Chapter 206 I''ll Pay You


    "If you don''t feel like talking, then don''t." Cend, y the yoga, urth seves out of Melvin with a bit of persistence "Let''s just yang dowling"


    Gerard prided himself on his impressive alcohol tolerance


    But there was one critical truth Gerard hadpletely overload. The sharpest ons die wore the m weakness to bait their prey


    From the very start, Melvin hadid out a careful trap, danging past the right topje to wet Ceret''s convey -his entire setup was designed to lure him in.


    And regrettably, Gerard-usually sharp and perceptive as Kristian''s right-hand man-don''t we wy of iting


    As he watched Melvin seem to slide deeper into drunkenness, Gerard thought maybe just one more drink as Melvin would spill.


    One more ss.


    Then another.


    And another still...


    They knocked back drink after drink in relentless session.


    Eventually, the alcohol began to take a toll on Gerard too. When he saw Melvin''s cheeks flush and his eyes ze over, he figured the moment had arrived.


    He slung an arm around Melvin''s shoulder and leaned in, trying for a heart-to- heart, "Sometimes it''s better to let it out than drown in booze. Come on-what happened between you two?"


    "She''s got feelings for someone else," Melvin mumbled, his voice low and muffled. His tone had shifted subtly, and he still clutched his ss in hand.


    Even if Freya were sitting right there, she''d never have guessed he was putting on an act.


    His expression, his pauses, even his bodynguage-every movement was executed with such precision it looked entirely genuine.


    Gerard blinked, his mind slightly fogged.


    Seizing the sliver of rity he still had, he pressed further, "So how long were you two actually together?"


    Melvin hesitated, then gave a small shake of his head.


    Even pretending to be drunk, he wasn''t one for talking much.


    But Gerard misread the silence entirely, assuming it came from heartbreak so deep it left Melvin speechless.


    0.0%


    m2


    14.40


    Chapter 206 I''ll Pay You


    Otherwise, why would his friend have dragged him out for an impromptu night of heavy drinking?


    "Wait a sec." Gerard said suddenly, his thoughts churning "Weren''t you pretending to be Ms. Briggs''s boyfriend before? Could it be your actual girlfriend misunderstood and duped you because of that?


    "She doesn''t even know I like her." Melvin said, irritation bleeding into his voice. He couldn''t believe Gerard


    was this thick.


    But to keep him drinking, Melvin let his emotions show-lips set in a bitter line, and he tossed out a carefully


    measured clue.


    Gerard mulled it over.


    So... it was a secret crush?


    The realization struck him, and he looked at Melvin with newfound curiosity. He hadn''t expected the cool and aloof Melvin to be harboring quiet affection for someone. But who was this woman? Why had he never heard a word? Melvin had never once mentioned her.


    "Who is she?" Gerard asked, thinking he was finally getting somewhere.


    Melvin nced at him, the look in his eyes clearing like a fog lifting. It was as though Gerard''s question had sobered him. Shaking his head, Melvin said quietly, "I can''t tell you."


    "You can''t... tell me?"


    Gerard''s curiosity now bordered on obsession. He looked at the bottles between them and topped off their sses. "Alright, then. One more drink. Maybe it''ll drown your sadness."


    "Sure," Melvin replied, his voice cool andposed.


    Gerard doubled down, pushing drink after drink on Melvin, determined to wear him down.


    He figured if Melvin just drank enough, he''d cave.


    His n was simple: let Melvin get wasted while he yed along and stayed rtively sober.


    But what Gerard hadn''t ounted for was Melvin''s stubbornness-even under the influence. Every time Melvin took a shot, he insisted Gerard match him.


    Ten minutester, Gerard''s head was spinning like a top, and the room felt like it was tilting.


    Seeing him like that, Melvin knew the moment hade.


    Before he could speak, Gerard threw his arm over Melvin''s shoulder again and slurred, "I''ve drunk more with you tonight than I ever do at Mr. Shaw''s business dinners. Can''t you at least tell me who you''ve got a thing for?"


    "I''ll tell you-if you answer one question first." Melvin set his ss down, his drunken haze vanishing in an instant. In its ce was the calm, razor-sharp gaze of a manpletely in control.


    Just like that, he was back to his usual self-cool, measured, untouchable.


    Gerard squinted at him. "Huh?"


    "What did you and Kristian talk about with Freya''s grandfather today?" Melvin asked, his tone deceptively casual, though his eyes stayed locked on Gerard''s face.


    27.6%


    14:40


    Gerard immediately recoiled, pulling his arm back and eyeing him warily. "Wait are you trying to trap me?"


    Melvin was momentarily stunned. How was Gerard not drunk yet? That didn''t make sense. Gerard should''ve


    been t out by now.


    "I''m not telling you anything!" Gerard grumbled, shaking his head like a defiant child. "Mr. Shaw said this stays


    between us. It''s top secret!"


    "I''m not Freya. You can tell me."


    Melvin''s voice was calm, reassuringced with just enough sincerity to sound believable.


    Gerard''s cloudy mind struggled to keep up. "Really?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay... but not a word to anyone," Gerard said, letting his guard droppletely. "Especially not Ms. Briggs."


    "My lips are sealed," Melvin promised, sounding perfectly convincing


    “My boss made a deal with Mr. Miguel Briggs,” Gerard revealed, his tongue loose and unfiltered. “He gave him exactly what he wanted in exchange for a promise- to stop forcing Ms. Briggs into arranged dates or marriage." Melvin froze, his usuallyposed eyes darkening with a flicker of surprise.


    "He didn''t know what he had until he lost it," Gerard went on, slumping over the table as he mumbled. "Honestly, I''m still in disbelief over everything he did." Melvin stayed quiet, thoughts racing behind a still expression. Should he tell Freya about this? And if he did, how would she react?


    "You seriously can''t tell a soul." Gerard sat up suddenly, his flushed face scrunched with drunken solemnity. "I''m trusting you because you''re my buddy. But


    if you spill the beans, I''m screwed."


    "I''ll pay you," Melvin said without blinking.


    Even though Gerard was just an assistant, he held a modest share in Shaw


    Group and earned a substantial sry with hefty bonuses.


    But Melvin, managing Anita International Group, owned ten percent of the


    Though newer than the Shaw and Briggs Goups, Anita International was a titan in Al and chip tech, dominating both domestic and global markets.


    Countless corporations had lined up with offers to acquire their patents-but Freya turned them all down.


    If she ever decided to sell, she''d be the richest figure in the entire sector.


    Not that she ever cared about wealth.


    "Swear you won''t say a word," Gerard murmured, finally slumping forward and passing out cold.


    Melvin cast him a nce, then paid the bill and called for a cab.


    He hauled Gerard to a nearby hotel, booked a room, and dumped him on the bed without ceremony. Standing in the elegantly furnished suite, Melvin looked down


    at his flushed, unconscious face, his expression


    14:40


    < Chapter 206 III Pay You


    unreadable.


    Just as he was weighing whether to tell Freya the truth, Gerard''s phone started to


    ring


    Exclusive Offer For You