?Chapter 535:


    “Please don’t look at me like that,” Gerard pleaded, realizing how his earlier words might’ve sounded. “Seriously, nothing is going on between me and Melvin! We’re just good buddies, that’s all.”


    Freya’s gaze shifted ever so slightly, a subtle flicker that spoke volumes.


    “Just good buddies?”


    Gerard caught the silent message in her eyes, and his grin wavered. “You don’t believe that?”


    “If it really was just friendship, then why did you tell me he hit a rough patch in his rtionship?” Freya asked, her confidence finally beginning to crack. “And why did you tell me to lighten his workload… even suggested you’dpensate him?”


    Most telling of all—when she had asked if he was the reason behind Melvin’s problem, Gerard had fallenpletely silent.


    “Because…” Gerard nced in Kristian’s direction.


    Admitting Melvin had feelings for Freya now felt like stabbing Kristian in the back, didn’t it?


    Besides, Melvin had called it a secret crush. If Gerard blurted the truth in front of Freya, Melvin would absolutely hold it against himter.


    Freya followed the direction of his gaze, her brows knitting together. “Why are you looking at him?”


    “I gave Melvin my word I’d keep it private,” Gerard replied quickly, scrambling for a way out. “I can’t tell you.”


    Even though Melvin had confessed that the story was fabricated to dig for information, Gerard couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t sit right.


    Melvin wasn’t the type to dangle his emotions like bait—not even to fish for answers.


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    Freya’s stare turned sharper, narrowing slightly as she studied Gerard. Trying to rescue his own name, Gerard made one more attempt. “Look, all you need to know is that Melvin and I are just good friends—nothing more.”


    Freya responded with a nomittal, “Hmm.”


    Kristian, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, locked eyes with Freya. That face—he had seen it in his dreams countless times. And now, here she was, right in front of him.


    “What happened tonight?”


    “Why were you even there?” Freya shot back instead of answering. Given how that mastermind usually operated with surgical precision, such a blunder seemedpletely out of character.


    If she were in his ce, she would have ensured there was no chance for her to slip away—no loophole to call for help. The 23rd floor should have been locked down tight.


    Kristian pressed his lips into a thin, tight line. He couldn’t possibly confess he’d been investigating Melvin and had gone there out of fear Melvin might hurt her. If he admitted that, Freya would definitely demand to know why he was digging into Melvin’s life. No matter how he exined it, it would sound like he was meddling. And she’d despise him even more for it.


    “Yeah, Mr. Shaw, why were you there?” Gerard added, his curiosity lighting up his face. “And how did you know Melvin was in Room 2309?”


    The second he said it, Freya’s entire demeanor shifted—her guard shot right up.


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