?Chapter 517:


    “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, his 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 thepany.


    Though newer than Shaw and Briggs Groups, Anita International was a titan in AI 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.


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    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 Gerard’s flushed, unconscious face, his expression unreadable.


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


    Melvin nced at the phone, recognizing Kristian’s name on the screen. At first, he had no intention of picking it up—after all, despite Gerard being his friend, he didn’t feel it was his responsibility to answer the call for him.


    But when the phone rang again, his resolve wavered.


    Gerard had mentioned that Kristian never called twice; if he did, it usually meant something urgent.


    Hesitating for a brief moment, Melvin finally decided to pick up. After all, Gerard did value his work, and he knew that.


    “Hello?” he said, his voice cool andposed, betraying none of the alcohol still lingering in his system.


    Kristian’s brows furrowed in confusion.


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