reaper."

As the words fell, a cold aura came at him head-on.

Steve dodged sideways and the flying silver needle pierced into the wall.

Freya approached Steve with steady steps, her delicate fingers grasping a silver needle.

She observed his tired appearance, pale face, and untidy hair.

It was clear that her poison had tormented him quite severely.

"Little lass, you've come at the perfect time. Don't call me Steve York if I don't catch you today."

Flipping off the bed, he grabbed a gun from under the pillow and aimed it straight at her forehead.

At the same time, Freya's gun was also aimed at his chest.

"Then let's see if yours is faster or mine!"

They both pulled the trigger at the same time, resulting in two gunshots

Freya rolled to the ground as Steve's shot impacted the wall behind her.

Meanwhile, her bullet directly blew out the bedside lamp.

The people outside heard the gunshots and shouted ''Your Highness'' before breaking down the door.

Freya frowned and cursed under her breath, "Damn it!"

She wanted to kill Steve softly, but who thought Steve would draw his gun first?

Her shot could have taken him away now, whether he died or not.

After a crowd entered, Steve would be hard to capture.

Despite everything, she was determined to get rid of Steve today.

Steve was on the verge of a breakdown.

He finally found a woman he liked, but didn't expect her to be a ferocious tigress.

He must have been out of his mind to provoke her.

He's not only asking for trouble, but also could even end up losing his life tonight.

When a group of assassins surrounded Freya, Steve took the opportunity to escape through the door.

It was the second time he had run for his life in less than two days.

He vowed that if he made it out of there alive, he would kidnap Freya and imprison her at home to torment her slowly.

By the time Freya had dealt with the group of assassins and pursued him, Steve had long since vanished.

Damn it!

He got away again!

She squinted into the dark, looming night and swiftly gave chase.

Tonight, she was determined to take down Steve no matter what.

He was too cunning.

Adding to the fact that they were deeply at odds, he would surely find an opportunity to strike back.

She had no fear of this pervert but worried that she might become a stumbling block for Bradley.

Steve glanced back at the figure chasing him, a sense of dread creeping into his heart.