?Chapter 522:


    “That settles it then,” Freya dered, her trust in Melvin palpable. “Take a short break before you dive back into work.”


    “Will do,” Melvin replied, though he had no real intention of resting.


    Once Freya turned her attention elsewhere, Melvin set about tackling a series of other, albeit minor, critical tasks.


    Just past midday, Melvin delivered the lunch he’d ordered for Freya. As she was about to dig in, her phone rang. It was Gerard. She caught Melvin’s eye before answering.


    “Ms. Briggs.”


    “It’s me.”


    “Is Melvin back at the office?”


    “Yes, he’s here.”


    A heavy silence followed her response.


    Remembering that Melvin had deliberately gotten Gerard drunk to pry secrets from him, Freya asked, “Is there something you need from him?”


    As Melvin poured the water, his hand paused, surprise flickering across his face. So it was Gerard on the line?


    “Kind of, yeah,” Gerard replied after a moment’s hesitation. As memories of the previous night slowly came together, Gerard suspected that Melvin had orchestrated the whole scenario to coax secrets out of him. Yet, given Melvin’s sincere anguish over a supposed unrequited love, Gerard found it hard to believe he had been acting. The Melvin he knew was no skilled deceiver.


    Freya observed Melvin’s sharp profile. “I’ll hand him the phone,” she said, though a nagging thought crossed her mind about why Gerard hadn’t called Melvin directly. Could something have gone wrong between themst night?


    “No, no, it’s not him I’m searching for—it’s you, Ms. Briggs,” Gerard hastily rified, chalking up his awkward blunder to the remnants ofst night’s alcohol.


    Freya furrowed her brow, puzzled. Before she could probe further, Gerard pressed on, “Might you consider easing Melvin’s workload for a bit? He’s been rather out of sortstely.”


    Freya’s confusion deepened. Her usual detachment wavered as she began to piece together the events of the previous evening. What could have possibly transpired between Gerard and Melvin? Why was Gerard insinuating that Melvin was out of sorts? Could it be…


    A fleeting suspicion darted through her mind, but she shook it off just as fast. It seemed far-fetched that anything untoward could have urred between the two men over a few drinks.


    “What exactly happened?” she inquired, unable to mask her concern.


    “Well… he’s dealing with some love problems,” Gerard admitted, struggling to articte the precise nature of Melvin’s troubles. “If it’s possible, please lighten his workload. Should this affect his sry, I’m prepared to cover the shortfall myself. Just ensure he remains unaware of this arrangement,” Gerard added, his tone earnest.


    Gerard had one simple thought spinning in his mind. No matter how much heartbreak Melvin might be carrying from a breakup, he’d never let it show on his face. Working with a heart that’s not in the right ce isn’t easy, and even the smallest hup can push someone over the edge.


    Back when his grandfather passed, Gerard couldn’t keep it together at work. When Kristian found out, he extended Gerard’s three-day bereavement leave into a full month without hesitation. That was the reason Gerard had always stayed loyal to Kristian.


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