~Reynold’s POV~
It was Frederick.
Disappointment and a dizzying wave of shock hit me all at once, a single, burning question echoing loudly in my mind: How on earth did he find me here?
I said nothing as I walked over and stood beside him, watching as he spoke with the desk sergeant and the officers. Within minutes, they returned everything they had taken from me my phone, wallet, debit card, and the silver chain.
I slipped everything back into my pockets and followed Frederick out of the precinct into the cool night air. His car was waiting at the curb.
The driver quickly opened the door, and Frederick gestured for me to get in first. I slid across the leather seat, and he climbed in beside me. The heavy door closed behind us, shutting out the noise from the station.
The car pulled away from the curb. I stared straight ahead, too caught up in my thoughts to look at him or ask any questions.
Shame weighed heavily on me. I had barely known this man for a week, yet he had already bailed me out of trouble, pulling me out of one disaster after another. It was humiliating to let him see just how completely alone I was. There was no way he could ever value someone like me. I was nothing more than a burden.
This has to be the last time he ever helps me, I thought bitterly. After tonight, he’ll finally be done with me.
Yet, even as those defensive thoughts churned inside my chest, I realized I couldn’t just sit here in silence.
"I didn’t steal it," I whispered, staring down at my hands.
Frederick was quiet for a moment. "I never said you did."
"I’m just telling you because I know you might think the worst of me," I continued, my voice tight. "Even if you don’t believe me... I swear, I didn’t steal anything."
"I believe you," Frederick said calmly. "You didn’t need to explain yourself. The only thing I don’t understand is why you didn’t contact me. Why didn’t you call me?"
I kept my eyes fixed on my lap, unable to meet his gaze. "Because I knew it was a long drive, and I knew you’d be busy. Why would you go through all that trouble for someone like me? I didn’t even know if I had the right to call you. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble in such a short time."
I swallowed hard, but the knot in my throat only tightened until my eyes began to sting. Hot tears spilled over and ran down my cheeks before I could stop them. I had never had anyone come for me in a moment like this, not even my own family.
"Thank you," I choked out, wiping blindly at my face.
Frederick slid his arm behind my back, his large hand resting firmly on my shoulder. "Look at me," he said softly.
Slowly, I raised my head, blinking through the blur of tears.
He reached out and gently tapped my forehead with his thumb. "You don’t need to be family or love someone deeply to show them basic humanity, especially when they’re in trouble. I might not go out of my way for just anyone, but we’ve shared a bed more than once now. How could I hear that you were in trouble and just ignore it?"
"I’m really sorry," I whispered again, feeling small.
"You did nothing wrong, little pet," he said, his tone softening. "I don’t know why your family is so cruel to you, but I want you to know something. I might not be a saint, but I will never treat you the way they do. I will always be honest about my intentions with you, okay?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave a small, slow nod. "Okay."
Then, gathering my courage, I asked the question that had been burning in my mind since I walked out of the cell. "How did you even know I was arrested?"
"You had the debit card I gave you with you," Frederick explained calmly. "And the silver chain I gave you helped as well. It was produced by Corvin & Co.’s jewelry division, and only two were ever made. I gave one to you, and the other belongs to someone very important to me."
"Who is the other person?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"You’ll get to meet her soon," he answered without missing a beat.
Her.
The word hung in the air, and my mind immediately drifted back to the phone call I had overheard that morning, when he had whispered Love you, baby before ending the call.
So she was the woman he kept abroad, the one who held his heart while he played with me on the side.
A tight, bitter ache pricked at my chest, but I forced myself to swallow it down and said nothing.
"When they booked you," Frederick continued, breaking the silence, "the officers inventoried your belongings. They saw the debit card with my name on it and the Corvin & Co. mark on the silver chain. Since you had just been arrested for stealing, they contacted the company to confirm whether I had given those items to you or if they had been stolen from me. That’s how they reached out to me and informed me about your arrest."
I looked over at him, the weight of everything he had done for me finally settling over me. "Thank you, Mr. Corvin."
Before I could pull away, he pulled me firmly against his chest, wrapping me in a secure, commanding embrace.
"You don’t ever have to thank me for that."
He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "I already found out that your brother pulled this stunt partly because you were living under his roof. I’ve made arrangements for your living situation. I have a small house not too far from your university. You can stay there if you’d like, or, if you prefer, I can get you your own private apartment."
My eyes widened in genuine disbelief as I pulled back slightly to look at him. "You’re really giving me a place to stay?"
"Yes, Reynold," he murmured.
A strange, unfamiliar warmth bloomed in my chest, catching me completely off guard. A small, involuntary smile touched my lips, though I still didn’t quite know how to thank him for something so massive.
Frederick reached out, his thumb gently wiping away the remaining tear tracks from my cheek. "So stop crying, little pet. Everything is going to be fine, okay?"
I nodded quietly, the heavy dread of the police station finally beginning to lift from my shoulders. Without another word, he guided my head to rest against his shoulder, holding me close as the car hummed smoothly through the dark.
As I rested against him, my thoughts drifted to Frederick. He seemed like a genuinely nice man. He had been far kinder to me than my own family ever was.
Then my mind drifted to the marriage contract he had mentioned before. Maybe I should actually consider it. At least he wasn’t trying to feed me lies about love. He had been honest about what he wanted, and he had shown me that he would be there when I needed him. I figured that was enough because that was all I really wanted right now.
Still, I didn’t want to make such a big decision without knowing more about him. I needed to talk to Julian tomorrow morning.
My best friend had an unhealthy obsession with handsome, wealthy men. Hand Julian the name of any billionaire with a good-looking face, and within seconds, he could tell you his age, businesses, relationship status, net worth, and the latest gossip. Sometimes I wondered if Julian secretly worked for an entertainment magazine.
If anyone could dig up information about Frederick, it was Julian. So, before I signed any marriage contract, I needed to know exactly what I was getting myself into. I would ask Julian a few questions about Frederick, just to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into and wasn’t putting myself at risk.
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the car slowing down until its movement finally pulled me back to reality.
I looked out the window as we entered a sprawling, heavily guarded estate. The massive security gates swung open, and the driver steered us down a short, beautifully landscaped driveway before stopping in front of a grand mansion. The driver stepped out immediately and opened the door, while Frederick got out and reached down to help me to my feet.
He called this a small house?