?Chapter 542:


    Freya gave a nod and signaled for him to message Trent.


    She figured that if Frederick called, Trent might catch on and say something he shouldn’t—especially since he could easily be swayed. Following her lead, Frederick pulled out his phone and typed out a message. “When exactly is the Captaining back?” Trent responded with a question. “Why the sudden interest?”


    “Why the sudden interest?” Frederick replied quickly, “Thinking of throwing a wee party for him.”


    But after sending the message, the screen stayed silent.


    Frederick’s heart pounded, and he instinctively looked over at Freya.


    “Why isn’t he replying?”


    Freya shook her head. She didn’t know either.


    Not long after, Trent called.


    Frederick nearly jumped, nerves spiking. “It’s… it’s Trent.”


    “Pick up,” Freya said calmly. “Keep your cool. Don’t let anything slip.”


    Frederick inhaled a few times to steady himself, then answered and put the call on speaker. “Hey, Trent.”


    “That question just now—did Mina put you up to it?” Trent’s voice came through, low and direct. It sounded like a question, but it wasn’t really one.


    Frederick nced at Freya instinctively. Had Trent already figured it out?


    Freya took the phone from Frederick, her voice cool and even. “It’s really hard to get secrets out of someone who knows me too well.” It was said that the one who knew you best wasn’t yourself—it was your enemy. But for Freya, the people who understood her most were Trent and the Captain.


    “Do you know when the Captain’sing back?” Freya asked, her voice cool and even.


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    Trent let out a soft chuckle. “Not a clue.”


    “Seriously? You have no idea?” Freya pressed, her tone edged with disbelief.


    “Really no idea,” Trent said truthfully. “He just said he’d be back sometime, didn’t give a proper time frame.”


    Freya fell silent.


    No wonder, during theirst phone call, the Captain insisted they’d talk face-to-face.


    Trent started to specte aloud. “Did you do something wrong?”


    Freya was stunned into silence. Why did everyone react like this? “No,” she replied firmly. “If he tells you when he’sing back, give me a heads-up so I can be ready.”


    “Ready to bolt?” Trent’s deep voice rumbled through the phone.


    Freya said nothing.


    She had been seen through again.


    “If you did tick him off, I’d say just deal with it head-on,” Trent teased. “If you try to run and he catches you, it won’t end well.”


    “I didn’t upset him,” Freya stated firmly.


    “Mm-hmm.”


    “I really didn’t,” she repeated, more firmly this time.


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