?Chapter 359:


    Freya had been poised to say more, to shield him from Kristian’s deceptions, when Melvin’s call interrupted. With a swift swipe, she answered the phone.


    Melvin’s voice, warm and reassuring, floated through. “Ms. Briggs, how can I assist you today?”


    “Do you have a girlfriend?” Freya inquired, cutting to the chase.


    “No.”


    “Someone you’re interested in?”


    “No.”


    “What about a fiancée or anything simr?”


    “No.”


    With each negative, Freya’s tension eased slightly.


    Before she could delve deeper, Melvin’s voice, tinged with amusement, broke in. “Are you by any chance trying to y Cupid?”


    “Nah,” Freya replied, her eyes flitting nervously. She found herself noting how surprisingly attractive Melvin was. “Actually, I need a favor. Could you do something for me?”


    “Go on.”


    “I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”


    “Alright.”


    Freya blinked in surprise, momentarily thrown off. She hadn’t expected him to agree so easily, without even asking why. Even someone asposed as she usually was found herself taken aback by his instant agreement—it was too smooth, almost suspiciously so.


    “So, when do we kick this off?” Melvin’s voice was smooth, almost yful.


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    “In a couple of days,” Freya replied after a brief pause. She figured jumping into it immediately would feel too calcted. “And stop calling me Ms. Briggs while we’re at it. That alone could blow our cover.”


    When Freya finished speaking, Melvin fell silent for a beat, then said, “Give me ten minutes.”


    Though unsure of what he had in mind, Freya agreed with a nod in her voice. “Alright.” The call ended.


    Left in the quiet, Freya mulled over how to navigate the situation. If Kristian had stayed in Jeucwell, she wouldn’t have batted an eye at any of this. But now that he was in Alerith, nting roots and even setting foot in her home earlier today, she couldn’t help but consider how best to respond.


    She loathed disorder. She cherished her peace and truly had no desire to entangle herself with Kristian any further.


    As her thoughts wandered, ten minutes quickly slipped by.


    A message from Melvin came through—an image and a voice note. “Here’s the n I put together. Take a look.”


    Freya tapped the image open. The contents left her momentarily stunned.


    “We’re just pretending… Do we really have to go into such detail?” she replied in a voice message, her toneced with disbelief.


    The image was a screenshot of a document. Itid out, step by step, how Melvin intended to court her—every move choreographed, from the first message to the moment she’d supposedly fall for him. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought it genuine.


    “You want me to act like your girlfriend to make Kristian Shaw back off, right?” Melvin stated matter-of-factly.


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