Chapter 277 : Freya Drazen (1)

    "Don''t touch me," Maya uttered to the woman trying to hug her, her tone full of venom.

    ''Yep, that''s definitely not her mother,'' Alex thought inwardly, observing the scene.

    From the way Maya had spoken about her mother, both he and Amelia had gathered that the young woman was very close to her. It was certain that she wouldn''t reject her like this, especially in front of so many people.

    "I see that you''re still cold to me, sweetheart," the woman sighed, her expression hurt. "I''ve been so worried since your disappearance. It''s not nice of you to refuse even a hug," she added in a sad tone, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

    "Yeah, I''m sure you were devastated and cried the whole time," Maya spat sarcastically.

    "Mm," the woman nodded as she wiped her tears, "it was indeed a dark time for me and the whole family, but at least you''re back," she flashed Maya a strained smile.

    The woman, whose name Alex still didn''t know, glanced past Maya. Noticing Alex and Amelia, she asked curiously, "Might I know who your friends are?"

    "That''s none of your business, Frieda," Maya retorted coldly. "If you''re done crying, let us enter."

    "I''m sorry, little Maya, but unless I know their identities, I can''t allow them to pass," the woman, Frieda, shook her head apologetically. "Since your disappearance, we''ve tightened security around the cities under our control, and without knowing who your friends are, I can''t let them in."

    "I can vouch for them," Maya insisted, "they are not dangerous and are here for business, not trouble."

    "Even so, that''s not possible," Frieda shook her head again. "I can''t let you enter."

    "You can''t let me enter?" Maya repeated, disbelief mixed with disdain. "I''m the heiress of the family, you can''t deny me anything here."

    "True," Frieda chuckled, "I certainly can''t deny you anything, but it''s different for them," she pointed at Alex and Amelia. "I can refuse them entry to the city even if I know who they are. As the one overseeing this year''s auction, if I deem them a threat to its success, not even you can make them enter."

    When Maya heard that Frieda was the one overseeing this year''s auction, her expression darkened. *Has something happened to Mother while I was gone?* she wondered, unease creeping through her.

    Meanwhile, Alex, standing behind her, felt the situation spiraling out of control. *If this keeps up, we might actually be denied entry,* he thought, growing tense.

    At that moment, a calm but authoritative voice echoed from behind Alex.

    The feeling of falling in love with someone he was just encountering for the first time was confusing for him at best, and utterly overwhelming at worst. However, the feeling couldn''t be mistaken; it was pure and sincere love.

    There wasn''t just feelings of love, though. There was an equally incommensurable lust and desire to make this woman his that coursed through his body, almost making him lose control of himself.

    Thankfully, he was wearing his smoke armor because, right at this moment, a noticeable bulge formed in his pants. His dick was so hard that it could probably crush a boulder, violently pulsing with a need that was almost impossible to ignore.

    Alex wasn''t worried about his erection being seen, though. He was far too busy wrestling with the more dangerous urge to grab Maya''s mother, pin her to the ground, and have his way with her, fucking her in all the known positions to man.

    Noticing her brother''s trembling, Amelia glanced at Alex curiously, a silent question flashing in her eyes. She could see that his gaze was fixed entirely on the woman, so she too shifted her attention to Freya.

    Meanwhile, Frieda''s confident smile faltered ever so slightly at the sight of Freya, though she quickly recovered, plastering a cordial expression on her face. "Oh, Freya, what are you doing here? If memory serves me right, today you should—"

    "None of your business," Freya cut her off coldly, dismissing her with the same words her daughter had used earlier.

    Frieda''s lips tightened in a brief flash of displeasure, but she forced herself to stay composed, expertly masking her disdain for Freya. "Well, you don''t have to answer that," Frieda continued, her voice still laced with a hint of righteousness. "But as I''ve told Maya, I am the one overseeing this year''s auction. If I believe someone poses a threat to the event''s proper flow, I have the authority to deny their entry. Even you, the matriarch, can''t overrule me on this. The elders placed me in charge and granted me full power to act as I see fit."

    In response, Freya let out a cold chuckle, a smile of disdain creeping across her face. The look she gave Frieda was one of pure contempt, as though she found her words amusing and utterly beneath her.

    "I think you don''t understand something here," Freya said, stepping forward, her imposing figure looming over Frieda. "I am the matriarch and head of the Drazen family. My orders are law. I have never needed, nor will I ever need, your permission. When I give a command, you execute it, plain and simple."

    The moment Freya spoke , every ounce of Frieda''s bravado evaporated in an instant, her confidence shattered like fragile glass.

    Biting her tongue to stop herself from cowering in front of Freya, Frieda shot her a defiant look that seemed to convey "we are not done" before reluctantly turning back to the group of nobles.

    Forcing a polite smile, she said, "If you will follow me, young masters and ladies, I''ll escort you to your families'' emissaries currently staying in the city."

    The nobles nodded in agreement and began following after Frieda, heading towards the city gates. Daisy hesitated momentarily but eventually decided to join them.

    Alex, however, was too entranced by Freya to pay them any mind. Even if he had noticed, he wouldn''t have tried to stop them. He had already bound them with soul contracts. If any of them had even entertained the idea of disappearing before settling their debts upon reaching Drisidd, death would be their only outcome.

    Once Frieda and the group of nobles had disappeared from view, both Maya and Freya spat in unison, "Flat-chested snake."