Chapter 236 Call Me By My


    Name


    When Freya caught sight of the person standing behind her, she froze up for a beat, her expressionced with


    confusion and surprise.


    Her captain?


    "You little rascal." Josiah''s voice snapped her out of it. "I thought you weren''t showing up."


    "When have I ever broken a promise to you?" Ellis''s voice was low and rich, pleasing to the ear. He was tall,


    striking, and undeniably attractive.


    "Alright," Josiah said with a grin, not wanting to y third wheel. "Save the pleasantries. I''ll go check if the food''s ready. You two catch up.”


    Ellis gave a slight nod, carrying himself with effortless grace. "Alright."


    The moment Josiah left, silence settled over them like a nket.


    Freya wasn''t the type to get flustered-she''d kept herposure even when meeting Kristian''s parents.


    But right now, she was genuinely rattled.


    "Am I really making you that nervous?" Ellis teased, catching her slightly stunned look.


    Freya didn''t respond. How could she not be nervous?


    Ellis stepped forward and sat down where Josiah had just been. "Sit."


    Freya sat down without protest. She still couldn''t wrap her head around it-wasn''t he supposed toe back on the seventh? But today was only the sixth.


    "Feel like sweating it out with a hardcore workout?" Ellis handed her a ss of water, his tone light and easy. "Might help you loosen up."


    Freya stayed quiet. She didn''t need it!


    "Freya," Ellis called out to her.


    She instinctively answered, "Huh?"


    "Let''s y a game."


    "But we''re about to eat."


    "Josiah didn''t say it was ready," he pointed out.


    Normally, Freya could handle situations with ease, but her mind was racing. She couldn''t stop worrying that


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    Chapter 236 Call Me By My Name


    Ellis might bring up herst phone call.


    It felt like there was a de hanging over her neck, and she was just waiting for it to fall.


    Ellis started setting up the chessboard, his eyes sharp as he noticed how distracted she was. "So, do you want to talk about how you used me to calm yourself downst time, or would you rather y chess?"


    "Chess," Freya replied instantly.


    Ellis looked at her, his eyes unreadable. "Did getting married make you lose your nerve?"


    "Huh?"


    "You used to be pretty bold," he said with a sly grin.


    "Anyone would feel intimidated in front of you," Freya muttered, then quickly shifted gears. "Didn''t Trent say


    you''d be back on the seventh? Why are you here now?"


    Ellis pressed his lips together. With his short-cropped hair and tall frame, he looked rugged and polished all at once. The crisp white shirt added a schrly charm to his usual quiet intensity.


    Freya blinked, a sudden thought crossing her mind-Ellis wasn''t bad-looking at all.


    If Frederick and n ever heard her say that, they''d definitely roast her.


    Not bad-looking? He was clearly drop-dead hot!


    "Just a little trick," Ellis said coolly.


    Freya frowned. "What?"


    "To stop you from slipping away," Ellis replied, eyes gleaming with insight. "If I''m


    not mistaken, your original n was to talk to Josiah, then hightail it out of Alerith, right?"


    Freya rubbed her temples.


    Of course-Ellis always saw through everything.


    "Are you embarrassed?" His voice was easy, but she knew he was fishing.


    "No," Freya said honestly. She never figured Ellis, with his stern and aloof nature, would be the romantic type.


    "I just didn''t want to get roped into another brutal workout session."


    Ellis''s eyes twinkled with understanding. Seemed like he''d need to take it slow.


    Freya sensed danger in the direction this was heading, so she switchednes. "Why are you back? On leave?"


    "Retired," Ellis said tly.


    Freya''s hands froze mid-motion. "Retired?"


    "Yeah."


    "Why?"


    Ellis had always been one of the top operatives, leading elite teams, pulling off impossible missions, racking up medals like they were nothing.


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    Chapter 236 Call Me By My Name


    More than that, his future had looked bright. So why walk away?


    "A year ago, I got seriously injured on a mission. Doctor said I shouldn''t be doing high-intensity training every day." Ellis didn''t sugarcoat it. "My recement''s been prepped, So I called it quits."


    Freya''s chest tightened. She wanted to ask why he''d kept it quiet, but remembered some missions were ssified. Maybe he hadn''t had a choice.


    So she just asked, "How''s the injury now?"


    "All healed, just can''t push it too hard every day," Ellis said, sensing her concern.


    Freya let out a small breath of relief and asked another question. "Did the organization agree to let you go?"


    Ellis was nothing short of exceptional. Even if he couldn''t push himself with grueling daily training anymore, staying on would''ve been a breeze.


    The organization would''ve bent over backward to hold onto him-unless, of course, Ellis had made up his mind


    to walk away.


    Ellis smiled then, his tone casual as ever. "I told them I''d transfer to their division, and they all freaked out."


    Freya wisely held her tongue. Of course they did. They were scared of being toyed with.


    Ellis was friendly off the field, but he had a talent for setting traps like it was second nature.


    Even Trent had picked up a few of his tricks and turned into a real handful.


    "So now you''re..." Freya started.


    "Between jobs," he said.


    Freya stared at him.


    If he wanted to, the world was practically throwing job offers at his feet.


    Yet here he was, saying he was between jobs.


    "Yourpany hiring?" Ellis''s mind always ran a little deeper than she could follow. "What if I became your bodyguard? Or maybe your secretary?"


    Freya nearly choked on her water.


    Ellis''s retirement perks were probably outrageous, and she had a feeling his family wasn''t hurting for cash


    either.


    She didn''t know the full scope of his family business, but Josiah had hinted before that they were far from


    broke.


    "Scared I won''t be able to protect you?" Ellis''s voice stayed cool, his thoughts impossible to read.


    Freya didn''t know how much longer she could keep it together.


    She needed to get serious. "Captain."


    "I''m not a captain anymore. Call me by my name," he said.


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    Chapter 236 Call Me By My Name


    "Huh?"


    "Call me Ellis."


    Freya took a sip of coffee.


    Right now, she desperately wished someone else was around to bail her out.


    She was almost certain Ellis hadn''t forgotten what she''d done thest time- using him to calm down.


    "If you won''t agree, I might just show up at Anita International on the eighth and submit an application," Ellis said as he casually picked up a chess piece, his every move full of poise. "With my skillset, I shouldnd the job


    easily."


    Freya went quiet.


    Not only would he get the job-HR would probably promote him to head of security


    on the spot.


    He could crush both Melvin and her in one go.


    "Are you seriously job hunting?" She had no idea what his family was involved in-


    and she wasn''t about to start digging.