I paused just as I reached the doorway, Valerie's quiet voice pulling me back.
"You know... I never got your name," she said, her voice raw from crying so much.
I should've kept walking, but something in her tone made me stop. Slowly, I turned to face her, meeting her tired eyes.
"It's Freya. Freya Sinclair," I said, my voice soft but clear.
"Freya Sinclair…" she echoed, frowning."That name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Have we met before?"
I offered a small smile, knowing where she might have heard it. "No, we haven't."
Valerie's brow furrowed as she thought for a moment longer, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Strange…I could've sworn I've heard that name before."
I glanced away, trying to shrug it off. "Maybe you read it somewhere. It's not uncommon."
She studied my face intently, eyes narrowing as if she were trying to solve a mystery. "No… It feels closer than that."
An awkward silence settled between us, just as I was about to excuse myself, her expression softened. She patted the spot beside her on the bench.
"Would you mind staying a little longer? I… I could really use the company."
I hesitated, but I found myself nodding. I crossed the room and sat down, the cushion gave under our weight.
Valerie rubbed her hands together, her gaze distant. "You know, Nathan means well, but…" she trailed off, searching for the right words. "I find it hard to let him in. Not after what happened with Ethan."
I stayed silent, letting her speak.
"I thought we'd be married by now. Ethan and I. He was…everything. Sweet, kind, thoughtful. Or… at least I thought he was. And Caitlyn—God, Caitlyn. I never saw it from her. I wanted to strangle her."
Her voice cracked.
"Sometimes, people aren't who we think they are," I said softly. " And it hurts when we realize that."
Valerie gave a small, bitter laugh. "That's an understatement. I trusted him. I trusted them. And they betrayed me."
"You loved him, and you trusted her. There's nothing wrong with that. Loving someone is not a sentence, even if it doesn't work out."
She shook her head, wiping a stray tear. "Maybe… but I loved them blindly. And now, with Nathan... he deserves a marriage with love but I'm not sure I can give him that. This marriage—it's just an arrangement. If I don't marry him, I risk losing the modeling contract, and the scandal with Ethan will destroy me. I want to love him the way he deserves, but I'm scared."
I understood that kind of pressure all too well. The fear that if you gave in, you'd lose control again. But before I could respond, the cool air brushed against my neck, and my hand darted up, Too late.
Valerie's eyes widened.
Her breath hitched, and she reached out, her fingers trembling, stopping just short as she noticed my scar. "Oh my God..."
My hand flew to the scarf, pulling it back into place, my heart pounding. "It's nothing," I muttered, turning my face away.
But Valerie shook her head. "No, that's not it. You're that Freya Sinclair. The one married to Alexander Ashford."
I froze. "No, no, that's not me."
"You can't fool me. The name and that scar…"
I sighed, nodding reluctantly. "Alright, you caught me."
Valerie's face softened with empathy. "I can't believe you called out the Ashfords like that. They're never going to let that go."
I flinched, knowing she was right.
Seeing my reaction, her face softened. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just…what you did? That was incredible. I could never do something like that." She paused, glancing at her hands. "People are talking. About you."
I said nothing. I had expected as much. The Ashfords a family you crossed without consequence.
She took a deep breath and met my gaze again, her eyes filled with something that looked like admiration. "You've been through so much, haven't you?"
"I guess you could say that," I replied softly.
Valerie turned slightly, her expression curious. "And what about now? I mean with everything that happened.. with Alexander and Sylus?"
Her question caught me off guard. I shifted, uncomfortable. "It's… complicated."
Valerie tilted her head, giving me a knowing look. "Complicated how?"
I hesitated. "Even after everything Alexander did, a part of me still loves him. I know I sound ridiculous. Loving him even with the way he has treated me. I hate myself for it. I wish I could let go, but some part of me still hopes he'll come back. Apologize. Be the man I fell in love with."
Tears slipped down my face.
Valerie watched me for a moment, then asked, "What about Sylus?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I think I'm afraid to find out. With Sylus, it all seems to good to be true."
Her eyes softened. "I get that. But Sylus… he's different from Alexander, isn't he?"
I thought back to Sylus— how he was the opposite of Alexander in almost every way. "He's nothing like him," I whispered.
Valerie gave a sad smile. "It's funny, isn't it? We're in love with the wrong men, but when the right ones come along… we're too scared to give them the love they deserve."
We shared a quiet laugh, both of us recognizing the irony of our shared situations.
The silence that followed wasn't awkward this time. It felt comforting, like the air had lightened just a bit. Valerie wiped her eyes and offered me a small, genuine smile.
"I'm glad we met, Freya. I don't know why, but… I feel like we were meant to meet."
I nodded, feeling the same strange connection. "Maybe we were."
I stood, offering Valerie a hand. "Come on. Let's go get you married. We can't let you miss this opportunity or have any bad press, now can we?"
Valerie hesitated for a moment , but then she let out a shaky breath and nodded, taking my hand. Together, we made our way to the hallway, where Sylus and Nathan stood in tense conversation. The moment Nathan saw us approaching, he froze, his eyes wide with surprise.
Sylus turned to me, a brow raised in question. I didn't give him time to speak.
"Nathan!" I called, waving him over. "You've got a bride to marry."
His face lit up in shock, then pure joy. "Wait, really?"
"Yes, really," I smiled. "You'd better hurry and get ready. And Mr. Thorn," I pointed at Sylus, "would you please let everyone that the wedding is still on?"
Sylus's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous smirk curling his lips. He stepped closer. "Is something wrong, Freya?" His voice was low, almost predatory.
I blinked, confused by his shift in tone. "What? No, why?"
"Oh, there's something wrong." His gaze was sharp, unwavering. "You called me Mr. Thorn. That's not my name."
My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed, my voice coming out softer than I intended. "Sylus, please, let everyone know the wedding is still on."
His smirk deepened, dark and commanding. "Good girl. I'll handle it." He turned on his heel, his voice echoing through the hall. "Everyone, take your seats. The wedding is still on."
Nathan grinned like a kid on Christmas morning and ran around screaming 'we're getting married!'