Chapter 14 The Battle for Interests

Lola peered down at her stomach and was taken aback to see no visible marks, although she felt the excruciating pain. She turned to face Freya, whose face had already turned as red as a tomato before she had even been hit in the face. Lola, however, had always loved to play the role of victim. As usual, her first reaction was to wipe away her tears and sob, "It hurts! Dad, it hurts." Bruce's expression grew increasingly grave. When Freya was still living with them, Sophie and Lola mistreated her without scruples, particularly when Bruce was absent. They treated her like a servant, making her eat dog food and sleep in a doghouse. Physical abuse and dehumanization were routine occurrences inflicted upon Freya. There were instances when Bruce caught them in the act, but he chose to turn a blind eye. As long as Freya wasn't beaten to death, he couldn't be bothered to intervene. However, the situation had changed now that Freya had married into the Austin family. Despite Bradley's disability and incompetence, he was deeply cherished by Owen. If anything horrible happened to Bradley someday, Freya would inherit all of the Austin estate, which would also benefit the Lawson family. Bruce's duty was to safeguard their cash cow, Freya. Over the past few days, he repeatedly stressed the importance of being kind to Freya to his family. However, Bruce's anger was provoked by Lola's covert bullying of her half-sister. With a slap to Lola's face, he yelled, "Freya is now the hostess of the Royal Garden Mansion! You better show her some respect! I will break your legs if you dare to bully her again!" The slap took Lola by surprise because of its intensity. Freya had just finished beating her up, and now this slap from Bruce nearly knocked her out cold. She instinctively covered her burning and pained face with her hands, tears streaming down as she pleaded, "Daddy, I didn't do anything wrong." She hadn't even touched Freya during their earlier fight, yet she was the one who got beaten up. In fact, Lola was the one who got hurt, but Bruce blamed and cursed at her, leaving her feeling deeply wronged. Her tears continued to fall, one after another. Shouting in rage, Bruce questioned, "Can Freya be the liar here? Don't think I don't know about the terrible things you and your mother have done to Freya before. If you dare cross the line again, both of you will be thrown out of the house!" Fearing that Lola would endure another beating, Sophie whispered in a low voice, "Lola, you should apologize to Freya." Lola's sense of grievance grew even stronger. She clenched her fists, glared at Freya, and bit her lip tightly before she spoke. Lola had always been the one doing the bullying, but now she was on the receiving end. Unwillingness filled Lola's heart. "Why aren't you apologizing?" Bruce demanded, raising his hand again, sensing Lola's continued glare at Freya. Afraid of being slapped by her father again, Lola bit her lip and said, "Freya, I'm sorry." She cried and stormed out of the house after saying those words. Her entire body hurt, but all she got in return was Bruce's criticism. This was the first time her father had ever punished her. In addition, Lola's room was taken away, leaving her unsure of where she would sleep at night. After building up resentment, Lola finally decided to leave. Bruce, feeling frustrated, let out a sigh and said to Freya somewhat impatiently, "You can go to bed now. You can tell me if you have any problems, and I will do my best to protect you." Freya put on a facade of obedience as she nodded, but as soon as Bruce and Sophie left the room, she couldn't contain her triumphant laughter any longer. "If you want to mess with me, you'll be all doomed!" she thought. After all, Bruce now stood to gain from her, and he would defend her no matter how much of a mess she made. For years, she longed for her father's love, and now it had finally become a reality, even though even if his favors were motivated solely by self-interest. Freya found the whole thing amusing as she sat on her bed, surveying her surroundings. Her mother had created the pink room for her, which had a starry sky theme and was so exquisite that it appeared like a princess had resided there. The glowing stars and moons on the walls gave the impression of a calm and entrancing night sky. Her mother even painted a mural for her, which depicted her curled up in her mother's arms, looking like the world's happiest little princess. As Freya closed her eyes, she could still feel the warmth of her mother's embrace, as if her mother was speaking softly in her ear. "Darling, Mommy wants to make you the happiest little princess in the entire world and give you the most beautiful things in the world." But ever since her mother passed away, Freya's life had drastically changed. Instead of living like a princess, she felt more like Cinderella - constantly bullied and mistreated. Sophie and Bruce were to blame for everything that had happened to her. Upon her return to the city, Freya decided to look for proof that Sophie had to frame her mother and exact revenge. Stepping towards the dresser, Freya had another goal in mind for her return to the Lawson family - to retrieve the birthday gift her mother had given her. When Freya was still living at home, Lola took away all her possessions, including her beautiful clothes and expensive jewelry. Among the stolen possessions was a silver necklace designed by Freya's mother. As Freya rummaged through the cabinet, she finally found the necklace at the bottom. Over time, it had become tarnished with oxidation and layered with thick dust due to Lola's neglect. Freya realized that it would be impossible to wear the necklace if she didn't clean and repair it. After retrieving the necklace, Freya returned to her bed and planned to sneak out of the house later. ... It wasn't until four in the afternoon that Freya woke up. Seizing the opportunity while Sophie was distracted, Freya stealthily made her way out of the house. Meanwhile, in the study of the Royal Garden Mansion, Bradley glanced at the time and realized it was about time to bring Freya back. "She has been spending the whole day outside, so surely she's over her fear of me by now," he thought. With that in mind, Bradley picked up his suit jacket from beside him, preparing to leave. The phone he kept in his pocket rang abruptly. Bradley narrowed his eyes and took out his phone, checking the caller ID before sliding the screen to answer the call. His voice was icy as he asked, "What's the matter?" "How was your wedding night, buddy? We're at Shangri-La Bar. Would you like to come join us?" came the voice on the other end. Bradley raised an eyebrow and replied coldly, "I'm busy." "We're putting on a special performance at Shangri-La Bar just for you! We even invited the resident singer, Madeline Luna, to dance and sing to celebrate your remarriage. It would be a shame if you didn't come..." And then, another voice chimed in, "Bradley, are you so obsessed with your new wife that you can't let go? I never knew you could be so clingy." A third voice added, "I heard your wife is stunningly beautiful, unlike those three women from before. Why don't you bring her out to meet us as well?" "Go to hell," Bradley coldly uttered before abruptly ending the call. "You can leave now if you're busy," Frederick said respectfully as he walked in. "I'll get Mrs. Austin and take her home." "OK," Bradley said as he pinched his brow.