Beyound the schedule

I stared at Freya, unblinking, my brain stubbornly refusing to process the word she'd just thrown at me. Vacation. The word echoed awkwardly inside my head, bouncing around like it was from some alien language I'd never learned.

Vacation?

With Freya Vesper?

Absolutely not. Hell no. Not even a remote possibility.

"You're joking," I said flatly, carefully schooling my expression into a neutral mask even as my mind raced in a million panicked directions.

Freya was smirking, her grey eyes glittering with a mischievous glee that instantly set off every single one of my internal alarms.

"I'm completely serious," she replied easily, leaning back comfortably in her seat, clearly relishing every second of my discomfort. "Two whole weeks of relaxation. Sun, fun, and absolutely zero schedules. Sounds perfect, right?"

My pulse quickened slightly. No schedules? With Freya? It sounded like my personal version of hell.

"You're insane," I stated calmly, adjusting my grip on the steering wheel. "I can't take a vacation with you. It's completely unprofessional."

Freya rolled her eyes dramatically, practically radiating amusement. "It's not unprofessional, Lydia. It's called team bonding."

"We're not a team," I corrected immediately. "I'm your manager, not your friend."

She grinned wider. "Even better. It'll build trust."

I exhaled sharply. "We have plenty of trust."

"No, we don't," she replied instantly, leaning toward me again. "You barely tolerate me, and I annoy the hell out of you. Trust me, a little vacation would fix all our problems."

"All it would do," I said firmly, "is create even more chaos."

She gave me a knowing look, eyes gleaming playfully. "But you love chaos, don't you?"

"Absolutely not," I snapped, feeling my frustration rising despite my best efforts. "You've mistaken me for someone else. Maybe Chloe. She loves chaos."

Freya laughed openly, leaning her head back, clearly enjoying every second of this. "Come on, Lydia. Admit it—you like having me around. At the very least, I make your days interesting."

I narrowed my eyes, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "You make my days stressful."

"Same thing," she shot back immediately, unbothered.

I exhaled deeply, desperately clinging to my patience. "Why would you even want me to come on vacation with you? Surely you have plenty of friends to torture instead."

Freya shrugged lightly, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Maybe I want to torture you specifically."

"Charming," I replied dryly.

"Look," she said seriously, shifting slightly in her seat to face me fully, her expression softening unexpectedly. "In all seriousness, Lydia, you've helped me a lot these past few weeks. I know I complain, and I drive you crazy, but I'm actually grateful. Consider it a thank-you."

I blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden sincerity in her voice. Freya rarely showed vulnerability, let alone gratitude. It caught me off guard, threw off my carefully constructed defense.

"I don't need thanks," I finally managed to say, voice softer than I intended.

"But you deserve it," she countered gently, eyes holding mine in a way that felt dangerously sincere. "Please, just consider it. Besides, you work constantly. Don't you ever want a break?"

I hesitated, feeling an uncomfortable pull in my chest. She had a point. Ever since leaving Carmen's office, I'd thrown myself headfirst into managing Freya's chaotic life, obsessively structuring everything without pausing to breathe.

A vacation might not be the worst idea.

But a vacation with Freya Vesper? That was practically asking for trouble.

"Freya…" I started cautiously, intending to firmly decline once again, but she cut me off quickly.

"Two weeks," she said, holding up two fingers emphatically. "That's it. You spend every waking moment organizing my life, Lydia. You deserve some downtime too. It'll be fun, relaxing—everything you probably hate, but need."

I pressed my lips tightly together, my resolve weakening rapidly under her relentless optimism. She was annoyingly persuasive.

"Where are we even going?" I finally asked, voice hesitant.

Freya's face instantly lit up with excitement. "It's a surprise."

I frowned, suspicion returning full force. "I don't like surprises."

"You'll love this one," she insisted, smirking again. "Trust me."

I sighed deeply, already feeling the regret creeping in. But something about the earnestness in her eyes made it nearly impossible to refuse. I knew I'd regret it—deeply and constantly—but in a rare moment of recklessness, I finally nodded once, sharply.

"Fine. I'll go."

Freya's grin widened triumphantly. "I knew you'd come around."

"Don't push it," I warned sharply, starting the engine again and pulling out onto the road, feeling oddly unsettled by what I'd just agreed to. A two-week vacation with Freya Vesper. Starting next week.

God help me.

We drove the rest of the way to the sponsor's studio in near silence, though I could practically feel the smug satisfaction radiating off Freya from across the car. By the time we finally pulled into the studio parking lot, my nerves were thoroughly frayed.

The building was sleek and modern, all reflective glass windows and polished steel accents.

Freya hopped out of the car eagerly, practically bouncing on her heels as she glanced around, eyes wide with excitement—not the professional kind of excitement I hoped for, but the mischievous, troublesome kind.

I felt my suspicion deepen instantly.

"Freya, why do you look so excited?" I asked cautiously, following her slowly toward the studio entrance.

"No reason," she replied quickly, far too quickly, practically vibrating with barely contained enthusiasm. "Just really love working with new sponsors."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You're lying."

She grinned back at me innocently, clearly not bothered. "You worry too much."

"You don't worry enough," I shot back.

Inside, the studio was bustling with activity—photographers setting up equipment, stylists arranging outfits, executives murmuring in quiet groups.

Everything looked impressively professional, perfectly organized. Normally, this would have comforted me.

But Freya's barely restrained excitement only set off alarm bells louder in my mind.

"Who exactly is this new sponsor again ?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes as Freya eagerly scanned the room, clearly searching for something—or someone.

"Oh, just a great new brand," she said evasively, eyes bright with anticipation. "You'll see."

I sighed deeply, feeling an impending headache settling behind my temples. "Freya, if this is another of your tricks—"

Before I could finish, the studio doors swung open loudly, revealing a tall, impeccably dressed woman, clearly the executive in charge, holding a tablet and looking authoritative.

She immediately caught sight of Freya and strode over confidently, extending a perfectly manicured hand.

"Freya Vesper! So wonderful to finally meet you in person," she greeted warmly, shaking Freya's hand firmly before turning to me with equal warmth.

"And you must be Lydia Whitmore. I'm Jennifer Hayes, head of marketing for our brand."

I shook her hand politely, feeling slightly reassured by her professionalism. "Pleasure to meet you, Jennifer."

"We're thrilled to have Freya representing us," Jennifer continued smoothly. "Her recent brand refresh has been incredible—really impressive work, Lydia."

I forced a polite smile. "Thank you."

Jennifer turned back to Freya, beaming warmly. "We have a fantastic campaign planned, and our CEO is so eager to discuss it with you directly."

Freya's grin widened, practically buzzing with excitement. "Can't wait."

Jennifer nodded enthusiastically. "Great! If you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to our CEO personally."

As Jennifer led us deeper into the studio, Freya shot me a quick glance, her excitement practically contagious, though I tried my best to resist.

I still had no idea what this mysterious campaign involved—or what surprise vacation destination Freya had planned—but the sheer joy radiating from Freya was impossible to ignore.

I sighed softly, reluctantly allowing myself the tiniest bit of cautious curiosity.

This would either be one of my best decisions—or my absolute worst.

And knowing Freya, probably both at once.