Chapter 2 The husband in question

"Mother, you can't be serious about this! He looked even younger than me, and even more than Freyr!"

Freyja stirred inside her mother's office, aggravated by the recent happenings. She expected to come back home, welcomed by both his little brother Freyr and his mother Frigga in the airport. She looked forward to a normal and light hearted family dinner with the three of them—not four. Not with a young man she had history with, PAID history at its best, and now that man had turned to be his new stepfather.

STEP. FATHER.

For fuck's sake she was 27, on her way to her early thirties and his stepfather was a 23 year old man—half the age of her mother! Even his brother Freyr was older than him!

"Darling, I didn't want to bother you with your job overseas, that's why I..didn't tell you."

That sounded like the lamest excuse she had heard. She was the DAUGHTER. And assuming that his brother didn't even know about it, and was confused the whole time whereas their mother remarried without any invitation! The internet exists, a lot of messaging applications exist, not even her helpers and employees told her about the marriage! It was highly secretive to begin with, she's hiding it knowing the spouse was someone her children would not approve of.

"No, no, I don't care! You should have told me, consulted me before you settled with that gold digger!"

"FREYJA! You can't talk about him like that!"

"Oh yes I fucking will, mom! Do you even know who he is? What he does for a living? He's out there, milking out women for his own good! Do you know his favorite targets? RICH WOMEN LIKE YOU!"

"He's my husband!"

"And he's a hostclub fuck boy, fucking you for fame and money!"

"FREYJA!"

Her mother scolded, but she's never taking those words back. It's degrading, hurtful but she's gonna be firm that her new man is a gold digger, trying his way up.

That man was a master of romance and seduction, whispering the same words to every other woman—young or older that even Freyja herself would admit that she fell for it once for the sake of entertainment, but never she would have imagine that her mother will be the worst love victim out there that may bound to doom their money.

Of course he's gonna be nice and treat her like a queen!

Don't get her wrong, they have A LOT of money to begin with. They're an empire of real estate that her mother built, selling and buying infrastructure left and right, investing overseas for expansion which is the reason for her absence in the family.

But Freyja have heard enough of business empires in the west coast that fell, almost met their ends, even got its business head killed by a miner that dug their way through seduction to get into the socialite glam.

The world of the socialite is a dangerous gamble, a battle to be on top, and money is what everyone aspired to have. Where many people down there are going to try their way up without any knowledge on how to run or even rotate money, with their only asset the 'affection' they can give to the rich? That smile and sex that costs a fortune, even an island? The world in their hands?

Oh boy, that's where the doom starts.

"Mom. You know that I don't mind if you'll love again. All I've wanted is your happiness, and I know you deserved it for being lonely, raising a whole new empire after dad left us in the slums."

She can hear her mother's sniffing, her crying that it also broke her heart—but she'll never approve of the marriage, not with that host club boy.

"But, I've wanted genuine happiness for you. Whatever romance you had with Sebastian is superficial, he made you feel as giddy as a young woman—"

"And that's why I loved him! H-he..Sebastian..he made me feel loved in this stressful nature. He comforted me, wanted me, he promised that he'll stay with me for the rest!"

Freyja can only sigh, this will be such a headache. Her mother is now blinded, thanks to that man.

"And what cost you that love, mom?"

If Frigga will answer it truthfully, her daughter will lash out. She bought him many things, dressed him from head to toe with lavish designer products, and bought him the sports cars that he wanted in order to take his hand for marriage. It was a coin for her, and she was blind to the fact that her spending for him kept growing and growing. As long as he'll get the young man to stay right her side.

"Mom. How much did you already spend on him?"

"..my love cannot measure anything, Freyja. You know that. I loved him because he loved me, it's that easy." Freyja can read her mother for the bond they shared after many hardships, and it was clear to her that she was lying just to cover her man.

"I want him out."

The tension was heavy, after she dropped those words, the silence was so loud at the office that even a pin drop could be heard.

"No."

Frigga responded, standing up against her own daughter.

"Sebastian will stay. He's my husband, and he's now your father." Her tone of voice was commanding, asserting her dominance over her daughter. It's the same tone she uses every time she wants business done, and when she needs her children to accept something without another word.

"Mother please!" She protested, but seeing her mother sit down on the swivel chair with arms firmly placed on the table, she knew her mother made up her mind.

And she made it up for the worst decision Frigga Williams could have done in her life.

"I'll let you be angry until tonight, Freyja. But by tomorrow, I want you to accept us. Is that clear?"

"..no. Never."

Her mother raised her to be strong and stay on one decision, and that's what she's bound to do. She turned her back to her after that answer, her heels clacking loud intentionally, a message to let her know that she will be louder on her protests against her relationship in the next few days. Freyja left the room with a loud bang as she closed the door, locking her eyes with the handsome man waiting outside the office.

"You heard her, and I'm staying."

My, what a cocky man. He had been listening earlier on, he had already found his place on her right, and was sure that he'll stay. Not even a glint of fear towards the daughter that commands next to Frigga, his wife, at ease and ready to establish himself as the patriarch of the Williams.

Freyja would never forget that face. Those raven locks softly framing his face, sharp amber orbs that hold his facade, those very eyes that commands his game with his truce between numerous women. His thin yet soft lips were that held his strong venom, a kiss so addictive that one could fall into his spell, those same lips that were against her own, in her lonely days overseas—now the same lips that are savouring her mothers'.

That fucking nerve. He's even younger than her.

"You.." she gritted, but all she got was a smirk.

"If you're referring to my name, I'm sure you know and have that carved into your mind—maybe perhaps even your heart."

Sebastian Adler. She'll always remember that name. The ever charismatic host in a high class host club, her favorite before. She's a patron of his, paying for his company alone—not even sex was involved for such a high priced companionship unless she paid a grand. Brought by her loneliness in a foreign land she found herself wasting money for one man, leaning onto his arms every other night with a strong booze in hand, losing her mind along the way and letting him take the lead for a superficial night romance.

A part of her understood why her mother fell head over heels for this man. He's young and handsome, a romantic with his good way of words that each word could linger onto a woman's mind for days on—good at keeping his patron loyal, a guarantee that customers will always choose him over a hundred hired men in the host club.

"You better accept early that you'll just be my mother's little trophy in this family, neither me or Freyr will accept a kid as the patriarch of this home."

Sebastian chuckled as he watched her take his ground against him as if she's not the same woman who threw himself at her every other night. The irony of being called a little kid, but he's probably the only man that made Freyja feel like a real woman. Sure he was younger than her, but that time she sat on his lap, she was a girl yearning for a real man's love. He can see those green eyes flutter, sparkling and drunk in alcohol begging to be kissed, begging to be touched. Only for a few times and even her big money, he was even her first.

To see how this woman right now was trying so hard to remove him in their life, maybe he should remind her that he had been a part of hers, before Friggas'.

"Fine by me. But I'd like for you to know..that being your father now, that I can have few important words to her at times, don't you think so?"

Sebastian was calm, wearing that stupid smile, and god knows how much Freyja hated him and the implications of his words.

"You better zip your mouth if you want even a little place in here."