Taylor's usually calm and handsome face was now tinged with an unusual blush. He was getting increasingly annoyed but, being a grown man, didn't want to escalate things with Mandy. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and pushed Mandy away, but she clung to him like a koala, making flirtatious gestures that felt forced.

Taylor was about to explode when Frey walked over.

Mandy quickly let go and smiled sheepishly at Frey. "Ms. Frey, I'm really sorry."

"Mr. Taylor looks so much like my late ex-boyfriend. I had a few drinks and got a little carried away, so I..."

"Ms. Frey, please don't mock me."

"Mr. Taylor, I'm truly sorry. I'll treat you to dinner another day to make up for this!"

Taylor glared at her coldly, thinking she was delusional. Did he really look like her dead ex-boyfriend?

He had been waiting in the private room and felt something amiss. Frey had been gone for too long. Even dealing with the stains on her clothes or buying a new outfit shouldn't have taken this long. He stood up and started walking towards her when he was blocked by Mandy, who was persistent.

She kept insisting he looked like her dead ex-boyfriend, spouting nonsense and making physical advances. Now she claimed to be drunk and out of control. What a scumbag!

Taylor didn't want to stay any longer. He looked at Frey coldly and said, "Ms. Frey, if there's nothing else, let's go. Mr. Nathaniel is worried about your safety. It's best not to stay out too long." Frey nodded, exchanged a few words with Mandy, and left the store with Taylor.

In the following days, Frey didn't receive any news about Nathaniel and couldn't stop thinking about what Sawyer had said.

Was Jacob really planning to assassinate Nathaniel in Buranda?

But she knew Nathaniel well. He wouldn't be easily taken down. If he were, he wouldn't be the same Nathaniel from Saeville.

The temperature in Saeville had dropped significantly. Frey put on a thin-down jacket. After a heavy rain, a thin layer of frost covered the ground.

For several days, Frey led a simple, routine life, going to the company to handle the design plan for East Saeville and occasionally meeting with Mandy. Sawyer stayed hidden, not meeting her again. She didn't go anywhere else. With Nathaniel being away, she rarely had time for herself.

But today was a special day, as it was Peyton's birthday.

Frey got up early, called to order a birthday cake, then took out a box and went to the small temporary studio she had set up in the villa.

She pulled out a bracelet from the box and gave it a final check and polish.

The bracelet, made of golden hairpin flowers carved from peach wood and tiny sandalwood beads, was crafted by Frey herself, each piece symbolizing good luck.

Frey had started working on Peyton's birthday gift almost a month ago.

Due to a past injury, she couldn't use her left hand very well. Later, Nathaniel added a mechanical device to her left hand, which made it much easier for her to use.

Knowing that Peyton loved gold hairpins, Frey had put great care into the carving. She checked the bracelet one last time before wrapping it in a blue velvet box and putting it in a gift bag.

She had already arranged with Taylor to go to her friend's tea shop in the east of the city to celebrate Peyton's birthday.

Taylor had been feeling increasingly irritable. There had been no news from Nathaniel for several days. He had tried contacting Koen and the others, but their phones were turned off, and no one responded to his emails.

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