Free Web NovelChapter 190: A weapon that carried weight ... purpose ... honor.
That question wasn’t meant to seek an answer—
Corrin had asked it deliberately, aiming to provoke the man further.
And as he watched Harry’s expression harden, he knew his words had struck exactly where he intended.
"We can make her agree —by any means," Harry said coldly. "Let her refuse once ... twice ... thrice ... however many times she wants. In the end, she’ll give in."
His eyes darkened as he added,
"I’ll make sure she does."
Corrin stood there silently, a faint smile resting on his lips.
Of course, Freya would have to give in.
After all—
If she didn’t, how else would he win?
’Freya Finn ... fight with everything you have,’ he muttered inwardly. ’But in the end, you still won’t be able to win.’
His smile deepened ever so slightly.
’I’ll take your merits ... your success —just like I always have.’
———————
On the other side—
By the time they reached the practice ground, Freya led Adelyn straight inside.
Amelia was already there, waiting.
The moment she saw them, she hurried over, her expression slightly annoyed.
"What took you so long? You’re almost five minutes late."
Then, turning to Adelyn, she added sharply,
"Didn’t we already explain why you need to be on time? And you still dared to delay?"
Adelyn pressed her lips together.
The certainty in Amelia’s tone was so convincing that, for a brief moment, even she almost believed she had been late.
But then—
"She wasn’t late."
Freya’s voice came calmly from beside her.
Amelia turned to her.
"I was the one who got held up," Freya added.
"Held up?" Amelia frowned. "Where?"
"In the CEO’s office."
Amelia’s expression changed instantly.
Her brows knitted together.
"The CEO’s office? Why did he call you there?"
Instead of answering, Freya turned to Adelyn.
"Go get ready," she said.
Adelyn nodded and left without asking further.
Once she was gone, Amelia stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Why did he call you? Did he—?"
"The company wants to officially sign Adelyn as an artiste under its banner," Freya said, cutting her off.
Amelia froze.
That ... wasn’t a bad offer.
In fact, it was something they had been wanting at the beginning. Once Adelyn becomes an official ZX Media’s artiste, she would be able to have the resources of the company that comes along.
For a moment, excitement almost surfaced—
But it vanished the second she noticed the tension in Freya’s expression.
This wasn’t good news.
Not at all.
"Wait ..." Amelia said slowly, her brows furrowing deeper. "Why now? Didn’t they reject the idea before? Is it because Adelyn got selected in the audition?"
Freya’s expression turned cold.
If it had been just that—
She wouldn’t have hesitated to agree. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
But she knew better.
Someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
And no matter how much she wanted to trust the company—
She knew this would only end in regret.
Not just for her.
But for Amelia ... and Adelyn as well.
How could she allow that to happen?
"It’s partly because of that," Freya said, her gaze darkening with something deeper. "But more importantly ... Manager Thatcher put in a good word for us."
Amelia blinked.
She didn’t understand at first.
"Corrin Thatcher ... put in a good word for us?" she repeated, disbelief evident in her voice. "Why would he do that?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
Freya didn’t answer.
She simply looked at her.
And in that silence—
Understanding struck.
Amelia’s pupils shrank, her breath catching as the realization hit her.
"Wait ..." she whispered. "Is it because he wants to snatch Adelyn from us?"
Freya didn’t deny it.
And that silence—
... Was confirmation enough.
Amelia couldn’t stay still anymore.
She began pacing back and forth, her composure unraveling with each step ...
"How dare he still harbor the same thoughts?" she snapped. "Didn’t Adelyn reject him on his face last time?"
Freya’s expression remained steady.
"She refused him," she said calmly. "That’s why he’s chosen this method now."
Amelia let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Shameless," she muttered. "If he can’t take her openly, he’ll try to steal her through the company?"
Where was he when dignity was being handed out?
Did he skip it to save a few coins?
"Freya ..." Amelia said, her voice tightening as panic seeped in. "We can’t let this happen again. He succeeded once before. If he does it again—"
She shook her head desperately.
"No. Adelyn is our last chance. We can’t let him take her."
Freya saw the desperation in her.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder,
"Don’t panic," she said quietly. "I won’t let anything get repeated."
Her eyes deepened —calm on the surface, yet concealing a storm beneath.
"I’ve taken responsibility this time," she continued. "I’m not giving it up so easily."
"But Freya, Corrin Thatcher —he..."
"I know every trick he has," Freya cut in —not with arrogance, but with quiet certainty. "And this time, he won’t be able to use them against me."
Even so—
Amelia couldn’t fully calm down.
The fear still lingered in her expression.
Freya noticed.
She gave her shoulder another gentle pat.
"Trust me," she said softly.
Then her gaze shifted toward the locker room—
Adelyn was just stepping out.
"For now, focus on helping Adelyn deliver her best," Freya added. "Don’t let anything —or anyone —distract us from our goal."
Amelia nodded slowly.
Though unease still lingered, she understood.
Nothing could be allowed to interfere now.
"She said she could manage on her own ..." Amelia murmured suddenly. "Do you believe that?"
Freya didn’t answer immediately.
Her eyes followed Adelyn’s figure as she stepped into the arena.
A metal sword rested in her hand —ordinary at first glance.
Yet something about it felt different.
Or perhaps—
It was the way Adelyn held it.
It didn’t look like a simple practice prop.
It looked like a weapon that carried weight ... purpose ... honor.
A flicker of interest passed through Freya’s eyes.
She stepped forward, drawn in, wanting a closer look.
"We’ll know soon enough," she said quietly ...
Amelia frowned slightly, a confusion lingering. But before she could ask anything—
Freya had already walked ahead.
Left with no choice, Amelia followed after her.
