Chapter 278 : Freya Drazen (2)

    "Flat-chested snake," both mother and daughter spat with cold sneers on their faces.

    They glanced at each other before bursting into laughter. In the next moment, they lunged at each other and locked into a tight embrace, their previous animosity evaporating in an instant.

    However, Maya quickly regretted it.

    "Mom, you''re squeezing me too tight," she gasped as she tried to wriggle out of her mother''s grip, but Freya refused to let go.

    "I was so worried about you," Freya murmured, her once commanding voice cracking as tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "If something had happened to you, I don''t know what I would have done."

    Freya''s previously dominant and authoritative aura melted away like a mirage, as the usually fierce matriarch of the Drazen family broke down, sobbing openly in relief.

    Alex, who had finally managed to control his growing lust, quickly erected a smoke wall to shield the emotional reunion from prying eyes, ensuring the mother and daughter could have their private moment undisturbed.

    Seeing her normally resolute and unshakable mother reduced to tears, Maya stopped struggling. Instead, she hugged her mother even tighter, her own tears spilling over. Right now, they weren''t the matriarch and heir of the Drazen family. They were simply a mother and daughter, relieved and overjoyed to be reunited after weeks of forced separation.

    They held each other for what felt like an eternity, crying and comforting one another, before finally pulling away.

    Freya immediately began scanning her daughter''s body for any signs of injury, asking in a worried tone, "Are you hurt? Did you eat well? How were—"

    "Mom, mom, MOM!" Maya shouted in exasperation as Freya tried to lift her shirt to inspect for any hidden wounds. "I''m fine, really."

    Hearing the conviction in her daughter''s voice, Freya let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods." Then, without missing a beat, she pulled Maya into another hug, this time peppering her face with kisses. "Finally, my baby is back."

    "Mom!" Maya protested, squirming. "You''re embarrassing me in front of my friends!"

    ''Ungrateful,'' Alex snorted mentally, ''if it were me, I wouldn''t mind being kissed like that by those sensuous lips.''

    "Oh, yeah," Freya stopped, remembering Alex and Amelia.

    Finally free from her mother''s grasp, Maya turned to Alex and Amelia and, with a welcoming gesture, said, "Mom, I''d like you to meet my new friends. They''re actually the ones who rescued me when I was abducted."

    When they came up to the guards at the entrance, Freya urged the three of them to continue while she had a word with the captain of the guards. It seemed that trouble would be knocking on the old man''s door.

    Walking closer to Maya, who was in the lead, Alex whispered to her, "Why didn''t you tell me that your mother was so gorgeous?"

    The young heiress almost tripped when she heard him. Glaring at him, she said, "You better not touch my mother!"

    "You''re cute," Alex chuckled as he flicked her nose, not the least bit intimidated by her attempt.

    "Hey! I''m serious!" Maya stressed.

    "Yeah, yeah," Alex waved his hand in dismissal. He had already decided that he would make Freya his, whether Maya was on board or not; it didn''t really matter. "Tell me instead, who was that woman from earlier."

    Hearing his question, Maya''s expression darkened for a moment before it relaxed a moment after. "She is Frieda, my late father''s first wife."

    "Oh," Alex exclaimed in surprise. He wasn''t aware that Maya''s deceased father had two wives and that Freya was the second.

    Maya hesitated for a bit before continuing, "Our family is divided into two branches, a principal one and a secondary one. Frieda is actually the head of the principal branch. After my father''s death, it should have been her who became the matriarch, but it didn''t happen. Instead, it was my mother, who was at that time the head of the second branch, who was designated as the matriarch. Because of that, Frieda hates my mother and, by extension, me."

    Maya shot them a warning glance and added in a serious tone, "Don''t be fooled by her lovely smile and friendly demeanor. That woman would put the devil to shame with how devious she is. I wouldn''t be surprised if she had a hand in my kidnapping. After all, the uncle who kidnapped me was also a member of the principal branch."

    "That''s all I can tell you," Maya said as she stopped in front of a carriage. "Get in. Our house is quite far from the city''s gates," she gestured as she gracefully got inside the carriage.

    Without hesitation, the siblings followed and climbed into the carriage.

    ''It looks much nicer than the carriages I can create,'' Alex thought as he scanned the opulent interior of the carriage.

    As he observed the carriage interior so that he could integrate its design into his smoke carriage, the carriage took off. As they rode through the city, Maya didn''t forget to give them a tour, showing them the places where the auction would take place, the market, leisure spots, and a ton of other notable locations.

    However, since night had settled, they had to cut the tour short and head to Maya and her mother''s house. Minutes later, the carriage pulled up in front of a massive mansion situated at the center of the city.

    As they descended from the carriage, Alex and Amelia couldn''t help but be amazed by how beautiful the mansion looked. Despite its size, the mansion had the design of an Earth Japanese house, with elegant wooden structures, sliding shoji doors, and a beautifully landscaped garden complete with a koi pond and stone lanterns. The roof was adorned with intricate tile work, and the overall aesthetic was one of serene elegance.

    As they marveled at the mansion''s beauty, Freya, who had apparently arrived earlier, greeted them warmly. "Welcome to our home. For as long as you decide to stay here, it will also be your home."