?Chapter 1098:


    “You know what I mean,” Lawrence replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt.


    Kristian didn’t flinch. He looked indifferent. “I don’t.”


    “If you refuse to take good care of yourself, I’ll tell Freya everything—exactly how you’ve been living these past two months. And I’ll hand her your report, too.” Lawrenceid down his final card.


    The atmosphere dropped several degrees.


    Kristian’s gaze turned to ice, his eyes sharp enough to slice ss. “If you’re not afraid of Ellis breaking your bones, be my guest.”


    The truth was, Kristian was the one who felt afraid.


    He dreaded the possibility that Lawrence might tell Freya everything, that his secrets would no longer be safe. All he wanted now was to keep his troubles far from her life.


    “Ellis won’ty a finger on me.” Lawrence spoke withplete conviction, though there was a faint edge to his voice as he faced Kristian. “If you keep neglecting your health—starting with skipping breakfast—I’ll have no choice but to tell her everything about what you’re hiding.”


    “Lawrence Hayes.” A trace of anger flickered in Kristian’s expression.


    Lawrence stared back, unwavering. Having once stood as the heir to a powerful family, he possessed a presence as formidable as Kristian’s. Yet a quiet guilt gnawed at him for pushing so hard.


    “I get it. You don’t want to trouble Freya with any of this,” he said, gentling his tone. “But at some point, your parents will find out, and when they do, they’ll turn to Freya for help.”


    At that, Kristian’s eyes grew cold, masking his emotions beneath ayer of icy calm.


    He believed his parents would never involve Freya, but deep down, he knew that sooner orter, word about his condition would find its way to her. What he couldn’t predict was how she would respond, or what she really felt about him.


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    Still, there was one thing he remained certain of—she could never be allowed to find out.


    “If you breathe a word to Freya,” Kristian said in a low, warning tone, “I’ll let your parents know about you and Jacob. And I’ll make sure the whole circle finds out, too.”


    If the truth about Lawrence and Jacob came to light, the rumors would be relentless. Chaos would follow, and the aftermath would be impossible to contain.


    Lawrence would never let Jacob face that kind of storm alone.


    “Do what you want. It doesn’t bother me,” Lawrence said, his calmness throwing Kristian off. “My family already knows I chose Jacob over them. As for what others say, it makes no difference to me. The sooner people know Jacob is mine, the sooner they’ll stop trying to meddle.”


    “Are you really not worried about what this could mean for Jacob’s future?” Kristian asked, feeling like he barely recognized the man in front of him.


    “If you’d tried this on me five years ago, maybe I would have cared. But that was another lifetime,” Lawrence answered without hesitation. “At our level, no one’s going to challenge us.”


    It took very little for public opinion to overwhelm a regr person. Yet, for someone who had reached a ce far above the crowd, all that noise soon faded into the background.


    Jacob had moved on from needing his medical career for money, and Lawrence had done the same. Idle talk wouldn’t trouble them. Regardless of the circumstances, Lawrence remained beside Jacob, always ready to protect him from anything.


    “Try to listen for once and look after yourself,” Lawrence said with genuine concern. “I’ve been through all this before.”


    Separation from Jacob had once dragged Lawrence through his darkest days. Even so, he managed to endure.


    “Leave.” Kristian didn’t let him finish.


    Standing firm, Lawrence answered, “I’m not leaving unless you eat something.” He showed no intention of moving. “If you refuse, I’ll call Freya right now.”


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