Chapter 212

Freya’s POV In the days that followed, I continued to work from home, my ankle healing gradually. Just as I had predicted, Isabella called me daily to ask about my injury, her concern carried through the digital connection but never crossing the threshold of my new apartment. Every conversation followed the same pattern—initial concern, brief small talk, then a hasty goodbye when Aurora or Silvano entered the room. My wolf, Selene, would pace restlessly in my mind during these calls, sensing the bond with our pup stretched thin across the distance between us. *She still loves us,* Selene would whine. *But not enough to come see us,* I'd remind her. Two days after the tech exhibition, Dr. Ramirez responded to the analysis Johnny and I had submitted. What we had considered confidential-level technological insights, Dr. Ramirez had torn apart as "barely scratching the surface." The scathing critique came with extensive notes and demands for a complete overhaul. "This is intellectual kinde