?Chapter 961:


    Mercifully, they had aplished their objective, and everyone had returned with their lives intact.


    “I’ll return to my responsibilities now,” Melvin announced, havingmunicated everything necessary. “Ensure her wellbeing bes your highest priority.”


    “Wait,” Ellis called out.


    “Are you…?” Ellis faltered, struggling to articte his suspicion.


    “I admire her deeply, but not in the manner you do,” Melvin replied, deciphering Ellis’s unspoken question effortlessly. “Should you fail in your duties to her, I will personally ensure she receives care of unparalleled quality.”


    With that deration hanging in the air, he turned and strode away.


    Ellis exhaled softly, a subtle weight lifting from his shoulders. If Melvin harbored romantic feelings for Freya, Ellis might have relinquished his position at Anita International and pursued their rtionship through alternative avenues. After all, Melvin’s treatment of Freya bordered on reverence, and Ellis couldn’t bear the thought of unting their romance before someone who cared so deeply.


    Fortunately, their sentiments toward Freya differed fundamentally.


    After absorbing every word of the document, Ellis tucked it carefully into a drawer, intending to broach the subject with Freya once their workday concluded.


    That stubborn woman hadn’t breathed a word about her battles with insomnia. During that tumultuous period following the mission, they had remained at headquarters for approximately a week before departing, but she hadn’t said anything.


    Later that afternoon, Freya departed from work nestled in Ellis’s sleek vehicle. With him relieved of his chauffeur duties, Melvin devoted even more hours to office responsibilities. To him, thepany’s bustling atmosphere vastly outshone the emptiness awaiting him at home, where idleness reigned supreme.


    As they glided through traffic, Freya detected an uncharacteristic shadow of concern darkening Ellis’s features—an expression she rarely witnessed crossing his face. She studied his profile as he navigated the road and inquired gently,


    g???????ν??????.????n – ?????????? ???????????????? ????


    “Something troubles you, doesn’t it?”


    “Indeed,” he confirmed.


    “What concerns you?” she prompted.


    “I’m contemting why a certain stubborn person never revealed her struggles with insomnia.” Ellis cast a meaningful nce her way before redirecting his attention to the road, his driving remaining impably controlled.


    Freya’s mind whirled with confusion. Stubborn person? Insomnia?


    Intrigued, she questioned, “Who might this stubborn individual be?”


    “Whoever responds bes the answer,” Ellis remarked, amusement dancing in his eyes at her bewildered expression. His voice carried a yful, rxed cadence that lightened the atmosphere.


    Freya’s confusion deepened exponentially. Her?


    “Melvin disclosed that you suffered from sleep disturbances years ago and relied on aromatherapy to find rest,” Ellis revealed, his emotions visiblyplex. “Did that harrowing mission haunt your dreams?” The mission reference transported Freya’s thoughts to days long past. Her sleeplessness had indeed stemmed from those traumatic events. The impact had extended beyond her alone—her team members had simrly struggled with the aftermath.


    “Why maintain your silence?” Ellis pressed.


    Freya responded with disarming honesty, “Your demeanor intimidated me.”


    .


    .


    .