?Chapter 524:


    She left out the part about Gerard’s offer to cover his sry. After all, she didn’t need him to pay for it.


    Melvin thought back to the lie he had fed Gerard the night before. He figured Gerard was still as gullible as ever, unable to tell a fib from the truth.


    “Don’t worry about him. I’m fine,” Melvin said, deciding it was time to have a talk with Gerard himself. “You go ahead and eat. I’ll talk to him.”


    “Alright,” Freya nodded softly.


    Melvin walked toward the door. Freya hesitated for a moment before calling out, “Melvin.”


    He turned, his expression open.


    “In the future, you don’t have to go to such lengths. Your well-being means more than any news report,” Freya said, trying to convey her concern without adding to his burden. “If you ever need a break, just say the word.”


    Melvin paused, barely hearing anything after “Your well-being means more than any news.”


    He didn’t linger on it. “Okay,” he said simply.


    Then, he stepped out, determined to set things straight with Gerard. Freya suddenly had no appetite at all. She never imagined something like this could unfold around her—let alone involve her own assistant. The more she thought about it, the more unreal it all felt.


    Meanwhile, Melvin called Gerard.


    As soon as the call connected, even before Gerard could speak, Melvin’s calm, clear voice came through. “I lied to youst night. I didn’t actually go through a breakup.”


    Gerard blinked, baffled.


    Your favorite stories are on g?lnσνe??s?c?m


    “I made it up so you’d tell me what Kristian Shaw and my boss’s grandpa discussed.”


    Melvin was blunt, offering a quick apology. “Sorry about that.”


    “Hold up,” Gerard caught the key point right away.


    Melvin didn’t say a word.


    Gerard adjusted his sses, now fully alert. “Did you just say ‘my boss’s grandpa’? Isn’t Ms. Briggs your direct supervisor?”


    Sure, Freya was likely the sessor to the Briggs Group, but she hadn’t officially taken over yet. So technically, she was a higher-up—not the actual boss.


    Melvin was at a loss for words, realizing he had slipped.


    “I remember you telling me your boss took a two-year break and just came back to work,” Gerard’s sharp instincts kicked in. “Was the boss you’ve been talking about all this time actually Freya Briggs?”


    All he knew was that Melvin worked for some top-tierpany, but the name had nevere up—not once. And he was pretty sure it wasn’t Briggs Group.


    “No,” Melvin replied smoothly. “My former boss went on another leave. Now I’m working part-time as Freya’s assistant. She’s my current supervisor. I only report to her—not thepany itself.”


    Gerard’s eyes narrowed. Something wasn’t adding up.


    Melvin had called her “my boss” too naturally just now.


    The tone matched the way he always spoke about her.


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