?Chapter 1099:


    Frost filled the room as Kristian’s re sharpened, but Lawrence remained steady.


    For a few tense moments, neither man moved, their eyes locked in silent battle. Atst, Kristian turned and strode toward the door. His message was unmistakable. Food held no appeal for him, and he had no ns to yield to Lawrence’s demands.


    Lawrence, however, refused to give up.


    Once Kristian slipped out, Lawrence wasted no time. He pulled out his phone and dialed Freya, putting her on speaker.


    Shrill beeps cut through the quiet living room, echoing off the walls. A hint of mischief lit up Lawrence’s face. “How long do you think it’ll take for Freya to answer?”


    Those words brought Kristian to a halt, his feet suddenly anchored to the spot.


    Ring after ring went by, while Lawrence stayed silent, certain that Kristian woulde around.


    After the phone rang six times, Freya finally picked up the call. The moment Freya’s voice came through the phone, Kristian barely flinched, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes.


    Her reply cut through the room with an icy distance, making it clear her connection to Lawrence had long grown cold.


    “What do you want?”


    “I’m hoping you can help me design a security system,” Lawrence said, throwing Kristian a final lifeline. He kept any mention of Kristian’s state to himself. “It should outperform whatever the Shaw Group offers. Just tell me your price.”


    “I’m not interested.” Freya didn’t waste a second. No hesitation flickered in her voice.


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    If Lawrence hadn’t dragged her into past chaos, she wouldn’t have had to deal with Kristian’s mess either. Had they never involved themselves in her life, everything would have turned out far lessplicated.


    Freya ended the call without another word, making it obvious she had no interest in continuing.


    This didn’te as a shock to Lawrence. He stared at the silent phone for a moment before ncing at Kristian.


    “Are you still nning to skip breakfast?”


    “Does this satisfy you?” Kristian gave him a cold re.


    “What are you getting at?”


    Kristian’s patience was wearing thin.


    “You’re free to leave. The agreement we had doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll rip up the contract right here if you want. Nothing is stopping you from returning to Alerith whenever you wish.”


    “I’ll leave when you’re back on your feet.” Lawrence’s voice held firm. Although a return to Alerith crossed his mind, nothing was drawing him home at the moment. Jacob had vanished a month ago, boarding a flight and disappearing without a trace, with only K privy to his location. No amount of effort would help Lawrence find him now. Jeucwell would remain his base until someone brought news of Jacob’s whereabouts.


    Ice seemed to coat Kristian’s gaze, hiding every feeling deep beneath the surface.


    “Lawrence, I hope you realize patience isn’t something I have.”


    “Actually, patience isn’t a problem for me.” Lawrence gave a slight, almost dismissive smile. “If you keep ignoring my words, I’ll tell Freya everything. There’s not much at stake for me, and honestly, you won’t lose much either. Maybe Freya will feel sorry for you ande back.” Lawrence said, fully aware those words would strike a nerve.


    Tension gathered in Kristian’s hands as he clenched them tight.


    Nothing escaped Lawrence’s attention. Kristian had been holding everything inside since he regained his memory. Other than one drunken outburst back in Alerith, he…


    He hadn’t let himself break. That long stretch of bottled-up emotion was starting to wear him down, both physically and mentally.


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