?Chapter 534:


    Melvin didn’t say a word. If it came to blows, he could hold his own. But he’d seen Freya whisper something to Kristian, and right after, Kristian decided to let him go. It felt like Freya had changed the n and wanted them to split up for now.


    Five minutester, Kristian and Gerard exited the hotel with Freya, keeping up appearances the entire way.


    Just as Melvin turned to leave, a man emerged from a room on the 23rd floor. The same man who’d handed him a check earlier.


    “Mr. Swain, hold on a moment.” The man’s tone was soft, almost pleasant.


    Melvin frowned and turned to face him. “What are you doing here?”


    “I came to see if you followed through on our arrangement.”


    “Freya’s with Kristian Shaw now.”


    “I’m aware,” the man said with a slight smirk. “But that’s no issue. Freya doesn’t get along with him. She trusts you far more.”


    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Melvin yed dumb.


    “Even though Kristian Shaw took her tonight, you just act like nothing happened tomorrow,” the man exined. “If she asks, say you passed out too. When she tells you to investigate, we’ll supply a food poisoning report. Then, whatever Kristian Shaw says will look like a lie—and she’ll believe in you even more.”


    Melvin’s expression remained unreadable. He realized that the man clearly knew too much about the tension between Freya and Kristian.


    “Of course, not everyone can afford to cross Kristian Shaw,” the man added when Melvin stayed silent. “If you’re not up for it, walk away—but that check bes worthless.”


    “Got it,” Melvin replied, turning to leave without another word. Once he was gone, the man made a call, quietly reporting everything that had just unfolded.


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    Meanwhile, Freya sat in the car with Kristian. Gerard, behind the wheel, was still unsettled. He didn’t want Kristian to carry the wrong impression of Melvin. “Sir, I really think you’ve got this wrong. Melvin doesn’t care about status or money. He wouldn’t do something like this.”


    “You trust him that much?” Kristian turned his gaze to Freya, the tension easing slightly.


    “Yes,” Gerard said without hesitation. “I’d stake my future on it.”


    That got Freya’s attention. She opened her eyes.


    Inside the car, safely away from any surveince, she didn’t have to pretend anymore. She shifted in her seat, looking toward Gerard. “Last time you offered to cover the shortfall, and now you stake your entire future? What exactly happened that night you two got drunk?”


    Gerard blinked in surprise, then caught on fast. “Ms. Briggs?”


    “Yes.”


    “You’re… you’re okay?” Gerard asked, visibly puzzled by how normal she looked.


    “I’m fine,” Freya answered. She wasn’t trying to dig too deep, but Melvin was her assistant. “So, what really happened that night?”


    Gerard instinctively nced at Kristian, and then, the realization hit him. He’d been yed. What else could he say? “Not much,” he replied, figuring Melvin hadn’t filled her in. “We just drank, got rooms, and crashed. The next day, back to work.”


    “One bed?” Freya asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.


    “Of course not,” Gerard responded quickly. “We each had our own.” But Freya’s cool expression flickered with doubt. If that were true, how did his earlier reaction make any sense?


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