?Chapter 686:


    “All done?” Melinda asked, her voice gentle as she looked up at him. Isaac draped a shawl over her shoulders, worried she might be cold.


    “Yes. What was it about?”


    “Kristian.”


    At that, Melinda’s gaze sharpened slightly. Even though she’d just celebrated Kristian’s birthday with him days ago, she couldn’t help but worry.


    Even Lionel looked over.


    Isaac strolled over and poured himself a cup of coffee, his manner casual. “Since Kristian went to Alerith, he hasn’t been handling any of the head office’s business. The secretary’s office just asked me to fill in for a bit.”


    “Then you should help him more,” Melinda replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Kristian’s been working himself half to death. He’s earned a break.”


    “So you care about your son, but not your husband?” Isaac raised an eyebrow, amused.


    Before Melinda could respond, Lionel cut in, “What’s wrong with her caring about Kristian? If it weren’t for him, do you honestly think you’d have won Melinda’s heart back in the day?”


    Isaac stayed unbothered.


    “Kristian asking you to help run thepany just proves he trusts your abilities,” Lionel went on, praising his grandson while taking a jab at his son. “At your age, you should be grateful he still wants you involved.”


    “Didn’t you used toin about him constantly?” Isaac’s voice remained calm, his expression unchanged.


    “That depends on who you’reparing him to. Next to Freya, of course, he falls short,” Lionel snorted, entirely serious. “Butpared to you, he’s miles better.”


    Isaac’s gaze flicked upward.


    The best stories are at g?lnσν????s???????


    Just as expected. If only Kristian had been here.


    After brushing the conversation aside, Isaac began fretting about how he’d exin everything to the rest of the family at Christmas.


    Ever since Kristian had taken the reins of thepany, he’d been managing a slew of partnerships, both at home and abroad, constantly running himself into the ground.


    And yet, he always made it home for the holidays.


    If things were truly as bad as Freya had said, there was no way Kristian would make it home for Christmas, and Isaac had no idea what kind of excuse would be believable enough.


    While Isaac wrestled with his thoughts, Freya had already made it to the airport.


    As she waited for her flight, her phone rang—it was Lawrence. He’d given her his number before she left so they could stay in touch.


    “Has the family consent form been signed?”


    “It’s done. I’m at the airport now, waiting for my flight back.”


    “Alright.”


    “Has Kristian woken up?” Freya asked, her hand tightening slightly around her phone without realizing.


    Lawrence’s voice was calm. “He regained consciousness briefly—maybe half an hour. But then he slipped back into aa. His condition’s still unstable.”


    “What about symptoms?”


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