?Chapter 433:


    “Hmm?”


    “You’re really charming,” he said softly.


    Freya had been on the verge of scolding him, but seeing that his spirits had lifted even a little, she let it go.


    By the time thest document was signed, the clock had struck 8 PM. n texted Toby, asking him to pick up the files, then set off for Kristian’s ce with Freya.


    Once they arrived at the base of the building, n pulled the car into a spot and parked.


    Just as he started to breathe easy, his nerves stirred up again. “He won’t mock me, right?”


    “He won’t,” Freya replied without hesitation.


    “But… what if he does?” n’s anxiety was written all over his face.


    Freya gave an internal sigh. “If he does, I’ll beat him up.”


    “No!” n panicked. “That’ll just make me look worse!”


    Freya was rarely treated to this side of him. She tilted her head and asked, “Then what do you want me to do?”


    “I don’t know.”


    “Well, if you don’t know, then just get out of the car. We’ll figure it out upstairs.”


    With that, she stepped out. n wanted to dy a bit longer, but Freya pulled him along.


    Weighed down by a whirlpool of emotions, n followed her up to Kristian’s door.


    Freya pressed the doorbell.


    n’s heart pounded like a drum in a quiet room. His mind was a flurry of possible oues.


    Would Kristian make subtle jabs at him? Would it be a frosty, awkward conversation?


    Your next story begins at  .


    Then—the click of the lock. The door opened. Kristian stood there, his expression flickering slightly when he saw Freya. Just as he was about to greet her, his eyesnded on n.


    “Mr. Shaw.” n greeted with a calm smile, the unease from earlierpletely vanished, reced by newfound confidence as he stepped forward to greet Kristian.


    Kristian responded with a polite nod, his demeanor reserved. “Mr. Briggs.”


    After exchanging a few cordial words, Kristian gestured for Freya and n to follow him inside.


    The door shut with a soft click behind them, and though n’s pulse quickened beneath his suit, he forced a calm facade. As both the president of Briggs Group and Freya’s cousin, he couldn’t afford to let his nerves show—not now.


    Kristian nced at Freya while leading the way in, his voice casual, yet warm. “Did you manage to grab dinner beforeing over?”


    Freya nodded, her response brief. “Yes, thank you for asking.”


    n, trailing slightly behind, furrowed his brow in confusion. He couldn’t recall them stopping for a meal at all.


    Kristian caught the fleeting look of perplexity on n’s face but chose not to rify. Instead, he shifted the conversation toward the task at hand. “Freya, could you assist me with some data transfer?”


    “Of course,” Freya agreed promptly.


    Had the phone been in good condition, backing up the data would’ve been a breeze.


    But with the device nearly beyond repair, Kristian handed the responsibility to Freya—not just for the data, but as a subtle excuse to spend more time with her.


    Guiding her toward the study, he watched as she unpacked a small kit and began the tedious process of recovering the data, her fingers working swiftly over the scattered tools.


    Kristian remained in the study throughout, never stepping out once, while n lingered awkwardly in the hallway, a growing sense of difort creeping over him.


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