Chapter 206 He Didn’t Keep His Promise
Byron froze as Freya sat up slowly, curling her legs and burying her face in her knees. She sobbed softly, her shoulders shaking with the weight of unspoken pain.
“He knew I loved someone else in my heart,” Freya choked out between sobs. “He thought I wasn’t worthy of giving birth to a royal child… so he removed my uterus.”
Byron’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t respond immediately. The words she spoke hit him harder than any physical blow.
“Why didn’t you come to me then?” he asked, his voice low, full of frustration and helplessness. He wasn’t sure what hurt more: her suffering or the realization that she had felt so alone through it all.
“I know you hate me,” Freya whispered, her voice barely audible, as though the thought of him despising her was the final weight on her fragile spirit.
Byron was silent for a long moment, the words she said spiraling through his mind. Slowly, he sank into the chair beside her bed, his exhaustion now written all over his face.
“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay with you,” he said, his voice a soft promise, his eyes filled with resolve.
Freya’s eyes shot up at him, wide with surprise. “Byron… Thank you.”
He nodded, the words coming out in a gentle murmur. “Just rest now.”
As Freya lay back down, Byron carefully adjusted the quilt around her, his hands brushing her forehead for a moment, a quiet gesture of comfort.
Hours passed, and though Freya’s condition didn’t improve immediately, she still reached out for him as soon as her eyes fluttered open.
Meanwhile, in Greeli City, Athena woke up early. Her phone buzzed as Evie called, her excitement palpable through the screen.
“Are we going to buy props for the set now?” Evie asked eagerly.
“Almost,” Athena replied, glancing at the clock. She checked her messages—still nothing from Byron. She had sent him a message hours ago: Have you set off yet?
It had been three hours. Even if he was on a plane, he should have been able to reply by now.
A sense of unease crept up on Athena, but she pushed it away. She called Byron, only for the call to end abruptly after a few rings. Her heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition forming.
Before she could ask Liam if Byron was caught up with work, a reply from Byron pinged on her phone. She opened it quickly.
I have something to do, so I can’t pick you up today. You can spend another two days in Greeli City.
Athena stared at the message for a few seconds, the weight of the words settling over her. She didn’t respond immediately, instead, she just typed out a simple, I see.
Taking a deep breath, she muttered to herself, “Why are you panicking? Didn’t you expect either a good or bad outcome? The worst thing is running away with the baby…”
Byron couldn’t come. But Athena had already made up her mind—she wouldn’t stay in Greeli City either. She booked the earliest flight back home.
Back with Byron, after a day of observation, the doctor discharged Freya from the hospital. Byron took her back to her place, his mind heavy with thoughts he couldn’t quite sort out.
“Byron,” Freya whispered, her voice weak but sincere, “can you sometimes come with me to the hospital when you have time? I want to get better, too…”
Byron’s gaze softened, though his heart was torn. “Okay,” he answered quietly, though there was more he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her everything—especially about his upcoming marriage—but the memory of Seraphina’s words held him back.
“Thank you,” Freya said tearfully. Her voice cracked as she added, “Then… we…”
“Freya, the most important thing right now is for you to get well,” Byron interrupted gently, his eyes full of quiet concern. He couldn’t bear the thought of her pushing herself too far.
Freya nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah… I know. I’ll recover soon.”
Byron gave her a reassuring smile before he turned to leave. He couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye yet, but he knew he needed to go.
As the car pulled away, Freya and Seraphina stood watching from the front door. Freya, still weak moments ago, now looked almost different. Her expression had changed. There was something in her eyes that spoke of a realization.
“He treats me differently now,” she murmured, more to herself than to Seraphina. “I thought he broke the engagement because of me… but it seems… it wasn’t.”
Seraphina’s gaze flickered with a hint of understanding, though she said nothing. Instead, she stood beside Freya, silently supporting her.