?Chapter 799:


    Kristian’s gaze drifted, his voice quiet but deliberate. “I don’t know how much of my mind is back yet,” he said, offering only part of the truth. “But if I ever do fully recover… you’ll stop caring for me. And I can’t bear that.”


    A storm of mixed feelings churned inside Freya.


    Ellis hadn’t been wrong—Kristian was relying on her far too much.


    “You need to be upfront with me about these things from now on. Got it?” she said, her tone firm but not unkind.


    “I promise.” Kristian nodded eagerly, then looked at her with tentative eyes. “Freya… you’re not upset about what I said earlier, are you?”


    “Definitely not,” Freya said quietly, still mulling over how far his recovery hade.


    “Appreciate it. Seriously,” Kristian blurted, hurrying over to throw his arms around her.


    Freya went rigid in his grasp, unsure how to process the wave of emotions it stirred.


    Drawing back, she opened her mouth to respond, but Kristian beat her to it, his voice soft and uncertain. “Freya… do you not like me anymore?”


    “No,” Freya replied evenly, her toneposed. “Boundaries matter, especially between men and women.”


    “That doesn’t change the fact that you are like a sister to me,” Kristian murmured with wide-eyed honesty. “Even if Gerard says we were once married, I don’t remember any of it. All I know is you’re like a sister to me.”


    Freya parted her lips, intending to respond, but Kristian’s eyes dropped to the floor. His voice grew smaller, more uncertain. “Or… are you holding onto the past? Is that why you can’t stand me now?”


    “I can be like a sister to you and look after you the way family should,” Freya said gently, wanting to set clear boundaries. “But no more hugging or holding hands without a reason, alright?”


    Kristian’s shoulders drooped. “Alright.”


    “I’ll take you to see Lawrence again tomorrow,” she added.


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    His brows drew together. “What for?”


    “To find out whether your cognitive recovery has anything to do with what happened before,” Freya said gently, hoping he’d regain rity soon. “If it does, I’ll figure out a way to speed up your recovery.” Her sincere tone reassured him, and Kristian finally nodded. “Alright.” Their exchange left him feeling lighter, the weight on his chest easing just a little.


    Now that his own lies were out in the open, Ellis had no more leverage.


    “Freya.” Kristian hesitated, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes. “Aren’t you mad at me? I wasn’t honest about how much I’ve recovered. Doesn’t that count as lying?”


    “I’d be mad if you kept hiding it from me,” Freya said evenly. “But you came clean.” She softened a little. “And honestly, I’m relieved. Watching you today, I had a feeling your cognition was improving.”


    “You figured out I was getting better?”


    “Not exactly—but I had a hunch things were improving.”


    “You’re just as sharp as Mr. Lambert,” Kristian said. “When he brought me over yesterday, he told me I’d made progress. I didn’t realize you’d picked up on it too.”


    Freya frowned slightly, thrown off. Ellis already knew?


    She gave him a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”


    Kristian recounted everything that had happened.


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