?Chapter 834:


    “What do you want to talk about?”


    “Your mom wants to see you. She asked me to bring you over,” Isaac exined, already having swept the online mess under the rug. “You know what’s safe to say—and what’s not.”


    Strange as it was, it hadn’t blossomed into love.


    “No,” she said inly. “He’s a dear friend.”


    Hugh held his tongue. If that were true, wasn’t Ellis pouring water into a cracked pot?


    “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going,” Freya said, brushing on a light touch of makeup. Even if she was only ying a part, she wanted to look the part. “Ellis is nearly here—I’ll wait outside.”


    “Alright.” Hugh didn’t press further.


    Ten minutester, Ellis arrived.


    When he saw Freya in a knee-length white coat, he stepped out of the car without a word, unwrapped his scarf, and gently looped it around her neck. Taking her hand, he said, “Come on. Let’s go.”


    “You don’t have to—” Freya began, trying to return the scarf.


    “I want you to be warm.” Ellis noticed the blush on her ears, a telltale sign of the cold. After securing her door, he circled the car and took the driver’s seat.


    As the car rolled forward, Freya quietly removed the scarf.


    Though it was warm, she wasn’t one for extravagance. She nned to return it once they arrived.


    Ellis, d in a ck coat, noticed her movement from the corner of his eye. He gave a quiet sigh.


    Your new favorite is gα?ησν????s?c?m


    Ellis didn’t know what to say. He felt that Freya remained just as oblivious as always.


    “Captain,” Freya murmured, focused entirely on helping him manage the situation with his parents. “Do your parents have any specific expectations when ites to your girlfriend’s personality? Do you want me to y a part?”


    “There’s no need,” Ellis said with a brief nce in her direction, keeping his eyes on the road. “Just be yourself.”


    “What if I mess this up for you?”


    “You won’t.”


    With those short replies, Freya refrained from pressing any further.


    Two hourster, the car rolled to a halt in front of an estate.


    Ellis handed the car keys to the guard at the gate, then moved to the passenger side to help Freya out.


    There was a subtle unease stirring in her chest, though she didn’t let it show. She had always harbored quiet concerns about Ellis’s finances or other burdens he might be carrying, but after what she’d seen today, it was clear hecked nothing. Not even a little.


    This estate alone had to be worth billions.


    Freya said as she stepped inside with him, her gaze drifting across the grand interior, “Captain, is your family wealthy?”


    Ellis replied slowly, “Probably not as much as yours, but we’re doing fine.”


    Freya realized, toote, that she’d spoken carelessly.


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