Chapter 13: Louis's Secret

Louis waited until Freya had returned to her room before stepping onto the balcony. He called Derek, who answered almost immediately. "Everything ready?" Louis asked. "Almost," Derek replied. "The overseas accounts are untouched, and the holding companies were never connected to the assets under investigation. The board still thinks you've lost control."

Louis looked through the glass door toward the apartment. Freya's bedroom light was visible at the end of the hallway. "Keep it that way." Derek hesitated. "How long are you planning to continue this? The people who betrayed you have already exposed themselves. We could start moving now."

"Not yet." Louis's voice remained calm. His bankruptcy had never been as absolute as the outside world believed. He had indeed lost enormous assets, and several companies had been forced into liquidation, but he had prepared for failure long before the final confrontation with Hale Corporation. Some resources were legally separated from his personal holdings, while others belonged to structures only a handful of people knew about.

The collapse had cost him dearly, but it had also revealed every partner, relative, and executive who had been waiting for an opportunity to turn against him. Louis intended to remember every name. "Knox Group is moving faster than expected," Derek said. "They're buying assets through intermediaries."

"Let them buy." "And Clement?" Louis's eyes cooled slightly. "Watch him." Derek laughed under his breath. "Because of the company or because he grabbed your wife's wrist?" There was a pause long enough for Derek to regret the question.

"Because he's connected to Knox Group," Louis answered. "Of course," Derek said quickly, although his tone suggested he didn't believe that was the only reason. Louis ended the call before his friend could become more annoying.

When he returned inside, he found Freya standing in the kitchen drinking water. Her hair was loosely tied up, and she wore oversized pajamas decorated with tiny clouds. Nothing about her resembled the glamorous woman who used to attend banquets wearing jewelry worth more than some apartments.

"You're still awake?" she asked. "I was working." "Don't stay up too late. Being bankrupt is already stressful enough. If you ruin your health too, medical bills will make us even poorer." Louis looked at her silently. Freya misunderstood his expression and added, "I'm serious. Healthcare is expensive."

"I'll remember that." He walked toward his room, then stopped. "Your store seems to be doing well." Freya immediately brightened. "Three bags sold today. If everything goes smoothly, I should recover a decent amount." "Keep the money."

"Obviously I'm keeping it." She looked offended. "It's my emergency fund." Louis almost smiled. That answer reassured him more than if she had offered him everything. Blind sacrifice would have been suspicious. Freya's behavior was practical—kind, but never foolish.

"What about your writing?" he asked. Freya stared at him. "How do you know I'm writing?" "You type for hours every day." "Maybe I'm chatting online." "You don't have enough friends to chat that much." Freya's mouth fell open. "That was unnecessarily accurate."

Louis finally smiled and went into his room. Freya remained in the kitchen, glaring at the closed door. She had been worried about this man five seconds ago, and he had repaid her by attacking her social life. She made a mental note to put less meat in his breakfast tomorrow. Inside his room, however, Louis's amusement disappeared as he opened an encrypted message from Derek. Knox Group had transferred a large sum into a newly created company. Whatever Clement wanted from Freya might only be one small piece of a much larger plan.