Chapter 2 A Real Fool

Freya blinked as she realized her father, Bruce Lawson, had returned. She quickly climbed off Sophie and hid to the side, pretending to be afraid. Sophie was so enraged that she approached Freya and intended to punch her. Freya immediately sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably while clutching her body. "Don't hit Freya! Freya will listen to yours..." she begged. Bruce walked in through the door, his face solemn as Sophie was about to hit Freya. "Sophie, what the hell are you doing?" Bruce charged over and grabbed her hand. Sophie's hair was unkempt, and her clothes were strewn about, revealing a part of her chest. She threw herself at Bruce, sobbing as she said, "Bruce! I kindly prepared dinner for Freya and had Lola deliver it to her. But, she showed no gratitude toward us. She not only pulled Lola's hair and hit her, but she also ripped my clothes apart. Look what she's done to me and my daughter." Bruce's face turned serious as he glanced around the room and exclaimed, "Is this the meal you prepared for her? Just a bowl of chili sauce?" Lola couldn't help but tremble in fear as she saw her father's intimidating expression. After the Austins sent him the engagement gift, Bruce reminded Sophie and Lola to look after Freya when she returned back in town. He wouldn't let Lola off the hook so easily if he discovered she had used chili sauce as a taunt against Freya. Sophie gave Lola an angry look before shifting the blame entirely to Freya. "Because Freya loves tomato sauce, I had Lola add some to the dish. You and I both know that Lola has never cooked a meal in her life, so it's understandable that she mixed up chili sauce and tomato sauce. It's not her fault." Upon hearing Sophie's explanation, Bruce's expression softened slightly. Lola felt a sense of relief wash over her as she realized she wouldn't be punished. She didn't intend to go easy on Freya, though. Accusingly, she said, "Dad, it's true that I made a mistake by adding chili sauce to the plate, but Freya shouldn't have hit me! Take a good look at the $100,000 dress I'm wearing. Both my mother and I are wearing expensive dresses that the Austins generously sent to us, but everything is ruined because of Freya!" Bruce's calm demeanor quickly faded as he scolded Freya, "Freya, you should apologize to your Aunt Sophie and sister!" Freya looked up, her eyes watering and her lips pouting as if she were about to cry. Bruce was reminded of her late mother by seeing her like this, which agitated him. With a wave of his hand, he impatiently said, "Forget it. Go wash up, Freya. I'll have the servants bring food to you again later." His tone became stern as he turned to Sophie and Lola and said, "Both of you, come with me to the study." Bruce angrily reprimanded them in the study, pointing at them, "I told you to treat her well, but you both ignored my words!" When Bruce heard Sophie's explanation, he didn't buy it. Lola had never cooked before, but he couldn't fathom how she could mistake chili sauce for tomato sauce. He knew that all the bottles and jars had clear labels, and he was confident that Lola could understand them. "I'm warning you one last time, none of you is allowed to mess with Freya tonight. If you sabotage my plan, you'll both be doomed!" Bruce exclaimed. Sophie reassured Bruce with a smile, "No need to worry, Bruce. I assure you that the wedding will go off exactly as planned." "You better remember your promise. Once she marries into the Austin family, you'll have everything you want," Bruce said, taking a seat on the couch. "I had a meeting with Arthur Austin this afternoon, and he agreed to hold off on signing the contract until after the wedding. However, he added a new condition." Curious, Sophie asked, "What condition?" Bruce wore a blank expression as he conveyed, "As you all know, Bradley Austin is a worthless waste. Besides, he is believed to be cursed. The three women who had previously married him all met tragic ends as a result of the curse, but they were all well compensated." "If anything happens to Freya after her marriage to Bradley, Arthur has promised our family seventy million dollars in compensation. But if she makes it, we have to work with him to destroy Bradley." Bruce elaborated. Sophie's eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing the proposition. "This deal seems highly profitable for us. Did you agree to it?" "Absolutely! If we can get those seventy million dollars, let's give it all to Lola when she gets married in the future." Quick as a flash, Sophie winked at Lola and said, "Lola, why don't you thank your dad?" Lola, thrilled by the prospect of gaining all these benefits, responded sweetly, "Thank you, Dad. You're so good to me." Freya was standing in the doorway at the time and overheard the entire conversation. She realized that her father was a jerk who put money before his daughter's happiness. He wanted to marry Bradley despite knowing about his curse and physical disability, and he openly discussed the generous compensation he would get with his mistress. He didn't care about Freya's well-being because he used her as a tool to gain money. Feeling betrayed and used, Freya decided she wouldn't mind causing chaos within the family before leaving. She had returned to town as she got fed up with living in the countryside, but now she had more important things to do. Her stepmother and stepsister had taken possession of her mother's belongings, which were legally hers, after her mother's death. Freya was determined to reclaim what was hers. Freya's mother died tragically years ago, and she was resolved to find out the truth and bring the perpetrator to justice. With these motives firmly in her mind, Freya put on a smile and headed back to her room. But the moment she entered her bedroom, she sensed a chilling presence. Someone pushed her against the wall hard before she could defend herself. She could smell the metallic scent of blood and hear a low, hoarse male voice warning her, "Be quiet." As Freya raised her head, she saw a masked man pressing a gun against her temple. Her natural reflexes kicked in, and she dared not to move a muscle. Freya, confused as to how the intruder had entered, swiftly took stock of her surroundings. It became evident to her that the previously closed window was now wide open, suggesting that the man had entered through it. The man's injuries were evident as he struggled to control the bleeding while holding the gun in one hand and pressing the other against his chest. Freya stared at him silently for a while before acting frightened and retreating a step. "Please don't hurt Freya. I'll listen to yours and won't make a sound," she pleaded in a whimpering voice. The man narrowed his eyes and looked at Freya, his icy, penetrating gaze revealing a trace of interest. He couldn't help but notice something slightly unusual about her. Despite her clear and innocent teary eyes, reminiscent of a precious gem, there was an expression on her face that seemed more fitting for a young child of five or six years old. "Are you a fool?" he asked. "Don't call me a fool! I'm not foolish! I'm smart," Freya pouted, squinting her big, beautiful eyes at him. Looking down from the window, the man sneered, "It appears that you truly are a fool." He tightened his grip on Freya. He couldn't leave because the killers who were finding him were still downstairs.