~~~Freya~~~

It's a new day. Ryder had already left for work like usual. I stayed in bed a little longer, replaying everything that happened at the gala last night — the cold way he spoke to Alaric, the tension with Lincoln, the way he publicly claimed me in front of everyone.

He didn’t say a word about it when we got home, and I didn’t ask. I could tell he didn’t want to talk about his past or family. I’d respect that.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification. A text from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey Freya, can we meet up at the café near the waterfront? I’d...