?Chapter 766:


    “Captain.” Not in her wildest imaginings would she have guessed this was what he truly desired.


    Ellis caught the conflicted flicker in her expression and raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”


    “The thing you’re asking for… I can’t give it to you for now.” Freya wavered—not out of selfishness, but because thepany bore too much weight. “If there’s something else you want, maybe you could pick another.”


    A sharp pang jabbed somewhere inside Ellis. Yet outwardly, he remainedid-back, basking in his usualzy charm.


    “But what if that’s the only thing I want?”


    “You seriously can’t choose something else?”


    “No.”


    Freya’s brow furrowed, a faint line appearing between her eyebrows. She had never once seen Ellis show even a hint of interest in thepany before. Why now? Why this sudden fixation on it?


    Seeing her distress deepen, Ellis finally spoke, not wanting to pile on the pressure. “I’m just pulling your leg. Why’re you taking it so hard?”


    Freya fixed her gaze on him. But she could tell—he wasn’t joking. Not even slightly.


    “Why do you always have to be so serious?” Ellis gave her a light flick on the forehead, chuckling as he teased, “Didn’t I just say I was kidding?”


    Freya pressed her lips into a thin, unreadable line, like she was bracing herself. “I know you. You’re not the type to joke about something like this.”


    Ellis paused, ever so briefly. Was she trying to shut him out?


    “You must have your reasons for wanting mypany,” Freya said quietly, her tone hushed but sincere. “But it’s not just my hard work—it belongs to everyone who built it with me. If you really need it, I can give you half of my shares. But giving up all of it… I just can’t.” In her view, Ellis had never been the kind of man drawn to wealth, fame, or status. He was someone who lived by principle, moved by a deep sense of justice. If he truly wanted thepany, it had to be tied to some project or patent that mattered to him. If that were the case, she wouldn’t hesitate to hand it over.


    Ellis blinked in mild surprise, then let out a softugh. What a fool she was. When had he ever actually said he wanted thepany?


    gα? ησ ν?? ?s is your story hub


    “If half won’t do, I can even give you most of it,” Freya added, her expression resolute.


    “Freya,” Ellis said, his voice tinged with exasperated fondness, “what am I going to do with you?”


    Freya hesitated. “What?” Was he seriously reaching for something even higher?


    Noticing the confusion swirling in her wide eyes, Ellis gave her a yful knock on the head with his knuckles.


    Freya cradled her head in her palms, looking utterly bewildered.


    “When did I ever say I wanted Anita International?” Ellis was practically grinning now, mischief twinkling in his dark eyes. “Where in the world did you evene up with that idea?”


    “Didn’t you say so yourself?” Freya shot back, clearly feeling wronged. “You said it’s something I see almost every day, something I could give, but something that’d be hard to part with.” Wasn’t that herpany?


    Everything else she owned was easy to give away. Most of it was cheap, receable.


    “I did say that,” Ellis admitted, for the first time truly questioning her otherwise sharp instincts. “But I wasn’t talking about Anita International.”


    .


    .


    .