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Chapter 238 You Can Stay At My Apartment
Ellis responded, "I''ve got no ns toe back anytime soon."
Caldwell was stunned. "You little rascal Your mother and I barely catch a glimpse of you once in a blue moon, and now that you''re retired, you''re telling me you''re not evening home? I swear, if you don''t show up. your mom and I are having another kid!*
Ellis stared at the message, then replied without skipping a beat, "If you''re not concerned about Mom''s health, go for it.*
That single line sent Caldwell into a fury, and he blocked Ellis on the spot. He''d see if Ellis had the nerve to stay away forever.
Ellis added, "I''m busy trying to win over my future wife."
He hit send-only to realize it hadn''t gone through. Caldwell had already blocked him.
Ellis paused and thought his father was still so childish.
"Captain, we''ve arrived at your destination," Freya announced, pulling up beside a sprawling mall that blended shopping and dining in one sleekplex.
Ellis gave it a nce. "Let''s head to the parking lot."
Freya blinked, confused.
"Let''s grab a meal together," Ellis said, his tone light, his chiseled features rxed. "It''s the perfect opportunity to make a good impression on my future boss."
Freya hesitated. "Captain..." She felt like he was teasing her.
Still, she turned the car toward the lot.
To keep his phone from blowing upter, Ellis sent a friend request to his dad, then texted his mother, Kendra
Lambert.
Kendra responded almost immediately, "Alright, just focus on your business. Don''t worry about us."
With that settled, Ellis felt at ease.
The meal passed without much fuss.
Freya had nned to cover the bill, but Ellis beat her to it without a word.
Afterward, Freya considered giving him a lift home, but he shook his head. "My ce isn''t in this district, and I''m not nning on heading back yet. I need to find somewhere to stay first."
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Chapter 238 You Can Stay At My Apartment
"You need a new ce?"
"I''ll be working at the office soon, so I need an apartment nearby,"
Ellis wasn''t making it up.
His home was far from Anita international, andmuting meant battling gridlock every day.
"You can stay at my apartment," Freya offered, her concern for him clear: "The apartment next door is mine too, and it''s close to the office."
Ellis didn''t know how to respond. He reached out and gently tapped her forehead. She looked up at him. "Hmm?"
"Don''t go trusting men too easily." A cocktail of emotions stirred within Ellis. She was a little too trusting for her own good.
It worked in his favor, sure, but he didn''t want her to get hurt someday.
"I know," Freya replied. "But you''re different. You''re our captain."
Whether it was her, Trent, or Frederick, they''d always rally behind their captain whenever he needed them- just as he had stood by them in the past. To them, he wasn''t just a leader. He was family.
Because of that bond, there was never the slightest trace of romantic tension between her and Trent-and as for Ellis, Freya had never once believed their captain harbored any feelings for her beyond camaraderie.
Ellis took in her words, his gaze deepening. Should he be grateful for her unshakable trust... or disappointed that she didn''t see him as a possible partner?
"Get in the car." Freya caught the flicker in his expression, but didn''t think much of
it.
It never came to her mind that he had a crush on her.
Ellis stood with one hand tucked in his pocket, tall andposed.
After a pause, he got into the car.
Freya drove him to her apartmentplex. She handed him the key to the unit
next door and helped him set up the fingerprint lock.
"There are fresh towels and toiletries in the guest room," she said, always
prepared. "Bring your clothes tomorrow and move in properly."
Ellis''s lips quirked into a faint smile. "Alright."
Seeing everything in ce, Freya turned to leave.
She stepped out, just reaching for her door when her phone buzzed.
A bank notification lit up the screen.
She had just received one hundred thousand dors.
Frowning, she checked the sender-Ellis.
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She turned back and knocked on his door.
He opened it almost instantly, now in just a white shirt-refined and effortless.
"What''s up?"
"This." Freya held out her phone.
Ellis nced at it, then said coolly, "Rent."
"No need," she replied.
"Just take it."
"I''m not short on cash or apartments," she said, her tone sincere.
Ellis had money, that much was clear. But that didn''t mean he should be throwing
it around like that.
He smiled slightly.
Without another word, Freya pulled up her banking app and sent the money right back. "Don''t try that again.
It''s a waste leaving the ce empty anyway. You bring life to it."
"Does that make me a kept man?" Ellis asked lightly.
Freya froze.
"Just take it," he added. "If you really don''t want to, then call it six months'' rent."
The apartment was in one of Alerith''s better neighborhoods, a short walk from Freya''spany.
A spacious four-bedroom, two-bath unit with a balcony like that easily went for tens of thousands per month.
"I''m your teammate. Supporting you is something I can afford to do," Freya said withposure. "You''re not a kept man-it''s mutual support."
"Wanna do some jumping jacks?" Ellis offered, still with that same easygoing tone.
Freya didn''t respond.
"Or weighted runs?"
"I''m going to bed." With that, Freya walked away, leaving the money untouched.
She''d just bump up his sry
Back in her room, she stared at the hundred-thousand-dor transfer, deep in
thought.
Then she picked up her phone and called Trent.
When the line connected, she got straight to the point. "Do you know what the
Captain''s family does?"
"Not really. I never asked," Trent said evenly. "Why the sudden interest?"
"It''s nothing..." Freya murmured. "He''s back."
"You saw him?"
"Yeah."
"You sound distracted," Trent noted.
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Chapter 238 You Can Stay At My Apartment
"I''m thinking about what position to assign him," she said, hoping Trent might offer
some insight. "He''s starting at Anita International on Monday."
Trent raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Was Ellis really
that bold when it came to
pursuing Freya?
"Any suggestions?" she asked.
"He''s not too familiar with office work. Keep him close to you for now. Let him get
a feel for thepany and see where his strengths lie," Trent advised. "Once you know what he''s good at, you can figure out the right role
for him."